Poll
Question:
Which Walmart layout is the best?
Option 1: Home and Pharmacy on the left and Grocery on the right
votes: 3
Option 2: Grocery on the left and Home and Pharmacy on the right
votes: 8
Option 3: Home and Living on the left and Grocery and Pharmacy on the right
votes: 3
Option 4: Grocery and Pharmacy on the left and Home and living on the right
votes: 1
For me, I vote option 1 (Home and Pharmacy on the left and Grocery on the right) because that's the layout that I'm used to.
Option one describes the Walmart supercenter I visit most frequently (of the five supercenters in Springfield). The Gaming section is always in the back, no matter the layout of the rest of the store, from my experience.
Another Walmart question: WHY do some Walmarts have the 'enter' door on the left, and the 'exit' door on the right?
There are other layouts. The more significant differences (which I think are more important than the ones in your poll, none of which I care about) are:
-- one entrance or two
-- restrooms up front (between the entrances of two-entrance stores), rather than in the back
-- whether there is at least one group of self-checkout machines (some two-entrance stores will have them next to both entrances)
The one-entrance stores tend to be smaller, and have restrooms only in the back or in unexpected locations up front. They often also don't have self-checkout. For those reasons, I prefer two-entrance Walmarts.
Also, you have the larger Supercenters (better grocery sections -- though lately their product selection seems to be going downhill, especially for frozen food), and regular Walmarts. The store directory included in the Walmart editions of the Rand McNally atlas will point out the difference.
Urban Walmarts have their own quirky layouts, often driven by parking in garages rather than surface parking.
Because there are so many layout variants (some of which I might not have mentioned), I suggest not modifying the poll to try to cover them all. The poll isn't really useful anyway, people can just post their preferences as I have.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on December 08, 2019, 11:52:10 AM
Option one describes the Walmart supercenter I visit most frequently (of the five supercenters in Springfield). The Gaming section is always in the back, no matter the layout of the rest of the store, from my experience.
Another Walmart question: WHY do some Walmarts have the 'enter' door on the left, and the 'exit' door on the right?
The Exit doors are usually the ones closest to the registers.
So in their normal stores where the registers are between the two sets of doors, the Enter door on the left side of the store will be on the left, and the Enter door on the right side of the store will be on the right.
The one I don't have to go to.
On a more serious note I absolutely despise shopping at Walmart. I attribute this to a couple things; the crappy parking layouts which don't encourage ease of parking in the back lot, extremely slow cashiers and a general atmosphere of clutter which I find claustrophobic. From what I've observed there really isn't any difference in the floor plan other than it being reversed if food is located to the right or left of the front entrances. Some Walmart's like the one in Sanger are nice but most are a dumpster fire like the one on Kings Canyon Road in Fresno. If I need cheap food I usually get it in bulk at Costco or in piecemeal at Food Maxx. Aside from the heavy discounting there isn't much in the Walmart brand of stores that is really top tier among retailers.
Something new I've noticed a lot of Walmart's lately is how aggressive the door greeters are getting at checking receipts. My wife was told at one Walmart that it was "mandatory" to which I responded to simply that "it wasn't." I was recently asked to have my bag checked when I bought three clearance hose nozzles for $1 dollar each, again wasn't happening. I'm good with consenting to a receipt check at a place like Costco where it is part of my membership agreement but I'll never be okay with it for blanket checks at a general retailer. It's not like those door greeters really scare people away from shoplifting nor are empowered to actually stop them.
The 2 I frequent the most have the grocery on the right, but since the grocery layout is so vastly different in both stores there's no comparison.
The one where they don't build the Walmart is my favorite.
Quote from: ozarkman417 on December 08, 2019, 11:52:10 AM
Option one describes the Walmart supercenter I visit most frequently (of the five supercenters in Springfield). The Gaming section is always in the back, no matter the layout of the rest of the store, from my experience.
Another Walmart question: WHY do some Walmarts have the 'enter' door on the left, and the 'exit' door on the right?
About the doors, my observation, which hasn't been extensive, but the conclusion is logical, is that the entrance is on the side closer to where the carts are pushed in from outside. That way if you need a cart, you can get one without crossing the exit traffic. The entrances are toward the edges, while the exits are toward the center, so people walking away from the check out area don't have to cross entering traffic.
Quote from: wxfree on December 08, 2019, 03:06:37 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on December 08, 2019, 11:52:10 AM
Option one describes the Walmart supercenter I visit most frequently (of the five supercenters in Springfield). The Gaming section is always in the back, no matter the layout of the rest of the store, from my experience.
Another Walmart question: WHY do some Walmarts have the 'enter' door on the left, and the 'exit' door on the right?
About the doors, my observation, which hasn't been extensive, but the conclusion is logical, is that the entrance is on the side closer to where the carts are pushed in from outside. That way if you need a cart, you can get one without crossing the exit traffic. The entrances are toward the edges, while the exits are toward the center, so people walking away from the check out area don't have to cross entering traffic.
Funny thing about those entrance/exits they open automatically from both directions. The signage is essentially worthless aside from suggesting the store's preferred route of ingress/egress.
^ And the fact just about nobody actually follows them.
Quote from: sprjus4 on December 08, 2019, 03:21:41 PM
^ And the fact just about nobody actually follows them.
Kind of begs the question why they bother with signing them at all? At Target the doors will only open automatically from one direction and have a separate atrium. Walmart seems to line to stuff a cart garage in with the doorway along with vending machines/games which probably contribute to why the entryway/exit is so wide open. The older stores had a similar similar entrance/exit set up to Target.
