# Is it just me?



## tleeh1 (Mar 13, 2013)

I tend to shop at WallyWorld once a month for a major run. I've notice over the past few months that the shelves are 'quite' fully stocked. It's not always the same item, though, and never totally empty shelves. Just not as full as I rmember -- I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it has made me stop and think. 

Also, the quality and quantity of produce has dropped -- I put that up to the drought situation, but I could be wrong. Anyone else notice anything like that.


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## Deathdealer (Oct 26, 2013)

I use to work there and I will admit they kept shit in the back so they can drive the price up and say that they only get a few in stock 


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

Its not just Walmart. Several chain stores in my area are going through that, but some of the smaller stores are selling more stuff cheaper so Im not sure what that means. If I had to guess I would say people are just buying more stuff then this same time last year.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

We've been calling our local WalMart the "outhouse."


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## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

I don't shop Wal-Mart at all. It's the closest store to me, and it used to be my default before I got my current car. But the minute they went back to checking receipts again I was done. I'd rather drive across town.


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

I stop at our walmart from time to time. The shelves are more empty. It looks like they were ransacked the day before. I've thought it is a lousy manager but now I wonder...
Moose


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

like this because it has no answer as of now.

I have a Theory that people have a perfect memory it has 
been proven under hypnosis when asked a licenses plate or 
a day or describe a person they remembered.

All of you saw something that triggered a thought and seeing 
the post it dawned on others they felt or saw something also.
Man suppresses his instincts he inherently knows and feels 
something is not right.

_For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places_, EPH 6:12.

even in something as mundane or unusual as this topic if more 
than a few can answer, I noticed that too we should pay attention.

I am not going to get all Bible on people it does not matter if your 
a Christian or not we are given a 6th sense.
I am just as sure that the masses ignore these inklings.
Used to call them jungle drums we know but cannot decipher 
the message.

I have also noticed that people do not want an answer only pose 
questions looking for a fit to their assessment like shopping for a 
jacket if it does not fit or the color is not right they discard it.

Most people if they dressed like their minds worked would have 
polka dots. checks, stripes and argyle in seersucker without a back.

When I am looking at art I get close to see the brushwork back up
a bit to see how the artist created the Pieces in the scene back up 
some more and view the piece as a whole then before you leave 
look at the collection everything is there it is only our perspective 
that gets in the way.
Then you have the morons that want a copy of the frame for 
their "dogs playing poker" to hang in their man cave.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Actually, Walmart's empty shelf problem has been widely reported since last year. Here's one of the more recent articles
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5678689

Walmart's new U.S. CEO is dedicated to keeping the company's shelves stocked, addressing a problem the retail giant hasn't always been happy to discuss publicly.

"We will deliver against these key customer requirements: being in stock, clean stores, the right price, the right items, improved service, better productivity," said U.S. CEO Greg Foran, announcing his priorities on a pre-recorded conference call with analysts Thursday.

Bloomberg reported last year that Walmart was struggling to keep shelves stocked because it had opened new stores while cutting down on staffers and hours.


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## faithmarie (Oct 18, 2008)

I agree… a few years ago I was seeing the packaging getting smaller.. and I would mention it… and everyone just looked at me as though I had lobsters coming out of my ears.. so I was annoyed and I pressed the matter and I would say.. Thats how they are getting us! And then I became the one they would laugh and say.. "thats how they get us"…. Ooo.. and then I became the guy in Jaws…. and said.. you're all gona die… Is that bad?


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

notyermomma said:


> I don't shop Wal-Mart at all. It's the closest store to me, and it used to be my default before I got my current car. But the minute they went back to checking receipts again I was done. I'd rather drive across town.


No doubt! I had a buggy FULL of stuff once, had just stood in line for 30 minutes to check out, & on my way out the security alarm goes off. I used up all of my ability to repress my inner bitch while staring at 3 managers doing nothing while I waited in the mile long check out line. I told them they had 60 seconds to find the problem or I was leaving, with either my check or my stuff. It was a $5 clearance sale tool set some genius put security sensor in.

I no longer stop when an alarm goes off or they want to check my receipt. I just keep moving right along. If I'm going to stop, it will be by force & then there's going to be big problems.


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> ... I no longer stop when an alarm goes off or they want to check my receipt. I just keep moving right along. If I'm going to stop, it will be by force & then there's going to be big problems.


Same here. I haven't had that problem at WalMart but at other stores I have. I no longer stop. If they want to check things out then they can get off their lazy a$$ and come to me.

We are seriously getting tired of the mile-long checkout lines and them being out of whatever we were looking for.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Long lines haven't been a problem since they put in self checkouts. Our door people are too lazy to check receipts anymore. I have noticed that the shelves are emptier than in the past. We don't shop there often.


