Our Wal-Mart was recently "upgraded." After 6 months of the new store, people still can't find what they want, but if they happen to find the right spot, what they want isn't there anymore. They dropped a slew of products, pretty much ruined the deli (their Black Forest ham is delicious), added some off brand restaurant, and, above all, added these little carousels for the plastic bags they put stuff in. I go in there and can't find what I want despite the fact that they've had this stuff for the 15 years I've lived here. Our Wal-Mart was one of the first 10 ever established and it is ruined. They have the little carousels so shoppers will put their own bags in the carts. We already have the lousy carts that never work right. We already have to take the stuff we buy to our cars ourselves, and now we're supposed to put stuff in the carts so we can trundle them out to the car. I know this because our housekeeper also works at Wal-Mart. She works in housewares. They totally gutted the floral department, the hobby department and the fabric department. We can get cotton fabrics and that's about it. I have to drive 25 miles to the nearest bigger town to get any of this stuff at other stores, not Wal-Mart. We used to have a fabric store, but Wal-Mart put them out of business years ago. Wal-Mart used to have very high shelves stacked with stuff. The high shelves are gone despite the fact that they no longer have security for shoplifting. My housekeeper said they determined that having security guards was more expensive than just letting people shoplift. The high shelves apparently contained useful goods that are no longer available. Maybe the lack of anything to shoplift has deterred crime.

My response hasn't been a good one. I am v-e-r-y slow in paying for my stuff so the clerk will give up and put it in the cart. I have quit buying groceries at Wal-Mart. It's worth it to me to pay a few cents more and go to the good grocery store. I used to spend about $200-300 a week at Wal-Mart. The last time I went I spent $59 and that was for stuff that only Wal-Mart carries. I have been shopping at Wal-Mart since a store came to our town many, many moons ago. Now I don't. I wonder what genius decided to drive away all the shoppers.

If your store hasn't been changed, be warned. It may come to your town next.

After my other half spent 3+ years working at Walmart I do seriously hate them. But Out of several necessity reasons I still shop there. Biggest one being I have to use the electric carts to shop with due to my back which is agrivated buy my weight.

I would much rather shop at K-mart or Target but they either don't have the carts or have ones with unmovable arms a person with big hips cant use.

Walmart has to be the worst store ever with several issues, seems to me they always have the isles full of stock waiting to be put on the shelves making it horribly inconvient to move around. Then when you Do get to what you need/want they dont have it on the shelf.

Our local store just went super-center in the last year and I hate the new store really. Nothing is in places that make sense. they droped so many things that we used to buy regularly and as an employer they are the worst.

But people complaining that they ran out the smaller stores. Yea they did but It's not nesicarily walmarts fault. They offered a service that people wanted/needed.. a place you could get just about anything for less then other places.

In this age of 2 working parents and hectic lifestyles most people can't spend a whole day shopping or going to 10 different stores to get what they need.

Which reflects on todays way of living, we have to be WAY more efficient on how we use what time we have.

I live 4 miles from the newest Wal-mart SuperCenter in Dawsonville, GA. I live 12 miles from the Wal-mart in Dahlonega, GA. Both of these stores are clean, orderly, and the cashiers are very friendly and helpful. The Dawsonville store seems to have a better selection of items. The isle are really wide, and the shelves always seem to be well stocked. Both stores stay very busy. I like shopping at Wal-mart. However, if I only need a couple of items I will run into Kroger. If I go into Wal-mart only intending on buying a couple of items, I come out with close, if not over $100 worth of stuff!

Our Wal-Mart is being upgraded to a Super Wal-Mart - grocery store, Starbucks, pharmacy, optical shop, automotive center, blah, blah, blah. We used to have the McDonald's up front, too.

I do not like Wal-Mart b/c ours is always junky and crowded. I stopped going there a while back. Target is my store. It's very clean, well-lit, wide aisles, etc.

I went to Wal-Mart for the first time in a long time and it is so freaking messed up. They're still under construction, but e'thing is strewn all over the place. Things aren't logically placed. You can't find anything. Too much hassle. I'll stick to Target.

Have any of you seen the film "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price"? It's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I'm not trying to preach to anyone, I just have a really low opinion of Walmart and this film really shows how evil they are.

WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price

I shop at Wal-Mart regularly.

First off, our Wal-Mart competitors are Kroger for groceries, and Target for 'other stuff'. The nearest Target to me is a good 20 minute drive, and Wal-Mart is 1.5 miles away. So Wal-Mart wins there.

We have Publix-which is the only store I know of in Northern Alabama that actually takes stuff to your car for you.. and I always ask them not to, because that's a new concept to me and it emberasses me. I'm quite capable of pushing my cart and loading my car!!

Kroger however, their produce section is ABSOLUTE CRAP.. not to mention, I hate that they have the 'Kroger Plus Card', which means they jack up all of their products, and unless you have a Plus Card on you, you have to pay the jacked up prices. But back to produce, which is important in my cooking.. Kroger's has a small thinned out selection, and 99% of it is already rotten/moldy/turned. I can never find grapes, squash, or onions there that I would dare to eat.

So back to Wal-mart I go. That being said, I still HATE Wal-Mart. I wish I had more options. Wal-Mart is always so crowded, and for as long as it's been around, they NEVER have enough cashiers. It's not for lack of money, so I don't get it. Even the cashiers will complain with you. You have to wait in a 45 minute line to check out at ours. Since we do grocery shopping, that's a pain in the butt time to wait with your frozen goods.

Also, we also now have self-check out. Anyone ever try this? It's got too many bugs to be useful. Heaven forbid they hire some employees. I have done self-check out if I only have 1 or 2 items.. but since people with full buggies now use self check-out, and every other item needs a cashier to come over and type in a code.. by time I get up there, I've waited the 45 minutes and could have just gone and stood in a line where someone else does the work.

If they had a mom & pop store locally where I could get my groceries, and stuff for my pets at the same place, I would most definitely use them. Unfortunately, Wal-mart put all of these places out of business.. so we have to put up with their crap.