Re: restrooms, every Walmart I have been to (both Supercenters and "discount stores") has two sets of restrooms. One is in the front near customer service, the other is in the back near what was Layaway. Back of store generally has a single-occupant restroom.
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Re: restrooms, every Walmart I have been to (both Supercenters and "discount stores") has two sets of restrooms. One is in the front near customer service, the other is in the back near what was Layaway. Back of store generally has a single-occupant restroom.
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
Some of the older ones had that set up but most had the barrier removed to make more room for shopping carts. Usually in those older stores the Customer Service desk was located either immediately left or right of the entrance door depending on the building orientation. Again the floor plan with those stores essentially was a mirror orientation based off where the entrance door was.
Speaking of foot traffic flow in Walmart I've found that their floor loading process to be incredibly obstructive. Walmart stores tend to drop pallets of freight off on the floor in early morning hours. This leads to a lot main aisle access issues when the path is bottle necked or strewn with tripping hazards.
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
One Walmart near me has this setup, though I don't go to it frequently.
It was installed about 6 months ago.
Quote from: sprjus4 on December 08, 2019, 03:43:56 PM
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
One Walmart near me has this setup, though I don't go to it frequently.
It was installed about 6 months ago.
Installed in the last month for the one closest to me.
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
The three Supercenters with which I am most familiar have completely different layouts.
Winchester has groceries on the right, health and beauty on the left, and pet supplies in the very back in the center of the store.
Mt. Sterling has groceries on the left, health and beauty on the right, and pet supplies in the back of the store to the left of center.
The Lexington Hamburg Pavilion store has groceries on the left, health and beauty on the right, and pet supplies to the right of health and beauty.
I know where to go when I enter one of those stores, but get frustrated when I go into a store that I infrequently visit (Hazard, Paintsville, Richmond, Pikeville) where things are vastly different.
Quote from: hbelkins on December 08, 2019, 04:27:21 PM
The three Supercenters with which I am most familiar have completely different layouts.
Winchester has groceries on the right, health and beauty on the left, and pet supplies in the very back in the center of the store.
Mt. Sterling has groceries on the left, health and beauty on the right, and pet supplies in the back of the store to the left of center.
The Lexington Hamburg Pavilion store has groceries on the left, health and beauty on the right, and pet supplies to the right of health and beauty.
I know where to go when I enter one of those stores, but get frustrated when I go into a store that I infrequently visit (Hazard, Paintsville, Richmond, Pikeville) where things are vastly different.
Also, all of them are organized differently. In some newer and bigger Walmarts (I think built around 1998 and newer) that are at least 180,000 square feet and bigger you would sometimes find a separate beverages section. In our Walmarts here, they don't have it. if you look at Washington (NC) or Rocky Mount, then both of their Walmarts have a separate beverage section.
Quote from: sprjus4 on December 08, 2019, 03:43:56 PM
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
One Walmart near me has this setup, though I don't go to it frequently.
It was installed about 6 months ago.
Yup. The one in my town just added them about 3 months ago. Plus, the layout (a former Caldor) is such so the entrance is all the way to the left, so the only thing to the left is seasonal, greeting cards, and crafts. Pharmacy is along the front wall about half way down the length of the store just before health and beauty. Pet supplies is all the way down the end of the front wall. Grocery is along the side wall all the way to the right. Electronics is in the back parallel to the registers. Hardware is in the far back corner. Plus, during the remodel, they turned many of the home goods aisles perpendicular to their original alignment so they run lengthwise rather than depth wise.
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them
I have never seen one with them. For what it's worth.
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
When I went to Washington, the one here in Greenville on Greenville Blvd, and Rocky Mount, and I'm sure the one in Tarboro has them. Yes those are the gates I'm talking about. I don't really like them that much, honestly.
That's not my walmart. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
No poll option for "I avoid shopping at Walmart at all" ?
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PMHas anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
They have been added here--how recently I cannot say, since I am fortunate enough to be able to go for months without having to visit Walmart. Gates I had to clear on one visit were locked open on the next, so I think there has been a significant amount of customer resistance.
I don't like receipt checks at Walmarts, especially when I am carrying bulky things like jugs of motor oil, so I generally keep the receipt in one hand, make eye contact with the person working door control, and keep on walking.
I dislike Walmarts that have angle parking since circulation is typically set up so that you need to stop at least once at the front of the store to wait for pedestrians to cross to the entrance. I generally try to park at the foot of such lots so that I can drive forward over unoccupied spaces to make an easy exit.
My biggest gripe about the Supercenter layouts at the Walmarts nearest me is that the auto department is catercorner from the self-checkouts, which are typically adjacent to the groceries. As a result, buying motor oil and a filter--my usual Walmart errand--involves a lot of walking: entire length of the parking lot, then the entire width and depth of the store, both ways. However, I suspect the auto department is typically at the back of the store because there is normally no other logical location for the Auto Center.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 08, 2019, 12:37:04 PM
The one I don't have to go to.
On a more serious note I absolutely despise shopping at Walmart. I attribute this to a couple things; the crappy parking layouts which don't encourage ease of parking in the back lot, extremely slow cashiers and a general atmosphere of clutter which I find claustrophobic.
Same. I don't mind going to the Walmart Neighborhood Market stores (even though cashiers are practically non-existent here), but I try to avoid the supercenters as much as I can. I'd rather spend the extra bucks at Target. Sure, they're more expensive, but at least I'd still have my sanity intact.
Quote from: LM117 on December 09, 2019, 10:41:31 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 08, 2019, 12:37:04 PM
The one I don't have to go to.
