How does one describe the gift that is Walmart to anyone? Let alone a person from another country. To many, Walmart is a mecca; a shopper's nirvana, on a budget. There is basically nothing you can't get at Walmart (especially the Super Centers). And most of the things at Walmart are for a few pennies less than most places.
Of course we all know the real reason to shop at Walmart... people watching. And behavior studies. Always have a journal at Walmart... the things you will see. It's legendary. You can't get that kind of free entertainment at Target.
Redditor u/Filmologic wanted to know how we could best describe one of America's landmark stores by asking.... Americans, how would you describe Walmart to Europeans?
Do the Dew!
You ever just want to spend an afternoon cruising around on a scooter, drinking a 64oz container of Mountain Dew, just perusing a bunch of deals?
Somewhere, a dentist cringes, at your child size Mountain Dew.
ASDA....
Walmart owns ASDA. Same products from the same brands and the same slogan, even the in-store announcements are mostly the same. I'm from the Midwest, and when I spent a semester abroad in the UK I was shocked at how American it was.
Imagine ASDA, but blue and with bad lighting, then put a small automotive center, McDonalds, news agent, cheap optometrist, and a nail salon under the same roof, and that's Walmart. AndyWinds
One Stop Dumb
Its meant to be a one stop shopping center with food, clothing, electronics, etc. Since it is a HUGE company they have been able to really drive down prices. The low prices mean it tends to attract people of lower socio-economic classes than we see in similar stores.
Because humans are really judgmental, we really look down on those less fortunate than ourselves and mock how dumb the people of Walmart are.
Cheap!
Giphy
Cheap supermarket with better selection of random crap and sell guns. May have a fast food chain inside. ReallyLongElbows
REWE First.
You know how if you want several different types of things you need to like.... go to ikea for a lamp, and then media market for a video game, then Rewe for rice for the recipe you're making for dinner, then Rossman for your prescription and some handsoap? Here you just go to Walmart.
"people of Walmart"
Not just the pricing, location and branding. Target and Meijer and Kroger are relatively competitive on price, but they set up in upper-middle class areas. And Target especially is leaning hard into the MILF demographic
Also, theres plenty of poor people that aren't "people of Walmart". To be a proper Person of Walmart, you need at least 300 pounds of excess fat, liver failure and/or lung cancer, a poorly done tattoo or 10, and a Trump bumper sticker. I'd argue the typical Person of Walmart is actually, on paper, middle class, just with a complete inability to plan.
So Many Walmarts!
I have 6 Walmart stores all less than 30min drive from my house(not counting the SAMS Club) Almost all are open 24/7. We have one that has 2 floors. Groceries, underwear, cigs, beer, dog food, car battery, new fishing rod and a ps4 game at 1am? No problem. Oh, u can also grab a whole roasted chicken to go for a snack.
Sad Staff.
Giphy
Walmart is a store where, in the US, a full-time employee still qualifies for subsidized housing and food stamps.
Amazon Style....
Sort of like Amazon, but in a physical store. They sell everything pretty much, and it's pretty cheap. Not as bad as people talk about it. Target is the only other physical store I can think of that is similar.
The Regulars...
Giphy
Cheap, crowded, and there's a slight chance you might run into your fifth grade teacher wearing pjs and a snorkel.
"My" Walmart Only!
You need to visit my Walmart. In a 12 foot section of shelving units, most of it is bare. My local Walmart is the only Walmart within a 4 hour drive radius and they're CONSTANTLY empty and their employees don't know crap. It's embarrassing and honestly they should do our community some good and shut down, or fire the manager.
They even had to shutdown for a week because of a massive flood in the area and you'd think they'd finally catch up, get their crap together and stay on top of the ordering? Heck no, still empty as hell.
Not to mention they got caught after the wildfire evacuation selling tainted products from the fire. They got in massive crap for that.
under $300....
Every product generally under $300 (most under $5) that you've ever imagined made in China, plus a grocery, toy, McDonalds, hardware, garden, electronics, craft, sports, jewelry, clothing shop, in a store the size of Liechtenstein.
