Posted by Anonymous on Sep 20, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
Does walmart usually sell soymilk? I saw it today.
Posted by little2ant on Feb 14, 2010 · Member since Aug 2004 · 3055 posts
The documentaries I've seen on Walmart uncover that WM actually does not give a very large percentage of money to schools at all and that they mislead us into thinking they do. Target gives a lot of money to education (a bigger percentage). They still sell the same crap from China, but I don't feel like there is a Target every 3 miles in major cities, and they don't often abandon their buildings like WM does. My sister is a manager for a Target and makes really good money (more than I have ever made) and also gets great benefits. I think they even covered some of her food loss when the power went out after a hurricane (fl). I admit that I shop at target, although not as often as I used to. I would love to see some actual documentation comparing the evilness of WM to Target.....and I would be sad if I discovered that I really shouldn't shop at Target either.
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Posted by babysgotsauce on Feb 14, 2010 · Member since Apr 2008 · 1035 posts
I shop at target, but am feverishly trying to avoid products made in China, (because they are most likely made in a sweatshop.) For awhile in Hawaii I would shop for household-type things at Walmart, because we didn't have a Target, but these days i avoid it at all cost.
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Posted by hotcooknmama on Feb 14, 2010 · Member since Sep 2009 · 848 posts
After this school year, hubby & I will be moving to small/ rural town where WM is the ONLY supply place... Drive 1.5 hrs to avoid it? probably will!!! But most folks in that town (av. income = $19,000/ yr) don't have a good/ functional/ alternate choice, as 'the evil place' has driven everything else to bankruptcy... >:(
May not be 'green' to drive so far for other options... but I'm a-doin' it!! WM sucks... they're kissing-cousins with the likes of Monsanto, imo; & I DON'T say that lightly!
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Posted by VeganRun on Feb 15, 2010 · Member since Nov 2009 · 2111 posts
I'm feeling you, hotcookmama. We drive a little over an hour to go to Target, if we need household supplies. I get all my groceries at a locally owned grocer in that same town, so it's not a wasted trip. I know it's a lot of gas, but if you combine your trips and only do it once a week, it's not terrible.
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Posted by Allychristine on Feb 15, 2010 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
I haven't been reading this thread, but for people not wanting to shop at these stores...what about buying your household type things online? It's what I always do. I use drugstore.com, and get free shipping (over $50, $25 for the first time), because I only do it once every 1-2 months. The prices are usually cheaper than anywhere else, too. I only buy the things they have on sale.
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Posted by _algae_ on Feb 15, 2010 · Member since Aug 2006 · 2268 posts
I went to walmart once last year and the total cost of my purchase was $6.66. >:D
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Posted by sharkie on Feb 15, 2010 · Member since Aug 2009 · 215 posts
I feel like I'm the odd member out here, but I love shopping at walmart. Sure, some of their business practices are a little questionable (like, the whole slashing up clothes that they have to throw out so other people can't wear them) but my parents both worked at kmart in the 70's and said that they did the same thing there. And, the fact is that I can get groceries and a lot of other stuff way cheaper at walmart than I can anywhere else. Which is not to say that I shop there exclusively. The nearest walmart to my home is 20 or 30 min away, depending on traffic, while we have 3 targets and a cub foods and a few rainbow foods within town. So we only run to walmart when we need to make a big trip, where the savings will outweigh the gas it takes to drive there. And, I don't mean this as a personal attack on anyone, but I find it a little ridiculous to say that you would drive over an hour just to avoid walmart. Seriously, if you are trying to live a more sustainable life, you are killing a lot of your efforts right there.
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Posted by erinmonster5 on Feb 15, 2010 · Member since Jan 2008 · 2870 posts
I shop at Walmart sometimes. I prefer Target though, but that's just cuz I'm a little snobby. I like your idea about drugstore.com though, AC. Never thought about that. I love ordering stuff online.
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Posted by potatohead on Feb 16, 2010 · Member since May 2003 · 159 posts
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable. I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
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Posted by momofcaitlin on Feb 16, 2010 · Member since Jun 2002 · 588 posts
As far as Wal-Mart distroying clothing, it really isn't done so that no one can wear them. I know at least here locally they used to donate them to charity. The problem is that people would get them from said charities and try to return them. One of the nice things about Wal-Mart is the liberal return policy. It got really bad. The tags sewed to the clothing has the UPC on them, so it's not just an issue of removing the tags. It's sad that people are that dishonest these days. I never realized just how dishonest people can be until I worked retail. I can think of several other things that our store used to donate but was not able to any more because of trouble. It really is sad.