On a more serious note I absolutely despise shopping at Walmart. I attribute this to a couple things; the crappy parking layouts which don't encourage ease of parking in the back lot, extremely slow cashiers and a general atmosphere of clutter which I find claustrophobic.
Same. I don't mind going to the Walmart Neighborhood Market stores (even though cashiers are practically non-existent here), but I try to avoid the supercenters as much as I can. I'd rather spend the extra bucks at Target. Sure, they're more expensive, but at least I'd still have my sanity intact.
Fortunately I've found purchasing general goods to be infinitely more easier and not really all that more expensive than Walmart on Amazon and by careful browsing. I hardly ever venture into a General Retailer these days but I definitely prefer Target. Target rates their cashiers on efficiency which speeds up the process considerably. There is definitely a cleaner atmosphere and the employees are far more approachable. Most Target stores still even have the help phone stations that can be used to summon an employee for assistance. I want say some even still have a receptionist which usually also dual attends the fitting room.
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
I was wondering what people were talking about with that. I know the one in Hudson MA I was in recently had them.
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 10:48:38 AM
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
You can get through them (over or under), but it's obvious when someone does it.
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 10:48:38 AM
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
I was wondering what people were talking about with that. I know the one in Hudson MA I was in recently had them.
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
Why? Is there some sort of precedent you have to worry about this? It appears there's been more issues at colleges and office buildings, where there is a high level of knowledge and smartness, than at a local Walmart. Do you think people would just be standing there crowding the gate, not going around it, over or under it? The Walmarts have the same inspections that every other store and business has, and everything in a store is done in such a way to make sure the store can be evacuated quickly. It may not seem like it, but most people that have been evacuated don't realize they were evacuated quickly and safely. We often see them standing outside, complaining to the news media that "they had no idea what to do" and "no one told them what to do". And yet, they're in the parking lot, away from the danger, uninjured. They in fact did exactly what was supposed to be done - they got out, and quickly. The store and its layout attributed to that.
I also wonder about the level of customer smartness. Do you go into stores looking for fire exits and other means of escape if something were to happen? Or are you relying on a 17 year old working a register to tell you what to do in the event of a fire? Something like this should've been engrained in you since pre-school - if you see smoke or fire, walk to the nearest exit. It's surprising how often people will cry that no one told them what to do. These are people that manage to go on their daily life, raising families, driving cars they've been given very little instruction how to drive, but yet have no idea what to do when a building is on fire.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 09, 2019, 11:26:22 AMWhy? Is there some sort of precedent you have to worry about this? It appears there's been more issues at colleges and office buildings, where there is a high level of knowledge and smartness, than at a local Walmart. Do you think people would just be standing there crowding the gate, not going around it, over or under it?
Given Walmart's history of holding doorbuster sales that have resulted in fatalities, I don't think it's unreasonable to view the gates with suspicion. The issue is not that they absolutely prohibit passage, but that they create delay. If something happens in a store that causes panic at a time when it is very crowded, this can easily result in a crush, and at that point all it takes is for someone to fall and then be trampled to death.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 09, 2019, 11:26:22 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 10:48:38 AM
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
I was wondering what people were talking about with that. I know the one in Hudson MA I was in recently had them.
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
Why? Is there some sort of precedent you have to worry about this? It appears there's been more issues at colleges and office buildings, where there is a high level of knowledge and smartness, than at a local Walmart. Do you think people would just be standing there crowding the gate, not going around it, over or under it? The Walmarts have the same inspections that every other store and business has, and everything in a store is done in such a way to make sure the store can be evacuated quickly. It may not seem like it, but most people that have been evacuated don't realize they were evacuated quickly and safely. We often see them standing outside, complaining to the news media that "they had no idea what to do" and "no one told them what to do". And yet, they're in the parking lot, away from the danger, uninjured. They in fact did exactly what was supposed to be done - they got out, and quickly. The store and its layout attributed to that.
I also wonder about the level of customer smartness. Do you go into stores looking for fire exits and other means of escape if something were to happen? Or are you relying on a 17 year old working a register to tell you what to do in the event of a fire? Something like this should've been engrained in you since pre-school - if you see smoke or fire, walk to the nearest exit. It's surprising how often people will cry that no one told them what to do. These are people that manage to go on their daily life, raising families, driving cars they've been given very little instruction how to drive, but yet have no idea what to do when a building is on fire.
Even in emergency situations people tend to use main entryways to buildings even if a fire exit or easier means of escape is closer. I've been trying to figure out for years why this has been the case, it seems nothing but repeated drills can have a "minimal" impact on correcting this behavior, but that is with employee staff...customers would be a wild card. Hasn't Walmart had a couple recent incidents of active shooters? Does anyone know how well the stores fared during those evacuations?
I suspect it has something to do with "ease of getting back into the building when the incident is over".
Quote from: 1 on December 09, 2019, 10:50:54 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 10:48:38 AM
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
You can get through them (over or under), but it's obvious when someone does it.
Walmart's gates are no more dangerous than the turnstiles they seem to put in all Menards stores.
Like most of the newer automatic swing doors, I bet the gates are breakaway to allow for emergency egress. We used to have such doors at the grocery store I worked at. Cart pushers figured that out, got lazy, and would push the normally inwards swinging door out when they went back out to the parking lot. It was kinda fun watching the door reset itself.
I find it kinda funny to see these gates coming back into use, as I remember many Walgreens used to have them when I was growing up then took them out. They were much louder and had the big pneumatic "doormat" button to open them.
