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I'm going to echo nightski's post here, with my own addition: return policies. Many of you probably don't remember what it was like in the bad old days of thos

by Arizhel 10y ago

I'm going to echo nightski's post here, with my own addition: return policies. Many of you probably don't remember what it was like in the bad old days of those quaint brick-and-mortar retailers before Walmart. You bought something, find out you already had one, or your wife just gone one, or you just didn't need it, and tried to take it back, and they basically just gave you the finger. That "wonderful" "personalized" service from mom-and-pop shops? Mostly myth. Some were good, but it was a crapshoot; many of them were the only such store in town, so prices were horrible and service was lousy. On top of that, operating hours were awful. Walmart changed all of that. They were open long hours, so you could go after work. You could return anything, for no reason at all, for a full refund. And prices were low, and consistent nationwide. And you didn't have to drive around to several different stores, maybe even in different towns, to get several different items.

bogomipz 10y ago
>"Many of you probably don't remember what it was like in the bad old days of those quaint brick-and-mortar retailers before Walmart. You bought something, find out you already had one, or your wife just gone one, or you just didn't need it, and tried to take it back, and they basically just gave you the finger" Really they "basically gave you the finger"? Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? >" That "wonderful" "personalized" service from mom-and-pop shops? Mostly myth" That's a sweeping and completely unsubstantiated generalization. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that. But yes thank God for Walmart. I don't know how we functioned as a society before we were entitled to return our purchases months later for no reason at all or when stores closed at 9:00PM.
- Arizhel 10y ago
  >Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? What loss? All they have to do is put it back on the shelf and sell it again. I'm not talking about perishable groceries here. >That's a sweeping and completely unsubstantiated generalization. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that. I think it's correct. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that, especially considering all the other comments in this thread. >or when stores closed at 9:00PM. This one is just plain wrong. Mom-and-pop stores closed at 5PM; they had "banker's hours". Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway? Especially with such bogus arguments?
  - Tenhundfeld 10y ago
    The other issue people are forgetting is efficiency of shopping. Just thinking back to when "Wal-Mart" first came to our town, I remember shopping trips where we'd pick up, say, a spatula for the kitchen, a present for a kid's birthday party, oil for our push mower, some bathroom cleaner, and some tennis balls. With Walmart, that was 1 stop; before Walmart, that would have been 2-5 stops. It's certainly relevant that we could go after dinner, when many specialty stores were closed, and the prices were probably better. But even without those benefits, the increased efficiency was a big win – especially for parents where every transition from car to shop to car was a hassle.
  - bogomipz 10y ago
    >"This one is just plain wrong. Mom-and-pop stores closed at 5PM; they had "banker's hours". Do you not realize that Mom and Pop stores are still around? There not note extinct so I'm not sure why you are talking about that the past tense. There are many in my neighborhood and none of them close at 5:00PM. Have you ever been to New York City? Your dry cleaner, your pizza place, hardware store, your news stand, your bodega - all are Mom and Pop shops. >"Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway?" Because without them we are left with an endless horizon of chain stores and sameness. Do you realize how central the role of Mom and Pops shops has been in the history of the US and continues to be today? The history of the US which is the history of immigrants is inextricably tied to the existence of the Mom and Pop business[1]. >"Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway?" You are actually asking why am I sticking up for the small guy? See all of the above. [1] http://business.time.com/2012/06/15/immigrants-outpacing-the-rest-of-us-in-small-business-ownership/ http://business.time.com/2012/06/15/immigrants-outpacing-the...
    - Arizhel 10y ago
      >There are many in my neighborhood and none of them close at 5:00PM. Go back in time to the 70s and they did. They only stay open late now because peoples' expectations have changed. >Have you ever been to New York City? NYC is not representative of the rest of America in any way. There's not even any Walmarts there. This is about regular America where there are Walmarts, which usually means more rural areas where Walmart is the main retailer. >The history of the US which is the history of immigrants is inextricably tied to the existence of the Mom and Pop business[1]. Oh please, spare me the romantic and mythical view of the past. That's just like all the conservatives who pine for the "good ol' days" of the 50s and Norman Rockwell paintings, when in real life America was never like that. The history of immigrants in the US is inextricably tied to labor exploitation and horrendous working conditions, not mom and pop businesses. >You are actually asking why am I sticking up for the small guy? In any small town decades ago, the local merchants weren't "small guys", they were some of the richest people in town.
- Kalium 10y ago
  > Really they "basically gave you the finger"? Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? Is this a distinction that matters to the end-customer, who only knows that they can't return the item?
linkregister 10y ago
Sears offered returns long before Sam Walton was born.

