comptrmech's Blog

I used to work at Wal-mart a long time ago and I know their soda is made by coca cola. I shop the ads because I have to. iused to stick with 2 stores, Shop-N-Save & Aldi's but Alis is sohigh anymore on thier stuff that I just don't hardly bother with them. Now I usually just shop the local IGA and Wal-mart because I don't have access to a Shop-n-Save since I moved. However, the IGA I shop at is very economical and also a UNION shop. I have to watch my prices because I live on a fixed income.

i think sam's is just a warehouse version of a wal-mart, different look-same prices. i agree with you rainbojo.

I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME. I AGREE IT IS SO UNORGANIZED IN WALMART. I DO SHOP THERE SOMETIMES, BUT I SWEAR IT IS A HEADACHE MOST TIMES. BUT I MUST ADMIT, I LIKE GOING TO WALMART REALLY FAR AWAY FROM WHERE I LIVE OR WHEN I GO OUT OF TOWN I WILL CHECK OUT THAT WALMART

Thanks for your input all. With the all the choices we have these days for getting our grocieries, its a very competitive world. Some of you can remember the corner neighborhood grocery store (the real mom & pop store) to when it was just grocery stores then came "supermarkets" and then the department stores like K-mart, Target, Walmart added food to their line. The idea for both the department stores and grocery stores was to make it convient for the shopper. You now can get your pictures processed,buy flowers for your sweetie, get a hot prepared meal, pick up your meds, and in some cases buy a new clothing outfit. It comes down to convience. If you weigh in factors such as the cost of gasoline to run around to separate stores, YOUR personal time, wear and tear on your vehicle, and finally options and depth of available products you desire, how much are you willing to sacrafice? There are no two like shoppers. From some of the responses, there are those on fixed income, convience (hours and location), others who prefer union shops over non-union, others who like organized, well laid out stores, there are those who desire customer service and depth of selection and for some its a matter of the only store in town without having to drive a lengthy distance. I used to work in a local electronic store, before the big box stores, and I can remember customers who drive 30 minutes/ 20 miles into the nearby bigger city just to save $5 - $10 on a color tv. Was it really worth the saving? Competition is healthy but at what cost? Businesses that try to lower prices sacrifice somethin

Sam's is Walmart, Sam, after Sam Walton. Disorganization is planned. They move things from time to time to make uninformed people spend more time looking for things, and know that the extra time spent equals more sales. How many times have any of us gone to the store for one thing, and along the way to where it was, picked up something else. Walmart's good deals end art the "Eye Poppers" those items in the aisle with the "Falling prices" but get you into the aisle to look at the more expensive items that aren't a good deal. Another point to some of these warehouse stores, Sam's in particular, is that they have companies produce special lines of items for them. At Sam's, tires is an example. The depth of wear bars on tires and tread depth was less on their version than on tire shop tires I looked at. Less depth equals sooner wear out, equals a return shopper. Being a good Union person, I no longer shop at Walmart because of the company stance of fighting American workers. I go to Schnucks and Shop and Save for the most part, and they are United Food and Commercial Workers union. I agree about Aldi's prices going up, and wish the old days of specialty stores like produce, or butcher, was back. Now if you find them, they are new age type places with super high prices for being special. I mean come on, coffee is coffee, and I can get a cup of java at any diner for a buck, which I think is high and there are people who pay a fortune to Starbucks. Even the bigger Harley shops now have a coffee shop type place in them. That's just weird.

I like Dierbergs too, Schucks, is okay in a pinch, however unless they have changed their management polices, they used to treat their people not too well. I had the chance to take my wifes Dad to the Shop N Save today, and was comparing prices. They seem to be a bit lower, but their meat and produce did not seem all that impressive.

Sidebar, with the price of gasoline dropping, now thats one price war I am all for. I can remember when back in California the gas stations on the corners would post a gasoline war. Of course this was back in the 60's and I can remember gasoline selling for 12 and 13 cents a gallon. On top of that the stations ( and remember the grocery stores) used to give out S & H stamps, or Blue Chip stamps, and you would go to a redemption store and get small appliances and the like?