[rant] I get Walmart is controversial, but can we leave the 'evil Walmarts' and 'any Walmart is a bad Walmart' et al for a different thread? Don't like 'em, then don't shop there, but the rest of us weren't asking for your shopping habits. The OP left those options out for a reason. [/rant]
Back on the original topic, I can't say I really have a preference as to right vs left sides. For whatever reason, I like the Pharmacy with the Home and not with the Grocery. I'm guessing this stems from Grocery being a tack-on to many existing stores, so Pharmacy already was in a set position.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 09, 2019, 11:26:22 AM
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 10:48:38 AM
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: tolbs17 on December 08, 2019, 04:20:57 PM
Yes, pretty much most walmarts have them but the one on 10th where I live doesn't have them.
Most Walmarts do not have them. I've only seen them at one location.
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
I was wondering what people were talking about with that. I know the one in Hudson MA I was in recently had them.
Hope to God there isn't a fire, shooting, or something that involves a panic with those things and they fail to open. I presume a fire alarm auto-opens them, but I never assume anything at a Walmart either working as it should or be engineered to optimize customer safety.
Why? Is there some sort of precedent you have to worry about this? It appears there's been more issues at colleges and office buildings, where there is a high level of knowledge and smartness, than at a local Walmart. Do you think people would just be standing there crowding the gate, not going around it, over or under it? The Walmarts have the same inspections that every other store and business has, and everything in a store is done in such a way to make sure the store can be evacuated quickly. It may not seem like it, but most people that have been evacuated don't realize they were evacuated quickly and safely. We often see them standing outside, complaining to the news media that "they had no idea what to do" and "no one told them what to do". And yet, they're in the parking lot, away from the danger, uninjured. They in fact did exactly what was supposed to be done - they got out, and quickly. The store and its layout attributed to that.
I also wonder about the level of customer smartness. Do you go into stores looking for fire exits and other means of escape if something were to happen? Or are you relying on a 17 year old working a register to tell you what to do in the event of a fire? Something like this should've been engrained in you since pre-school - if you see smoke or fire, walk to the nearest exit. It's surprising how often people will cry that no one told them what to do. These are people that manage to go on their daily life, raising families, driving cars they've been given very little instruction how to drive, but yet have no idea what to do when a building is on fire.
The Station Nightclub Fire. That is my answer to your ridiculous assumption that customers are going to seek out fire exits or do some sort of Mega Man powerslide under that gate and get trampled to death in the process.
I also worked at a Walmart for 5 years, and watched my local FD M-F them over how often they blocked fire exits because they just really didn't care about keeping those egresses consistently clear. Taking the emergency routes is not always an option due to the laziness of the establishment.
And yes, after the Station Nightclub fire, I do routinely pay attention to emergency exit routes, something I never took seriously until that point.
As for which section is on which side of the store... I imagine it should depend on where the receiving dock is, and that would depend on more things than just the building layout. I therefore refuse to suggest that one is inherently better than the other.
As for doors... The idea is to avoid crossing streams of people. Shoppers leaving the registers and headed out to the parking lot go through the doors that are closest to the middle of the store. Shoppers just arriving come in through the doors that are farthest from the middle of the store. Allowing the automatic doors to open from either side just means that a person trying to go through the wrong side won't create a traffic jam. If 80% of entering customers use the correct door and 20% of them use the wrong one, then that's still an improvement over no signage at all.
As for receipt checks... I understand checking receipts or items not in bags: large items, typically. If all my items have been properly bagged, then leave me alone unless you suspect I've shoplifted something.
As for bathrooms... I've gotten used to bathrooms being in the front of large stores lately, so that's what I've come to expect. Also, they're generally easier to spot in the front of the store. When a bathroom is in the back of the store, it's often hidden from general view down some aisle or another.
As for shopping at Wal-Mart in general... How much I like it depends greatly on which store I'm in. I like Supercenters that are out in the suburbs, because they tend to be less crowded, have a smaller percentage of obnoxious clientele, be newer construction, and have better parking.
Quote from: SectorZ on December 09, 2019, 02:50:39 PM
The Station Nightclub Fire. That is my answer to your ridiculous assumption that customers are going to seek out fire exits or do some sort of Mega Man powerslide under that gate and get trampled to death in the process.
I also worked at a Walmart for 5 years, and watched my local FD M-F them over how often they blocked fire exits because they just really didn't care about keeping those egresses consistently clear. Taking the emergency routes is not always an option due to the laziness of the establishment.
And yes, after the Station Nightclub fire, I do routinely pay attention to emergency exit routes, something I never took seriously until that point.
You pretty much feel into the assumption I expected - most people will site examples of other places where they had issues getting out, but not Walmarts.
I never said I assume people will seek out the exits when they go into into a store. Most people don't. The fact that you now pay attention means you are indeed more knowledgeable than most about where to go in the event of an emergency.
Quote from: DaBigE on December 09, 2019, 01:29:22 PM
Walmart's gates are no more dangerous than the turnstiles they seem to put in all Menards stores.
Like most of the newer automatic swing doors, I bet the gates are breakaway to allow for emergency egress. We used to have such doors at the grocery store I worked at. Cart pushers figured that out, got lazy, and would push the normally inwards swinging door out when they went back out to the parking lot. It was kinda fun watching the door reset itself.
I find it kinda funny to see these gates coming back into use, as I remember many Walgreens used to have them when I was growing up then took them out. They were much louder and had the big pneumatic "doormat" button to open them.
Exactly. While they are there to prevent - or at least slow down - a shoplifter or someone trying to get away, they are built for a mass evacuation. Stores have had such theft-prevention devices in the past, but people are more than willing to site the monsters of the industries for some reason.
Think about this - nearly every store is designed to have doors open out, so when you leave, all you have to do is push on the door. But even if the doors are designed not to open for a wrong way walker, or are sliding, or are revolving doors, they are almost all designed to do one thing - if someone pushes on them hard enough, they will swing open outwardly.
