If I had the nerve I would have snapped some pictures and posted them on Ray's blog ... there were some worthy subjects right here in Bakersfield, LOL!

people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Ray_Harwick/4983 2

 THE SMELL. My god, seriously, do those people EVER shower? My olfactory sense was offended in every aisle. Pungent body odor nearly made my eyes water, the walking stale ashtrays made me want to vomit, and people who can't be bothered to change their kids' crap-filled diapers should be ashamed of themselves. The cheap perfume doesn't help, either

That's why people call these stores Wal-Farts.

My reasons for hating Wal-Mart are pretty much the same as yours, Vanity, except you left out my #1 reason: the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and suffocation.  I think it's all the human bodies moving around like ants in an anthill.

As for the rude people (especially the customers,) right on again.  I think it's because they're all so unhappy (Wal-Mart is The Unhappiest Place On Earth.)  The front doors have subliminal messages, sucking out your soul and all your life-affirming feelings, encouraging you to binge shop to fill that hole in your sad, sad heart.

The grabbing hands grab all they can.  Everything counts in large amounts.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Ha Ha I REALLY hate wal-mart too. I hate the clientele, the workers, the business model and so much more!! Thanks for posting this vanity. I don't hate the folks Wal-Mart exploits & the small business's they destroy.

For those of you who think wal-mart exploits their employees, well I guess they do but those workers can always quit. Now for the child slave labor....that's a whole different story.

Check out the following tidbits of info:

Wal-Mart employs more people than any other company in the United States outside of the Federal government, yet the majority of its employees with children live below the poverty line. "Buy American" banners are prominently placed throughout its stores; however, the majority of its goods are made outside the U.S. and often in sweatshops. Critics believe that Wal-Mart opens stores to saturate the marketplace and clear out the competition, then closes the stores and leaves them sitting empty. Freedom of speech issues also come into play. Musicians are at the mercy of Wal-Mart's stringent content rules, forcing many to create "sanitized" versions of their albums specifically for the discount chain.

The sentiment behind Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton's promise of a "better life for all" belies questionable business practices - many that have been challenged by employees, unions, environmentalists, recording artists and human rights organizations.

Made in the U.S.A?
Despite a well-publicized "Made in the U.S.A." campaign, 85 percent of the stores' items are made overseas, often in Third World sweatshops. In fact, only after Wal-Mart's "Buy American" ad campaign was in full swing did the company become the country's largest importer of Chinese goods in any industry. By taking its orders abroad, Wal-Mart has forced many U.S. manufacturers out of business. The chain was broadly criticized for being the primary distributor of many goods attracting controversy, including Kathie Lee Gifford's clothing line, Disney's Haitian-made pajamas, child-produced clothing from Bangladesh and sweatshop-produced toys and sports gear from Asia. Difficult working conditions also exist in the United States: In 1991, labor inspectors found labels for Wal-Mart brands being made in Manhattan's Chinatown. There, 16 and 17 year-old Chinese immigrants without permits had been working for one month without being paid.

Full story here: www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html

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Interesting website: wakeupwalmart.com/facts/

another site: www.mcspotlight.org/beyond/companies/antiwalmart. html

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Listen to what this scumbag said about China's Toxic Food & Lead...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Burnett

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 WalMart is popular for a reason. It isn't going away anytime soon.

I hated  to go in Bakersfield too many people.

But, here in Casper the WalMart is nice and big. Clean and the people are nice.

Hardly ever crowded.

I do shop in WalMart for everything except their meats..

I won't go in to all the points I made earlier today and in the past but I'll repeat that you get what you expect.  If you don't report rude employees (any business) then don't complain when theres no improvement.  You HAVE to let management know you are MAD and don't plan on coming back.

As far as wages, the people who work there are untrained and have little education for the most part.  Or young and just starting out.  Mom and pop stores don't pay any better and usually can't afford to offer benefits.  Nor do they hire over a thousand people in Bakersfield alone.  Close all of them down and what will that do to the unemployment numbers?  The hostility toward WM never fails to amaze me considering how much they benefit a city like ours.  Where would those single mothers with no education find work without them?  As an aside, I worked ther for 3 1/2 years and they accomodated my  school schedule even knowing I wouldn't be staying once I was through.  I walked away with almost $2000 in stock, 401K  I never paid into and accumulated vac and sick time.  Sometimes people earn what they're worth and I saw plenty who weren't worth their base pay.