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Posted by VeganRun on Feb 16, 2010 · Member since Nov 2009 · 2111 posts
I feel like I'm the odd member out here, but I love shopping at walmart. Sure, some of their business practices are a little questionable (like, the whole slashing up clothes that they have to throw out so other people can't wear them) but my parents both worked at kmart in the 70's and said that they did the same thing there. And, the fact is that I can get groceries and a lot of other stuff way cheaper at walmart than I can anywhere else. Which is not to say that I shop there exclusively. The nearest walmart to my home is 20 or 30 min away, depending on traffic, while we have 3 targets and a cub foods and a few rainbow foods within town. So we only run to walmart when we need to make a big trip, where the savings will outweigh the gas it takes to drive there. And, I don't mean this as a personal attack on anyone, but I find it a little ridiculous to say that you would drive over an hour just to avoid walmart. Seriously, if you are trying to live a more sustainable life, you are killing a lot of your efforts right there.
it's not ridiculous--I live in the middle of nowhere, and even if I wanted to go to Walmart, the only thing I could buy there would be meat. I can't explain how rural and backwoods my town is, and I don't think other people on here really understand. So, if you had read my post you would see that we have to drive over an hour to go to a town to get groceries, and when we're there we go to Target to avoid Wal-Mart. I don't think that people that live in cities understand--in the country, we have to drive a lot to get anywhere. Where I grew up with my parents, my high school was a 20 minute drive away, and the town I worked in was a 35 minute drive away. Sorry I'm not being resourceful, but this is just how it is. We drive a lot to get anywhere.
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Posted by VeganRun on Feb 16, 2010 · Member since Nov 2009 · 2111 posts
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable. I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
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Posted by potatohead on Feb 19, 2010 · Member since May 2003 · 159 posts
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable. I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
Yes, Publix is the best store..I just love it
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Posted by lotus42 on Feb 20, 2010 · Member since Mar 2007 · 3081 posts
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
:w00t!:
Where in SC? I'm in Columbia.
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Posted by yomama2u on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Apr 2010 · 3 posts
Walmart for many is a lose lose situation. They HAVE TO buy there.They don't have much and in order feed their families SOMETHING they get more bang for their buck. Terribly sad situation. I live in FL and fortunately there is a fresh food stand in every other corner. But you have to get a re-pore with the owners to find the organic stuff and when it was picked. Many of them take food stamps too. that is where most of my food dollars go besides my health food store. I buy my gardening plants from them. That is about it.
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Posted by octoberbunny on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Sep 2008 · 82 posts
Ugh, I absolutely loathe Wal Mart. I have never and will never ever shop there personally. My mom, other members of my family and some friends do shop there however. I would never spend my money there but if someone buys me something from there I will eat it (whilst bitching about how much walmart sucks. I have seen "Walmart the high price of low cost" but hated the establishment long before that documentary came out. I hate how they manipulate people into buying their products "at the lowest cost" while perpetuating the economic hardships that their consumers are trying to avoid. I live in a tiny town where I have to drive at least 15 mins to get to any place (grocery store, gas station) and fortunately the closest walmart is 40 mins away, yay! I generally try to avoid patronage to any kind of large chain or corporate owned establishment. Instead I try to buy all of my fruits/veggies from the farmers market which is over 40 mins away but has the cheapest prices, freshest food and provides money to the farmer. I think people under estimate the power of where their dollar goes buy giving it to Wal Mart you are saying "go ahead, keep expanding and raping the Earth and its inhabitants". Without consumers and their money Wal Mart looses its power. Simple changes from people can help pull society out of the devastating hands of big businesses set out to make and keep people poor. Why not go to farmers market, grow some of your own food, shop at thrift/free stores? Its helping you out in the end.
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Posted by VeganRun on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Nov 2009 · 2111 posts
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
:w00t!:
Where in SC? I'm in Columbia.
