Can I help you?

I made my yearly trip to Walmart on Saturday night. (Why are they open 24 hours now. Why?) I go once a year to remind myself that I don't ever want to shop there again. Ever. Let's hope it sticks this time. There are a number of political reasons why I hate Walmart: union busting \ (if there is a group that needs a union it's Walmart employees), blatantly sexist practices, and the way they stranglehold small supplier into bankruptcy. (Go read the article.) They may say they're trying to be better corporate citizens. It's like Yoda says "There is no try, only do."

It is with some unease that I let myself get sucked into Walmart. But The Boy has been promised a clock for his room. And well, Zellers** was closed. I also need Tide and garbage bags. Gah! Ok. Here we go. Deep breath.

Walking into Wallmart for me, is akin to walking into a casion. Every inch of my body screams one thing. "Get out!" It's frenzied, it's stressful, there is truly nothing pleasant about this shopping experience. While Up ahead, a mom looks at bras, her 9-year-old son is bouncing a very large pink ball in ladies wear. She doesn't care. Neither do the staff.

We are looking for old school alarm clocks. We would ask which way to go if we could someone who works here. I end up in automotive. The Boy's radar sucks him into the toy section. "Sorry kid, tonight, it's just a clock." Can't find the laundry detergent, but it's unsexy enough to be around all these bottles and cleansers -- "Things that make holes in the ozone layer aisle 6). Motor oil-- leads to laundry detergent. (No clue why but it always seems to work this way.)

In spite of assurances that it's cheaper. I am not convinced. The price of Tide is the price of Tide, unless someone has a sale, it's all about the same price. Still it's a frenzy in this aisle. Shelves are mostly bare, given the activity you'd swear there was going to be a storm. A storm that will require huge amounts of household cleaning supplies. Odd mentality. "Ladies, there is enough fabric softener for everyone."

I go in the other direction. While I am not shocked they make spandex in XXXL (what's a girl going to work out in), I am shocked when women choose to wear them in public -- especially the pink ones. Then I nearly get run over by a woman in a too short skirt and too high heels, and looking like she is trying WAY too hard. She's leaning on her cart, yelling into her cell phone. She doesn't notice that she nearly rams into me. I bark excuse me. She gives me a dirty look. I betcha security would have let me off, if I'd have hit her. "Dude, she totally had it coming?"

I find the boys, they found a suitable clock with a projection screen. The Boy is thrilled. I am about to kill people. We find a cash. The lines are all two or three long and it seems to take forever. The guy ahead of us, is buying large quantities of soda. But in increments of threes. (Fuck people are weird.) The Boy wants gum. (No!) Fucking huge mega corp. and the fucking product placement.

Finally we escape. For a "quick" trip, it took 45 minutes. Cost $60.

But I wonder, does anyone say "woohoo!" Walmart -- what a wonderful place. There is no real sense of anticipation for these shopping excursions. The service sucks. Items are hard to find. The prices are par, just written in big bold letters. The staff is unhappy. Why do we keep putting up with this? Is it just that we believe the hype -- that it's so much cheaper.

My greater fear is though, that we are giving up personalized customer service in exchange for 6L of mediocre pickles for $1.99.

______
**(Zellers is more like a low end Target. Still crappy. Owned by Hudson's Bay Company. Treat employees slightly better. I placate myself with the thought that they were at some point Canadian -- motto not given First Nations peoples small pox any more.)

Comments

[Karen Sugarpants]

I'm with you. I go about once a year too - and the tension and stupidity combined is enough to keep me away. I went on the weekend with my girlfriend who lives in a small town, and incidentally, works at Zellers. We were there less then 5 minutes before I had the urge to grab a fillet knife from sporting goods and stab people in the sternum. HATE.
Plus your alarm clock? Where was it made? :) Yes, I'm one of those zealots banning China.

[Selma]

Wal-Mart has a bit of mystique for us Aussies. We don't have any stores here but most of us would enjoy having a look just once. I have seen a few documentaries though about the way employees are treated and how many of them can't afford health care and that made me realise things are not what they seem in the land of Wal-Mart.

I'm with Karen. I'm also banning stuff made in China. Ironically, I went to a protest about Tibet the other day and the flags were made in China. They'll stop at nothing for a buck, so it would seem.

[Derek]

There is a consensus in my extended family that Walmart sucks life force from your very being. You literally leave less of a person every time to shop there.

[Bill Carter]

Hi Nat

I feel terrible for the employees and only go there very rarely. The people who work there seem absolutely depressed and you can't imagine why with the horrible benefits, low pay, and cult like management.

Great post Nat.

[Marcy]

Oy don't even get me started on WM. The $10-$15 total savings just isn't worth it to me. I'd rather pay the extra money and not have to deal with the BS. Our WM is in an unsavory part of town. I have limited patience :-X :-X LOL

[Dagny]

Fortunately going to Walmart involves at a least a half hour drive for me. I keep trying to convince my family members that it is truly an evil place. Of course, in my dad's home town -- population 10,000 -- there really aren't any other choices unless one wants to drive a distance. *sigh*

[Mayberry Magpie]

Did I ever tell you Wal-Mart killed Mayberry? I hate Wal-Mart. HATE it. If you really want to hate them, read Nickel and Dimed. It's the Fast Food Nation of crappy jobs. You'll want to boycott them for the rest of your life.

Mayberry Magpie