Has anyone besides me noticed that there are a lot of things that are cheaper at other stores than they are at WalMart? Anyone else noticed that WalMart is updating the look and feel of their stores to a more premium look? They did say, sometime back they were going to do what they are doing.
I know that a business must change and keep up with the times but I also know that a business must focus on what it does best. Think of packages and you think UPS or FedEx. When you think drugs you think Walgreens or Lewis and when you think cheap you think WalMart.
Heh, not anymore. WalMart is evidently goinjg to focus on more upscale customers. Makes sense as I’d rather have 100 customers with $100.00 that 1000 customers with $10.00. Less overhead, more profit per customer.
However, that’s not how they got where they are. Everything was cheaper at WalMart. Everything. Not anymore. Not for about half their store. Groceries are higher than chain grocery stores and selection is less.
The furniture dept is expensive for what you get. No way in hell I’m going to pay $400.00 for a table at WalMart, plus have to put it together my self, when I can but a better brand at a furniture store and it’s put together.
I had to prove it to my girlfriend by taking her to the best furniture store in town. Now I wouldn’t say Ivan Smith furniture is the best furniture store I’ve been in but it is the best one in town. The table and chairs that looked almost exactly the same was on sale for $150.00 less than at WalMart and I didn’t have to put it together.
When we’re shopping at WalMart now I’m constantly telling her, “Don’t buy that here, it’s cheaper at …..” and since then she’s started paying more attention to prices at our local stores. We still have to go to a couple of stores to get everything we’d have gotten at WalMart but it’s cheaper than going to WalMart.
Considering we have to drive right by those same stores to get to the WalMart store and the drive isn’t as long. Now we’re not only buying cheaper, we aren’t driving as far to get the things we need.
I suspect we have seen the best days of WalMart as a place to buy cheap goods we need. No more $9.99 bookcases you have to put together yourself. Can’t find them at WalMart anymore. Can’t find a lot of things at WalMart anymore.
Goodbye WalMart, I’m gonna miss ya, almost as much as I missed Woolworths.