End of a good thing

[MilesAhead]

I've come to the end of a good deal.  On some items Walmart would let you select the local FedEx Office Store as a Store Pickup with no shipping charges.  There is one about a mile from my "headquarters" if you want to call it that. 

It was great for getting small electronics stuff like mouse pads, optical mice, usb drives etc..

Now they have discontinued the policy.  I suppose there were too many people like me buying small items for it to be profitable.  It's a shame.  To get to a Walmart from here is about a 2 hour journey by train then bus.  That's to get to the bus stop.  It's another 10 minutes or so just to walk across the parking lot into the store.

Plus the bus stop benches are not covered.  It is definitely a fair weather only activity. 

It was fun while it lasted. 

[Innuendo]

To get to a Walmart from here is about a 2 hour journey by train then bus.  That's to get to the bus stop.  It's another 10 minutes or so just to walk across the parking lot into the store.

-MilesAhead (June 06, 2015, 02:06 PM)

You must live in one of the Vaults from the Fallout games. I thought everybody lived 20 minutes away from at least 2 Wal-Mart stores. I'm not even in a large metropolitan city and yet I'm about 20 minutes away from four of their stores.

What Wal-Mart should have done was leave the free shipping to your FedEx location, but just instituted a minimum order amount.

[MilesAhead]

You must live in one of the Vaults from the Fallout games. I thought everybody lived 20 minutes away from at least 2 Wal-Mart stores.

-Innuendo (June 07, 2015, 09:48 AM)

When I lived in the burbs that was the case.  Three within a 20 minute drive.  The one right in town they closed down.  But the next closest they expanded.  Especially the supermarket side was enlarged.  The same cart full of groceries that cost me $150 to $200 in Publix was $100 to $150 or so at Walmart.  I remember often one loaf of Arnold Farm House Bread was nearly $2 cheaper in Walmart.  Hamburg and that type of stuff I stayed with Publix.  But the name brand packaged food was fine.  Or they put their own label on it.  Breakstone Temptee Cream Cheese that was about $2.50 in Publix was Great Value Cream Cheese for $1.57 in Walmart.

They are nearly finished with a new one in the Miami area.  It is still quite a distance.  But it near a Metro Rail station.  It is the bus ride that is the killer.  I think the first avenue the bus route crosses is 77th Ave.  Walmart is on 154th Ave.  Quite a lot of "Stop requested.  For your safety do not cross in front of the bus." 


Plus one is limited how much one can purchase by what one can drag.  No storage kills off a lot of bargains. 

[cranioscopical]

That's quite a dilemma! If purchase volume is limited by carrying capacity, the cost of the journey could cancel out potential savings.

[KynloStephen66515]

I live in a crappy little village that seems to have more sheep and cows than actual people...and yet I am still only a 15 minute drive from ASDA (Or Walmart as you call it) and the same distance from a Tesco (Like ASDA...Only better) o.O

[tomos]

I live in a crappy little village that seems to have more sheep and cows than actual people...and yet I am still only a 15 minute drive from ASDA (Or Walmart as you call it) and the same distance from a Tesco (Like ASDA...Only better) o.O

-Stephen66515 (June 07, 2015, 03:12 PM)

could you get there (easily) without a car though?

[MilesAhead]

That's quite a dilemma! If purchase volume is limited by carrying capacity, the cost of the journey could cancel out potential savings.

-cranioscopical (June 07, 2015, 01:11 PM)

It is more costly in time and effort than cash.  I usually have a monthly pass for the Metro anyway.  But I do tend to go only when I need clothes I cannot get locally.  Walmart always has a pretty good selection of cargo shorts.  They are a must have in Miami.  You can buy them at local stores but most of them have the sewn on button.  Walmart has a good selection of those with a rivet as the main button.  No hassle with a button popping off after a few weeks.  Also cheap Levis.  Cheap T-shirts.

Also I get my luggage there.  Most of the downtown stores will net let you return defective luggage.  Walmart is very good about exchanging a bag if the handle or a wheel breaks etc..  With heavy daily use that saves me a lot of cash.  It's just the haul down there and swapping all my junk to the other bag etc..

I will be glad when the new store opens.  The train ride I estimate at 20 minutes.  I will not know how long the walk takes until I do it the first time.  Distance is deceptive when looking down from a train platform to an unfinished lot.  But at least it cuts out the bus ride.  I hate taking the bus big time. 

[KynloStephen66515]

I live in a crappy little village that seems to have more sheep and cows than actual people...and yet I am still only a 15 minute drive from ASDA (Or Walmart as you call it) and the same distance from a Tesco (Like ASDA...Only better) o.O

-Stephen66515 (June 07, 2015, 03:12 PM)

could you get there (easily) without a car though?

-tomos (June 08, 2015, 07:17 AM)

Yeah, about a 30 minute walk from each - Tesco is covered by a bus route, and ASDA is not quite covered (but only a 5 minute walk from the nearest stop) - Tesco is also super easy from here via train because it shares a carpark with the railway station and takes about 30 seconds from the train, to the store

[Curt]

oh, your poor people, how sad it is to read about your problems  

When I walk, I walk slowly. Because I walk slowly, it takes me almost 5 minutes to get to the first super market. Another 3 minutes to get to the next super market. And another 2 minutes to get to the third. I have thought about moving further down the road, to skip all this walking.

 

[MilesAhead]

oh, your poor people, how sad it is to read about your problems  

When I walk, I walk slowly. Because I walk slowly, it takes me almost 5 minutes to get to the first super market. Another 3 minutes to get to the next super market. And another 2 minutes to get to the third. I have thought about moving further down the road, to skip all this walking.

 

-Curt (June 15, 2015, 10:40 AM)

Heh heh.  One thing I can do is go earlier.  There's an express bus that bypasses 3/4 of the stops.  But it only runs during rush hour.  Curt, since you are so close to the supermarket I'll just place my order for Filet Mignon cuts with you. 

[techidave]

I am 55 minutes (by car) from 3 Wal Marts.  25 minutes away from the nearest grocery store.

All this in rural Kansas!  But I wouldn't trade it for anything.