Why won't middle class people shop at Walmart?

americanthinker ^ | Oct. 19, 2015 | Ed Straker

[PROCON]

Walmart's stock took a steep drop as the company announced that it was expecting lower profits. There are a number of problems Wal-mart has, such as its website and fulfillment not being quite as good as Amazon.com, but Wal-mart is primarily a brick and mortar store, not an internet company.

The basic problem as I see it is that middle class people are afraid to shop there. If you look at reviews on Yelp one of the most common words used to describe Wal-mart is "ghetto". There is even a Yahoo question on this very topic:

Why is every Walmart so ghetto? Why? I have never walked into any Walmart without feeling like I was going to be mugged, even in a nice area. I know the prices are very convenient, but still. I don't see why every Walmart attracts gangs, druggies, and sometimes even hookers. I've actually seen all those things at a Walmart before, including a man wearing a thong....

[Ray54]

The upscale store is clean, has no lines, and friendly people who speak english.

That sounds like our local Walmart's

[packrat35]

Wal-Mart proudly won its race-to-the-bottom. The problem is what to do now that you are there.

I rarely go anymore as they never have more 4 registers open and I have better things to do than stand in line 30 minutes to save $1.00.

[Kirkwood]

That is not at all typical. Most Walmarts use aisle space for storage, the employees hate working there for low pay, the registers are nearly all closed and they can’t open more when it gets busy, and they hire a large proportion of immigrants with green cards.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I prefer Meijer stores.

So do I but the Wal-Marts in our area are not "ghetto". They are located in fairly nice areas and are clean with a helpful staff.

Weirdly enough the newest one, which you would expect to be the nicest, is the one I dislike the most as it feels more like a warehouse store then a regular store.

[CatherineofAragon]

"Is that a reflection on Kohl's ... or possibly more about the good citizens of ole Virginny?"

That's actually a good point.

I'm going to venture out and say "both." I had a conversation with a Liberty student who worked at Kohl's. She told me that there's rarely enough staff to help customers and to straighten things up at the same time.

Also, Kohl's has something of a reputation for being singularly messy.

But it's true that people shouldn't be slobs and should put things back where they came from.

[RansomOttawa]

I shop at Walmart all the time. It’s the closest place for groceries, and as a general rule, they have the best prices on food, as long as you’re not looking for anything too unusual.

Obviously the “Walmart experience” in Canada is dramatically different from the States. Plenty of immigrant shoppers, but no unusual numbers of weirdos, druggies, or reasons to stay away after dark.

[Cloverfarm]

We have the “Amish” Wal Mart on one side of town ... with buggy parking, lots of hunting and fishing supplies, fabric and crafts ... and the “Hispanic” Wal Mart on the other side of town with a great selection of ethnic food.

It never crossed my mind that Wal Mart could be ghetto.

[rejoicing]

I consider myself middle income. I’ve shopped at Wal-Mart for 25 years because I refuse to pay higher prices for the same stuff somewhere else. I’ve never seen anything who looks remotely like the folks on the; People of Wal-Mart site.

[Ray54]

It is typical, at the Walmart's where I shop on a regular basis. They are clean, for the most part they are well stocked, the help is courteous and friendly, and they can all speak English, because they are white Americans. And the prices are lower than anyone else in the area,

If you live in or near a crap hole, then the Walmart in your area is likely a crap hole as well. If you live in small town America, where the population is predominately white, Walmart is a great place to shop.

[gogeo]

Hah! That might be the Renton store. Looks like the bar scene from Star Wars.

There's another store in Covington that's actually very clean and nice.

[Polynikes]

We shop at the Walmart in Carson City Nevada occasionally. Not bad never really crowded and there is CCW in NV as an extra bonus. Never ran into the ghetto crowd.

[cuban leaf]

HAHAHA!It WAS the Renton store! We walked through the clothing section and it was like a teenaged girl’s bedroom.

What I found out is that in urban areas, where there are lots of options for shopping, Wal-Mart is the ghetto choice. In small towns like were I now live in KY, it’s the ONLY choice, and MUCH nicer. The people are nicer, it’s cleaner, etc.

Plus, where I live now, it’s pretty much lilly white. It is as if I’ve gone back 50 years in many ways. Almost all of them good.

I smile every time I see a pickup go by with kids riding in the back. :-)

[wardaddy]

Thanks for your patronage

That particular wash was a good decision unlike some of my others which weren’t

Yes we get trash there too

I had to pull my old black powder 44 Russian on one “wigger” trying to steal

And once found syringes and used rubbers in a self serve bay

Which struck me as odd

Shoot dope and have intercourse?

Not my usual Saturday nite I confess

[SaraJohnson]

Walmart is ghetto now.

The one near my house in Boston area fired all the mostly little old white ladies who worked as cashiers, mostly white floor workers, and white managers and replaced them with all Hispanics who did not speak English well. This was a sudden change. Their clothing became a people of Walmart freak show. It went ghetto fast. But they obviously reorganized on purpose to go downscale and they got it.

I think one of the worst advertisements for Walmart as a ghetto is the violent black Friday crowd shown on you tube and television every year. That is truly disgusting.

[Excellence]

One possible solution would be for Walmart to impose a code of conduct and a dress code.

How? Seriously.