Made in China.
Giphy
In 1990, I had the pleasure of escorting a group of exchange students from the Russian boondocks to a 24 hour Walmart Supercenter the size of an airplane hanger. One cheekily said:
Just like Russia: everything's made in China, and if you really want it, it's out of stock.
coolidge_fan
So Much Good!
Don't forget the car tire center.
And hair care, nail salon, fast food restaurants
Banking, guns, gardening stuff, gaming lounges, booze, photo processing, taxes (Many peoples, Sorry! flooded with comments)
Gas station (/u/FizzyBeverage)
Hunting/fishing supplies (u/holymuffins)
Eye care center (u/chunwookie)
They do have almost everything. I have several friends that I don't think have gone to a store besides Walmart in years. I used to live between a Walmart and a Home Depot, and I don't think in all of the years I lived there I went to store that wasn't one of those two.
Lowest Denominator.
Everything you could want at 1/2 the price and 1/10 the quality.
I was about to describe it as "the lowest form of retail in the United States" then I remembered Dollar General & Dollar Tree exist.
Blame Canada.
Don't forget the non-existent customer service.
You can definitely get the exact same thing cheaper at Walmart than most other places. Also, their return policy is legendary if you're willing to use it.
Also, I'm Canadian. Not sure if that changes anything.
Like absolutely giant.
Giphy
I've been to Walmart, as a European, and I live to tell the tale. They sell GUNS. In a supermarket! Also that was in a small town and the store was still HUGE. Like absolutely giant. Basically a small mall on its own. I've never seen such a supermarket in Europe.
Viola, it's a Walmart.
So imagine all those small shops that specialize in different wares and services, from clothing to electronics, from jewelry to crafts. Now gather them all in one place. Then turn on the compactor switch. then crush them, grind them, mangle them and their dreams and then add guns. Viola, it's a Walmart.
The Sunshine Store.
Giphy
If Florida was a store.
Ex-Floridian, please take this humble fake gold 🏆🏆🏆
I knew someone was gonna say this lmao.
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I miss people being sane. Though that maybe election cycle issues not COVID. We'll never know.
I thought I was Alone...
Black Friday Nbc GIF by SuperstoreGiphy"Being able to grocery shop after 11 pm."
Reading_Rainboner
"Hell yes. I miss the days where the Walmart across the street was open 24 hours."
Small_Tax_9432
let's just go...
"I miss spontaneity... everything now seems to have a barrier of difficulty."
iidosee
"I live very close to Disneyland so I have an annual pass. My friends and I would just go there after work and hang out and grab a bite to eat."
"Now, we have to reserve a day to go. And most of the time, the days are at 'full' capacity so we couldn't even reserve. I don't want to schedule to hang out at Disneyland for a couple hours for July. So yeah, I definitely miss the 'lets go eat at Disneyland tonight?' texts."
mymymissmai
Not til 24-25
"Functioning global supply chains. Ah, the product you want has got microchips in it? 9 month wait."
richard-king
"Minimum, I'd been saying for a while now that I wouldn't expect a true return to normalcy in terms of electronics prices till 2024-2025. Although Crypto crashing through the floor really took some of the pressure off graphics cards which I really appreciate."
statiiic
WTF?!?!
"How affordable everything was!"
Disastrous_Hour_6776
"Yep. Today I was bagging up my things at the grocery store and I heard the cashier say to the lady behind me 'thats $78.12.' She had -- 2 boxes of Kellogg's corn flakes, a carton of 12 eggs, milk, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, a small cheese cake, English muffins, coffee, and a small whole frozen chicken that could maybe feed 3 people if the meat portioning was small."
SnowyInuk
Sushi
sushi GIFGiphy"My favorite sushi place. It was good quality, close by, kid-friendly, and not too expensive."
InannasPocket
All of this... it was a simpler time.
NASTY
Janet Jackson Reaction GIFGiphy"As a retail worker, just how f**king NASTY some people have gotten."
DmitriPetrov*itch
"They applauded you for being an essential worker but won’t vote for policies that’ll raise minimum wage while insisting a wage cap for heavily paid employees."
sketchysketchist
CHANGES your DNA...
