Walmart Crap Getting Crappier?

[Foiled Again]

Is it just me, or is the quality of stuff at Walmart going down and down?

When I started fulltiming, I bought some collapsable laundry totes - nylon with a flexible plastic frame, and a hanging shoe rack, and various odds and ends for the Airstream. I never thought of their clothing as "fashion", but there was a lot of good utility "camping wear" - jeans, sweats, etc.
A few months ago I bought one new tote - and it's already falling apart. The nylon is much thinner and the framing is sharp edged metal which sawed right through the fabric. I was looking for a second shoe rack for a friend and the new ones are that crappy non-woven dreck that looks like Handi-wipe. ech!

Last week I had to make about 4 trips to Walmart. I needed a new white hose and filter for winter because my old filter froze and broke. And then I ran out of coffee... and so on. This morning I woke up to find that I had built an ice sculpture outside the A/S. The NEW hose leaked around the male fitting, and while I had a heat tape on the hose, the water that dripped outside the pipe insulation had built a miniture ice sculpture of the American side of Niagra Falls. (I did have the repair fitting in my toolbox, but o-spit, it's not fun cutting off the old fitting and putting on a new one in 23F degrees.) Takes too much tactile acuity to wear gloves. My hands still ache.

I've noticed every white hose I've bought lately has had at least one fitting fail within weeks of getting it. Generally tighten it more than three or four times, and it's gone. While I was at Walmart I also took a look around women's clothing for some new sweats just because of the unseasonal cold - and couldn't find a thing I'd consider wearing to a Del Rio dog fight. (And I wasn't looking for anything but utility and warmth.) I'd also noticed that a lot of their kitchen stuff looks like it's going downhill in quality.

I've always thought of K-mart as being the "new junk shop" and Walmart as being a step up. Now, I'm seeing Walmart's quality steadily eroding - other than the fact that they are carrying more Lodge cast iron. Guess I'll be moving on to "le tarjay" (Target) for my basic stuff.

[rangebowdrie]

Walmart, since it's inception, has continually, with a few exceptions, forced its suppliers to provide goods at the lowest price point possible, in order to maximize its profits.
They really do not know the meaning, of the word "quality".

Caveat Emptor

[buzzkat]

I made the pledge to avoid Walmart several months ago and have turned to Target exclusively. Target has better quality products, it's cleaner throughout, and the people are more helpful. I'll pay more at Target just for a better shopping experience.

[Cantrell]

We continue to reward those outfits whose business plan is to sell cheap, imported junk at low prices by continuing to buy their cheap, imported junk.

Made in China = In Landfill Soon, in my mind.

Imagine if Airstreams were made there, they would cost half the price but they would last 5 months instead of 50 years.

[Silverfoxrae]

It's sad, really. I hadn't been to a Wal-Mart in many years. I went to the local one in saint Augustine two days ago, to get things for an up-coming camping trip. I found the store to be quite empty of goods, actually. Perhaps it's because it's just after the holidays, or maybe becase this particular store is older and slightly run down inside, but I was surprised. I did find almost everything I had come in for, and didn't spend what I thought was a lot for what I got. I briefly drove my shopping cart through the clothing area, bedding and home areas, but nothing jumped out at me and into my cart. I remember Wal-mart as being more an old school big store- part hardware store, part grocery, part store-store. With employees asking if you found what you were looking for, and did you need help finding something. I guess the days of "norman rockwell" have passed us by? I hope not. Maybe somehow something will happen to bring some of that back.

[RickDavis]

We have no real problem with Walmart overall, and don't have the target or K mart options near by any way however, The white RV hose walmart sells is NOT comparable to what I get a Camping World. Besides bad fittings it collapse flat or kinks easily

[ROBERT CROSS]

I stay away, they have closed too many Mom & Pop's...
Stuff is junk..

One of our favorite's that's still open....Charlie Johns Store - Speculator, NYCharlie Johns too, right across the street.

The ONLY thing I like about walmart....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1rTSazpCJs

[Maryw164]

Unfortunately it's all about the bottom line ($$$). Walmart used to pride itself on "made in the USA" items back when Sam Walton was around, but things have really changed. Very sad .

