Walmart is one of the largest companies in the entire world. In fact, according to various sources, Walmart is THE biggest company in the world.
Over the years, Walmart has grown and grown, and that growth appears to be never-ending. It’s uncertain when Walmart will stop growing, and to what extent Walmart’s reach is.
If you go to Walmart, you’re always going to see plenty of people shopping, buying groceries, clothing, electronics, and all kinds of different items. People love Walmart because Walmart has anything and everything that you could want, and more importantly, it has anything and everything that you could want, at a low price.
Sam Walton turned Walmart into the juggernaut it is today by making a business that sells goods, of all sorts, for low prices, fulfilling that particular need, in Modern America.
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Shopping at Walmart has many benefits, but it also comes with many disadvantages, as well. Arguably, there are more reasons not to shop at Walmart; then there are legitimate reasons to shop at Walmart.
In this guide, we’re going to be talking about the reasons why you shouldn’t shop at Walmart. We’re not trying to talk bad about Walmart or to discredit the value that Walmart presents, but there are several flaws with Walmart that must be considered. And, at the end of this guide, we’re going to illustrate two great alternatives to Walmart that fix many of the problems we’re bringing up.
What Are The Reasons Not To Shop At Walmart?
Walmart is well-known for its inexpensive prices and wide variety of products. And, for the most part, this is completely true. The products at Walmart – whether you’re buying produce or clothing – are quite inexpensive. Especially in comparison to other retailers.
For a very long time, this has been the biggest selling point for Walmart. However, as time has passed, and as the market has grown bigger and bigger, with a wide variety of different competitors and other superstores – such as Costco, to name one big example – these price differences have grown smaller.
When people compare the prices of items at Walmart, to the prices of items at other superstores, they begin to realize that, with most items, there isn’t much difference. And then, when you look at all of the different prices for the same items on online marketplaces such as Amazon, you’ll find that many of those items are readily available and in stock, and also a lot cheaper, depending on the item that you are looking for.
This brings up another reason. Most Walmart stores are, unfortunately, not very well-run. There tends to be a lot of poor management going on, and this leads to a lot of items being stocked inadequately.
To give you an example, toilet paper is what’s known as an “essential item”, and it’s very important for a store, especially one as big and popular as Walmart, to maintain an adequate number of toilet paper roll packages so that they have the necessary supply to fill the demand for those toilet paper rolls.
Most Walmart’s don’t do this, though, so when you’re shopping, it’s not uncommon to see plenty of empty shelves where items, such as toilet paper, are supposed to be. And this isn’t just for essential items, it’s for things like produce and milk, as well.
Simply put, it can be very difficult, finding the things that you want, at Walmart, due to poor management and them simply not having enough of the items that you need.
With the rise of online shopping, you can purchase almost every item that is available at Walmart, through their online platform. This is a big deal because many Walmarts lack the items that you need, and being able to purchase those items online is useful. And, to aid in this, Walmart gives you free two-day shipping, as well, which is a move that was designed to compete with Amazon.
On a more economic standpoint, Walmart isn’t exactly the most ethical company. Now, we’re heading into territory that is a bit more controversial than some of the previous reasons, but it’s still important to bring up.
Walmart has been known to rely heavily on overseas labor. Including child workers. Most of their foreign labor is located in Asia, and the people working at these factories are paid very little money and forced to work very long hours, to fulfill the requirements that Walmart has given these factories. Most of these factories aren’t exactly pleasant places to work, and numerous reports have illustrated the unsafe nature of these factories, and just how grueling and unpleasant they are. When you spend money at Walmart, your money is going towards sustaining these business practices.
What Are The Alternatives?
If you don’t want to shop at Walmart, you have quite a few alternatives. But, these two alternatives are by far the best ones that we’ve found.
Instead of shopping at Walmart, shop locally. Depending on your location, there should be a wide variety of different local markets and shops all around you. Chances are if you’re buying things like local produce or local baked goods, they’re a lot healthier for you. But, along with that, your money isn’t going towards some big corporation, it’s going to a family, and you’re putting money back into the local economy, allowing those businesses to thrive, and the economy to grow.
The other great alternative is shopping online, specifically, using Amazon. Amazon has turned itself into a marketplace where you can find anything. And, with the rise of Amazon Prime, whatever you order can be shipped to your home very quickly, sometimes in just a few hours.
Conclusion
No one’s going to deny that Walmart is a very appealing place to shop, due to its low prices and variety. But Walmart does present a variety of disadvantages that may make you reconsider your choice of shopping at Walmart.
Using the alternatives that we’ve laid out, you will be able to improve your overall shopping experience greatly!
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