Maggie's Farm

Re: Walmart. That piece says "every brand and every product is available, and at the lowest prices: groceries, clothes, electrical goods, and many even have pharmacies and opticians. Who has time to travel their local shops and markets, and who wants to pay more when they can pay less?"

It just ain't so. WalMart's prices simply aren't the lowest. Anyone with enough intelligence to compare the weekly newspaper fliers and go online to compare the various large retailers near them each week will quickly discover that Walmart hasn't anywhere near the lowest prices. The exceptions are their loss leaders which, however, fall into the bait and switch category. Only limited numbers available, and not everyone has the leisure to go in at 5 am to get one of 10. Their regular prices are frequently much higher than Target, Costco, even CompUsa, CircuitCity and BestBuy. Electronics, especially, cost more than virtually all the competition. Is this because electronics are our toys, our joys, and we are therefore more willing to spend whatever to get them?! Our weakness is the Walton's opportunity.

In addition, their stores are poorly organized and maintained, shelves restocked carelessly, staff ignorant.

As I have said before, WalMart is the worst retailer I have ever been to. I will only go in there now about every two or three years if something electronic is on sale at an incredible price. But that is just the lure of the hunt--invariably the item is sold out before I can get it.