It was on July 2, 1962 that the first Wal-Mart Store opened in Rogers, Arkansas. Today, there is a Wal-Mart nearly everywhere. But. There is not one in Perfect! BBBH says, "You've moved me to a place that doesn't even have a Wal-Mart." Direct quote. I am not making this up.The Spouse's feelings for the company typifies one of the two visceral reactions people seem to have to this retail giant. They seem to love the store with a passion, or hate it with an equally flaming passion. Those who do not share her feeling will curse the ground the buildings stand on, citing all kinds of arguments about economics and marketing. Some seem to make it their life's work to see that no more stores are built, or if they are built to make pariahs of those who work and shop there.
Me? I can sit in the parking lot while BBBH enjoys her experience. My problem is not philosophical, nor is it aversion to spending money. But there is something about the big box experience that is difficult to describe; but I tell you I am literally feeling the anxiety inside my soul, the heart-rate is accelerating and the sweat is breaking on my brow as I write this. The very thought is sufficient to put me into a panic. I may need the rest of this day just to recover from writing this post. If you find any errors in this due to faulty editing, don't tell me, for I will not read this again.
Have a great day!
9 comments:
As with liver, it seems that people are either in the "like" or "hate" camp. There's no "sort-of-okay" ground between the two. (I like liver - I shop WalMart.)
As further confirmation of my weirdness, I can take it or leave it--Walmart that is . . . I shop there once in a while. Meijer carries our favorite brands, offers kick-backs to local organizations (our church) and offers discount prices on fuel.
I am actually on the fence about Walmart. I don't enjoy the rude customers and employees, but I like the prices. I don't like how they've pushed out so many smaller businesses, but I like that I can buy pretty much all the staples I need there.
Vee, is there a correlation between liking liver and shopping Wal-Mart? Might be.
Chuck, so you are the counter-example to my assertion that it is either/or. Has to be one in every crowd. Our closest Meijer is directly across the street from our closest W-M. Naturally. They learned their marketing practices in the same school that Lowes and Home Depot attended.
Jim, it appears that you have made the argument for both sides and have learned to accommodate conflicting points of view in your own mind. Is there a name for that, or is it simply the art of compromise?
While I have been in a Wal-Mart I have never purchased anything there - I accompanied a friend who stocked up on junk food for her rather large extended family. Since she is a professional chef I asked her why and she laughed and said "I cook 10 hours a day, I'm not going home and cook some more" - Do Wal-Marts merchandise like most big chains - according to the demographics of the store location? I hate that but I understand it -
i don't like it that they are so big that they actually have an effect on the world economy, but personally i don't shop the local one because it is dark, not overly clean, and no cheaper than meijer
Grace, your friend is like the proverbial house-painter, whose house is the most weather-beaten house in town! My experience with Wal-Mart has been that they carry a pretty standard line of goods wherever you go, but they do seem to have some things geared to the demographic. (I mean, I can get my serranos and jalapenos in a WM in South Texas, but not in the one near here.)
Shark, I get what you're saying: they are the somethingth largest "country" in the world. I don't blame you for avoiding unpleasant environments, whoever may run them.
Walmart here is on Route 22, which takes it off my map. Rt. 22 is filled with U-turns, Circles and Jug Handles, that are necessary to navigate in order to get to the hundreds of businesses there. I have an aversion to 22, since my GPS threw me onto it the first day I drove in Jersey. It was a nightmare, and I thought I was going to die before I got off it. Couple all this with my aversion to big box stores and liver, and....well you get the picture.
I read your comment to BBBH. Her response: You two are weird. To which I say, That's my sister! and, I might add, worthy.
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