When Vons charges 18 bucks for a bag of dog food and I can get it at WM for 10 bucks that's where I'll buy it.  Pedigree is Pedigree no matter where you buy it.  I don't have money to give away just because I don' t like a store.

I will say one thing, All you folks who refuse to shop there makes my shopping experience much better.  Thanks y'all.  :-)

I should add that I'm not defending Walmart.  It's just that I believe in telling ALL the facts and not just the negative part that most people are familiar with.  Nothing is ever that black and white.

Nancy why are you rationalizing and acting as an apologist for Wally world? Hey Nancy...maybe wal-mart will set up an H1N1 inoculation center?

I bet that would make you jump straight out of your undies!!

Info, what would be my reason for sticking up for Walmart?  You said "of course" I would.  What's your reason for saying that?

There I changed it...now you answer my question. : )

I personally don't have a problem with Walmart.   but to each his own...I went to the super center last night, it didn't "stink" it wasn't crowded.  the employees weren't rude... a little slow checking us out, but she was very friendly.     I hate Von's...people that use Von's have more money then brains....JMO! what a ripoff!    i won't even waste  my time going in for a sale....I don't want to buy 5 of something to save a dollar. and the employees are rude!   OK I'm done!

How is telling the other side of the story rationalizing?  I apologize for no one other than myself so I'm hardly apologetic.

You tell me, do you really believe that the side you see here is the only one?  You didn't know the woman who started at age 17 and by the time I met her was worth over a million dollars in stock.  A company legend here in town.   You never met the guy who had a small business not making it and went to work as an overnight stocker.  He became a dept manager and is now over them.  You didn't meet the woman who started out as a dept manager and became an assistant manager.  You never met the people with disabilities who were hired.  You also never met the 20 year old who called in sick almost every Satuday and couldn't make it a whole day..or all the goof offs who stole or sandbagged. 

I don't know what you think I have to gain by showing another view but I own no stock, have no family working there and no reason to defend them.  They are just facts and yeah, I really am capable of seeing a bigger picture.  Apparently you can't.

Even I give the devil his due.

Nancy--I'm not saying I hate Wal-Mart as some kind of propaganda machine to keep the good people of Bakersfield away from it.  I'm saying I hate Wal-Mart because it's depressing in a hopeless, soulless, prideless, deodorantless way.  That's all.

Spam Code: I L U G I  (eye loogie.)  See--the spam code thinks Wal-Mart is ugly too.

Catherine, Walmart hires people who have little hope.  They can be flipping burgers at Burger King or working at WM.  I honestly don't care if people don't like WM, it's no skin off my nose.  What I don't like to see is no one ever shows the opportunities that ARE there is they're willing to work.  No one ever shows the advantages.  And worst of all, they lie about the lack of benefits and how shabbily people are treated when they work there.

The people who have worked there and hate it now most likely got fired.  Personally I don't know anyone who ever worked there who hated the company itself.  The unhappy ones that I know are unhappy with the current management and that's only at one store.

I find it odd that people will complain about the lack of ambiance at WM and then are happy as clams with Costco and you have to PAY to shop there..  I don't get it.

I will say that the free snacks at Costco are a plus.  I do pretty well snacking my way through the store.  :-)

I love Costco! We go every Friday after work....my oldest daughter has worked at Costco 9 yrs and makes great money.  and of course i get the membership card  free.  

 We have a Sams club here. No Costco. I hated the one in Bakersfield it was full everytime we went.

WalMart isn't too bad if you consider yourself a careful shopper.

I shop at Smiths, Albertsons, WalGreens and WalMart. I use coupons and buy in bulk as  it's on sale. I get a whole lot for less.

In Bakersfield my splurge store was Trader Joes.

There is nothing like that here. When we go to Denver It is a must to stop at Whole foods and that is a splurge.

But I will say I like WalMart. I think a lot of the "Stuff" said about them is bull pucky.

But that's JMO :0)

I LOVE Wal-Mart.  Here's why:

www.peopleofwalmart.com

Thank you, vanity, my sentiments exactly!!  I see I'm not the only one who doesn't shop there.  One time did it for me............never again!!  I've never been that desperate for anything! 

CB said
 The grabbing hands grab all they can.  Everything counts in large amounts.

OMG  someone quoted a Depeche Mode song  LMAO

I would like to thank all the people who do shop at the walmart stores.............it makes the other stores where the rest of us shop, so much more peaceful and tranquil....:) 

When I had a business in the early 90's I had a Costco card.  Then I moved to TN and all they had were Sams Clubs so I got a card through the business there.  When I walked through the door the first time,  I could have been in Bakersfields Costco for all the difference there was.  I felt like I was home. 

