the wickedness of walmart.

Its not only big stores that are disgusting. There is a pet store near me called "Warrenton Pet Store." It has the filthiest fish tanks I have seen a long time, and I've recently been in Petsmart and Walmart. They also have lot of poorly kept reptiles. I saw two Boas in a little glass cage that was MUCH too small for them. They were relatively small Boas, but I'm sure they were at least twice as long as the cage, uncoiled. There are some small animals in the store like rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets who's bedding appeared clean, but the store stinks really bad. And up front in a big wooden pen were two puppies. One looked to be a pomeranian, and the other one was black and tan and could have been a min pin; they were sleeping on top of each other so I couldn't see the black and tan one's face. But the place was gross. I won't go in there again!

PS: I don't typically shop at Walmart b/c since I moved the closest thing to me is a Super Target and they don't sell fish.

I agree Wal-Mart does horable things not just to the enviroment, its employies and small family run buisnesses. I hat eto admit it but I do shop at Wal-Mart. The Target is the same distance from our house so we do have both choices. We use to shop at Target, and still do most of the time. The reason we shop at Wal-Mart is easy, we don't have a lot of money.

My husband does freelance graphics and web design. When he hits a slow time of year, about 3 months surounding the holidays we have to live on my income. We realized that after all the bills were paid, money was put into the emergency fund,and food was bought we still came up short by a few hundred dollors. We suplement by donating plasma, we make about 400 extra a month but its still tight.

Anyway back to Wal-Mart. We went there for the first time right before Christmas. I needed my personal products and money was tight. When we got there we realized the prices were almost half of that of Target. I was able to buy name brand for less then the generic at Target. They had some other good deals on the basics we need. We are able to get alot more for less money. When you are on a budget these little things help.

I would never buy plants or pet stuff there. There are somethings that you should spend the money on. For personal products and home stuff. Sure, It has saved me a few hundred dollers already. That is money we can save for an emergency should one ever come up.

Although the WalMart in my town does seem to stay pretty clear with the fishies, I'm not at all keen on them. I really hate writing a check, having the clerk make you sign a receipt giving them permission to debit your account after they've already done so, then shove the check right back at you. Then, if you write the check for a bit more than the amount, having to sign something else before they give you back your change.

Oh, well. I understand Meijer's has bought a huge lot nearby and plans to build. I'm looking forward to that!!!!!

Originally Posted by foxfire

Although the WalMart in my town does seem to stay pretty clear with the fishies, I'm not at all keen on them. I really hate writing a check, having the clerk make you sign a receipt giving them permission to debit your account after they've already done so, then shove the check right back at you. Then, if you write the check for a bit more than the amount, having to sign something else before they give you back your change.

Oh, well. I understand Meijer's has bought a huge lot nearby and plans to build. I'm looking forward to that!!!!!

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We don't have to do that here. Perhaps it's your particular store? If you write a check here you simply sign, date it and then they can have the computer type it all out in a flash.. They let you see it so you can verify it's the right amount. ANd your done.

I shop at Wal-Mart all the time.

I used to go in there just so I could bitch to someone about all the dead fish. They learned when they saw me coming at them I was gonna be bitching about something. They would try and run and hide from me, but I am little and I am quick too. I could catch up to them before they could get away.

When that didn't work no more, I would just go and get a manager, and then I would just complain to him, I don't think some of them people liked me.

Please tell me WHAT makes Walmart so horrible?

I'm interested to here the things you say they do that are unethical or whatever.

Simba,

If you would like, I can find articles and such to send to you. PM me, I'll look for the links at work. I can give you an overall of what I know they've done too, although not sure if the articles and briefs are still available since some of them happened well over two years ago. Anyone else who would like to know feel free to PM me too.

I don't want to just blatantly post to here because I do not want to offend anyone who shops at Wal-Mart, but I'm certainly happy to provide more information to those that would like to know.

Originally Posted by fluffysimba

Please tell me WHAT makes Walmart so horrible?

I'm interested to here the things you say they do that are unethical or whatever.

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I have to be quick but I will tell you what first raised my eyebrow about the corporation, then inspired me to research further.

About 5-7 years ago there was a Walmart Store in Chicago. They were accepting donations of toys for Christmas. After the store would close at night, the manager would ask that all toys be put back on shelf for resale. Vile and discusting.

There was the Walmart who would lock it's illegal alien employee in at night to clean the store.

Not to mention the millions of dollars of overtime they have cheated their employees out of.

Then there are the sweat shops they run. Think driving a half hour to a different store is a pain in the ass? Try working 16 hours for 5 US Dollars. Oh the dilema.

There is a documentry out there called "Walmart: The high price of Low cost". It's an eye opener.

I understand that there are a lot of companies that are just as discusting. When I learn something new about one. I do stop supporting them. I believe in standing up for what's right in this world. I don't believe companies who treat their employees like **** should be supported.

And that's just the beginning. They've also done a number of other things (and do on a regular, ongoing basis).

I don't think they are any worse or any better than some others. I buy my personal hygiene products (deodorant, toothpaste, nail products, etc.) and save a lot of money at Walmart. I also buy all my paper towel, toilet paper and cleaning products there as well. We aren't hurting for money, but if I can same money, then I will shop where I save the money.