Sorry I didn't see this for so long. I did a summer internship at Furman, so I was in Greenville for a summer. I took a trip to Charleston for the weekend, but I think that's the most I got around SC. We spent some time in Asheville quite a few weekends, too.
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Posted by hotcooknmama on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Sep 2009 · 848 posts
So, for a minute there... I thought I might have an internal ambiguity. Teenaged son (after several weeks of hunting for after-school job) was excited to be offered a WalMart 'cart-pusher' gig... I was like, 'dammit! my child needs college money; he's excited about the opportunity; do I have to feel ... ambivalent (instead of wholly negative) about WM now?!!'
But no: he totally hated it; felt taken advantage of; they totally tried to schedule him full-time, instead of the part time school schedule that had been agreed upon... ambivalence resolved!
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Posted by hotcooknmama on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Sep 2009 · 848 posts
ps- forgot to say, he quit after a week; his only other job so far-- a busser job at a restaurant -- he held for 3 years... WM: gth!
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Posted by irreverent on Apr 03, 2010 · Member since Mar 2010 · 457 posts
Davedrum wrote:
...at 5pm on a Friday, just to "people watch"....it's one of the "saddest sites you could possibly see"....those that live hand to mouth...and how they start spending their paychecks there....almost scary... those shopping there and spending the "little" they have....well, they just don't "know" any better.....
Wow. I'm kinda offended.
Speaking as one of those who apparently don't "'know' any better" and "live hand to mouth" spending what"little" we have, I must say let's trade places. Until you live in our situations, on our incomes, with our needs, comments like that are nothing but ignorant and hurtful. That by no means excuses some of the things we have all seen (and smelled) at wal-mart, but just remember, those things can be seen (and smelled) at almost ANY stores. There will always be folks living beyond their means, or trying to.
/rant, sorry!
Here in central KS, grocery shopping leaves you with 3 options. Wal-Mart, Dillons, the local Kroger chain, or your friendly neighborhood grocery. The one here in teenytinyville is convenient, but has little to no produce, and just for example, a package of oreos is $6. Sometimes, it's worth it to me and my limited food stamps & budget to bite the bullet and get what we need at wal-mart. Example: D/K=Dillons/Kroger W=Wal-Mart LHFS: Local Health Food Store FNG: Friendly Neighborhood Grocery
KALE, per bunch: D/K: $1.49 W: $0.98 LHFS:N/A (no fresh produce) FNG:"What's kale?"
Roasted unsalted sunflower kernels, 1 lb bag D/K: $3.65 W: $1.79 LHFS: $3.99 FNG:" Out of the shells with no salt??? Ew. No."
Tom's Of Maine Deodorant, 1 stick SLS/SLES free (necessary as El Hubbito is allergic to SLS+SLES) D/K: N/A W: $4.24 LHFS: $7.99 FNG: "We got some Speed stick...Old Spice...*hopeful look*"
The documentaries I've seen on Walmart uncover that WM actually does not give a very large percentage of money to schools at all and that they mislead us into thinking they do. Target gives a lot of money to education (a bigger percentage). They still sell the same crap from China, but I don't feel like there is a Target every 3 miles in major cities, and they don't often abandon their buildings like WM does. My sister is a manager for a Target and makes really good money (more than I have ever made) and also gets great benefits. I think they even covered some of her food loss when the power went out after a hurricane (fl).
I admit that I shop at target, although not as often as I used to. I would love to see some actual documentation comparing the evilness of WM to Target.....and I would be sad if I discovered that I really shouldn't shop at Target either.
I shop at
target, but am feverishly trying to avoid products made in China, (because they are most likely made in a sweatshop.) For awhile in Hawaii I would shop for household-type things at Walmart, because we didn't have a Target, but these days i avoid it at all cost.
After this school year, hubby & I will be moving to small/ rural town where WM is the ONLY supply place... Drive 1.5 hrs to avoid it? probably will!!! But most folks in that town (av. income = $19,000/ yr) don't have a good/ functional/ alternate choice, as 'the evil place' has driven everything else to bankruptcy... >:(
May not be 'green' to drive so far for other options... but I'm a-doin' it!! WM sucks... they're kissing-cousins with the likes of Monsanto, imo; & I DON'T say that lightly!
