Walmart observations

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
ClownLoach
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by ClownLoach »

Alpha8472 wrote: March 22nd, 2023, 2:59 am They are supposed to use diamond pads to grind concrete down so it shines. When a Walmart near me got a concrete floor conversion from tile about 5 years ago, it was really shiny at first. Over the years the surface got scratched up, so now it is very dull.

Stripping concrete with chemicals and then waxing can cause a whitening effect on concrete. The abrasive pads to remove wax will cause further damage to concrete that wax cannot fix. It is a vicious cycle.

The concrete needs to be polished with diamond pads and sealed with a breathable product. No wax is needed after that.
There are two national vendors (that I am aware of) that specialize in these conversions. They do use chemicals, the thick sealant like substance is called a densifier. If this is done correctly the floor will remain shiny for many years if not indefinitely as long as it is kept clean, swept and mopped. Dirt is abrasive and if the floor isn't cleaned often enough it will ruin the finish as every footstep is like sandpaper to that glassy finish. There is a myth about labor savings with these floors; the only labor avoided is the dreaded strip and wax or recoat since there isn't any wax at all. They must otherwise be cleaned just as often as linoleum, and spills of chemicals must be cleaned up very quickly or they will permanently stain the cement. The conversion company usually comes back out once or twice a year and polishes the floor with a less abrasive diamond pad then buffs it to shine with a lighter densifyer chemical.

You actually don't want a sealant to be used unless it's a special application. Sealants have to be removed and reapplied every few years in a retail environment because of all the cart wheels and such. It's possible the Walmart described as shiny when installed but scratched up now used a epoxy coat which generally isn't used much in retail either. The other problem with sealants is if there is any kind of mineral salt that leaches through the concrete then it will be trapped between the sealant and the concrete, looks like white mold growing on the floor. If there are moisture issues leading to the leaching and it's not sealed they can just scrub the salts right off and the floor will still look great.

I've heard the linoleum glue line issue is caused by a specific type of adhesive that seeps into the concrete like oil. If that adhesive was used there is no way to get the lines out. If it is regular adhesive the lines come out when the diamond polisher grinds off the top millimeter or two of concrete.

I have also seen very old Costco stores where they have sent one of these vendors out to rehabilitate the floors and they look "like new" with incredible glass like shine when they are finished.

The project to remove the linoleum and convert seems to be rolling around Walmart and is not necessarily done at the same time as store remodels. They have to move all the gondolas and put them back. Usually the stores do the gondola moves, not the vendor to save money. I have seen several California Walmart conversions that look really good; usually this type of work is avoided here outside of remodels because of the seismic anchoring requirements so it's best done at the same time in CA.

The vendors are Diamashield and Questmark, they have information about how this works on their website.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by veteran+ »

I am pretty sure we used Questmark for Fresh & Easy.

I watched them lay the floor out from scratch at the Palm Springs store.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

The Walmart was built as a Costco. The concrete floors look terrible now with cracks and holes.
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New gondolas

Post by jipper »

Both the Walmart Super Center and Neighborhood Market in my town have recently updated the gondolas throughout the facilities. The new equipment fixtures are industrial grey and very high - higher than I can reach and I am not short.

In the Super Center it feels very cave-like and claustrophobic which, when added to all of the stuff in the aisles makes the place pretty difficult to navigate. Additionally, the recently updated concrete flooring (was white mismatched tile) makes the place even darker.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

I think they are planning on some significant automation and somehow those high fixtures play into that (not sure how).

Does the store you are finding dark have skylights?
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by jipper »

storewanderer wrote: April 6th, 2023, 12:14 am I think they are planning on some significant automation and somehow those high fixtures play into that (not sure how).

Does the store you are finding dark have skylights?
Yes, they do have skylights in the Super Center. Have not been in there at night so i do not know how it looks then.

It seems to me that with shelving that high stuff will start falling on people from time to time.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by ClownLoach »

storewanderer wrote: April 6th, 2023, 12:14 am I think they are planning on some significant automation and somehow those high fixtures play into that (not sure how).

Does the store you are finding dark have skylights?
The riser push is to empty backroom space for larger e-commerce work areas. Basically get it out of the back and stacked higher on the floor. They really should be purchasing pallet racking and putting it around the perimeter for this bulky stuff.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

Was in some Wal Marts this week. Easter is selling down rapidly.

One store I was in they had about 8 new pallets of Easter Candy to put out tonight. I took a look at the shipping labels and they were all dated early March. I guess that stuff was sitting around and they just now got around to putting it out.

Another store I was in had 3 new pallets of Easter Non-Consumable to put out tonight. I took a look at those shipping labels and they were all dated February.

The majority of locations are a giant mess of freight again like they were most of the 2022-fall. Pallets all over in the center aisles, blocking some full aisles entirely, throughout the stores.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by rwsandiego »

I stopped into the Walmart at Southern and Rural in Tempe, AZ this evening. I always forget how nice and orderly the store is. It's small (for a Walmart - a former Mervyn's, IIRC) but has everything and had everything I was looking for. The customers were pleasant as were the employees. Because of its size the shelves are pretty high and the aisles narrow, but other than that little nit it is a great store. If it was closer to where I live (downtown Phoenix) I'd shop there. However, the closest Walmarts are at Bethany Home and 15th (ChrisTown Spectrum) and Thomas and 40th Street. Neither of them are very nice stores, so I'll spend the few extra dollars and shop at Target.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

What is traffic like in grocery vs. outside grocery?

I am finding the non-grocery (consider pet and drug as part of grocery) categories to be ghost towns lately.
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