I haven't been to the Sams here and am not a member of Costco so I only get to go when I tag along with family.  It's usually crowded with kids running all over, the lines are long with HUGE amounts of stuff to be checked out and the concesson area is always a mess.  Sound familiar?

And yet no one complains about them.  Why is that?

I went by K Mart yesterday (just tooling around).  I didn't buy anything, just browsed.  Once again, I was reminded of the quality of merchandise that K Mart carries.  It's sooooo much better than Target and lightyears away better than Walmart.  I'm just sorry that I have to travel halfway across town to get to K Mart.

I bought a blouse at Target three weeks agp because I liked the black and white checked pattern.  The construction was merely, so so.  I saw a similar blouse at K Mart yesterday.   The fabric was identical but the construction was much better.  It had style, unlike the "sack" from Target.

I used to buy clothes from Walmart, several pounds ago, because they carried bigger sizes that ust hung from my shoulders.  Which was all I cared about.  Now that my weight is normal again, I want "stylin'".  So,  no more Walmart!

Oh!  Excpet for the HOMETOWN jigsaw puzzles.  However, they're not carrying many of those anymore so that's one less reason to go there.  Pretty soon all I'll go for is the yardage dept.

One more Walmart story.

I went to Hancock's yesterday to look at  fleece because I want to make several "throws" as Christmas presents.  They had at least dozens and dozens of  bolts to choose from.  So many, I got confused.

I paid $3.99 a yard for it and took home some beautiful material.

Two months ago I bought fleece from Walmart to make sofa blankets  for the grandkids.  There was about 30 bolts to choose from, none of it very exciting. 

I paid $8.99  a yard.

Walmart advertises themselves as a discount store yet  charged me $5 more a yard than Hancocks did!

I'll never go to the Costco in Bakersfield again.  They have crooks for managers (i.e. stole from the store), they overlooked women for promotions for years, and they racially profile people.  Things may have changed since they moved but I will never go back to fnd out.

My mother worked there for 20 years (on of Costco's first employees ever) and I saw firsthand how they treated her, me, and Black people when they walked in to that store.  Costco, disgusts me.  I wish nothing but the worst for that place.

Rude nasty people are going to be rude nasty people, no matter where you shop. 

True story: When I worked in a hard liquor bar (in a different lifetime) the owner raised his beer prices, thinking customers will rationalize if beer is that high, might as well buy a mixed drink, where the profit is.

Not only did hard liquor sales go up, so did beer. Those higher prices discouraged the plebeian riff-raff, which brought in more customers. Point is, there are stores that fit your atmosphere; just be prepared to pay for it.

But the fact remains: Walmart has given jobs to people who otherwise wouldn't have one; Walmart does have lower prices on a number of items people otherwise could not afford; Walmart has injected money into the local economy that otherwise would not be there. 

If Walmart were kept out of the community for the sake of other businesses and mom & pop stores, we'd still have them (for a while, anyway) and mom & pop would be dusting merchandise on the shelf instead of selling it. They wouldn't be hiring somebody to do it for them.

By the way: I avoid grocery shopping the first few days of the month, when the bulk of food stamp benefits get issued. 

If WalMart were kept out of the community, KMart and Target would regain their market share.

Mom and Pop would be asking for an application if the couldn't weather the storm.

I shop at the WalMart on Rosedale twice a month, I do not stink, nor am i scum, my husband and i make a very decent annual salary...we buy dog food and pool supplies there, and most of our toiletries. Other than that, i shop at WinCo foods, which has the best prices over all IMO ~ albertsons and vons think their items are gold-laced, incredibly high priced, unless you catch a rare/random sale, and use coupons on top of that! Vons does, tho have great wine prices, with a 1/2 way decent selection, not to be compared to trader joes or green frog by any means.

i always shop 'local' when i can, i only buy books from russos, even tho they are more $$, we buy our RV supplies from Rosedale RV on Downing...etc.

I am only hoping with this new WalMart SuperCenter opening, that over 1/2 of the current Rosedale store crowd will leave 'my' store and go there instead! PLEASE !!

jf, I had never thought of it until I read your post, but I don't recall seeing many Black people in Costco or many Black employees either. I will have to be more observant I guess. I sure won't shop somewhere that discriminates in any way. 

