Walmart has become crime central for many towns

[philip964]

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016 ... tedgar.com

[Grundy1133]

yep. just the other day (last month) a guy held his estranged wife at gun point in the wal mart parking lot where i live. and i live in a little town where NOTHING ever happens. its crazy. I try to avoid wal mart like the plague. id rather go to a different store and pay higher prices just to not have to put up with wal mart....

[KLB]

I try to avoid wal mart like the plague. id rather go to a different store and pay higher prices just to not have to put up with wal mart....

In many towns, there's no longer an alternative to Walmart for many items. For better or worse, it's go to Walmart or drive a considerable distance for minor purchases.

[Grundy1133]

I try to avoid wal mart like the plague. id rather go to a different store and pay higher prices just to not have to put up with wal mart....

In many towns, there's no longer an alternative to Walmart for many items. For better or worse, it's go to Walmart or drive a considerable distance for minor purchases.

where i live, the smaller grocery stores have survived because there are others like me who would rather pay higher prices and not have to deal with the chaos. while their selection usually isnt as big, its definitely worth it for basic staples like milk bread eggs etc.

[philip964]

"Police chiefs and their officers on the ground say that’s just not so. Ross likes to joke that the concentration of crime at Walmart makes his job easier. “I’ve got all my bad guys in one place,” he says, flashing a bright smile."

The comparison with Target is interesting. In Tulsa 2000 calls to Walmart vs 300 calls to Target a year.

A Shake Shack just opened near Westheimer and Montrose in Houston, its a chain that started in New York City and they actually mention that name in their Texas restaurants. I ate there for lunch just to check it out, even though I had been already told that it was only ok, but it was pricey. $11.79 for a small single patty burger with cheese, crinkle fries and a medium drink. I most likely could get a Big Mac, fries and a large drink for what $7.00 at McDonalds just a block away. The big difference is the customers. At McDonald's it seems to be filled with the homeless, kids from the halfway house and the occasional purse snatcher. At Shake Shake not a single homeless person. Lots of well off millennials, mom's with babies and other well offs.

So your paying more for the other customers?

[bblhd672]

Walmart = must carrry

[G26ster]

There were 13.5 billion visits to Walmart stores in 2016 worlwide. There were 200 violent crimes committed in the U.S. Walmarts (no worldwide stats available), so say 500 worldwide to be generous. Do the math to find your odds of being a victim of violent crime out of 13.5 billion persons visiting.

[strogg]

It really depends where you are. I've been to many Walmarts in my day. Much of the variety is due to the consistency of the bathrooms among all locations. I've been to some stores that are decent. I've been to some that are pretty stellar (like the one near me, fortunately). Others have poor customer service and staffing. And there are some that are just plain sketchy. And you know what? It's predictable. I can tell you exactly how the Walmart is going to be like before I get into the parking lot. It's entirely based on the neighborhood it's in. If all Walmart wants to make their stores safer, they can close down the stores with the bad safety record and relocate them to better parts of town. I believe it's that simple. They won't do that, of course. That'll only negatively impact their bottom line.

[Liberty]

I want to like Walmart, They have been gun friendly to Texans, was the first public place I carried at. The Wally walk. It's the only major retailer that sells guns at least at some of their stores. Ammo at most.

The problen is, They never have anyone available that can actually sell ammo. I've waited a half an hour, at my local Galveston store, only to be told that the guy with keys didn't come in that day. None of the WallyWorlds near me sell guns anymore. The produce and meat seem of lower quality.

My local Target is cleaner and seems to have more floor people. My wife and I don't buy groceries there either.

These days I typically got to Cabellas or Academy for ammo and gun supplies. Although Primary Arms has proven to be a good place for me. Online prices with no Shipping or FFl charges.

For most general goods though it's pretty hard to beat Amazon.

My wife is a picky food shopper. We have Randells and Krogers. Both are pretty good. But we still buy At Sams Club ( Great Meat) and HEB in League City.

I guess what I'm trying to say is even though they are close by, I just don't have a reason to go to WallyWorld any more.

[G26ster]

It's all about location IMHO. There's a Walmart in Beverly Hills, CA. I have a feeling their crime rate is low by comparison to much less afluent neighborhoods.