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## gabbyj310 (Oct 22, 2012)

Can't find a soul in most stores now days.I had to go to the check out 3 times and ask for help in the paint department.Then many many stores the people are so rude you wonder how in the world they got a job. Customer service went out the door,with manners,truth,honesty,loyalty,kindness,and caring.


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## Texas (May 14, 2013)

I have never been checked at WalMart. Do you stop when leaving Sam's? I do out of habit, but rethinking this one. I paid, no alarm, I will leave when I want and not wait in the stupid line to be treated like we may have stolen something.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

gabbyj310 said:


> Can't find a soul in most stores now days.I had to go to the check out 3 times and ask for help in the paint department.Then many many stores the people are so rude you wonder how in the world they got a job. Customer service went out the door,with manners,truth,honesty,loyalty,kindness,and caring.


Yep, & then people get on their soap box about how these lazy, rude, incompetent people should be paid more. :gaah: they should be fired & their government assistance cut off. When their bellybutton gets close enough to their spine, they'll get it figured out.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Texas said:


> I have never been checked at WalMart. Do you stop when leaving Sam's? I do out of habit, but rethinking this one. I paid, no alarm, I will leave when I want and not wait in the stupid line to be treated like we may have stolen something.


I don't shop at SAMs & haven't in several years. I'm getting ready to get a new membership though. If it's written in the membership agreement that I agree to stop & have my purchase inspected, then I'll stop. If not, I won't. I dare someone to put their hands on me & try to force me to stop. Last I checked, this was still America & there's rules for searching me. If they want to throw out the law, fine, but we're also gonna throw out the law against me beating the snot out of them. Fair's fair. I am just astounded that people allow themselves to be searched by a Walmart greeter like they have no rights. I am not a thief & I'll be danged if I'm gonna be searched in the middle of a store like a thief. Not gonna happen.


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## VoorTrekker (Oct 7, 2012)

faithmarie said:


> ... and I would mention it&#8230; and everyone just looked at me as though I had lobsters coming out of my ears...and I would say.. Thats how they are getting us! And then I became the one they would laugh and say.. "thats how they get us"&#8230;. Ooo.. and then I became the guy in Jaws&#8230;. and said.. you're all gona die&#8230; Is that bad?


Did you tell them they need a bigger boat?


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

dixiemama said:


> Long lines haven't been a problem since they put in self checkouts. Our door people are too lazy to check receipts anymore. I have noticed that the shelves are emptier than in the past. We don't shop there often.


I only go there when desperate and don't wish to travel 25 miles for an item.
But, the last few times there, maybe once a month or every 6 weeks, there are no greeters.
When walmart does that? It's time to take notice and start storing food, saving cash, and living frugally--cause times are getting :gaah:hard!!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I dunno ... 


The Walmarts around my place all seem to be in good shape, clean, organized and the shelves seem to be fairly well stocked - especially first thing in the morning. By late evening on the weekends, the shelves are well picked over, but, I can see that there are people trying to restock as quickly as possible.

I imagine it is a hard job for one person to restock a shelf from the back when there have been a thousand people attempting to clear off the shelves in the time they have moved from the front to the back and then to the front again.

Most weeknights (Monday to Thursday) the stores nearby are always great, happy employees and the aisles are easy to move through. Shelves are well stocked in all sections and it is easy to find an employee willing to help.




This might just be a Canadian thing ...


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## Foreverautumn (Oct 25, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> Yep, & then people get on their soap box about how these lazy, rude, incompetent people should be paid more. :gaah: they should be fired & their government assistance cut off. When their bellybutton gets close enough to their spine, they'll get it figured out.


[LIBTARD MODE=ON]
But...but TSRWivey, they OWE us a job!!!!! They're rich and EVIL!!! And we're PURE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW! Never mind we don't have the competence and ability of a FILING CLERK - we demand the salary of a CEO! Gotta keep everything TOTALLY EQUAL!!!!! How DARE you insist that we actually SERVE CUSTOMERS!!?!? What do THEY know? We can do JUST FINE without CUSTOMERS!!!
[LIBTARD MODE=OFF]


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Wall Mart is just like many other big companys more work with fewer people, wife used to work there has friends that still do, many times the shelves will be empty and the load in the back room is still setting on the floor because the person has x amount of work to do in x amount of time with a manager standing over em (many dont offer to lend a hand) and they just keep tightening down the screws, then you get a customer that needs help across the store. So if you cant find help it's probably because that person is handeling several departments, in the back room trying to get the load to the floor, or helping that other customer four isles down, unfortunatly the employes being people like everyone else tend to take their frustrations out on those customeers that are bothering them I've seen it myself, it's no wonder Wall Mart has such a high turnover rate good people just get pissed off and say the hell with it just not worth the money, wonder when Wall Mart is gonna see that trying to help their bottom line (fewer people) is hurting their bottlom line.