Now, thing about this - when you leave your home, which way does your house door open? Most likely - inwards. A person's house is almost always harder to leave, because if it's locked, you have to unlock it, then you have to pull it open. For businesses, these are all generally illegal construction methods.
(Yes, some older stores have doors that open in. There are some exceptions, so let's not nitpick on those)
So don't worry about running out of the Walmart if there's a fire or mass shooting. You're going to get out.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 09, 2019, 12:24:01 PM
Hasn't Walmart had a couple recent incidents of active shooters? Does anyone know how well the stores fared during those evacuations?
I'd go with the "no news is good news' scenario here. If people couldn't get out, it'll be the 2nd day front page news. The fact that most got out without an issue is a good thing.
Quote from: J N Winkler on December 09, 2019, 12:19:39 PM
Given Walmart's history of holding doorbuster sales that have resulted in fatalities, I don't think it's unreasonable to view the gates with suspicion.
Fatalities? There's 1 on record. And there's been numerous other stampedes that have resulted in death not involving Walmart.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 09, 2019, 03:27:19 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on December 09, 2019, 01:29:22 PM
Walmart's gates are no more dangerous than the turnstiles they seem to put in all Menards stores.
Like most of the newer automatic swing doors, I bet the gates are breakaway to allow for emergency egress. We used to have such doors at the grocery store I worked at. Cart pushers figured that out, got lazy, and would push the normally inwards swinging door out when they went back out to the parking lot. It was kinda fun watching the door reset itself.
I find it kinda funny to see these gates coming back into use, as I remember many Walgreens used to have them when I was growing up then took them out. They were much louder and had the big pneumatic "doormat" button to open them.
Exactly. While they are there to prevent - or at least slow down - a shoplifter or someone trying to get away, they are built for a mass evacuation. Stores have had such theft-prevention devices in the past, but people are more than willing to site the monsters of the industries for some reason.
Think about this - nearly every store is designed to have doors open out, so when you leave, all you have to do is push on the door. But even if the doors are designed not to open for a wrong way walker, or are sliding, or are revolving doors, they are almost all designed to do one thing - if someone pushes on them hard enough, they will swing open outwardly.
Now, thing about this - when you leave your home, which way does your house door open? Most likely - inwards. A person's house is almost always harder to leave, because if it's locked, you have to unlock it, then you have to pull it open. For businesses, these are all generally illegal construction methods.
The emergency egress (breakout) feature almost works a little too well at times. If only I had a nickel for every time I had to reset the sliding doors every time someone bashed a cart into them, causing the door to stop functioning. Our store also had an automatic revolving door that had the same breakout function...all panels folded flat in the direction of egress. That one was a bigger pain, because no one ever liked the speed of the door, got frustrated, and pushed the panel loose.
Hell, our public library used to have manual versions of the "Walmart gates". They could be very easily pushed in the direction of egress, if needed.
At this point I'm just happy that Mega Man and his slide move got a reference.
FWIW, I too prefer Target over Walmart. Better quality, and none of the insane shit that goes on at their rival (gates at the entrances? Come on!).
This is an old picture but it looks nice. It's from 2006.
(https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/shoppers-are-seen-inside-the-new-2000-square-foot-walmart-supercenter-picture-id57636894?s=2048x2048)
This is the design we have right now (although some are half-renovated and not complete). This picture is from 2018.
(https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/theoaklandpress.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/20/c2068706-c1ad-11e8-8f53-83783d44e957/5babbbfc1f47c.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C675)
Reading all of this reminds me of why I like the fact that we have Meijer in the Midwest. None of this gate stuff and people checking your receipts at the door. It's a little more relaxed. And the design of the store is pretty similar to the Walmart.
Back to Walmart, I do like seeing the state flag in the store and it reminded me of something that I have missed in the past few years with Walmart remodeling themselves. I remember leaving a Walmart years ago and seeing the following words "Thank you for shopping at your Indianapolis Walmart," and the city name would be replaced with wherever you were. Traveling around the country it was neat seeing other town names in their place. Gave it a little of a personal touch.
Now I think they've gotten rid of that. Meanwhile, the newer Meijer stores have something similar when you enter the store "Welcome to your Indianapolis Meijer," again using the different town names depending on the store's location.
Quote from: tdindy88 on December 11, 2019, 08:10:07 AM
Reading all of this reminds me of why I like the fact that we have Meijer in the Midwest. None of this gate stuff and people checking your receipts at the door. It's a little more relaxed. And the design of the store is pretty similar to the Walmart.
Back to Walmart, I do like seeing the state flag in the store and it reminded me of something that I have missed in the past few years with Walmart remodeling themselves. I remember leaving a Walmart years ago and seeing the following words "Thank you for shopping at your Indianapolis Walmart," and the city name would be replaced with wherever you were. Traveling around the country it was neat seeing other town names in their place. Gave it a little of a personal touch.
Now I think they've gotten rid of that. Meanwhile, the newer Meijer stores have something similar when you enter the store "Welcome to your Indianapolis Meijer," again using the different town names depending on the store's location.
Regarding Meijer Stores they've had that local flair thing going on since they the 1990s. Even back then there was always a seasonal section which carried items of local interest. I always went to Meijer to buy things like my sports teams hats or an occasional localized gift when I went back to Michigan.
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 03:37:27 PM
Has anyone else seen a Walmart with European-style automatic gates as you walk in that guard the entryway? These force you to exit through the registers.