Goldi, I started at Rosedale not long after they opened.  I saw it go from their "flagship" store to a bigger version of White lane  When the supercenter was planned my store manager was supposed to be going there to manage and said he was taking a lot of his best employees with him.  I said at the time that no way would I transfer out there because once all the "riff raff" took off to shop the new place, my store would go back to being the really nice place it had been originally.  Less crowded and cleaner.

The boss took a different position with the company when the supercenter fell through and the manager who took over fired about half the long time employees.  I'm convinced it was a cost cutting measure on his part since it didn't happen at either of the other two stores.  No telling how many of the disgruntled employees too the chance to get away from Rosedale due to the atmosphere.  My DM transferred to another store several years ago and loves where she is.

Once again, I'm not blind to WM faults but in all fairness, the company has a lot of benefit.

Audrey, not to worry, the yardage depts are being downsized and I was told the Panama store wouldn't have one at all, don't know about that for sure.  I only use it to buy pretty ribbon to tie up my tissued ebay merchandise when shipping.

(for the record, just to set off more howls, I buy more at 99 cents store than I do at WM. ...except for prescriptions of course..can't beat WM for those.)

I have  a problem with crowds ,so WM  makes me nuts.

my walmart complaint is the motor pool out back..everytime i stop  i get mad and usually go somewhere else to get my oil changed..the last time i had enough  ..i pulled in.. there were  3 cars inline..4 cars on the pits and nobody moving so i decided to grab some lunch down the road and come back in 30 minutes....

when i returned there was one guy taking names for who was next and the whole shop was empty..the  guy stood and talked to i guess a customer over where they park your vehicle after they are done working on them..but by the length of time he was spending with him as far as just leaning against the car jawing it looked more like they were buddys..they finally walked toward the store and the employee totally ignored me and the man behind me like we hadnt been sitting there patiently in 100 degree weather for thirty or more minutes..

I left in a huff and decided that afternoon to call in and complain..between the two trips i had wasted an hour and still hadnt gotten my oil changed or my new tires..I mentioned that maybe they should think about splitting the lunch time up with the workers so it wasnt totally abandoned out back when clients pulled in for service...the manager was upset that it had happened and assured me it would be taken care of..i dont know if it was or not because i havent been back..and doubt i will..too many little guys lubes out there willing to do the same that can get you in and out and alot less stress..

as far as looky lou shopping..gave that up years ago..im an in and out kinda guy...i know what i want before i hit the store... run in and get it..if i need it i dont care what store its in...i used to be on the dont buy 'made in china' band wagon but its every where..even Tractor Supply...we dont really have the choice to not shop chinese anymore..its every where just like 'made in japan' was when we were growing up....

Nancy

I love the 99 cent store.  No howling here.  ;-)

Sage

There have been times when I almost lost it in Walmart too.  

It's not an "open" store. 

I am a 99cent store junkie! I love those places, always spend more than I intend to, even buy 99cent wine (to cook with). Never go to WM, ever, well once to buy a basketball for a grandson. My wife gets nicoret there.

The last time I brought up the 99 cent store i thought I'd get lynched...lol.

I love that I can get 5# of potatoes for 99 cents and butter 99 cents a half pound.  Qts of milk for 99 cents.  I can drop 20-30 bucks there and come home with a trunk full of bagged stuff.  Not so at Vons or even Winco.

Pogo..the danger is the 99 cent mentality.  Every thing I pick up I think, hey..it's only 99 cents.  Until my basket runneth over.  This last time they had Cars kids fork and spoon sets and hey, they were only 99 cents.  Ajax dish soap?  Hand sanitizer? Tampico?  (love that stuff).  Shasta 4 for 79?  Campbells BIG tomato and Chix Noodle soup?

Oh yeah.

Nancy, I have to stay away from the candy, only 99 cents wow! Deodorizers, I have covered the house in 'em, smells like a flourist. I once bought 25 baseballs for practicing with grandson. There is a movement afoot to ban me from going there.

I have  a problem with crowds ,so WM  makes me nuts.

Me too, sage. I avoid malls in general because of this; I do most of my shopping online. But I will say I think Mall Wart is the worst of them all. I don't care what they are selling, I won't even walk in there to use the toilet. I stopped shopping there when I got sick of the panhandlers accosting me in the parking lot (Lancaster store, about ten years ago). But the other reasons I detest MallWart are already mentioned. I also am one of those trying to block a store going up in Tehachapi. It would be terribly hypocritical of me to fight the building of Wallmart in Tehachapi, only to come down the hill and shop in one. Nope. Not me, not ever.

bumper sticker on my car: Mall Wart: Your source for cheap plastic crap.

