sudsmaster
Well-known member
Not a department store
Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc aren't department stores.
Department stores have actual departments, staffed by people knowledgeable about the goods specific to that department.
Macy's is a department store. Sears is a department store.
Walmart and its competitors are more like discount markets. Everything is really in one space, separated into blocks of aisles. If one could find a Walmart employee knowledgeable about the products, and actually willing to share such knowledge, I imagine that might be grist for the Guinness Book of World Records ;-).
A national chain of stores in and of itself isn't a bad thing. But stores like Walmart and Starbucks have adopted extremely aggressive competitive policies. The classic story of a Walmart or a Starbucks moving into a community, then underpricing and out-advertising the local competition, drawing business away until the local stores give up. Then when the local population is a captive audience, the big aggressive chain store raises its prices to recoup its profits.
Walmart takes it a step further. Its slogan is "Low Prices, Always". But the truth is that most of Walmart's prices, once it's driven the locals out of business, are the same or higher than those at other retailers. Only a few bottom of the line "entry level" products are truly priced lower than anybody else. These heavily advertised and prominently displayed at the ends of aisle or at islands between aisles. But venture down an aisle looking for a slightly less basic version of the product, and you'll probably be paying more than you would if you shopped around first.
Walmart, Target, Kmart, etc aren't department stores.
Department stores have actual departments, staffed by people knowledgeable about the goods specific to that department.
Macy's is a department store. Sears is a department store.
Walmart and its competitors are more like discount markets. Everything is really in one space, separated into blocks of aisles. If one could find a Walmart employee knowledgeable about the products, and actually willing to share such knowledge, I imagine that might be grist for the Guinness Book of World Records ;-).
A national chain of stores in and of itself isn't a bad thing. But stores like Walmart and Starbucks have adopted extremely aggressive competitive policies. The classic story of a Walmart or a Starbucks moving into a community, then underpricing and out-advertising the local competition, drawing business away until the local stores give up. Then when the local population is a captive audience, the big aggressive chain store raises its prices to recoup its profits.
Walmart takes it a step further. Its slogan is "Low Prices, Always". But the truth is that most of Walmart's prices, once it's driven the locals out of business, are the same or higher than those at other retailers. Only a few bottom of the line "entry level" products are truly priced lower than anybody else. These heavily advertised and prominently displayed at the ends of aisle or at islands between aisles. But venture down an aisle looking for a slightly less basic version of the product, and you'll probably be paying more than you would if you shopped around first.