The Walmart in Boise just installed these in the past month or 2. Seemed to be causing a lot of confusion, understandably (no other stores I've been to here have anything like it). That was already the busiest Walmart (and busiest retail store besides Costco) in the area, now even more reason to avoid it. Not sure if any other area stores have installed them. I don't mind going to the Walmarts in Meridian when I'm in the area though (particularly the Ten Mile one and Overland one; the Fairview one is pretty busy), they're much less crowded and newer.
I'd shop at Target more, but they're farther from home and next to the mall where traffic sucks. Also their grocery section is limited (like old pre-Supercenter Walmarts). Fred Meyer is great (and closer to me than Walmart and Target) but for some general merchandise stuff they are more expensive. Sometimes I just want something cheap that will get the job done, and that often only leaves Target and Walmart. For just groceries, Winco is a great option (though not as close to home as Albertsons, Fred Meyer, and about the same to Walmart), but I usually just go to Albertsons because they're the most convenient to me and are never crowded.
By the way, I voted option 2. That's the layout of the Boise Walmart and the 2 newer Meridian ones (I don't remember the layout at Garden City, it's been a while). Also the one in South Nampa I used to visit often. Even Bend had that layout when I lived there (after they remodeled it to a Supercenter). The one in Meridian on Fairview is mirrored, and I'm not used to that layout as much.
What are these European-style automatic gates? Pictures?
Quote from: tdindy88 on December 11, 2019, 08:10:07 AM
Reading all of this reminds me of why I like the fact that we have Meijer in the Midwest. None of this gate stuff and people checking your receipts at the door. It's a little more relaxed. And the design of the store is pretty similar to the Walmart.
Back to Walmart, I do like seeing the state flag in the store and it reminded me of something that I have missed in the past few years with Walmart remodeling themselves. I remember leaving a Walmart years ago and seeing the following words "Thank you for shopping at your Indianapolis Walmart," and the city name would be replaced with wherever you were. Traveling around the country it was neat seeing other town names in their place. Gave it a little of a personal touch.
Now I think they've gotten rid of that. Meanwhile, the newer Meijer stores have something similar when you enter the store "Welcome to your Indianapolis Meijer," again using the different town names depending on the store's location.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanrules/3712321532/in/photostream/
I'm sure you're talking about this. Yeah, I think this was better than what they have now. They should say "Thank you for shopping at your Greenville Walmart" or something rather than "Thank you for shopping at Walmart".
Quote from: kphoger on December 11, 2019, 04:02:20 PM
What are these European-style automatic gates? Pictures?
Quote from: cl94 on December 08, 2019, 07:31:11 PM
I'm talking about these things (https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/c98c5w/this_walmart_has_oneway_automatic_antitheft_gates/).
Seriously?? That link has been there all along?? :spin:
Not Walmart, but the following Meijers I have been to have different layouts:
Manistee has grocery on the right, home and pharmacy on the left, and bottle return through an outside door on the right. Gaines Township is the same way, except bottle return is inside the main door.
Cascade and Carpenter Rd (Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor) have grocery on the left and pharmacy on the right. Carpenter Road has bottle return in the very back and I'm not sure where bottle return is in Cascade
I work at a Walmart, and I think my store's layout makes perfect sense, as that's what I'm used to. I go into other stores and they seem bass-ackwards, especially the ones that have the opposite layout from my store. My store has the grocery on the left, apparel in the middle, and home and pharmacy on the right, and pets way in the front right corner. One other store near me has the grocery and home and pharmacy sides swapped from my store layout. Another store near me to the grocery on the left and home and pharmacy on the right, but pets is in the back of the store adjacent to grocery, which is where my store's infants department is. I get many customers who obviously shop other stores more than ours, and will ask where the pets department is while standing in grocery. I have to point them to the waaaaaaaay opposite corner of the store, which literally feels like a mile walk away.
I haven't been to Walmart in a while, but the Renton Fred Meyer has the gates installed accessing the apparel section only. Today as I blocked the exit to pay for something, a couple was following me to get out. They saw someone entering the gate, so they walked out of the open in gate. Then it beeped. I thought a tag had triggered the alarm, but the checker paid it no mind. It appeared the gate was smart enough to tell when people were walking through it in the wrong direction. Pretty neat technology if true.
Oregon and Washington got Fred Meyer decades before Walmart expanded here. One of the selling points of the place is that you could get things from different sections and have only one check-out. That's not true any more. I hope this opioid epidemic is a passing fad, because these increased anti-shoplifting measures are annoying.
Of the three Walmarts in my area that I frequent most, two have the grocery on the left and one has it on the right. It's not really a big deal, but I guess I slightly prefer the one with the grocery on the right....but probably only because that's the one I visit most often of the three.
Honestly, the fact that a corporation designed to take your money is pervasive enough that we're assumed to have mentally catalogued variations in their building design to the point that we have decided on which one is "the best" is pretty concerning.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 16, 2019, 12:48:12 PMHonestly, the fact that a corporation designed to take your money is pervasive enough that we're assumed to have mentally catalogued variations in their building design to the point that we have decided on which one is "the best" is pretty concerning.
False consciousness is a thing.
And while we're on Marx, we may as well recall the famous quotation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eighteenth_Brumaire_of_Louis_Napoleon#%22History_repeats_..._first_as_tragedy,_then_as_farce%22) from the
Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon--"History repeats . . . first as tragedy, then as farce"--and ask just how it is that Walmart can be substantively different from the commercial trusts of the Gilded Age.
Meijer is better :spin:
Quote from: Jordanes on December 18, 2019, 09:21:08 AM
Meijer is better :spin:
I feel the same way about Meijer that I do about Target. Prices are higher than Walmart, so neither place is my first choice for shopping.
