Walmart Ecstasy
I love Walmart. I know that it is not something to be proud of in these days of political correctness. We all know that we need to buy local and support our home town businesses. It’s better for the planet and better for the economy. But why can’t we do both? If the privileges of our society include Free Enterprise and Freedom of Choice we are entitled to exercise those rights as we wish.
This nationwide chain has been subject to a lot of negative press. There are some that complain about the low wages and the lack of Union representation. There is also the sad fact that many of the products coming from Asian countries are manufactured by workers that are subject to substandard conditions. We hear about sweat shops, underage employees, and lack of safety protocols. Many toys from China have been recalled due to inferior or unsafe materials. The most recent outbreak of bedbugs across North America has been blamed on the influx of textiles from parts of the world where the little fiends are endemic.
And then there are those e mails: “The People of Walmart”. The fashion faux-pas that have graced those hallowed aisles are legendary. I always scan the photos quickly, just to make sure that I am not one of those unfortunate bargain hunters caught unaware with my midriff bulge exposed.
In spite of this, the popularity of this Consumer’s Shangri-La has soared. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, price is the main incentive and we manage to set aside our guilty consciences long enough to load up the carts.
I love to wander around the store, going down every aisle scanning the shelves for little treasures. It’s like a scavenger hunt. Part of my subconscious reverts back to the hunter-gatherer mentality. Maybe that’s why women love to shop. (leave it to me to always mention the ancestors). But it was women who kept their families fed and clothed when the hunters failed to bring home the big game. Women gathered fruit and other sources of food. They used their foraging skills to bring home nature’s bargains.
Now the bargains are marked with yellow clearance signs and I am drawn to them like a moth to flame. The bliss of discovery! And on sale too!! Ecstasy!
There is another reason for their success. All the Walmarts have the same merchandise and are organized with the same floor plan. As we are all creatures of habit, we are drawn to the familiar. It’s one of the reasons McDonalds also became so successful . A Big Mac and Fries tastes exactly the same no matter where you are. (Of course there was that one McDonalds my daughter Allison and I visited in Singapore that did not serve beef hamburgers because it was against their religion but that is another story)
I can go to any Walmart and know immediately where the pet food is. Same goes for the shoes or the home furnishings or electronics. Just like our hunter-gatherer peoples knew every rock or tree or hill, we know how to find our goods. But also just like them, we never know what will be on sale or how much it will cost. The thrill of these details keeps up our interest and anticipation.
Most of the Walmarts have been renovated to include a food section and wider aisles. I preferred the smaller stores with crowded inventory. It makes for more of a challenge to rummage through the goods looking for that elusive prize. I also enjoy those bins with the movies marked 2 for $10. I marvel at their genius marketing. It automatically encourages the shopper to buy 2 movies instead of one. That is another reason for their success.
The return policy is also very accommodating. As long as you have the receipt, you can buy something at one Walmart and return it at another. I have done that more than once.
The only thing I dislike intensely is the Self-checkout. I always make a scene, hands in the air, alarms going off, people waiting in line behind me, clerks running to help and general chaos because I can’t seem to figure it out.
But, nobody and nothing is perfect, not even Walmart!
I too love Walmart. It's somewhat of a guilty pleasure. But it's just so easy to navigate and familiar!
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