Walmart supercentres blamed for weight gain

[kat]

Walmart supercentres blamed for weight gain
Lower prices, more processed food cited in U.S. study
By Shannon Proudfoot, Postmedia News January 19, 2011


Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Wal ... z1BVrcsme3


I read this story this morning and shook my head. I live a stone's throw away from a Wal-Mart Supercentre and the people in my neighbourhood haven't
all become chubby-wubbies in the past year. For my money and the money I save, I'll keep shopping at my local Wal-Mart where one day I'll actually say
hi to Mr. Sandclan when I see him checking the aisles for bargains. I almost bumped into him when I was grabbing a few things a couple of Sundays ago.
I doubt either of us will desert Wal Mart and the risk of getting fat for the over rated and over priced offerings at Choices.

This Wal Mart story might apply to the states where the customers seem to graze on fast food and junk food for snacks. I think Canadians have a little
better control of their eating habits.

Long live Wal-Mart and bring on Target!

[Russ_Byth]

WallyWorld has nothing to fear from me, or vice versa.
My local one at Lougheed Mall has to be the slowest when it comes to service at the checkout. I avoid the place if at all possible.
Now the supercentre in West Kelowna is an entirely different matter. Friendly staff and quick checkouts!

[jon]

My local one at Lougheed Mall has to be the slowest when it comes to service at the checkout. I avoid the place if at all possible.

Around here (Edmonton), Wal-mart seems to be the only place in town where they have all the Self-Serve checkouts CLOSED MOST of the time, i.e. - more hours per week closed than open. Ask a manager and they tell you that they don't have any staff member available to man the self-serve cash registers.

The newer Home Depots have got a really good system that solves this problem. In the middle of the self-serves is a regular till where you can line up and get served by a real person. The same person who manages the self-serve tills. That till is ALWAYS open, and so are their self-serve tills.

[another dog]

I can say that you are right on target Russ, the Lougheed Mall Walmart has to be the slowest. Actually they are almost all at fault, but the prices for the most part are great.
There is an exception, that is the store on 88th in Surrey. Here going through the cashier line is pure joy. It's fast, (you get a central line, wait a few moments) and before you can count to 50, you are told to go to your cashier by number. It's fun to shop there in this manner.
It puts all others to shame, and I live miles away from them, but it gets my money. I'll bet Firedog will agree.

A.D.

[radiofan]

Russ is bang on with his comments. In my eyes, the Lougheed and Guildford Wal Marts are still old Woolco Stores with a new paint job.

The staff at these two stores are still in Woolco mode too.

Like so many businesses in Canada, they just don't understand the word "service".

Most of my shopping is done south of the border, not just because of the savings, but because of the "service". American retailers get it. Canadians just don't understand.

[jon]

Like so many businesses in Canada, they just don't understand the word "service".
...American retailers get it. Canadians just don't understand.

I can't speak for the Lower Mainland, but Edmontonians are partly to blame for the remaining lousy customer service that we see around here. The early 1990s saw the beginning of Big Box stores, starting with the Grocery Wars. Superstore, Safeway's Ford Barn, Save-On and perhaps Costco were all selling below their costs, following Superstore's "wrap it yourself" lead towards huge lineups and non-existent service. Unfortunately, "the lowest price is the law" won the day. And most Edmontonians chose price over service. Even filthy food stores would not deter them. They'd rather the store lower their prices than hire enough janitorial staff.

As recently as three years ago, one of the original Save-On's was still routinely sporting checkouts with a dozen or more people in each lineup. Newer stores are really quite good. Admittedly, Save-On knows it is a problem, and just shut down one of the other original stores, on Kingsway in Edmonton. Food Barn is long gone. And Superstore still doesn't get it.

[yathink]

"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits.
They will be embarrassingly large."

[slowhand]

Walmart supercentres blamed for weight gain
Lower prices, more processed food cited in U.S. study

Getting back to the original topic, how come nobody ever sues Madison Avenue? After all, Advertising drives more people to buy stuff they shouldn't than anything else.

Naa, what am I thinking? That would be too logical for the emotion-driven, blame-game, sue-happy American Public.

[radiofan]

Funny how 24 hours after the original story, this one pops up ...

Wal-Mart and Michelle Obama team up on healthy food

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110120/us_nm/us_walmart

[Buckley]

Wal-Mart SuperCentres also offer carrots last I checked, at the same every day low prices as everything else in the store! How is it Wal-Mart's fault that people skip those to buy 6 boxes of Twinkies that they plan to consume in a day?

Also, the size of some of these stores, walking through them is the most exercise some people get in a month! Maybe that can be their social responsibility, put frozen foods on one end of the store, snack foods on the other, they just helped their customers start an exercise program!