Our Old Friend Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart is eliminating some of their lower end items and bringing in more expensive brand names. Higher salaried consumers have found a place at Wal-Mart during the bad economy and Wal-Mart plans to keep them.
Our old friend Wal-Mart is changing with the times. With more higher end buyers coming in during the bad economy, Wal-Mart is doing better than ever before, and it wants to keep those customers when times are better. They are letting go some of the lower end merchandise and bringing in new higher priced items. 3,600 stores are being redesigned with wider isles, brighter lights and general upgrades to make a more pleasing shopping experience for the new consumers. 600 more will be done in the near future. Looks like its out with the old, in with the new.
Image by Soctech via Flickr
These new better heeled customers are spending about 40% more than the usual Wal-Mart shopper and Wall-Mart wants to keep them coming back. Stores now carry brands like Danskin, Better Homes and Gardens, and pricier items like the Pre Smartphone.
An attorney said he used to buy only cleaning products at Wal-Mart but now spends $200 a month and counting, including buying clothes he used to get at Alladin’s. ” If I can buy what I want at Wal-Mart at a better price, why not?” he said. Those consumers will make Wal-Mart’s profits swell and they are already doing better than any stores other than the dollar stores and Aldi’s.
Image via Wikipedia
Other discounts stores such as Target who’s sales are down is expanding with fresh foods. And Best Buy is offering better customer service to try to stay in competition.”I believe what Wal-Mart is doing is working,” said Joseph Feldman, a retail analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. “They are a threat to everyone.” BJ’s Wholesale Club and Costco Wholesale Corp also have their eyes on ways to keep consumers who are buying now during hard times. But Wal-Mart, who previously made a negative impression on higher end shoppers has to move fast, to keep the ball rolling while they have the prize.
To keep prices as low as possible while offering better merchandise Wal-Mart is cutting its own cost in small ways. For instance Angus ribeye steak that is being sold at Sam’s Club at 25% lower than competitors prices is paid for by ordering shorter straws at it’s cafe. That’s a saving of $52,000 a year.
http://www.gomestic.com/Home-Making/How-to-Make-Your-Bed-Look-Like-a-Store-Display.74482
http://www.gomestic.com/Do-it-Yourself/How-to-Tile-Your-Floor.297627
http://www.gomestic.com/Home-Improvement/How-to-Patch-a-Hole-in-the-Wall.78399
Image via Wikipedia
Another customer said she used to shop for her children’s clothes at Galleria mall and groceries at Tom Thumb supermarkets. She says that now she buys all her clothing and groceries at Wal-Mart and has saved hundreds of dollars. She plans on staying with Wal-Mart. So we will soon see how the old Wal-Mart stacks up against the new. I wish them luck but I hope they don’t get out of my price range.
http://www.gomestic.com/Personal-Finance/Save-Money-on-Almost-Everything.155987
http://://://www.gomestic.com/Personal-Finance/take-Charge-of-Your-Money.474751://://://
http:///www./gomestic.com/Personal-Organization/P-Your-Garage.232175
8 Comments
I like most of American shop at lot at Wal-Mart and about every 2 months we make a run to Sam’s Club to stock up on cleaning supplies etc. I brought a yellow shirt at Sam’s Club last week for $14.00,it would have been $40.00 in another store. I also buy Nike shoes there, they sale the brands that are going out of stock for around $15.00 to 20.00. A good sale for me. But I still do my bi-weekly food shopping at the commissary. No one can beat their prices on food. Even Wal-Mart will agree with that because the commissary is the one store that they will not match prices with. Good article, Ruby.
Never knew what Wal Mart was up to.. thanks
The nearest Wal mart is 45 minutes away but is really the closest discount type store to us. So we go there, for sure some things are worth buying at a specialty store, but not everything is.
This also has to do with “Conservative” Wal Mart getting into business with more “Liberal” facets of the Government, and supporting the Health care plans. This is one of the only ways Wal Mart can stay competitive against the employee benefits packages of its rival stores.
Ruby, I have noticed that very thing. I have decided to never leave home without shopping list and sticke to it. Thanks.
Thanks friends,
Oh my comment did go on. they must have all the sites working. I haven’t been able to make comments for several days.I am so glad it’s fixed. thank you my friends who were able to comment. I know so many, like me, were unable to leave a comment. Best wishes to you all.
Love Wal-mart, one of the hi-lights when we visit the states from the UK.