Say What You Want About Walmart, But.....

HHP · #1 04-23-2018, 05:58 AM

They have some really good deals on stuff you don't expect. In putting together some new fishing equipment, no one carried the models or brands I wanted. Happened to see Walmart pop up in an ad when I was searching for a very small, light reel. It wasn't in any of their stores but was available online. I ordered it and they shipped it free to the local store about a mile away, got it in 2 days. Later, I needed a second, more high end reel, nobody had one in stock. Checked Walmart website and they had it, shipped it to the store in 2 days, and priced it 25% less than the big outfitter stores.

Over the weekend, I needed some new pants. Nobody had what I wanted in my size. Checked Walmart website, found what I wanted in my exact size ordered it and they are shipping it to me free for 15% less than the maker's website offered the same.

I guess Walmart has some high end stores somewhere because they sure have the products in stock in their warehouses.

Only caveat is to look at items that are designated "sold and shipped by Walmart" as they do have things from 3rd parties ala Amazon.

Murphy Slaw · #2 04-23-2018, 06:05 AM

I use Pennzoil ULTRA Platinum Synthetic Motor oil, and it's very hard to find. It's "Gas To Liquid" (GTL) and not made from crude, and the ULTRA has more moly, which is GOOD.

You can find the Platinum all day.

I get it from WalMart online shipped free in a few days. I don't like Amazon because of reasons I won't discuss, so yea......

fazool · #3 04-23-2018, 06:25 AM

I think Walmart is trying to compete with Amazon.

They have set up a big online shopping presence and a store "front" type marketplace. You can go to Walmart.com and shop for something and they funnel it to 3rd party sellers, just like Amazon Marketplace.

I've done some online shopping with Walmart (direct not through their third party retailers) and gotten stuff cheaper than anywhere and shipped free so I've also been pleasantly surprised with their online business.

RP · #4 04-23-2018, 06:34 AM

I purchased a Shop Vac from Walmart the other day and couldn't be happier...

VTexan · #5 04-23-2018, 10:55 AM

Okay. I'll say that their en masse buying power has put out of business tens of thousands of mom-n-pop places, thereby genericizing buying in small town America, erasing much of our past.
They have paid many of their employees poorly enough that they still qualify for food stamps to get by.
Thankfully, I won't go on, but it's good to know that there is more than just cheap stuff when you're talking about Wal Mart.

guitar george · #6 04-23-2018, 11:13 AM

If there were only Walmart and Amazon to buy from, I wonder what would happen to prices? I guess they would have a price war to see who could sell the cheapest.

fazool · #7 04-23-2018, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTexan

Okay. I'll say that their en masse buying power has put out of business tens of thousands of mom-n-pop places, thereby genericizing buying in small town America, erasing much of our past.
They have paid many of their employees poorly enough that they still qualify for food stamps to get by.
Thankfully, I won't go on, but it's good to know that there is more than just cheap stuff when you're talking about Wal Mart.

And the counter to that is that they have made products affordable to the millions of households that could not afford them, because they deal in huge quantities and lower the prices. The standard of living of those families, particularly low income families has gone up because they can afford name brand appliances and designer jeans and top-shelf health products.

Similarly, they employ 1.5 million Associates who would otherwise have low paying jobs in worse environments or be on welfare. And, of those, they promoted 200,000 last year which is 13% promotion rate - better than most companies.

I don't agree with the argument about ruining our past. I don't want to live in a town and world where the only choice I have is what the local store happens to have because the horse and wagon rolled through last month.

A lot of people love to vilify big stores simply for being big. If it's a *BAD* store then vilify it - big or small. Being big doesn't mean bad and small local stores were not always magical or special. Most of us shopped there because we had no choice or didn't know better. And most of them, by today's standards of selection, service, delivery and price frankly were awful.

HodgdonExtreme · #8 04-23-2018, 01:21 PM

^^

Mr. Jelly · #9 04-23-2018, 02:03 PM

There's a term in business called Walmarted. It means that you shouldn't let your business settle for only selling to one customer. No matter what they promise is in increased business. Walmart has made agreements with businesses where they offer increased business for being the exclusive retail outlet for a product. After the company invested to increase output, people ext. Walmart comes back and wants the product at a lesser cost. By that time the the company's on the hook and has no other customers to sell to. It's not pretty when this hits the employees. Everybody gets paid, but not much.

Nailpicker · #10 04-24-2018, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fazool

And the counter to that is that they have made products affordable to the millions of households that could not afford them, because they deal in huge quantities and lower the prices. The standard of living of those families, particularly low income families has gone up because they can afford name brand appliances and designer jeans and top-shelf health products.

Similarly, they employ 1.5 million Associates who would otherwise have low paying jobs in worse environments or be on welfare. And, of those, they promoted 200,000 last year which is 13% promotion rate - better than most companies.

I don't agree with the argument about ruining our past. I don't want to live in a town and world where the only choice I have is what the local store happens to have because the horse and wagon rolled through last month.

A lot of people love to vilify big stores simply for being big. If it's a *BAD* store then vilify it - big or small. Being big doesn't mean bad and small local stores were not always magical or special. Most of us shopped there because we had no choice or didn't know better. And most of them, by today's standards of selection, service, delivery and price frankly were awful.

I agree totallyl

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

There's a term in business called Walmarted. It means that you shouldn't let your business settle for only selling to one customer. No matter what they promise is in increased business. Walmart has made agreements with businesses where they offer increased business for being the exclusive retail outlet for a product. After the company invested to increase output, people ext. Walmart comes back and wants the product at a lesser cost. By that time the the company's on the hook and has no other customers to sell to. It's not pretty when this hits the employees. Everybody gets paid, but not much.

Sears had been doing something very similar for decades.

Mr. Jelly · #11 04-24-2018, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nailpicker

Sears had been doing something very similar for decades.

And now Sears is going out business.

Nailpicker · #12 04-24-2018, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

And now Sears is going out business.

Indeed, but to my understanding not for this heinous practice which I believe they abandoned years ago. Regardless, to clarify, so you know, I wasn't glorifying or saying this practice is o.k. Just saying.

HHP · #13 04-25-2018, 06:08 AM

Made another Walmart online buy. Needed some new lures for fishing and liked these.

In most stores, these things sell for $6 to $9 each. I got three from Walmart for $3 each. The odd thing is only certain colors could be had for the $3 price. Others colors of the exact same item went as high as $10. You would think all the items would be the same cost given that Walmart's costs would be the same. Maybe they had an overstock of certain items.