Wal-Mart Supercenter

Today I had to make a run to the Wal-Mart Supercenter here in Bentonville, Arkansas. I think that there are three within town limits here, which is overkill in my opinion. I guess you have to dominate the home market and have a few stores to test products in.

The store we went to is massive and very close to the Wal-Mart home offices. It is really clean and has a very different “feeling” than the stores in Minneapolis. First, the store was very organized and everything was stocked very neatly. Second, there was a LOT of helpful associates walking around. And lastly, the aisles didn’t feel as “cluttered” as the Minneapolis stores.

I was in there to buy socks. I just needed one pair of athletic socks since I left mine at home, and I want to work out. My choice: buy 12/16 pairs of thin white socks for $5 or buy 3 pairs of regular white socks for $5. I guess I’m not used to buying in bulk. I opted for 3 pairs and a reduced carbon footprint.

Alejandro used his first manual checkout machine. The checkout attendant had to check on him twice. Also, he set off the alarm on the way out, so that was another minor inconvenience. I always have the same issues. Note to self: Self-checkout is way more stressful than assisted checkout.