I'm feeling you, hotcookmama. We drive a little over an hour to go to Target, if we need household supplies. I get all my groceries at a locally owned grocer in that same town, so it's not a wasted trip. I know it's a lot of gas, but if you combine your trips and only do it once a week, it's not terrible.
I haven't been reading this thread, but for people not wanting to shop at these stores...what about buying your household type things online? It's what I always do. I use drugstore.com, and get free shipping (over $50, $25 for the first time), because I only do it once every 1-2 months. The prices are usually cheaper than anywhere else, too. I only buy the things they have on sale.
I went to walmart once last year and the total cost of my purchase was $6.66. >:D
I feel like I'm the odd member out here, but I love shopping at walmart. Sure, some of their business practices are a little questionable (like, the whole slashing up clothes that they have to throw out so other people can't wear them) but my parents both worked at kmart in the 70's and said that they did the same thing there. And, the fact is that I can get groceries and a lot of other stuff way cheaper at walmart than I can anywhere else. Which is not to say that I shop there exclusively. The nearest walmart to my home is 20 or 30 min away, depending on traffic, while we have 3 targets and a cub foods and a few rainbow foods within town. So we only run to walmart when we need to make a big trip, where the savings will outweigh the gas it takes to drive there.
And, I don't mean this as a personal attack on anyone, but I find it a little ridiculous to say that you would drive over an hour just to avoid walmart. Seriously, if you are trying to live a more sustainable life, you are killing a lot of your efforts right there.
I shop at Walmart sometimes. I prefer Target though, but that's just cuz I'm a little snobby.
I like your idea about drugstore.com though, AC. Never thought about that. I love ordering stuff online.
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable.
I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
As far as Wal-Mart distroying clothing, it really isn't done so that no one can wear them. I know at least here locally they used to donate them to charity. The problem is that people would get them from said charities and try to return them. One of the nice things about Wal-Mart is the liberal return policy. It got really bad. The tags sewed to the clothing has the UPC on them, so it's not just an issue of removing the tags. It's sad that people are that dishonest these days. I never realized just how dishonest people can be until I worked retail. I can think of several other things that our store used to donate but was not able to any more because of trouble. It really is sad.
I feel like I'm the odd member out here, but I love shopping at walmart. Sure, some of their business practices are a little questionable (like, the whole slashing up clothes that they have to throw out so other people can't wear them) but my parents both worked at kmart in the 70's and said that they did the same thing there. And, the fact is that I can get groceries and a lot of other stuff way cheaper at walmart than I can anywhere else. Which is not to say that I shop there exclusively. The nearest walmart to my home is 20 or 30 min away, depending on traffic, while we have 3 targets and a cub foods and a few rainbow foods within town. So we only run to walmart when we need to make a big trip, where the savings will outweigh the gas it takes to drive there.
And, I don't mean this as a personal attack on anyone, but I find it a little ridiculous to say that you would drive over an hour just to avoid walmart. Seriously, if you are trying to live a more sustainable life, you are killing a lot of your efforts right there.
it's not ridiculous--I live in the middle of nowhere, and even if I wanted to go to Walmart, the only thing I could buy there would be meat. I can't explain how rural and backwoods my town is, and I don't think other people on here really understand. So, if you had read my post you would see that we have to drive over an hour to go to a town to get groceries, and when we're there we go to Target to avoid Wal-Mart. I don't think that people that live in cities understand--in the country, we have to drive a lot to get anywhere. Where I grew up with my parents, my high school was a 20 minute drive away, and the town I worked in was a 35 minute drive away. Sorry I'm not being resourceful, but this is just how it is. We drive a lot to get anywhere.
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable.
I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
I don't buy food at Walmart, especially produce, it just never looks fresh, but I shop there for other items....I shop at Publix (a grocery chain here in the south) their stores are clean, and everything looks fresh they have a great variety of vegan products and will special order stuff for you if you ask.their prices are reasonable.
I like Target, but its too far from me, so I don't shop there often
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
Yes, Publix is the best store..I just love it
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
:w00t!:
Where in SC? I'm in Columbia.
