What is happening????

[Marilyn]

Okay, what is happening to our retail stores???? If your experiencing some of the same things we are and want to share them. This is the thread for you!!!

1. Hubby stopped by the grocery store, HEB Plus (big super grocery store that even carries furniture), to grab some wooden clothes pins. They did not have any, just plastic ones. Why?
2. I went to Super Walmart to buy embroidery thread. You can buy knitting needles, crochet hooks, thread, buttons, fabric, patterns, scrapbooking supplies, jewelry making items, sewing machines, but no embroidery thread? Why?
3. I went to Super Target to buy some Anchor Hocking pie plates. They carry them in some Target stores, and are on our daughters gift registry, but there is "limited availability in some stores" and ours does not carry them. Limited availability for PIE PLATES???? in a SUPER TARGET? Why?
4. I stopped by Hastings to buy a book. Finally found what I wanted and went to the registers. None of them were open. There were two women at the customer service counter laughing and talking. Finally one acknowledged my existence and told me she'd meet me at register 3. I stood there while she continued her chat with the other woman and she finally moved to the register to check me out and the whole time was shouting to the other woman at the customer service counter, continuing their conversation. I felt like an imposition to her. What is happening and why??

I don't know about you, but I thought the big super stores were supposed to be a one stop shop. Not so, at least for us. We just have to walk farther inside the store to find out they don't have what we need.

[Lindsey]

I HATE when there's nobody at the registers. We have a new giant Walmart right by my house, it's the biggest one in Western Canada. They have at least 20 registers, but no more than 3 are ever open at any one time. There is about a 25 minute wait at each register! The last time I went there was just ONE open!

[Tink]

This is why I've decided to stick with my local small town stores. The owners greet us by name, ask about the kids, appreciate the business and if they don't have what we're looking for, they'll usually tell us who else might. Between our Harware Hank, grocery store and Family Dollar (which has a very small town atmosphere) I rarely have to leave town anymore to do my shopping.

For gift shopping and such I order most online. Can't get much handier than having it shipped to my house.

[Marilyn]

Originally Posted by Tink

This is why I've decided to stick with my local small town stores. The owners greet us by name, ask about the kids, appreciate the business and if they don't have what we're looking for, they'll usually tell us who else might. Between our Harware Hank, grocery store and Family Dollar (which has a very small town atmosphere) I rarely have to leave town anymore to do my shopping.

Wish I could shop at the local smaller stores. Would love to for many reasons, however, most of them close at 5:30 or 6 p.m. and it's impossible to get there after work during the week without taking off early from work. Some of them are open on Saturday, but close around noon. Makes it hard for 8 to 5 folks who commute. There's a cookbook I'd like to pickup from one of the gift stores in town, but will have to wait until Saturday morning to try to run get it, and my Saturday morning is already very full, plus it's the only morning of the week I don't have to get up quite so early.

[Janet]

We have a Super Wal Mart too and I hate it. I try not to buy any more than I have to there. We have 3 different Dollar stores I try to frequent, grociery stores and for clothing, mostly go out of town. They don't care and when they act like they don't care, I let the manager know, hand him the merchandise I was going to buy and tell him/her goodbye.

It's so frustrating Marilyn, but it's a sign of the times. I've lost hope that it will get better, it won't.

[DianaB]

Walmart only carries things that will sell quickly. They don't want things on the shelves that are going to sit for very long.

As for the pie plate from Target, how many of the younger generation make pies anymore? It's too easy to buy a frozen one and bake it. There are even some who can barely cook and eat out all the time. It's really sad. Of course with the economy the way it is they may be learning how to cook soon.

Hmmmmm, I don't know why you wouldn't be able to find wooden clothespins.

As for the checkout girls, I think that there are problems everywhere with them. I really think that someone could make a good living by going around and doing a small seminar about working. How to dress, how to greet customers, not to chew gum, just good work ethics. I get so fustrated at how customers are treated.

We have a little Alco store (it's kinda' like a very small Wal-mart) and my daughter, Amy, returned some shoes that she had bought her daughter because they didn't last very long and she had bought an expensive pair and she had her receipt. Well, our store has been having shoplifting problems, enough that they're about to close (mostly employees and teens). The girl at the returns counter called the manager up to handle the transaction. My daughter got chewed out and then the manager turned and chewed out my granddaughter. When they left the store they both were crying and all because of returning a pair of shoes. My son-in-law then went in and he came home with a number to call the company because he had gotten into it with her too. We have a new manager now!!!