Walmart is absorbing some price increases on products like food, rather than passing them along to consumers. The chain plans to continue keeping its prices down across the board to goose sales, executives told investors earlier today. [More]
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After Last Department Store Leaves, Town Decides To Start Its Own
By 11.14.11
After the last department store in town went bankrupt in 2002, the townsfolk of Saranac Lake, NY, faced the daunting prospect of having to drive 50 miles away just to purchase underwear. Rather than give up or give into complaining, they pulled themselves up by their mud boots and decided to build their own store, and it just opened. [More]
Walmart Will Open At 10pm On Thanksgiving
By 11.10.11
The arms race of hours is on. Determined to top retailers like Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Best Buy who are all opening at midnight on Black Friday, Walmart has announced it will be opening at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night. [More]
This Walmart Holiday Pop-Up Store Sort Of Isn't A Walmart At All
By 11.10.11
Eight months ago, we sarcastically predicted that the Walmart mini-store format, Walmart Express, would catch on and cause ever-tinier Walmarts to branch out and take over global commerce, splintering like enchanted brooms out of Mickey Mouse’s control. That hasn’t happened yet, but reader Ashi spotted something weird in San Diego. It’s a Walmart that isn’t a Walmart: a Walmart.com storefront where customers can go and…order things from Walmart online. [More]
McDonald's Exec: Swipe Fee Reform May End Up Hurting Our Bottom Line
By 11.4.11
A number of the new or increased banking fees, including Bank of America’s scrapped attempt to charge debit card users $5/month, that have popped up recently have been financial institutions’ reactions to recently enacted regulations that cap swipe fees — the amount banks charge retailers each time a debit card is used to make a purchase. While the goal is to put billions back into retailers’ coffers, some of the nation’s biggest chains say it may end up hurting them. [More]
Walmart Spoils Memorial Service Because They Think My Photos Look Too Professional
By 11.3.11
Consumerist reader Jessica was trying to do something nice for her late friend’s memorial service by collecting photos that she then uploaded to Walmart.com to ordering prints. But when she went to pick up the pics, the folks at Big W wouldn’t hand them over without a written copyright release. [More]
Who's More To Blame For My Horrible Walmart Experience: Store Staff Or The Extreme Couponer?
By 11.1.11
Consumerist reader Lucinda recently went to her local Walmart in Texas, where in addition to dealing with almost no open checkout lines and poor service from the cashiers, she also got stuck behind an extreme couponer who spoiled everyone’s day. [More]
Some Of The Items On This Shopping List Are Confusing
By 10.27.11
Big loofa? Check. Good mayo? Check. Dong bags, ass wash and white people bread? Um… come again? [More]
Walmart To (Sort Of) Price Match Holiday Season Purchases
By 10.24.11
With more and more people doing their holiday shopping online (because it’s generally cheaper and faster and doesn’t require driving anywhere), the nation’s largest retailer is doing what it can to encourage consumers to head to Walmart. Earlier today, Big W announced it will offer price-matching on purchases made between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, even after you make your purchase. [More]
Buy Cat Food By The Case At Walmart, Pay More
By 10.21.11
Comparing prices between different brands of canned cat food, Gabe made a discovery at Walmart: it’s cheaper to buy individual cans of Friskies cat food than to buy a case of 24 cans. Buying in bulk is supposed to be cheaper for the consumer, but maybe Walmart has imposed a convenience charge for encasing all of those cat food cans in cardboard. [More]
Walmart Sends Me Cheaper Bed Frame Than I Ordered, Shrugs
By 10.19.11
Cassandra had a confusing problem with Walmart. She ordered a bed frame to be delivered to her local store. She happened to order a black frame, which was more expensive than the similar (but out of stock) bronze-colored frame. When she got the box home, though, she noticed that new labels had been put over the areas on the box identifying the frame’s color. The labels identified the frame as black. The box itsef identified it as bronze. The frame inside was bronze. So who altered the box, and why? [More]
Target Manager Sues, Says Was Fired For Working Through Lunch
By 10.18.11
An ex-Target manager is suing his former employer, accusing the retailer of firing him for working during his lunch break. Ironically, he says it was retaliation for the complaints he had made about being denied uninterrupted breaks. [More]
If You're Going To Shoplift At Walmart With Your Kids, Don't Leave Them Behind When You Flee
By 10.14.11
Kids are adorable and we suppose they could make adorable decoys if one was trying to shoplift at Walmart. But if you’re going to involve small children in your criminal activities, it’s probably not a great idea to leave them behind. [More]
911 Calls From Walmart Bleach Battle Released
By 10.13.11
911 calls from the altercation inside a Baltimore County Walmart where two women began throwing liquid bleach and ammonia at each other, leaving 19 hospitalized from the resulting toxic chemical reaction, have been released. [More]
Walmart Launching 3500 Store-Specific Facebook Pages To Promo Local Deals
By 10.12.11
The one major criticism I’ve always leveled at Walmart is that the chain is just too small. If they were really doing things right, all our cities would be enclosed and connected in one long continuous Walmart where all our desires can be met at everyday low prices. To edge closer to that utopia, Walmart is launching several new Facebook pages. 3,500 of them. Each is pegged to a specific local store and will serve up deals just for that store. [More]
Look Out Before Walmart Staples You In Its Pricing Trap
By 10.12.11
If you need staples, you can go to Marty’s local Walmart. There, confusing economic forces have come together to make staples cost twice as much if you buy them in a larger box. No, really: when you buy three boxes containing five thousand staples each, the total cost is half as much as one box with fifteen thousand staples. And it’s not like the box is anything special. [More]
Bleach Battle At Baltimore Walmart Sends 19 To Hospital
By 10.10.11
After an altercation involving two women and bottles of bleach and ammonia at a Walmart Supercenter in Baltimore on Saturday, 19 people were sent to the hospital and the store was shut down temporarily. [More]
Man Sues After Eating Listeria-Tainted Cantaloupe
By 10.5.11
Cantaloupe tainted by listeria have led to 13 deaths, and now, a lawsuit against Jensen Farms and Walmart. [More]