by Arizhel 10y ago

bogomipz 10y ago

>"Many of you probably don't remember what it was like in the bad old days of those quaint brick-and-mortar retailers before Walmart. You bought something, find out you already had one, or your wife just gone one, or you just didn't need it, and tried to take it back, and they basically just gave you the finger" Really they "basically gave you the finger"? Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? >" That "wonderful" "personalized" service from mom-and-pop shops? Mostly myth" That's a sweeping and completely unsubstantiated generalization. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that. But yes thank God for Walmart. I don't know how we functioned as a society before we were entitled to return our purchases months later for no reason at all or when stores closed at 9:00PM.

Arizhel 10y ago
>Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? What loss? All they have to do is put it back on the shelf and sell it again. I'm not talking about perishable groceries here. >That's a sweeping and completely unsubstantiated generalization. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that. I think it's correct. My own experience and history informs me differently. I'm sure I am not alone in that, especially considering all the other comments in this thread. >or when stores closed at 9:00PM. This one is just plain wrong. Mom-and-pop stores closed at 5PM; they had "banker's hours". Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway? Especially with such bogus arguments?
- Tenhundfeld 10y ago
  The other issue people are forgetting is efficiency of shopping. Just thinking back to when "Wal-Mart" first came to our town, I remember shopping trips where we'd pick up, say, a spatula for the kitchen, a present for a kid's birthday party, oil for our push mower, some bathroom cleaner, and some tennis balls. With Walmart, that was 1 stop; before Walmart, that would have been 2-5 stops. It's certainly relevant that we could go after dinner, when many specialty stores were closed, and the prices were probably better. But even without those benefits, the increased efficiency was a big win – especially for parents where every transition from car to shop to car was a hassle.
- bogomipz 10y ago
  >"This one is just plain wrong. Mom-and-pop stores closed at 5PM; they had "banker's hours". Do you not realize that Mom and Pop stores are still around? There not note extinct so I'm not sure why you are talking about that the past tense. There are many in my neighborhood and none of them close at 5:00PM. Have you ever been to New York City? Your dry cleaner, your pizza place, hardware store, your news stand, your bodega - all are Mom and Pop shops. >"Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway?" Because without them we are left with an endless horizon of chain stores and sameness. Do you realize how central the role of Mom and Pops shops has been in the history of the US and continues to be today? The history of the US which is the history of immigrants is inextricably tied to the existence of the Mom and Pop business[1]. >"Why are you sticking up for the mom-and-pop stores so much anyway?" You are actually asking why am I sticking up for the small guy? See all of the above. [1] http://business.time.com/2012/06/15/immigrants-outpacing-the-rest-of-us-in-small-business-ownership/ http://business.time.com/2012/06/15/immigrants-outpacing-the...
  - Arizhel 10y ago
    >There are many in my neighborhood and none of them close at 5:00PM. Go back in time to the 70s and they did. They only stay open late now because peoples' expectations have changed. >Have you ever been to New York City? NYC is not representative of the rest of America in any way. There's not even any Walmarts there. This is about regular America where there are Walmarts, which usually means more rural areas where Walmart is the main retailer. >The history of the US which is the history of immigrants is inextricably tied to the existence of the Mom and Pop business[1]. Oh please, spare me the romantic and mythical view of the past. That's just like all the conservatives who pine for the "good ol' days" of the 50s and Norman Rockwell paintings, when in real life America was never like that. The history of immigrants in the US is inextricably tied to labor exploitation and horrendous working conditions, not mom and pop businesses. >You are actually asking why am I sticking up for the small guy? In any small town decades ago, the local merchants weren't "small guys", they were some of the richest people in town.
Kalium 10y ago
> Really they "basically gave you the finger"? Or maybe could it have been that they would to have to absorb that loss out of pocket because of their distributors policies? Is this a distinction that matters to the end-customer, who only knows that they can't return the item?

linkregister 10y ago

Sears offered returns long before Sam Walton was born.