>>213115355 (OP)It's a bit better in more peaceful, rural (northern) white areas. The busy ones with a multi-ethnic clientele are horrible. BUT. The slower ones sometimes just plain have whatever major market basic item I need/want. If I need a cheap pair of shoes, a specific laundry soap, a certain over-the-counter medication and I don't feel like fucking around with the thing possibly not being in some other store, I'll just go to the Wal-Mart, where I can reasonably expect that they'll have it. Got a nice cheap bicycle from one a year ago and it's suited me fine.
There's one an hour away from my place, and a bit further away from my parent's place. Nice peaceful dull white area, much lower demand/sales volume. Sometimes when I drive home, on the way back I'll make a point to pit-stop there and just pick up certain basics so I don't have to compete with Jose for the same stuff in the local shops.
I think that one of Wal-Mart's strengths is that they just plain have certain basics all the time (availability), not basement-price but about as cheap as you can expect for a major brand. They're successful for a reason.
The worst operational change that they've made in the past ten years or so, is that they'll blare their shitty in-house radio station out into the parking lot, so you get to hear the shitty muzak and faux-DJ even before you walk in the door. It's meant to be "fun" and prime you for the experience, but it comes off as obnoxious noise pollution. I'm in the parking lot, leave me alone until I walk inside at least.
