Cynical capitalistic experiences

[elfs]

Omaha, Kouryou-chan, and I all went to Walmart for the first time in our lives this week. We had to go return a birthday gift that was, frankly, inappropriate for Kouryou-chan. I've never been in a Walmart before, and so I'd never quite experienced the weird, flourescent non-stop high-density frenzy that is an ordinary Walmart on an ordinary day. The very air was frenetic, disturbing, overcharged and unpleasant; the people wandering the aisles quietly desperate to get done and get out while dealing with their children. But what really got me was the way the Walmart is optimized for impulse buying, for children to reach out and point and scream that they want that and that and that over there, they want and they want. Everything bright and shiny was at the level where a child could grab it, scream about it, want it.

It was oddly frightening. I've never seen anything so cynically overdone.

Comments

[areitu.livejournal.com]

Is it a normal Wal-Mart?

Recently, two Super Wally Worlds (The first two in california) opened within 20 minutes of each other near my home. While Wal-Mart has everything, it's hard to find what you need. On the other hand, only in American can you buy dog food, motor oil, a pair of hoseclamps and a floating flashlight at 1:30am.

[adaveen.livejournal.com]

If there will be a hell for me - it will be a Walmart. A Super Walmart.

[dossy.livejournal.com]

Elf: What you describe sounds like a high end strip club.

Coincidence?

[edichka2.livejournal.com]

I'll take Fred Meyer any day -- I can find nearly anything I want, and not feel sullied in the process.

[slutdiary.livejournal.com]

I think I've walked into one once, when it was all that was around and I had to buy a gift for a family member who could return it there if it was wrong. I've felt guilty all these years for that.

Just be glad you avoided it so long

[norincraft.livejournal.com]

There are whole sections of the country where Wally world is the town's main attraction. Alright, village or hamlet are better terms for places like these but you get the point.

Speaking of which, one side of my family loves the place. I think this because they associate cheap with good -- the alternate definition as being poorly made doesn't figure into their decision making process. Apparently neither does impact on the local economy.

This is the same side of the family that has had three of the last four get togethers at Cracker Barrel (http://www.crackerbarrel.com/).

Which is why I work overseas.

[littleone66.livejournal.com]

Besides political reasons and the fact that the last time I had to go to Walmart it was the epitomy of white trash at its best, thanks for summing it up.

You've never been to Walmart previously? WOW.

[jenk]

They came late to Washington State and are relatively rare in the greater Seattle area. I remember reading a reference to Walmart in "Bloom County" and wondering what it was....

For that matter, I shopped at Fred Meyer years before Target arrived in the Seattle area, and haven't bothered to go there much. KMart was here, but seems to have mostly died off.

[littleone66.livejournal.com]

As I understood it, FM is a big reason why Walmart hasn't invaded most of the 'centralized' areas in King county. I worked for FM eons ago and I swear I remember hearing about some injunction FM put on Walmart to stay out of its space. I think there was a time limit on it and its expired by now. This was back before FM was bought by Kroger.

[intrepid-reason.livejournal.com]

I think I've been to a Walmart about 4 times in my life...when it was the only store on a road trip that we knew would have what we needed. I detest that place, and most of their merchandise is trash.

[gromm.livejournal.com]

I'd never quite experienced the weird, flourescent non-stop high-density frenzy that is an ordinary Walmart on an ordinary day. The very air was frenetic, disturbing, overcharged and unpleasant; the people wandering the aisles quietly desperate to get done and get out

That sounds exactly like Costco around here, except that you can also throw in "disheveled warehouse look" to the description. Unlike every other shop that sells clothing, the piles of shirts, socks, and everything else are organized once, in the morning. The warehouse look isn't restricted to the sign on the door - as other wannabe warehouse retail outlets do - but it actually strongly resembles a warehouse, with 25-foot tall shelving full of boxes and little if any product display. That frenetic atmosphere however is dead on, as everyone there is buying things in bulk and as quickly as possible. Either in order to get back to their shop ASAP, or because they feel as if they're stealing or something. An interrogator waits at the door on the way out in order to ensure that everything on your receipt is what's in your cart, and they are very thorough.

No impulse buying though. Noone buys anything on impulse at Costco.

[grum]

Well, I do, but then I go in about once every two weeks to see what looks good in the produce department. I don't get a cart and I only rarely buy anything that is not produce. The lack of a cart confuses the checkers almost every time, it's funny.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

In my town, it's Wal-Mart, two Dollar General stores and thrift shops if you need clothes. It's the only source of office supplies beyond paper and pens.

I'm in and out of Super Wal-Mart so often I barely think about it.

But I will not go on Saturday or during holiday sales. The crowds drop me straight into panic mode and I can't breathe.

[(Anonymous)]

I must say that outside the US the word "cheap" simply is slang for inexpensive, cheap stuff can be junk but the word cheap doesn't necessarily men junk in itself. Saying a shop is cheap for example in the UK means they have good prices, not low quality items.

As for the shop, I believe here in the UK there are shops such as Netto and Liddle who fill the cheap-and-not-so-cheerful market. Happily I've never been in either, and never intend to. Even the UK supermarket chain WalMart owns (can't remember which, but Asda springs to mind for some reason) doesn't seem to be so bad. I guess we just have a lower tolerance for tacky layout.