"Some of the people closest to me became very bitter and petty over the last 2 years. So many people have the 'crazy eyes' now."
__--__7
"So true and holidays with the family is like who has the biggest tinfoil hat building contest. How many jumps does your brain have to go through to think that the Covid vaccine CHANGES your DNA into the patented DNA so that the government now controls your body."
"So like vaccinated people now have a singular DNA set. I feel like I still have a chunk of my brain just broken off due to that comment alone. I was also told by same family member that I could never donate blood again due to the vaccine. I guess it is so my patented DNA doesn't affect people?? FYI my vaccinated butt just donated today fine and multiple other times after the vaccine."
tyreka13
Homeward Bound
"House prices."
adrianinked
"I'm resigned to never thinking I have a chance on owning property where I live. I'm 30 and just can't imagine it anymore. And I don't want to live anywhere else so, whatever."
Osdab2daf
"That didn’t happen because of the pandemic. That was already happening regardless."
CH11DW
Oh Mickey
"All Day Breakfast at McDonalds."
hutch2522
"It was honestly hell to do, and not very popular. ITs margins aren't anywhere dinner and lunch specials. ON top of that, the temperatures are such that They require its own grill, meaning that if you have 2 grills in shop, you are down 50% of lunch capacity."
Freyas_Follower
Way back when...
Season 5 Friends Tv Show GIF by FriendsGiphy"Hanging out with friends. And I mean waaaaaay before Covid. Like 2006 back when I had some friends."
LoocsinatasYT
I miss the old days. Maybe we'll get back there.
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I'm waffling between G-O-D and nothing. So please give me some education.
911
Role Playing Reaction GIF by Hyper RPGGiphy"We need to look out for each other because help isn't coming."
cknipe
Peace Out
"More than 2 decades ago, a priest was giving a sermon in my church and he said 'our faith requires you to believe without question. Why call it faith if you have to ask questions?' I haven't returned to church. Not until my wedding day but you know what I mean."
asiangontear
Delusion
"When I was young I used to think that after death you would have access to a PC that you could see absolutely anything about your life. Stats, any question you had no matter how obscure, replays of moments, perspectives of others in relation to you. No matter what you wanted to know, if it was relatable to you, you could see it. I know it's silly, but as time goes on I just want it to be real, and I don't think I'd have any issue allowing myself to fall into that delusion."
eggwardpenisglands
I think nothing happens...
"Realistically, I think nothing happens. We literally experience nothing after death. Same thing that we experience before birth. We don't exist, so it's nothing. I think the tenant that we should follow while living is to try to be happy and healthy while minimizing the damage we do to each other."
"What I would LIKE to happen after death is whatever you believe in, exists. I think Christians should get to go to heaven if they truly believe in it, Hindus and Buddhists get reincarnated, and everyone else also gets to experience what they believe they will experience."
"'I would still experience Nothing. Maybe it's one of those things where at the moment of death their brain makes them experience what feels like an infinitely long moment in time where they experience their afterlife. I just think it would be neat for everybody."
Better_Meat_
Shrug
Happy GIFGiphy"Best advice I received from a dear senior on their way out. 'You win some, you lose some' shrug. Nothing divine, life is that simple and wonderful, accept it and move on."
Tune_Kindly
It all sounds pretty simple. Why are people so up in arms about Atheists?
Whatever
Bored Episode 15 GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy"I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do."
imCIK
Cool with Empty
"Nothing. [Serious]."
rumblingtummy29
"I feel this way about death. When I was 5, my grandfather died and my cousin simple said, he is dead, that means you are gone forever. Everything ends up dying, even plants and animals. I'm now in my 40's and still have this simplistic view of life and death. People think I'm ambivalent to life and death but it's just what it is."
thepigfish82
puppet-masters...
"I think a lot of religious people struggle with the fact that we are all just swirling units of chaos. There is no grand plan or great orchestrator. I think that’s why people who are prone to religion are also susceptible to things like Q anon and the Cabal and all that. They REALLY want to believe that there is some almighty puppet-master who determines all of humanity’s fate."
