Friendly Friday at Walmart- what is happening?

[GON]

Yesterday morning I went to the local Walmart. My Wife, Pastor, and many others in our small circle are uncomfortable going to this Walmart.

Had three items to purchase, coffee maker cleaner, water softener cleaner, and O'Keefee's working hand cream. No problem finding the coffee maker cleaner, took me about ten minutes to find the O'Keeffe's, and after 20 minutes gave up trying to find the water softener cleaner.

Trying to find the water softener cleaner I walked briskly all over the store. Something weird kept happening to me. Every person in the store looked me in the eye and said hello. Walmart associates, customers, seemed every single person. I have no idea what happened, and I like to stay anonymous. How weird and also how nice.

Supplementally, our local Walmart has mature shopper setup in place from 6am to 10am. The lights are set a little lower, the music geared towards more peaceful sound. This is counter to two weeks ago, when I took my Wife to the El Paso outlet mall on a Wednesday at 10am to buy a Coach purse on her birthday. The outdoor outlet mall was blasting rap and hip hop music at "club" volume, yet all the shoppers were in our age bracket (post spring break weekday morning). No younger folks at the outdoor outlet mall. My guess was the mall manager was a younger person making $32k per year, and is clueless. We couldn't leave the outlet mall quick enough.

 

[Rmay635703]

Our Walmarts have all been slowly migrating.

Every part of the store piece by piece is getting tore apart then reconfigured/redecorated?
sometimes to different departments .

Finding things that you knew where they were, is now a fetch quest. But there are tons of employees all over.

Wierdest part is Walmart seems to be showing progress on my local facebook pages showing how we improved XX and work in process photos.

It’s all sort of strange

 

[Kestas]

I read that some stores deliberately change the location of a few items so people would need to wander around the store more, hopefully buying stuff.

 

[74DartSport]

I read that some stores deliberately change the location of a few items so people would need to wander around the store more, hopefully buying stuff.

Every grocery store does this every couple of years. Except the milk is always furthest from the entrance.

 

[demarpaint]

Nice! Try that over here were a person got trampled to death on Black Friday several years ago.

 

[SC Maintenance]

The walmart app will tell you what isle in the store something is.

If you don't want to use the app ask any employee and they will look it up on the app for you.

I go before 8:00AM. Never an issue.

PS - your pastor needs a new profession if he refuses to congregate with the unwashed.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

In general I have found Walmart employees to be helpful. Of course, I shop mostly at smaller Walmarts in smaller towns, too. I think a lot depends on the manager and the leadership he/she provides.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Nice! Try that over here were a person got trampled to death on Black Friday several years ago.

The old youtube black friday videos are epic. There filed in the same category as the old Mike Tyson fights.

 

[4wd]

They move around what they can - but automotive, pharmaceuticals, L&G, and refrigerated things are not as easy like the sheets/towels …

 

[JeffKeryk]

I read that some stores deliberately change the location of a few items so people would need to wander around the store more, hopefully buying stuff.

That's the Costco "Treasure Hunt" methodology.

 

[JeffKeryk]

PS - your pastor needs a new profession if he refuses to congregate with the unwashed.

Well said, and goes for all of us, at least in my opinion.

 

[opus1]

I read that some stores deliberately change the location of a few items so people would need to wander around the store more, hopefully buying stuff.

During my short stint in retail "new plan-o-gram" was something you didn't want to hear when you were getting your tasks for the shift.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I don't visit Walmart that often, but when I do everyone has been friendly, staff and customers.
And when I was in Arlington, TX, everyone was wonderful to this crazy Californian. Southern hospitality for the win!

 

[y_p_w]

I’ve kind of seen something similar, but in a younger format. Several local movie theaters had a “baby night” where parents were encouraged to bring in babies under 2. They wouldn’t dim the lights as much and would turn the volume of the movie down. And most importantly, the customers knew coming in what they were getting, so no complaints about crying babies. I remember one older couple at the window being told this and they went ahead anyways.

 

[GON]

Well said, and goes for all of us, at least in my opinion.

There is a perception, could be erroneous, could be accurate, that this Walmart is unsafe. Shortly I will post a police blotter showing a alleged stabbing during normal weekday hours in this Walmart parking lot.

I have no issue with my Wife in her 60s going to the Walmart neighborhood market in the other side of town to shop, instead of this Walmart. Sames goes for the pastor and anyone else who is senior in age and wants to avoid unnecessary risks.

 

[GON]

This was posted on Facebook earlier this week. Not sure how the timeline works, as it was listed this happened during the day, the screenshot looks like midnight.

 

[demarpaint]

The old youtube black friday videos are epic. There filed in the same category as the old Mike Tyson fights.

Yep. On the Black Friday I referenced, I was going on an estimate with a friend who wanted me to team up with him on a project and get some assistance coming up with a price for it. We had news radio 880 on, the headline was something along the lines of Walmart Customer Trampled to death on Black Friday shopping trip. I instantly mentioned our Walmart, and he said no way! The commercial ended they came back with the news and unfortunately I was right. On Black Friday I do my shopping online.

 

[Hall]

PS - your pastor needs a new profession if he refuses to congregate with the unwashed.

Well said, and goes for all of us, at least in my opinion.

Yeap, typical.... As my Mom always taught us, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". If one thinks they're too good to shop anywhere, fine - just don't go. No need to announce it to the world.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

The WalMart I shop at has sensory friendly hours from 8-10am. No music. I try my best to get there.

If I hear rap anywhere, I'm leaving.

 

[JeffKeryk]

There is a perception, could be erroneous, could be accurate, that this Walmart is unsafe. Shortly I will post a police blotter showing a alleged stabbing during normal weekday hours in this Walmart parking lot.

I have no issue with my Wife in her 60s going to the Walmart neighborhood market in the other side of town to shop, instead of this Walmart. Sames goes for the pastor and anyone else who is senior in age and wants to avoid unnecessary risks.

GON, apologies if my post came out poorly. All I can tell you is, I believe the world would be a better place if we all cooled the judgement based on appearance. I've been on the wrong side of those looks... I know how it feels.

I know you to be a generous person and meant no ill-will in your post.