In California, Walmart is considered hella ghetto. I know that the one in Pleasanton brings out all the super ghetto people that you never knew existed in the affluent cities in the Tri-Valley area. And on top of that, there were always clothes on the floor, the place was generally dirty, and service was really lacking. In Concord, the word around my workplace was to be careful at Sam's Club (Walmart wholesale) and Costco because crime occurs in the parking lots at those places. That could be Concord in general (sorry Concord) or the locations that they are in. But, we try to be careful at the lower-end of the discount stores. Even some cities in the Bay Area vote out the very idea of Walmart or Super Walmart. What - Super Walmart? We can't have that here. No union, big box, and hella ghetto (they don't voice this out loud, but we know that's what they are thinking).
This is why Target is such a popular place in California. Costco is as well (except I don't go to the one in Concord). Target is like the upper-end of discount big-box stores. I do have to say though that they have gotten quite a bit expensive for things made in China. And they stock less and less. I find it very hard to locate items in the stores. For example, if I need blinds, they may have a few to pick from, and never in the size I need. If I need a weight scale, often times they have only one, and it's some old version that has a needle and dial so small you can't see it unless you are 10 inches tall.
In Virginia on the other hand or at least the one in Central Park F'burg, the Walmart is like a mecca. Hell, I don't even need to go to Target. I haven't even stepped into one yet. I was never a fan of the red and white branding to be honest. It's clean at the Walmart here. I actually walk in, and people are cleaning, mopping the floors, dusting (yes, dusting!), restocking, and reorganizing the shelves. Granted, I do go first thing in the morning. However, this is a 24 hour Walmart, so they could have done all of that in the middle of the night. BTW - when I hear 24 hour Walmart, I do think of the South Park episode when they built a Super Walmart in town.
Also, they actually have stuff. Lots of stuff. They have multiple curtains to choose from. Now I do have to say I thought their children's curtains and shower curtains were really lacking. Minus a point for that. I have to go with the pink polka-dot shower curtain instead of getting something Disney Princess. :( But, they did have a cute ducky shower curtain. Anyway, the point is that at Target I know I would not have been able to find a butter dish. But, I did find one at Walmart. Things were on the shelf and not on the floor at this Walmart. I didn't see any weird people yet at Walmart. But in the early mornings, you do get lucky in that they are probably all asleep from drinking all night or whatever it is that they do.
This Walmart did have Johnsonville sausages in the market section. Yeah. I was disappointed that Wegmans did not have that. Come on - who doesn't have Johnsonville Maple sausages? Oh I forget, I'm in the South now and it is ruled by Bob Evans and Jimmy Dean (I think there might be kids here named Jimmy Dean). It's very Southern to have a kid with 2 first names. Look at Chad. Or Ricky Bobby.
Anyway, I may have more to say about Walmart. Oh - remind me to comment on Christmas music being played early November, and how we saw Christmas commercials before Halloween. Sacrilege!
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