Yes groceries are getting more expensive and it'll probably get worse.
I usually wait till late and go to Walmart, so that it's not crowded and the traffic isn't so dense.
Haven't noticed any rude employees. A few of them are a bit miserable but I'd be miserable if I worked at Walmart. There was a little Hitler in Sainsburys who didn't like me looking at the newspapers for too long without buying any. And one in Walmart was unhelpful. He gave up trying to find something for me that was there all the time, and told me they didn't have it. Not really rude, just a bit unfriendly, totally useless, and not very honest. Otherwise, no big complaints.
They're sometimes out of stock of some of the groceries I want, which is awkward because I eat the same food all the time and it's hard to figure out alternatives. But they're usually in stock again after a day or two so it's not too bad.
So far I'm doing OK walking there and carrying the groceries back. I go quite often so there's not usually a lot to carry. It's only 1/4 of a mile away, but it'll get more difficult as I get older and weaker.
Yes there are too many aisles and I'd prefer it if Walmart didn't stock the stuff I don't want, because it just gets in the way. But life is never perfect.
It's not always easy to find what I want. I made a map to show me where the aisles are and a list to show me which aisles the stuff I buy is on, but I got bogged down because my brain tried to make the map perfect and the list wasn't complete. I hate it when they move stuff around and make my work useless. Sainsburys went and revamped their place to compete with a new Tesco across the road, so that people would think "Ooh, a lovely new look, how exciting!" but I just thought "I can't find anything now, you bastards." I don't want a snazzy shopping experience. I don't think it's possible. I just want my groceries so I can go home.
People do get in my way quite a bit, and some of them seem to forget there's anybody else in the place, and they block the aisles and zone out, but where I currently live they tend to move out of the way once they see I'm trying to get past them.
The lighting is too bright for my taste, and it's fluorescent which makes me feel a bit weird, but I can stand it as long as I'm not there a long time, and I'm usually in and out fairly quickly.
I agree there's too much choice. I tend to get trapped by that so it wastes my time trying to decide the absolute best variant for my needs. But for most of the groceries I buy, I just get the same variant every time, and there aren't very many groceries I do buy, so for routine stuff it's not usually that hard.
If I can add one thing - marketing hype. I'm not interested in being persuaded to buy anything new, I just want my stuff and to get out of the place. So their displays just get in my way. And their trick of putting sweeties and shiny things near the checkout line doesn't tempt me at all. If I want a choccie bar I've already found it in the main part of the store and put it in my trolley. I suppose they do it so that kids will pester their parents to buy rubbish for them, but I don't agree with taking kids shopping anyway. Often they aren't very good at keeping out of the way and keeping quiet. I know some folks have no choice but to take their kids with them, but it's often past their bedtime and I just wish they'd find a better way to shop.
09 Apr 2025, 10:52 pm