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

dixiemama said:


> Long lines haven't been a problem since they put in self checkouts. Our door people are too lazy to check receipts anymore. I have noticed that the shelves are emptier than in the past. We don't shop there often.


I wish they did not have self checkouts but I see what you mean
people need jobs I would just as well see people working and a SAFE word over the intercom and people rush to man the checkout counter

Here is where Wal Marts thinking has let them down all cash registers 
need to be pre loaded make it like a clock in for most employees 
as lines load up all hands on deck the back room can take the floor 
to stock and handle customers like a ships fire drill.
the quicker people get out the more customers that will be more satisfied

their stocking carts need to be like the old cola width and length 
so they do not block the isles

A side issue and I have quit shopping there a pay slightly more maybe 2 or 3 %
even if I include mileage and have a larger selection of fresh produce way better service 
they do not have a garden center or tools but I do not buy tools from them as they are black & decker and they suck the local soil companies would be better foe me 
I can pick up a load or as much as i need or have them drop as little a a pickup full.
Wall mart was convenient but since it has changed I need to change to other stores 
the other store also gives me points that I can use for gas it may not be more expensive 
in the long haul 
The most surprising was a cart collector came and helped unload my cart I saw the others
doing the same for others OMG what next a full service gas station artydance:


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

We have 2 Walmarts locally that we frequent. There are more around, but we typically shop at either the Belle Vernon or West Mifflin (PA) stores. Yesterday in West Mifflin I saw a guy get his buggy checked. He had a bunch of bags and some kind of unbagged video game system in his cart and the greeter just wanted to make sure the game system was on the receipt. I can see that. The greeter didn't even look at the rest of the cart and the guy pushing the cart had the receipt ready to be looked at.

The whole idea of having 4-5 out of 20 some registers open angers me. I hate wasting my time in line because the store is trying to be cheap. The self checkouts are very frustrating-after having issues trying to buy a can of spray paint once I said I'd never use them again.

I have not noticed a picked-over look to our local stores. The grocery and non food parts of our local stores all seem normal, as far as I can tell.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

A little off topic - -but can y'all still find peaches and pears?

I was in the local H-E-B last night, and NOT ONE single can (from any brand!) of peaches or pears were on the shelves.

I thought that was W E I R D .....


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

I have bought the number 10 cans and opened them got what I
wanted and froze the rest in a gallon zip bag.

wen other sizes are out look for the cafeteria size.


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

I do almost all our shopping and Walmart is my store of choice, especially since it's the closest. I shop twice a week for fresh produce and those things we use every day and/or prefer to use fresh...like orange juice, eggs, and similar items.

My experience is that the "just in time" method of stocking should be renamed "just too late". Even worse is the high volume items that seem to be out of stock more often than they are in stock. One of my favorite snack foods is unsalted peanuts, and as of this morning they have been out of stock for two weeks, and this occurs about every other month. 

Other recurring shortages are chocolate soy milk, Diet Coke, grove stand orange juice, packaged butter lettuce, spray margarine, my brand of coffee, etc. 

Prices have also been creeping up more quickly than usual. Since most of my purchases are so similar the change is noticeable. Only a few months ago the bill would be $30-$45 a visit, but now it runs $40-$60, and sometimes even more, despite no significant changes in our eating habits.


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## 21601mom (Jan 15, 2013)

tsrwivey said:


> ...I used up all of my ability to repress my inner bitch...


I just LOVE this statement. Life has been so busy lately that I, too, have used up this ability (just ask my family). Thank you for saying it with such wit!


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## tleeh1 (Mar 13, 2013)

GaryS said:


> My experience is that the "just in time" method of stocking should be renamed "just too late". Even worse is the high volume items that seem to be out of stock more often than they are in stock. One of my favorite snack foods is unsalted peanuts, and as of this morning they have been out of stock for two weeks, and this occurs about every other month.
> ...
> Prices have also been creeping up more quickly than usual. Since most of my purchases are so similar the change is noticeable. Only a few months ago the bill would be $30-$45 a visit, but now it runs $40-$60, and sometimes even more, despite no significant changes in our eating habits.


