Walmart observations

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BillyGr
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: August 28th, 2022, 8:28 pm
BillyGr wrote: August 28th, 2022, 10:42 am
TW-Upstate NY wrote: August 27th, 2022, 9:43 am They do collect a bag fee now and from what I was told it's going to be NO BAGS and you need to bring your own reusable ones and the only ones they will have for purchase are the heavier canvas and or cloth bags.
Most of NY does NOT require a fee for bags, but it doesn't mean the stores can't charge one (as places like Aldi always did, even prior to the plastic ban).

Also, I doubt there is any requirement to offer bags at all - the stores usually did it for customer convenience, but that doesn't mean that they have to do so. Maybe for certain items (for instance, even the stores that charge for bags do NOT charge for ones at the pharmacy), but not overall.
These stores can do whatever the consumer puts up with. No bags, check every cart at the door full of "unbagged" items creating a line up in a line 20 people deep to walk out the door given most customers see a line and assume it is mandatory to wait in that line to exit the store (hint: it isn't, except at a membership store). At some point you create a shopping environment that is such a hassle that the consumer stops showing up. The harder you make it for people to spend their money, the less they will spend money.

They are basically following the path of the Austrailian retailers. This is exactly what they are doing. But they are now taking it a step further- no more single use produce bags or meat bags either. But they'll sell you mesh bags for your meat and produce.
Even the NY rules don't prohibit having the bags in produce or for meat, and I have not seen any store that stopped offering them around here. Not that it may not happen, just not in any place I have been.
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Re: Walmart observations

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BillyGr wrote: August 29th, 2022, 12:53 pm

Even the NY rules don't prohibit having the bags in produce or for meat, and I have not seen any store that stopped offering them around here. Not that it may not happen, just not in any place I have been.
That is the end game. It is already happening in Australia. I doubt it is happening in the US yet. Berkeley was trying to get a ban on the thin produce/meat bags passed about six months ago, but it seems to have lost traction. I guess the folks who import the mesh bags at a 20x mark up did not pay off the people who pushed for the ban well enough yet.
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Re: Walmart observations

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i'm just waiting for the day when someone tries to push the of requiring everyone to bring their own shopping carts to the store. i've been to some stores lately where there has been a shortage of shopping carts.
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Re: Walmart observations

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reymann wrote: August 30th, 2022, 6:12 am i'm just waiting for the day when someone tries to push the of requiring everyone to bring their own shopping carts to the store. i've been to some stores lately where there has been a shortage of shopping carts.
Probably those idiots who think because the store won't give them a bag they can take the whole basket home instead. Store could stop that quite easily - have someone in the lot and if they see anyone attempt to put a basket/cart in their vehicle arrest them immediately (since, unlike regular shoplifting, there is no question here, as you are obviously taking the cart if it is entering your vehicle!).
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Re: Walmart observations

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BillyGr wrote: August 30th, 2022, 5:06 pm
reymann wrote: August 30th, 2022, 6:12 am i'm just waiting for the day when someone tries to push the of requiring everyone to bring their own shopping carts to the store. i've been to some stores lately where there has been a shortage of shopping carts.
Probably those idiots who think because the store won't give them a bag they can take the whole basket home instead. Store could stop that quite easily - have someone in the lot and if they see anyone attempt to put a basket/cart in their vehicle arrest them immediately (since, unlike regular shoplifting, there is no question here, as you are obviously taking the cart if it is entering your vehicle!).
Cart theft is often covered by state law specific to shopping carts, but I am not sure about the hand baskets... probably would be like theft of any other fixture/equipment from the store.
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Re: Walmart observations

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storewanderer wrote: August 30th, 2022, 10:15 pm
BillyGr wrote: August 30th, 2022, 5:06 pm Probably those idiots who think because the store won't give them a bag they can take the whole basket home instead. Store could stop that quite easily - have someone in the lot and if they see anyone attempt to put a basket/cart in their vehicle arrest them immediately (since, unlike regular shoplifting, there is no question here, as you are obviously taking the cart if it is entering your vehicle!).
Cart theft is often covered by state law specific to shopping carts, but I am not sure about the hand baskets... probably would be like theft of any other fixture/equipment from the store.
The point was, theft is never allowed by any law, thus why they are to be charged with doing so. Also, that since a basket is (normally) not being sold, there is no question that someone is taking it where other items (merchandise) can be harder to determine at some points.
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Re: Walmart observations

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BillyGr wrote: September 1st, 2022, 5:04 pm
The point was, theft is never allowed by any law, thus why they are to be charged with doing so. Also, that since a basket is (normally) not being sold, there is no question that someone is taking it where other items (merchandise) can be harder to determine at some points.
I am not familiar with the laws in NJ. Can the person be charged? In parts of CA, they could not be charged with anything because that hand basket is not valued above $900 or whatever the amount is. They could be trespassed out of the store though...
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Re: Walmart observations

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Was in a Wal Mart tonight in Reno. Store just had inventory along with another Reno Store and sales floor had been cleaned up. This one had garden pretty nice and cleaned up. Tonight it looked like they received 1-2 semis of freight into garden center, pallets of everything. Some pallets even had a bunch of fans on them, and various other summer merchandise. I am guessing they found all of this stuff in some storage trailers. Also noticed they restocked the BBQ area after previously clearancing some of the very same BBQs that just got restocked.

I am so impressed this company can post record profits with these inventory issues and giant markdowns they seem to be having.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by mjhale »

storewanderer wrote: September 2nd, 2022, 12:27 am I am so impressed this company can post record profits with these inventory issues and giant markdowns they seem to be having.
I have to wonder if the out of control inventory issues are regional. Over the course of this year I have been in Walmart stores in VA, MD and rural PA. While I have seen some clearance stock especially in the clothing section I have not seen the huge amounts of clearance that you have described. I also haven't seen the large amounts of unstocked pallets since early 2021. Walmart was having problems with significant out of stocks during the early part of this year but that seems to have cleared up to a large extent. The only stores I have been in that looked like a tornado went through are ones that are under renovation. A Supercenter near me is getting the in-store pick up hub installed. The whole store is a mess because they keep moving stuff around as they finish parts of the remodel. The parts of the country where Walmart can still run a decent operation must be carrying the parts where things have gone off the rails. You can't do that forever though. If you don't treat the cuts and the scabs they just grow bigger until you need some major treatment to really cure the problem.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: September 1st, 2022, 10:23 pm
BillyGr wrote: September 1st, 2022, 5:04 pm
The point was, theft is never allowed by any law, thus why they are to be charged with doing so. Also, that since a basket is (normally) not being sold, there is no question that someone is taking it where other items (merchandise) can be harder to determine at some points.
I am not familiar with the laws in NJ. Can the person be charged? In parts of CA, they could not be charged with anything because that hand basket is not valued above $900 or whatever the amount is. They could be trespassed out of the store though...
Theft is taking something that is NOT YOURS, no matter if it is worth 10 cents or 10 million dollars! Value has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!
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