Walmart for many is a lose lose situation. They HAVE TO buy there.They don't have much and in order feed their families SOMETHING they get more bang for their buck. Terribly sad situation. I live in FL and fortunately there is a fresh food stand in every other corner. But you have to get a re-pore with the owners to find the organic stuff and when it was picked. Many of them take food stamps too.
that is where most of my food dollars go besides my health food store. I buy my gardening plants from them. That is about it.
Ugh, I absolutely loathe Wal Mart. I have never and will never ever shop there personally. My mom, other members of my family and some friends do shop there however. I would never spend my money there but if someone buys me something from there I will eat it (whilst bitching about how much walmart sucks. I have seen "Walmart the high price of low cost" but hated the establishment long before that documentary came out. I hate how they manipulate people into buying their products "at the lowest cost" while perpetuating the economic hardships that their consumers are trying to avoid. I live in a tiny town where I have to drive at least 15 mins to get to any place (grocery store, gas station) and fortunately the closest walmart is 40 mins away, yay! I generally try to avoid patronage to any kind of large chain or corporate owned establishment. Instead I try to buy all of my fruits/veggies from the farmers market which is over 40 mins away but has the cheapest prices, freshest food and provides money to the farmer. I think people under estimate the power of where their dollar goes buy giving it to Wal Mart you are saying "go ahead, keep expanding and raping the Earth and its inhabitants". Without consumers and their money Wal Mart looses its power. Simple changes from people can help pull society out of the devastating hands of big businesses set out to make and keep people poor. Why not go to farmers market, grow some of your own food, shop at thrift/free stores? Its helping you out in the end.
I LOVE Publix! I lived in South Carolina for a summer on a research grant, and we had a Publix there! I couldn't believe how cheap the organics were--they're like a third of the cost of organics here! I had to take a trip to Florida last December to get some research samples, and we made a point to drop into a Publix! Their veggie sandwiches were awesome! Sooo jealous.
:w00t!:
Where in SC? I'm in Columbia.
Sorry I didn't see this for so long. I did a summer internship at Furman, so I was in Greenville for a summer. I took a trip to Charleston for the weekend, but I think that's the most I got around SC. We spent some time in Asheville quite a few weekends, too.
So, for a minute there... I thought I might have an internal ambiguity. Teenaged son (after several weeks of hunting for after-school job) was excited to be offered a WalMart 'cart-pusher' gig... I was like, 'dammit! my child needs college money; he's excited about the opportunity; do I have to feel ... ambivalent (instead of wholly negative) about WM now?!!'
But no: he totally hated it; felt taken advantage of; they totally tried to schedule him full-time, instead of the part time school schedule that had been agreed upon... ambivalence resolved!
ps- forgot to say, he quit after a week; his only other job so far-- a busser job at a restaurant -- he held for 3 years... WM: gth!
Wow. I'm kinda offended.
Speaking as one of those who apparently don't "'know' any better" and "live hand to mouth" spending what"little" we have, I must say let's trade places. Until you live in our situations, on our incomes, with our needs, comments like that are nothing but ignorant and hurtful. That by no means excuses some of the things we have all seen (and smelled) at wal-mart, but just remember, those things can be seen (and smelled) at almost ANY stores. There will always be folks living beyond their means, or trying to.
/rant, sorry!
Here in central KS, grocery shopping leaves you with 3 options. Wal-Mart, Dillons, the local Kroger chain, or your friendly neighborhood grocery. The one here in teenytinyville is convenient, but has little to no produce, and just for example, a package of oreos is $6.
Sometimes, it's worth it to me and my limited food stamps & budget to bite the bullet and get what we need at wal-mart.
Example: D/K=Dillons/Kroger W=Wal-Mart LHFS: Local Health Food Store FNG: Friendly Neighborhood Grocery
KALE, per bunch:
D/K: $1.49 W: $0.98 LHFS:N/A (no fresh produce) FNG:"What's kale?"
Roasted unsalted sunflower kernels, 1 lb bag
D/K: $3.65 W: $1.79 LHFS: $3.99 FNG:" Out of the shells with no salt??? Ew. No."
Tom's Of Maine Deodorant, 1 stick SLS/SLES free (necessary as El Hubbito is allergic to SLS+SLES)
D/K: N/A W: $4.24 LHFS: $7.99 FNG: "We got some Speed stick...Old Spice...*hopeful look*"
you get the idea.
I can't WAIT till the farmer's markets open!!!!
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