In Search Of
I hate them. You hate them. (Or you should.) I understand that they have been partially responsible for the destruction of America... but boy do I miss Wal-Mart sometimes.
Today's quest was approximately 10 to 15 pairs of identical shoes at somewhere south of $10 a pair. (I'm designing a shoe set in a shoestore.) In most of the rest of the world that would be as simple as walking into Wal-Mart and walking out again. In New York City that requires a great deal of hiking between stores, mostly in Harlem and Washington Heights, and digging around in discount stores that exist nowhere else in the world, like El Mundo and Conway. And in the end coming up empty. There is something to be said about the ubiquitous ease of Wal-Mart, not to mention the cleanliness, I really was afraid of seeing a rat or two in a few of these places.
The quest continues though... I also need a "Brannock Device" (TOTALLY just learned what the name for that thing was...) and one of those old fashioned credit card machines where you slide the thing to imprint the slip of paper... (which I have NO IDEA what the official name of might be.)
Today's quest was approximately 10 to 15 pairs of identical shoes at somewhere south of $10 a pair. (I'm designing a shoe set in a shoestore.) In most of the rest of the world that would be as simple as walking into Wal-Mart and walking out again. In New York City that requires a great deal of hiking between stores, mostly in Harlem and Washington Heights, and digging around in discount stores that exist nowhere else in the world, like El Mundo and Conway. And in the end coming up empty. There is something to be said about the ubiquitous ease of Wal-Mart, not to mention the cleanliness, I really was afraid of seeing a rat or two in a few of these places.
The quest continues though... I also need a "Brannock Device" (TOTALLY just learned what the name for that thing was...) and one of those old fashioned credit card machines where you slide the thing to imprint the slip of paper... (which I have NO IDEA what the official name of might be.)
One is an Addressograph Bartizan 2010. Don't know if this link will work.
They're still used in craft and street fairs where people don't have wireless connections. Maybe an office supply store?
http://www.discountcreditcardmachine.com/products-imprinters-bartizan-2010-accessories.php
I know I'm opening myself up to public stoning, but I actually don't hate Wal-Mart. I don't personally enjoy shopping there, but generally speaking Wal-Mart is good for low income consumers. I myself prefer to shop at idiosyncratic shops with more character, but I try to bear in mind folks who can't afford to. (Please use smooth, rounded rocks and don't aim for for my face...)
Wal-Mart has its place, but its business practices are awful. Leaving a string of wasted property and empty buildings behind, forcing companies to alter their packaging or be removed from the shelves, forcing companies to cut prices so that they in turn can cut prices... they have an economic dictatorship going, not to mention the way they treat employees and unions. Wal-Mart is bad news. But cheap bad news.
I hear you. They are tough on their inputs. But I like that they don't cut prices to drive out other businesses and then raise them up again to reap the benefits of an artificial monopoly - they have low prices and keep them low. No promotional shenanigans. And I do like that consumers enjoy food prices 5% lower within 5-10 miles of a Wal-Mart, even when they don't shop at Wal-Mart. Cheaper food is pretty awesome for poor people, especially these days.
Just one man's opinion! :)