It also becomes a factor that there are far fewer Meijers or Targets in my area than Walmarts. There's a traditional non-Supercenter (opened in the mid 80s) Walmart where I work, but there are five Supercenters within an hour's drive. There's one Meijer an hour away, but the nearest Target is in Lexington. I'm not going to pass Walmart in Winchester or Richmond to go to Target in Lexington. Heck, I probably won't pass the Walmart on the east side of Richmond to get to Meijer, which is on the west side of I-75.
But in all honesty, if I had to choose between Meijer and Target, I'd pick Meijer.
Our family supermarket in Renton, Washington was the K. U. Market, a cheap, grease pencil, independent market. Next to it on the right was a Pay Less drug (and everything else) store, in a building that was a former Govmart Bazaar. It was on that site they built the Seattle area's first Walmart, later turned into a Supercenter, with groceries on the left and everything else on the right. It was strange to leave the store and see the same view as back in the K. U. Market days, but I rarely go there.
I find this question silly. The Walmart here in Mason City has a mirror image layout to the one I went to in Bellevue, NE when I lived in the Omaha area. I imagine that happens all throughout Walmart.
FWIW, the Target here has a mirror image layout with the one in Papillion, NE, or at least I can imagine it did when it opened.
Quote from: DandyDan on December 21, 2019, 04:33:50 AM
I find this question silly. The Walmart here in Mason City has a mirror image layout to the one I went to in Bellevue, NE when I lived in the Omaha area. I imagine that happens all throughout Walmart.
FWIW, the Target here has a mirror image layout with the one in Papillion, NE, or at least I can imagine it did when it opened.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8837964,-77.5472471,3a,15.8y,107.19h,91.35t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ssojPz5vNLNL14eH1Sw2ZpA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DsojPz5vNLNL14eH1Sw2ZpA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D132.00497%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9766447,-77.8107881,3a,42.8y,327.34h,96.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sq9Y_9lq2vRA6oWPAGI2VNw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dq9Y_9lq2vRA6oWPAGI2VNw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D37.839684%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
These pictures are different layouts. I've been to the one in Rocky Mount and it's much bigger than the one in Tarboro I'm sure. It's 203,750 square feet and the one in Tarboro, idk. I know it's smaller though.
Question - how can you find the square footage of each building?
You probably could look it up on the county assessor's website if you really cared enough.
I don't know if Trulia and Zillow list square footages for commercial buildings--they definitely do for houses. Mapping platforms (Google Earth definitely, and probably also Google Maps) also have line and sometimes polygon measuring tools.
The first option is what I'm used to. Although the local Walmart is a bit different because it was originally just a Walmart that sold clothing, home items and had a garden center. Then it became a full SuperCenter with a full grocery store with service departments added on the right end.
Also, not all walmart supercenters have two entrances and a tire center.
That is certainly true. These Walmarts should not be considered Supercenters. In the 1990s there were Non Supercenter Walmarts (I Nick Name Them Walmart Microcenters.) that were large enough they added a significant grocery section which made it similar to a Dollar General Store. The One Entrance Walmart Supercenters, (I Nick Name Them Walmart Minicenters.) do not seem to be much bigger than a Dollar General Market. They have a slightly larger grocery section but even that feels cramped. These Walmarts do not have any type of miniature store in the front such as a restaurant nor a Vision Center. I used to go to Walmart Minicenters that were not open 24 hours. I do not even bother shopping at any of these Walmart Minicenters.
There are Walmart Supercenters that have Two Entrances. They have most of the features that Walmart Supercenters have, but they are still not that big. Perhaps I will Nick Name them Megacenters.
I shop at very large Walmart Supercenters. If I had to Nick Name these, they would be Hypercenters. An actual Hypermarket, some times bigger than Sam's Club. There are a few of them that not only have Vision Center but also complete Dental, Orthodontic, and Oral Surgery. They have every department, including expanded grocery departments. They have so many departments, they even brought back Fabric.
I am not concerned too much about Layout of a Walmart. I am most concerned about size. It also seems that Walmart's layout is determined by its size.
I do not see how Walmart layout can change drastically. They put the departments where ever they fit. The Grocery departments requires a large amount of unloading so it needs to be on its own side. The Automotive departments must have its own side because it has to have Traffic Lanes and Drive Thru Garages. It is possible to enter through the Automotive departments but it is technically a separate part of Walmart. It is in its own wing. You can park in one of the lanes and be greeted by a worker ready to ask about your car maintenance.
The only place to put a Garden Center is in front of Automotive Wing. Because of the traffic lanes behind it, the Garden Center is also in its own wing. Being at the front of the store, it has another front entrance. However, this entrance is not open 24 hours.
The middle of a Walmart simply has every thing else that does not need its own door. I understand how annoying it is to have Walmarts that do not have identical or even similar layouts but that is determined based on the location of the Walmart itself. The Automotive Wing is often located on a side that is easier for the customers to drive to. This is important for Walmarts located on the corner of two busy streets. The Automotive Wing would be facing one of the streets and often has its own separate entrance and exit to the street. The grocery section is located on which ever side that is the most isolated.
Layouts and design
______________________________
Before 1999
Smithfield, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.52257,-78.3091317,3a,75y,24.2h,94.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBVTOMZzDb3mt9RCbc_C7MA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Fayetteville, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0819227,-78.9563716,3a,75y,267.38h,98.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNBi3ZGC3AI9NJteNuGgu1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192)
Wilson, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7337381,-77.9510376,3a,33.7y,93.78h,89.97t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swVdme8aL8suS3lT5EixrRg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DwVdme8aL8suS3lT5EixrRg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D101.79395%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656) - was expanded, originally a discount store.
