Walmart observations

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
Alpha8472
Posts: 3932
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

What decor is it? Is it the more expensive one with deep blue signs with white letters or is it the cheaper one with thin white signs and light blue lettering?
mjhale
Shift Manager
Shift Manager
Posts: 429
Joined: October 2nd, 2016, 4:02 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 47 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by mjhale »

jipper wrote: October 7th, 2021, 7:24 am However, most of the other ares of the store have been compressed (to say the least) to get in more product and it is very difficult to move through some parts. In the clothing area, if a cart is coming your way in an aisle someone is going to have to back up, which I did have to do. Additionally, there are fewer access aisles that are wide enough for a few carts. The organization in the clothing areas seems mostly haphazard making it difficult to find some things that used to be easy to find. As a matter of fact, I left the building with two small hardware items because I could not find what I was looking for. Others to whom I have spoken agree; too tightly packed for comfortable shopping.

I think that the Christmas rush will be interesting in this environment and has the potential to lead to angry confrontations between customers.
The Walmart near me opened as a standard 1990s pylon store in a large strip center. Between Walmart and the next big box was a small strip of grass (mud really) that Walmart used for those huge box car looking storage units for overflow merchandise. When the store was expanded to a Supercenter Walmart built a small addition that included what looks to be a tiny back room and cold storage as well as the new deli, bakery and produce areas. The latter were kind of tacked on to the front of the building where customer service, the restrooms and the nail place by the original entrance doors. The actual grocery aisles were built into the area that was the clothing section along the wall of the store. The pharmacy and HBA were built into the remainder of the old clothing section. The rest of the store, including the clothing section, was compressed into the remaining space in the building. The only thing of the original store that gained any floor space was electronics which moved from the center of the store to the back right and tripled in size. This store is way undersized for the business that it gets. Outside of the grocery section the aisles are cramped with barely enough space for two people to pass each other. Heaven help you if you try to shop at the height of the weekend shopping hours. For me I get there right when Walmart opens so I can get in and out before the deluge of people shows up. I get that Walmart has to go what it can with the space that it has. However, when this store gets busy it is actually a detriment to shop there because of how packed it gets.
jipper
Front-End Bagger
Front-End Bagger
Posts: 19
Joined: August 16th, 2021, 3:40 am
Been thanked: 4 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by jipper »

Alpha8472 wrote: October 7th, 2021, 2:10 pm What decor is it? Is it the more expensive one with deep blue signs with white letters or is it the cheaper one with thin white signs and light blue lettering?
It is indeed the blue with white lettering signage. The signs are actually pretty sharp and easy to read.
Brian Lutz
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1426
Joined: March 1st, 2009, 5:51 pm
Location: Piedmont Triad, NC
Been thanked: 56 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by Brian Lutz »

Following up on something being discussed a couple of months ago, yesterday I visited the Everett Mall Way Walmart, and I see that they are continuing to sell tobacco products as usual, so as far as I can tell they aren't discontinuing tobacco sales here.
Alpha8472
Posts: 3932
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

It depends on the region. Some Walmart pharmacies that have competition with many CVS Pharmacies nearby are dropping tobacco sales because CVS Caremark insurance charges lower copays at pharmacies that don't sell tobacco. CVS pharmacies don't sell tobacco and have lower copays. If there is not much competition, the Walmart can continue to sell tobacco.
storewanderer
Posts: 14396
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 299 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: October 8th, 2021, 4:25 pm It depends on the region. Some Walmart pharmacies that have competition with many CVS Pharmacies nearby are dropping tobacco sales because CVS Caremark insurance charges lower copays at pharmacies that don't sell tobacco. CVS pharmacies don't sell tobacco and have lower copays. If there is not much competition, the Walmart can continue to sell tobacco.
Wal Mart may be able to lease space in the store to an independent tobacco shop. In some locations I imagine tobacco demand is still high enough especially given the extremely high level of customer traffic Wal Mart has, plus the high employee count. I wonder how CVS would handle that if it was just an independent business selling tobacco there as a separate business from Wal Mart.
HCal
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 615
Joined: February 1st, 2021, 11:18 pm
Has thanked: 21 times
Been thanked: 67 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by HCal »

storewanderer wrote: October 9th, 2021, 1:16 am
Wal Mart may be able to lease space in the store to an independent tobacco shop. In some locations I imagine tobacco demand is still high enough especially given the extremely high level of customer traffic Wal Mart has, plus the high employee count. I wonder how CVS would handle that if it was just an independent business selling tobacco there as a separate business from Wal Mart.
I doubt CVS would let that happen. They market the plan to employers and plan sponsors as a way to reduce health care costs by ensuring that patients don't buy cigarettes when picking up prescriptions. A loophole like that would make the whole thing meaningless.

But then again, I wouldn't put it past them to sneak it in and hope that plan sponsors don't notice. Walmart is probably one of the few non-CVS pharmacies that has leverage with Caremark.
BillyGr
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1579
Joined: October 5th, 2010, 7:33 pm
Been thanked: 58 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by BillyGr »

HCal wrote: October 9th, 2021, 1:43 am
storewanderer wrote: October 9th, 2021, 1:16 am
Wal Mart may be able to lease space in the store to an independent tobacco shop. In some locations I imagine tobacco demand is still high enough especially given the extremely high level of customer traffic Wal Mart has, plus the high employee count. I wonder how CVS would handle that if it was just an independent business selling tobacco there as a separate business from Wal Mart.
I doubt CVS would let that happen. They market the plan to employers and plan sponsors as a way to reduce health care costs by ensuring that patients don't buy cigarettes when picking up prescriptions. A loophole like that would make the whole thing meaningless.

But then again, I wouldn't put it past them to sneak it in and hope that plan sponsors don't notice. Walmart is probably one of the few non-CVS pharmacies that has leverage with Caremark.
Or perhaps somehow wall off a section of space and make it an actual separate store (with it's own doorway), which would be more like how Walmart would do it (even though in that case inside the main store)? Just not sure it would have enough volume with a CVS like it would with a Walmart.
Alpha8472
Posts: 3932
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 8:55 pm
Been thanked: 79 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

Walmart has a severe shortage of all coins except for pennies. They are also running low on $1 and $5.

If you pay by cash and need change the register now rounds to $10. For example your item costs 90 cents. You pay with $1. You now get $10 back in change. I kid you not! You get that much money back.

This applies to all registers in the store. They are now asking for card payment instead of cash.
wnetmacman
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator
Posts: 994
Joined: January 17th, 2010, 2:36 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 44 times
Status: Offline

Re: Walmart observations

Post by wnetmacman »

Alpha8472 wrote: October 21st, 2021, 1:22 pm Walmart has a severe shortage of all coins except for pennies. They are also running low on $1 and $5.

If you pay by cash and need change the register now rounds to $10. For example your item costs 90 cents. You pay with $1. You now get $10 back in change. I kid you not! You get that much money back.

This applies to all registers in the store. They are now asking for card payment instead of cash.
This does not count for every Walmart. Each store has its own policy. My store gives proper change at regular registers, but does not accept cash at the Self Checkouts.
Post Reply