Walmart learns a lesson . . .

[hydralique]

This is an interesting little article. I rarely shop at Walmart and as such wasn't aware that they had stopped handling Glad Bags and Hefty Bags, plus a number of other brand name items. Walmart management figured customers would just buy other brands, but they found that a small but significant number of shoppers who wanted those specific products just made their shopping trip to other stores instead of Walmart. A quote from a Walmart executive:

"What we found is that you can discontinue items that don't sell but get you a trip," said Bill Simon, Wal-Mart's executive vice president and chief operating officer, at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer Conference last week. "So, we've been through the business and put 300 or so of those items back into the stores that were removed. We believe that that's going to solve some of those issues."

Looks like brand loyalty can make a difference.

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/109105/retailers-get-pushback-as-brands-disappear

 

[whirlcool]

I have noticed that Walmart has dropped some good brands. They dropped the Tyson line of all in one bagged frozen meals, Sister Sara's frozen rolls, and White Castle frozen hamburgers. I am sure there are more that I haven't noticed yet.

 

[imperial70]

Every time I step into a walmart I think of the descriptions of the USSR GUM department store. From what I understood, limited brands and long lines. Now that Walmart is just about the only game in town for some goods, they have cut back on help and have limited their brands. Everyone is hooked on the overworked pharmacy when there is a great Walgreens down the street that is empty. And walgreens offers the same low cost prescriptions! I go there and I also shop for other items in there, to show my support for them. I also shop at the local hardware store as much as possible. The best thing you can do is to limit walmart. Think about what Walmart looks like to you when you wait in line next time.

 

[cleanteamofny]

Talk about Walmart drug store is a menace to prescription society.
Long wait to get prescriptions and if you need a refill that is outdated, good luck!
Walgreen will contact doctor's and fill and notify via e-mail and phone.
Double convinces is worth the trip 15 miles away from home vs 5 miles to wally world!

 

[xraytech]

They no longer carry sno-bowl toilet cleaner, and when I doing grandmas shopping I found they no longer carry Polident denture cleaner, We are not people to but something else if we cant find the brand we want, I just go to the Family Dollar now

 

[dirtybuck]

Wisk

Wal-Mart doesn't carry that anymore either.

 

[pushtorelease]

interesting little blurb about this:

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/canadianbusiness/1475/the-push-on-private-label-brands

 

[sdlee]

keep going, I work at walmart and I tell my mgrs all of this matters and it just falls on deaf ears. I personally cant wait to see the place take a dive, if you think what they are doing to costomers is bad you should try working there. The entire corporation is a cancer and I cant wait until I dont have to be a part of it anymore.Talk about a company that is its own worst enemy.

BTW if you dont know the plan is to one day have only great value products on the grocery shelves. A plan I think they are slowly realizing isnt going to work but itll take them 5 years after they implement it to figure out it hasnt worked.

 

[laundryshark]

Depressing Look at Wal-Mart's Laundry Aisles

Depending on which Wal-Mart stores you visit, they don't always have a wider variety of name brand laundry products. Wished they would carry Oxydol powder. Haven't seen the Ariel or other odd named brands either. Getting more limited to the Tide, Cheer, Gain, and a few other basic brand variants. Again, depends on the store and the size of the place.--Laundry Shark

 

[jt1985]

Offerings do vary

At my store in central Westminster, we carry Ariel, but it's the USA variant. We lost Sun and most of All with the latest reset. We added Era, Xtra and saw a big increase in the Tide offerings. The Walmart in Broomfield has the Wisk and Surf 2x liquids. The Walmart in south Westminster carries a lot of All and Tide liquids.

 

[jamiel]

I've heard that the one competitor Wal-Mart really fears is....Aldi. The "ultra-discount" or whatever sector (limited selection, small store, quick shopping) really chased them off in Germany, and they see it encroaching on their turf here too.

 

[westie2]

Yes our new Aldi is being built right across from our WalMart Supercenter. Also our favorite supermarket is building a new store here and will really give Wal Mart a run for its money. We do Aldi for staples and everything else at our Harps.

 

[alr2903]

We like Aldi to, its just so much less of a time commitment. Kroger serves our other needs quite well and they have a very good detergent for towels, sheets, whites and jeans. I think the real lesson for walmart is to provide some health insurance for all their employee's. They are one of the largest U.S. retailers. I have posted before about my affair with Walgreen's they are top notch the pharmacy takes care of business, you never get you need to call your doctor, you get your rx out the driveup window, problem solved, and no 2 mile hike to get to the store. The dollar stores are winners too. alr2903

 

[xraytech]

Our Wal-Mart doesnt stock Wisk either, they also quit carrying Angel Soft toilet paper. Our store also has been mostly taken over by Great-Value products and most of the brands I buy they quit carrying.

Our Aldi is right next door to Wal-Mart and we have a big Giant Eagle across the street

 

[laundryshark]

Perhaps Wal-Mart has other Lessons to Learn?

Check out the Wake Up Wal-Mart site.--Laundry Shark

makingchangeatwalmart.org

 

[alr2903]

Laundryshark Thanks

I am glad to see a website that exposes some of the truth about this corporation. I think there are far more problems there, than their detergent aisle. I know many now have no choice except to shop there in rural localities. Low wages, imported junk, every trick in the book to denie healthcare and terrible customer service. Now this is just my opinion, but i think they are a pitiful partner to any community. alr2903

 

[laundryshark]

No Choice But to Shop There Myself

I live in a mid sized city and shop Wal-Mart, namely because it's right on a city bus route, and have shopped there for many years. Therefore, I know some people who work there. Being on a limited income, I tend not to buy a lot of fancy stuff there unless absolutely necessary above and beyond the grocery and nongrocery basics. I myself do not have terrible customer service unless it's somebody I don't know. Then again, I often shop when the place is not terribly busy. It's one of the better stores in town with its share of drawbacks. We recently had an auto accident in the Wal-Mart parking lot involving a 23 year old pedestrian and an 85 year old woman. Unfortunately, the pedestrian died.--Laundry Shark

Local

www.kcrg.com

 

[nurdlinger]

Aldi

I believe there was an Aldi store in northwest Tucson a few years ago. I never got the chance to shop there, it closed within 30-60 days of opening, IIRC.

 

[58limited]

I've never worked for Walmart so those who do can correct or corroborate this: In my observations it seems the corporation has taken a big dive ever since Sam Walton died. When he was alive, he promoted American-made products and the employees were treated better. Seems like when Sam died the heirs couldn't drop those philosophies fast enough and the corporation has been in decline since.

I have a friend who was injured while shopping there. A box fell on him from the top shelf (no, he wasn't trying to get it down, he was just standing there looking at merchandise on the lower shelf). At first, the manager wouldn't call an ambulance, he just tried to shuffle him out of the store to avoid liability. My friend is currently engaged in a court battle with Walmart to pay medical bills related to this.

I try not to shop at Walmart but sometimes I just need something they have and don't want to drive further to get it.

Oh, this was just released in the news yesterday: A woman was wrongfully imprisoned because Walmart assumed some money orders she was cashing were forged. She won $9 million in court:

http://www.kens5.com/news/texas-news/Woman-awarded-9-million-after-Walmart-sends-her-to-jail--89329977.html