Greenville, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.576159,-77.3869955,3a,67.9y,351.66h,89.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1soXsmWpW_lZcX5k-YHchvuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) - was expanded, originally a discount store.
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1999-2005
Rocky Mount, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9772743,-77.8110468,3a,89.1y,310.53h,86.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1scJENZdj_GMLiEiq6PFyadg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DcJENZdj_GMLiEiq6PFyadg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D281.03223%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
Wilmington, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1453573,-77.896848,3a,75y,330.9h,83.06t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sq0iNjXn_9-hGTiluWU7nPg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dq0iNjXn_9-hGTiluWU7nPg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D57.20393%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
Kinston, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2637187,-77.6460669,3a,75y,353.71h,86.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOlc83W7SkZDsX3pXlnLTnA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) - was expanded, originally a discount store.
Jacksonville, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7792528,-77.3929389,3a,75y,348.92h,95.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCjgQjSFnKkGimf98SRyrmg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) - was expanded, originally a discount store.
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2005-2008
Rockingham, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9138927,-79.7385362,3a,75y,232.62h,90.56t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spe3FOmOXeQrXKJw3AvbqSQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Goldsboro, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4309932,-78.062751,3a,75y,51.23h,88.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_c6oEQVaqmFU_DU4jlx6QQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Havelock, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9136605,-76.9371312,3a,75y,37.83h,95.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scIiKmjt4DYxA4FJOwwopfg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Williamston, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8342412,-77.0654546,3a,32.8y,96.91h,89.48t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sbApdkvAcfRm88rHLASI5KQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DbApdkvAcfRm88rHLASI5KQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D100.13807%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
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2008-2016
I could be wrong, can't figure out the 2008-2009 layouts.
Raleigh, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.8695183,-78.5663965,3a,75y,95.03h,83.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4nfDrgj0cNSXPzESD-vSTw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D4nfDrgj0cNSXPzESD-vSTw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D228.8463%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656)
Greenville, NC (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5818973,-77.3069411,3a,17.5y,164.07h,88.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sryoyVOL43xbJ1uv-4MNhgw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
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2015-present
Sioux Falls, SD (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6030628,-96.7889156,3a,75y,269.48h,91.22t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1svpu5KY4srnXDm2m-dLG2ZQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dvpu5KY4srnXDm2m-dLG2ZQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D348.2451%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192)
_______________________________________
I'm pretty sure the sky-roof windows on the ceiling were used since 1997.
Speaking of Walmart are they trying to receipt check everyone at all stores now? I noticed that they have been trying at the Kings Canyon store in Fresno.
And they are adding one-way electric barriers at the entrances so you have to exit through the checkouts. They are also checking receipts where I am.
Part of it may be because of the plastic bag ban?
I don't visit Walmart all that often, but I have noticed them checking my receipt on most occasions. Sam's Club has been doing that practice for far longer. The barricades make it to the neighborhood markets here before the supercenters.
They used to focus receipt checks for people who did not bag their stuff.
Quote from: Rothman on March 03, 2020, 09:50:12 PM
They used to focus receipt checks for people who did not bag their stuff.
Yeah but this is a blanket thing I'm seeing, they seem to be trying with everyone.
I was at a Walmart Neighborhood Market last Saturday to buy six bags of Hurst's fifteen-bean soup. It had the electric gates (not sure those were new this visit), but if there was a receipt check, I missed it.
The small, non-Supercenter WM in the town where I work checked my receipt for the first time the other day. They told me they'd had someone attempt to walk out with a couple thousand dollars worth of merchandise without paying (small appliances/housewares, mostly). I haven't been checked since. The receipt checks have been hit-and-miss at other WMs where I've shopped.
Sams Club has been doing this ever since I can remember.
A couple of months ago, the last time I went to Walmart, they wanted to receipt check me, apparently to see if I had paid for the cat litter I had bought. I declined to allow them to do so. I said "no thank you", and the lady got more strident with me, borderline demanding the receipt. I didn't have another response ready, so I just mumbled "Just a minute," and kept walking to the exit. I sort of hope that this meant loss prevention had to waste their time pulling image and finding that I didn't steal anything.
The security theater at Walmart grates on me enough that I avoid shopping there at all when I can help it. They also have these motion-activated sensors that make a loud CHING noise whenever you walk under them to try to draw your attention to the fact that you're under surveillance. Cool, I work in a casino, that's drilled into my soul at this point, so you can watch me clear my hands for the cameras while you fuck off. When you're walking up and down an aisle searching for a particular product you get chinged at over and over and over and it drove me so bonkers I left without half the items on my list once.
Pro tip, if you own a business don't make it so fucking annoying to shop there.
Something new I noticed at Walmart also is an overhead page for "Security to scan X department." We used to teach stores in really remote areas to do pages like that if they suspected that they had a shoplifter that they couldn't burn with customer service. This was at the Walmart on Kings Canyon Road in Fresno which is a place I would have assumed would have a full Loss Prevention staff at all times.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on March 12, 2020, 07:35:29 AM
Something new I noticed at Walmart also is an overhead page for "Security to scan X department." We used to teach stores in really remote areas to do pages like that if they suspected that they had a shoplifter that they couldn't burn with customer service. This was at the Walmart on Kings Canyon Road in Fresno which is a place I would have assumed would have a full Loss Prevention staff at all times.
I've heard this at Walmart and other stores for years now.
Quote from: Rothman on March 03, 2020, 09:36:36 PM
Part of it may be because of the plastic bag ban?
Isn't that New York state only though?