Mary

[thecatsandi]

It's not just Wal-Mart. I bought some see through totes with hinged lids. They used to be metal hinges. They changed to a cheaper plastic (not as hard) then some where in the last year they went to plastic hinges. My parts holders went the same direction. I now only buy metal ones.
I shop Target even though I can walk to the closest Wal-Mart in five minutes. K-mart is even closer.

[Jim Foster]

If you want to have some fun, Google "Walmart Sucks".

[Gene]

Same goes for Sam's Club. Costco has better stuff and treats it's employees much better.

Hose story—about 2 years ago I picked up a second fresh water hose at Walmart. It lasted for about 2 uses before it split, but the fittings at each end were ok.

Watch out for any bulk fruit (and probably other bulk items) at Sam's as they often have moldy or rotten stuff hidden behind the stuff you can see. Happens too often to be unplanned; other stores rarely have this problem.

Walmart has been around a long time now and a lot of people probably think poor quality is normal. People with little money shop at Walmart and they get the most ripped off because they can't afford bad stuff that falls apart or is moldy. They aren't saving any money shopping there, but think that is the place to shop. I just get items I am sure of and forget the rest.

Gene

[Jim Foster]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Walmart has been around a long time now and a lot of people probably think poor quality is normal. People with little money shop at Walmart and they get the most ripped off because they can't afford bad stuff that falls apart or is moldy. They aren't saving any money shopping there, but think that is the place to shop.

Gene

This upsets me most around Christmas when they are buying toys for their children. Junk, pure junk. So sad.

[Minnie's Mate]

I avoid Walmart when I can...that is almost all the time, especially at the Holidays! You are right about Target having better stuff; however, you still have to be careful there, too.

[6PackCharlie]

What CANTRELL said!!!

[Airstream01]

Nearly every item I pick up in Wal Mart has a "made in China" sticker on it, so I put it back down. I'm getting to the point I just order most things online from genuine "made in USA" suppliers.

[vswingfield]

I bought my Presto pressure cooker at WalMart.

My Corelle dinnerware that I had been looking online for was just on the shelf at WalMart. They have open stock on individual pieces in multiple patterns of the Corelle. Interesting, stocking replacement parts for unbreakable dinnerware.

Lodge cast iron, including dutch ovens (plain and a choice of choice of colors in the enamel finish) are on the shelves.

I recently bought a Vitorinox Swiss Army Knife, Super Tinker for SAK aficionados, $27-$35 online for $15 off an end isle clearance section.

All of these are first rate products, and just examples. There are other well known brands available in WalMart now that were never in WalMarts years ago.

The RV supply area, though smaller than it has been in the past, carries Thetford products, too.

I'm not trying to say that everything is great at WalMart, but there is quality stuff there too if you look for it.

If something looks flimsy or poorly made, pass on it. Just like you should anywhere.

I'll admit, there is stuff I would not be caught dead in for sale in the clothing section. Given that, I'm wearing a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve T-shirt from WalMart. Offset by a fleece vest from LLBean.

Ok, everyone can flame me now.

[overlander63]

I bought a really nice-looking GE blender from Wal-Mart a couple of years ago. When I see GE branded stuff, I think "Quality, made in USA, owned by Thomas Edison". Until the blender broke after the second use, and I took a close look.
THE BLENDER WAS MADE IN CHINA FOR WAL-MART, UNDER LICENSE FROM GE. GE never had anything to do with it, other than rent their name and logo for Wally World to make money from.

[CanoeStream]

Sometimes crappier is just okay....

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f446...tml#post745140

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

Sometimes crappier is just okay....

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f446...tml#post745140

Got me. One of my most recent WalMart purchases. I did mention Thetford "stuff" in the RV section.

[DaveFL]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Same goes for Sam's Club. Costco has better stuff and treats it's employees much better.

Hose story—about 2 years ago I picked up a second fresh water hose at Walmart. It lasted for about 2 uses before it split, but the fittings at each end were ok.



Gene

hose kinks, leaks is made in China and who tested it for lead? It is your drinking water hose!

One of the problems I am seeing is the deteriation of plastics, due to China using lead as the agent to keep it plyable.

Only thing worst is when they use soybean oil and it makes wire insulation tasty for mice, squirrels and rats.

I do like their parking lots and policy for overnight parking, but don't like the amount of product coming from China including food, especially farm raised fish and fish they catch in American waters and package.

Sam Walton prided himself on being American and promised to feature products made in America by Americans.