This has been my experience, too. At first I thought maybe I was shopping at the "wrong time" -- i.e. right after the government checks came out. But it doesn't seem to make a difference when I shop -- many items are just not there like they were in the past. The spots for them are still on the shelves, just no product. I'm not sure, though, it's because of lack of help. Most of the time, I see individual vendors stocking their own items, not WWorld employees. :dunno:

My monthly bill has gone up at least $50 in the last 6 months, too.


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## nightwing (Jul 26, 2014)

the scenario I saw in my mind was a can of beans for a 100 bucks 
but the shelves were empty because they were being bought.

not so crazy when you think about a 60,000 dollar pickup truck.

wonder if it is being shipped out of country or hard to get cans 
or any number of recipe items or as was posted just in time 
supply chain.

that is a set up for disaster if things go bad in one area it could 
domino and direct access may not be easy and the insuring panic
buying would make it much worse.

We live in a daisy chain and we were all told your only as strong 
as your weakest link.
If all your emergency stock is east of the Mississippi and the 
River is the problem if they think the Berlin airlift was a trick 
that would be a total catastrophe.

First let me say I have no Idea on how our supply chain is organized
but if recent stupidity is any indication very badly is my guess.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

tleeh1 said:


> I'm not sure, though, it's because of lack of help. Most of the time, I see individual vendors stocking their own items, not WWorld employees. :dunno:
> 
> .


Daytime, you will see brand name company drivers stocking their own product. Walmart stockers usually work night shift. That's when shopping becomes an obstacle course full of floor scrubbers and pallets of goods blocking half the aisles.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

dixiemama said:


> Long lines haven't been a problem since they put in self checkouts. Our door people are too lazy to check receipts anymore. I have noticed that the shelves are emptier than in the past. We don't shop there often.


I hate those damn things.

machine: Please put your products in the bag
me: it's a 10 foot length of PVC pipe, you put it in the bag
machine: Please put your products in the bag
me: scans next item...
machine: you have removed something from the bagging area!
me: to the one sales clerk "managing the 4 self checkout stations"
A. if I want the stuff, "cancel this I'm moving to a lane with a person"

B. if I can do without it and get it later somewhere else: "your companies cost cutting and highly annoying service has changed my mind, I know it's not your fault but your company has convinced me not to buy these things. Now you can pay someone to put them back...." and I walk away.

C. Please insert cash or payment card... I insert card, it cant read it, please insert cash or card... I insert card, it cant read it... Please wait while I summon a sales associate for assistance...
me: thanks mr. useless machine, I could have done that, although if she cared she'd have come over already since she's standing only 8 feet away and I'm the only one trying to use this piece of crap.

I wont do it anymore, I'm not going to use those stupid machines. I remember the very first ones that came out that I saw, were at Albertson's grocery stores in AZ, and those worked flawlessly! I have no idea how they stopped rampant theft with that model though... the newest version that I've encountered at the local Lowe's store... I would personally like to drag that thing out into the parking lot and set fire to it.

There are mind numbing, repetitive tasks that I think should be automated, and sometimes I do that at work, but I refuse to deal with that piece of junk ever again regardless of the retailer.


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## nitelite (Aug 19, 2014)

All produce from Wally tastes synthetic to me


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

After trying self checkout a couple of times and fighting the ill-functioning system, I refuse to try anymore. 

The checker monitoring the self checkout line at a local Lowes tried to keep things moving and would grab your cart and do the scanning and packing, but she was told not to do it. Now they have to stand there until a customer asks for help. Now, if the line is long I just put my items back and tell one of the managers why I'm not buying from them.


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## nitelite (Aug 19, 2014)

Next thing u know those machines will detect that we picked last item on shelf 
And we will be restocking for them as well as giving them our money
They won't need human employes any more
Very sad!


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

nitelite said:


> Next thing u know those machines will detect that we picked last item on shelf
> And we will be restocking for them as well as giving them our money
> They won't need human employes any more
> Very sad!


They already use SKU's via scanned barcodes for reordering/restock of sold items. Any modern grocery store that uses scanning for pricing is already doing this.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Haven't been to Wally World in a while, but I went today and thought of this thread. I did notice that there were empty spots on the shelves. I also noticed that tons of stuff was in clearance. There were clearance shelves threaded all throughout the store - it almost seemed like there was more on clearance than not. But the thing is, the clearance prices stank and the merchandise was all roughed up from being in clearance bins and tossed around. If I'm going to buy roughed up merchandise, it's got to be a better deal than what they were offering.


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

I actually went for the first time in more than a year, today. I was looking for a kiddie pool. No luck. It does seem as though the shelves were not stocked as deep or packed as closely together, but I still feel claustrophobic in the aisles. Way too much crap. I don't think back to school stuff is selling all that well for them, because they had it stacked EVERYWHERE. Even outside in the garden center.


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