Lngtmelrker
“we’re living in a society!”
"Just be a kind and empathetic person not because you’re worried about some cosmic justice, but because it’s the right thing to do. If there is some being that created us there’s no way they actually care about believing in it or adhering to some rules from over 2000 years ago."
"Also a big thing for me is that I find the idea that you need religion or the Bible in order to have morals and ethics pretty dumb. It’s pretty f**king clear that most evangelicals have neither. But my main thing is being a good person simply because, as George Costanza once said we’re living in a society!' If you’re only a good person in order to make it to heaven you probably aren’t actually a good and moral person."
conservative_genius
That's All
Circle Of Life Loop GIFGiphy"You're born. You live. You die. That's it. After you die you cease to exist, the same as before you were born."
serefina
Believe what you want. We're all here together. So let's focus there.
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I feel like this article can go on forever. Let's get some highlights.
Wasted Time
Nbc Im Done GIF by SuperstoreGiphy"Meetings that could and should have been an email."
Sirena609
Lotto People
"Getting stuck behind people playing the lottery at a corner store."
thenuggetlover
"I also used to work in a gas station and you’re SO right. I f**king hated the lottery people. Especially since my store had a small staff and there was usually only one of us working at a time, which meant that I couldn’t get any of my other work done as long as they were there."
"And you’re right, it’s also pretty sad to watch. I had one lady who used to come in every day and spent hundreds and HUNDREDS of dollars on scratch tickets. One day, she won $200 after spending probably around $600 and she was so excited and saying she can 'finally pay her bills.'"
i-am-your-god-now
Aware...
"No situational awareness. Job, home, shopping, driving. Think for one minute and go about. OBSERVE!!"
Dizzy-Foundation8122
"My mom is one of those people who leave the shopping cart in the middle of the damn aisle and proceed to walk twenty feet away. After correcting her a million times to no effect I just walk away now so people don’t know I’m with her."
OutrageousEvent
Shut Up!
"Endless barking in the middle of the night, I love animals but that sh*t I can't stand."
Acceptable-Lemon2924
"Endless barking in general drives me up a wall. One of my friends dogs was barking almost an entire gaming session the other day. I wanted to reach through the computer and smack him for letting it go on."
bangersnmash13
Kindness
customer service waiter GIFGiphy"People being mean to service workers, especially if the workers are very young."'
scaryboilednoodles
All of these things. I hate them all.
Admit It
Admit It Tell The Truth GIF by TV LandGiphy"People who never accept fault when they mess something up. Like, why blame a million people when it was clearly you who did it???"
Quirky-Area-8978
From Above
"My upstairs neighbors."
lutzow89
"I had terrible neighbors at my previous apartment. It was a one person studio for students, but her boyfriend was clearly living with her illegally and he was loud."
"One night we knocked n the door at 3 AM because of the loud music and an unknown girl opened the door. I just thought they were having a little party. But the next door I saw the girl living there come home with a suitcase after having been away for the weekend... Her BF was cheating on her in her own apartment."
Th3_Accountant
Move Away
"People who sit directly next to me at the airport, movie theater, any other place where you can choose a seat when there is PLENTY of other seating."
BacardiPardy33
"I can’t YES this enough and the ones who can’t park for crap so they park so close you can’t open doors on one side of the car or the ones who park directly behind when you pulled through so the door won’t open to load groceries."
BacardiPardy33
It's Over
"People who try to restart old drama. Like I'm done with you, just leave me alone."
Tired_Potatos
"Yep, half the reason I've basically quit playing one of my favorite online video games. People keep bringing old crap up or sh*tting on on someone who used to be our friend. I got tired of it so I just ejected the game out of me."
CaucasianHumus
AHHHHH!!!
move leading GIFGiphy"People walking too slow in front of me with no way to get around them. It’s even worse if it’s a couple or group taking up the whole sidewalk. HAVE SOME SPATIAL AWARENESS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!"
_-v0x-_
Life in general pisses me off. I'm easy.
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