I don't know how many of you ever set foot in a Walmart as far back as 1987 but that was my first time.  My niece and sister took me to one and I was shocked.  It was packed to the rafters, tiny narrow aisles and really junky looking.  I still picture that trashy little place and laugh thinking how much people say that about the present stores.  There's really no comparison.

As fr panhandlers, I've had them at K-mart, Riteaid, Jack In The Box, Sinaloa and street corners.  They are equal opportunity beggers..lol.

As I mentioned before.  I don't care whether or not people shop at WM, I really don't.  Just  don't deny the positive aspects while talking about the negatives.  I put off going there until I'm out of dog food or prescriptions and I choose my time carefully.  I hate, hate Pennys and will only go there now because I finally found tennies I like there.  They screwed me around so not only do I dislike shopping there, I am ticked at being snookered by a clerk and management refused to fix the problem.

what wally world is open 24-7?

I get all my spices at the 99cent store, and yes -nancy, i ALWAYS accidently over load, then i have to hide my junk pile from my hubby! LOL

the one in the east hills swap meet, errrrrrrr mall used to be open 24/7...but now, none of them are...to my knowledge

Excellent youtube clip, Catherine! You took me straight back to high school with that one, LOL! And good comments, too, about the general feel of the place.

I'm of the opinion that if I must spend money, I will do it in a place that is not unpleasant and I find WalMart to be hideously depressing. As long as I have a choice as a consumer, WalMart will be dead last on my list.

Infowar, thanks for posting those links. 

Here's an interesting story just released about child labor and WalMart's blueberries; at least the company did the right thing and severed ties with the supplier. No wonder they could offer the produce so cheap when it's children as young as 5 doing the work. I guess the price of blueberries will be going up now!

abcnews.go.com/Blotter/young-children-working-blu eberry-fields-walmart-severs-ties/story

I just did it!  I ran out of printer ink in the middle of printing postage and had no choice but to go buy another cartridge since I'd already paid for it.  I decided instead of my regular run to WM in Rosedale I might as well hit the super center since it's a straight freeway shot.

Vanity, I think we shopped in parallel universes because I found it very clean, huge wide aisles, busy but not packed and I got to park near the door.  I laughed at people trying to park at the beginning of the building which is marked groceries.  I went on down to where it said HOME and found lots of spaces near the door.

Inside, I thought I was walking into t Costco or something..same look in general.  I had to ask one young lady where an item was and she took me to it.   The deli had lots to offer and had a line...at least they offer something beside McDonalds.  Decent looking bakery.  The express checkouts only had one or two people waiting but I found a regular one with no waiting to use for my 3 items.  The young checker was friendly and cheerful.

I didn't spend much time there because I'm still not up to par from an intestinal issue so I'll go back when I can really give it the once over.  Knowing me, it may not be for a month or so.  I didn't see a yardage section but didn't expect to and automotive doesn't seem to offer tires and oil changes..unless I missed the door to the bays.

I don't know what the problem is, I found it kinda fun to prowl what little I did.

edit....The White Lane WM was open 24/7 when it first opened.  I did all my Christmas shopping there that year.  Dreamifucan could tell you the story of going there in the middle of the night with her tipsy ex but that's another tale..lol.

Nancy, you're right about Costco. I try to go during the first hour which is for business customers only, so it's much less crowded and most kids are in school. I don't go anywhere near the concession area for exact the reason you cited. That place is an absolute zoo on Sunday afternoons. Been there done that and won't do it again!

Nancy, I didn't say the STORE wasn't clean, it was the PEOPLE who don't bother to shower! And the fact that they were so flipping inconsiderate and rude. Also, just to clarify, I didn't mention the employees at all in my original post. 

Nancy, BTW my 4:13 post was in response to your earlier comments and I hadn't yet seen your most recent one. Don't you hate it when you get distracted when typing and by the time you finish it's all out of order?  

Vanity, I picked up the employee thing from some of the comments made here.  As for the customers, I found them about the same as any place.  I didn't notice any odors from anyone.  Maybe because it was opening day everyone and their cousin was there and it accumulated, I dunno.  Today, they were just people.

I think the thing that surpised me the most was the available parking if you didn't follow the sheep.

I saw very few children, probably because I went during school hours.  It's too far from me for it to be a regular stop.  It's more of a destination.