Upon visiting the checkout lines here, you may recoil in horror. It is as though the Zombie apocalypse is happening before our eyes, with people in lines approaching infinite length, with every cart filled to the brim with stuff. The feeling is like a third world exodus after a revolution. In seconds your currency will be worthless! Buy up everything you can carry, NOW!
The smart shopper visits the electronics checkstand in the back, where few realize they can check out their grocery order. The super-cute electronics clerk sighed, but handled our orders anyway. When the apocalypse comes, everyone has to pitch in.
At the same time, in terms of inventory this appears to be King of local Walmarts. I have been able to find products in stock that are completely gone in the Forest Hill store. However, the Forest Hill Store is a much, much nicer place to shop. Lines are about the same length, but most shoppers have a relatively short list so you should be able to get out before the world ends later this year.
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That concludes my review of this specific Walmart, but how about a few words about Walmart in general?
Many years ago, politician John Edwards talked about the two Americas, one where people are flying private jets and lunching in Boca Raton, and others where people cannot even afford winter coats for their kids.
The mission of Walmart is to make sure the second America can afford a coat. This means everything has to be cheap. They have to be cheap with their employees, cheap with their shopping carts (which tend to have a strong desire to turn instead of going straight), and cheap with the type of merchandise they sell.
Generally, if you're passionate about photography, go to a camera store; if you're passionate about food, visit a gourmet grocery; if you want an Apple computer, go to the Apple Store. And so on and on. But if you want something mediocre, because a mediocre coat is better than shivering under winter's icy breath, Walmart is the indispensable way to get it.
But ... there is, as Steve Jobs would say, one more thing.
If you hate to cook, or if you are a mediocre cook at best - both of which, sadly, apply to me - and if you like to see unique and different prepared food products, Walmart often has stuff from companies real grocery stores don't bother to carry. For example, Koch Foods produces an excellent Chicken Cordon Bleu entree for $2.88, available only at Walmart. A new product called Sabrina's Delights is a delicious puff pastry pot pie (albeit with far more pastry than filling) for $1.99. Walmart sells this stuff, and some of it is fantastic (like the examples I'm citing), and some of it is inedible. It may occasionally be worth enduring long lines and harried clerks to get some interesting products you won't find elsewhere.
I don't love Walmart, and would rather not shop there because it's not fun or upscale or particularly service-oriented. But I appreciate what it has to offer, and shop there when that's what I need. read more