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I only go to Wal-Mart about once a year, which is when their garden center opens and carries a bunch of options that just don't make it to my local greenhouse--things like Japanese Wisteria and really gorgeous Asiatic lilies. The fact that the same Mandevilla costs $14 at Wal-Mart, versus just shy of $40 at my local greenhouse, doesn't hurt either, but quite honestly, I always treat my once yearly expedition to Wal-Mart a bit like crossing enemy lines. I make a plan, I get in, get what I need and get out as soon as possible, hopefully with my sanity and my car's paint job unscathed (what is it with the perceived notion of low prices making everyone drive and park like maniacs? Seriously, someone should do a study). If I can help it, I only go in and out through the garden center, thus avoiding any run-ins with greeters, but really, the proximity to Cheap Plastic Crap gives me hives. It triggers within me a weird shopping zombie-like state and I'm always afraid that I'll wake up eight hours later in a daze and realize that I just purchased some particle board furniture. Yes, I realize that this makes me sound like a snob. In fact, I'm totally okay with that. This weekend, I was looking for an industrial portable closet. We're about to remodel the bedroom and will need a temporary place to hang stuff. Target left me wanting and Home Depot didn't have anything on rollers, so I shrugged and figured that I'd give the mega-retailer a try, and swallowed my snobbish pride to head to one of those Wal-Mart Plus Grocery Store things that take up more acreage than some small townships. I did find a pretty good industrial closet, only after wandering by it four times (see above, re: zombie state) and then was amazed by how inexpensive the frames were and then, hmmm, the Glad plastic stuff is really cheap too. This is how people get hooked on heroin, right here. It's a slippery slope. I wandered over to the grocery aisle, because, hey, we were out of some stuff. I wasn't wowed by the prices, but wandering the aisles, looking at the brightly colored packages, I contrasted it with wandering through a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and realized that the Wal-Mart was more like a convenience store than a grocery store. Sure, every grocery store has its share of overly processed bags of fat and calories, but it just seems like Wal-Mart's percentages are higher than the norm. Everywhere I turned, there were pre-made meals, frozen dinners, things pumped full of chemmies and fillers, based on cheap carbs and easy fixes. And it's not like it was any cheaper than my usual grocery store out in the 'burbs. My 12-grain bread cost exactly the same price. The Sabra roasted garlic hummus that is the only packaged hummus I feel is edible? It was $3.99 but the container was half the size of the one sold at my grocer for $3.59. And my grocer devotes a much higher percentage of its floorplan to fresh fruits, veggies and natural/organic foods than this Wal-Mart Supercenter. And that's when I had the epiphany. Just judging solely off the cars in the parking lot (compared to Whole Foods, where mine is usually the only non-European car in the lot), this is where people in lower income brackets shop. The people who are demographically the fattest. Wal-Mart has told them that they can save money here, and they do, so this is what they are dealing with all the time. The deck is stacked against them. Obviously, this is not a "Oh the poor fat poor people" post. It is definitely possible to buy great food at Wal-Mart and save money while doing it. And they claim to be getting into the organic arena (although really, nothing jumped out at me, but again, zombie-state). But if there is one place where there is a real opportunity to shape the country, it is Wal-Mart. Think about it. One out of every five grocery dollars spent in this country is happening at Wal-Mart. When Wal-Mart talks, manufacturers listen because they can't afford to ignore the company. That little Mom and Pop venture out of Bentonville, AR, has more authority than governmental regulations. It has more authority than Oprah! What's the answer? More education? Urging Wal-Mart to dump the Hot Pockets and organize its stores like the Food Pyramid? Where do you draw the line? The comments are enjoying an aisle full of Bugles and Doritos, buy 12 get 2 free! 6 CommentsLeave a comment |
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BLASPHEMY! No one has more authority than Oprah!
We have a Whole Foods rip off of WalMart in town, actually, with solar roof panels and a special parking lot that filters water or something. But, as you said, it's still geared towards the people that can't afford to shop anywhere else. I can still get better, fresher produce at my Target or get 10x as much (and then waste) from Costco. I just wish that it would be easy.
"But if there is one place where there is a real opportunity to shape the country, it is Wal-Mart."
Wal-Mart knows this, and always has. And because of it, our country is in the shape that works out the most profitably for Wal-Mart.
Most fabulous post, Ms Weet!
A wee aside here, over in the UK we have a chain of supermarkets called ASDA which are now owned by the Wal-Mart group. So you go into a Scottish ASDA and there is a dude at the front door with a big badge saying I AM YOUR GREETER. It is the most hilarious thing ever because the word "greet" means "cry" in the Scots vernacular so the poor dude is basically saying I AM A CRYBABY. Some things just don't translate :)
I hate shopping at Wal-mart. I would MUCH rather shop at Target any day. I find Wal-mart's produce section to be severely lacking as most of the produce is expensive, not to mention, not of the best quality. I find that, while Target might be priced slightly higher, the quality is better. I also find Wal-mart very depressing as the store is always in a sad shape with merchandise strewn about and god help you if you need help with something. The employees are ineffectual. Not surprising considering the notoriously bad treatment of the employees by the company.
That being said, I find Whole Foods a nice place to shop, but ridiculously overpriced in my area. I would much rather shop for fresh produce at my farmer's market where the prices are excellent and I know I'm getting (mostly) locally grown items.
I have to say I'm not so sure about it costing less to food shop at Wal-mart either. I've done some comparison shopping recently and found that, for me, other than a few prices that grabbed my attention (and spurred me to compare, even though I loathe Wal-mart), I actually ended up spending more. And the food quality wasn't as good as my local Kroger, either.
Wal-Mart (or Hell-Mart, as we call it in my family) is my least favorite place to shop too, but sometimes you just have to. Whole Foods is too far away for me to shop at regularly (I live in rural SC), and I am trying to feed 2 teenagers plus myself on a limited budget. We buy staple groceries at Aldi (a German low-cost grocery chain that is all over the US) and fill in with produce from the "real" grocery stores or farmer's markets. I figure I save 30% a week by buying at Aldi...no frills, no bag boys, only one house brand, you pack and carry it yourself, but see "2 teenagers" above-- that's what they are for!
I wish WM would have better food, but I doubt it's going to happen as long as people flock there to buy their prepackaged dreck.