Coming soon to a Wal-Mart near you, a change in the store and to the merchandise they sell.
I was on vacation about a month ago and went to Wal-Mart for my wife. I wandered around the store for about an hour, trying to find the few items she wanted me to buy. I finally had to ask for directions because of all the remodeling that was going on. The merchandise is all moved around and the shelves are much lower. I happen to like the look, because I can actually see around the store, instead of seeing shelves everywhere. Once the work is done and I learn where everything is at, it will probably be okay.
Wal-Mart Electronics
I hadn’t thought much about the remodeling until I was reading an article from The Associated Press and learned the retailer is remodeling most of it’s 3,600 stores around the country. I also learned that remodeling isn’t the only thing going on. They are also adding new merchandise, hoping to continue attracting some of their newer customers, who are spending about 40% more than the customer Wal-Mart normally sees in their stores. Some of the new merchandise is going to include higher end electronics and gadgets, which is bound to attract new customers, especially if the prices are substantially lower than other retailers. As for my family, Wal-Mart is where we purchased our latest cell phones, simply because they prices were so much lower. Although I really do not like the store, I can not ignore the savings.
Honestly, food is the main item my family and I purchase from the world’s largest retailer. There are other items such as cleaning supplies, but the cart usually has more food than anything. My daughter buys very few clothes there, saying the quality is not as good as she can get at Cato’s, with very little price difference. My wife feels the same way about the clothes she buys, although I will buy some hunting clothes from them, if I can find what I am looking for.
I actually do not enjoy going to Wal-Mart to shop, but they are the only place to purchase some items. The main thing that really bothers me is the way they shift seasonal items in and out of the store. They will start having Halloween items in September and by October, they are moving in the Thanksgiving items. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, it looks like the North Pole in most of the stores, as they gear up for Christmas. Not only that, but when I go to the sporting goods section to look for a sharpening stone for my knives, I do not like being told it is out of season. Since when does a knife not need to be sharpened?
Wal-Mart appears to be changing, but their image needs as much work as their stores. I know people who have worked for them and did not have a good experience. If even half of the stories I have heard are true, I would not have a good experience either. They may treat their customers fairly well, but the way they treat some of their employees and their vendors is another matter entirely. While they are spending $1.7 billion to remodel their stores, in an effort to attract and keep new customers, maybe they could remodel the way they do business with their vendors and how they treat their employees. That would go a long way towards repairing the cutthroat reputation they have among consumers.
