Wally Mart!
- Lucian@going2paris.net
- Aug 19, 2021
- 1 min read
Dubuque, Iowa
August 19, 2021
I complain about the "nationalization" of retail businesses, how I come to a mid size town and it has the same stores that the last mid-size town did. I miss the local flavor you get from mom and pop stores. I still see that in many smaller towns -- although there is usually a Dollar General store in town.
However, I have a funny reaction now when I see a Walmart, one I can't really explain. I get a "happy feeling." Maybe it is because I know I can get some decent fruit in the grocery section. Or because Walmart carries my favorite 2.5 gallon Ziplock bags. Or because I can score a salad for under $4 -- or because they don't gauge me fora bag of ice. And there is also the upside that I can camp in their parking lot for the night (not true of all Walmarts).
I have also found that going to Walmart gives me a quick read on the town. What the people wearing, what are they buying, etc.
Another interesting part of how I have changed during this walkabout.
I have been a WalMart fan since I walked into my first one back in 1985 in Kansas. Better, broader selection of goods, at a cheaper price, with a no questions asked return policy. As much as I lament the decline in Mom & Pop stores, the Consumer definitely wins.