It's also pretty obvious that the Walmarts vary greatly from area to area. Some of you have horrific ones and others not so bad. I suppose it's a case of who's running it and what calibre of employees they hire.

I was told at one of our local pet stores that Siamese kittens can be taken from their mothers at 6 weeks as opposed to other cats. Obviously this is a young kid working there that knows little to nothing. Will I be boycotting this store because of one clerk's ignorance? Probably not. The rest of the store is clean, animals well tended. I would be more inclined to try to educate that clerk in a non-confrontational manner than to get on my high-horse and talk down to her which would do probably nothing in the way of educating her.

I would never shop at a petstore. Meaning a store that actually sells animals. Yuck. The only time I go into a pet store is to call my AC buddies and let them know what laws they are breaking that day.

I don't think they are any worse or any better than some others.

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Oh but they are. Costco is listed as one of the top 100 companies to work for and there is a reason for that. They pay and treat their employees nicely. Costco is an extremely successful company. They have a lot going for them.

I base a lot of where I choose to spend my money on happy employees. Does a coporation treat them right? Then I base the rest on my belief system. What I do support or won't. Buy/selling of animals isn't one of my beliefs, so I don't support pet stores that sell animals. ect. I don't do things out of convienence.

If anyone outthere thinks that Walmart is a nice place. You haven't been reading the newspaper.

I wanted to add this website that has current/past litigations lawsuits that are tied to Walmart.
http://www.wal-martlitigation.com/currentd.htm

Hmm, I didn't know Walmart sold animals. Our's doesn't.

Originally Posted by Macy

Hmm, I didn't know Walmart sold animals. Our's doesn't.

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Ours doesn't either, just fish.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I don't think they are any worse or any better than some others.

It's also pretty obvious that the Walmarts vary greatly from area to area. Some of you have horrific ones and others not so bad. I suppose it's a case of who's running it and what calibre of employees they hire.

Will I be boycotting this store because of one clerk's ignorance? Probably not. The rest of the store is clean, animals well tended. I would be more inclined to try to educate that clerk in a non-confrontational manner than to get on my high-horse and talk down to her which would do probably nothing in the way of educating her.

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To me, it's not about the employees or the level of customer service. It has absolutely nothing to do with that. It's what Sam Walton and Co. do. They are why I boycott Wal-Mart, not because of the employees. Crap, as they say, rolls down hill, and usually the person at the bottom isn't responsible for most of it.

IMO, it's completely different to have a store that the company policy and practices are good, where one or two employees violate something you believe in.. it's completely a different story where a multi-billion dollar company engages in awful practices from the top of the food chain.

Some Wal-Marts, as you mentioned, are surely better quality than other Wal-Marts. That's the nature of any business, I think. But it's all Wal-Mart, founded on Walton's ideas and practices. I don't boycott because of individual stores. And I agree, they are not alone in their transgressions, but they are worse than some others... and I boycott those others too. Wal-Mart just happens to be biggest on the list.

Originally Posted by Breal76

Oh but they are. Costco is listed as one of the top 100 companies to work for and there is a reason for that. They pay and treat their employees nicely. Costco is an extremely successful company. They have a lot going for them.

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Wegman's (top 100 places to work, top 10 for many years), Whole Foods (employs environmentally concious behavior), Starbucks (also environmentally concious & rated a good place to work) and a few others are all good stores too. I believe the Container Store was also one of the top places to work, and perhaps Lowes?

Everyone has to do what they feel is right for them. For me, it's close, it saves me money, it employs folks in our small town that wouldn't have a job otherwise so I shop there and haven't been disappointed yet.

My mom hates walmart and tries to avoid it at all costs but thats where my dad does some of the shopping and my sil works there actually (by the way she dropped out of school in 8th grade) But myself I go there every once in a while, but there is always a fight in walmart I remember the one day there was a fight over parking spots it gets rediculous up there I also do get some kittie toys up there and I do see some of the same ones in petco and they are so much more expensive then they are at Walmart but its reasonable for most stuff so we do do some shopping there

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Everyone has to do what they feel is right for them. For me, it's close, it saves me money, it employs folks in our small town that wouldn't have a job otherwise so I shop there and haven't been disappointed yet.

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I won't get into the point about why their products are so much cheaper, because it's taking a very political stance and I'm trying not to fuel the fire, hehe. I will say, though, that if Wal-Mart weren't in small towns, there would still be a need for stores to provide what Wal-Mart is providing, and therefore there would be other stores open, which would also employ people in your town possibly without the onus..

That being said, however, it's often impossible to shop anywhere but at Wal-Mart in smaller towns. People just don't have a choice. It's extremely difficult to boycott a store if it's the only place you can get something (with a reasonable amount of ease). I have a friend (really! hehe) that lives in a small town, and she runs a business. She is very much on the same page as me and *cannot* boycott Wal-Mart without having to travel three hours away to get her supplies from the next major city. None of the neighboring small towns have anything but Wal-Mart.

Originally Posted by beandip

On a slightly lighter note, it cracks me up how the BACKS of the employees' blue vests say "how can I help?". I have to laugh at that, because whenever I've needed help there, I have to chase them down...sometimes jogging to catch up. So it's appropriate that the message is on the backside of the vest.

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So True