A SHOPPER is fed up after having several bad experiences at Walmart — and now says they are turning to other stores.
Customers often have strong opinions about new retail strategies — like self-checkout for exiting a store, or receipt checking to prevent theft.
But for one former Walmart shopper, the changes have become just too much.
Field of Dreams (@prob10463) shared a post on Friday on X about why they will no longer shop at Walmart.
“I stopped shopping at @Walmart when they made me check out my own products, buy a bag if I want to carry my stuffs, and locked up my $5.00 item that I can get from the dollar store for $1.25,” the user wrote.
That was not all that bothered the shopper.
“Then treat me like a criminal over a Flippin receipt. This will be one more reason,” they added.
Walmart and several other major retailers have undergone major changes in recent years in an effort to streamline the customer experience and safeguard their stock.
But not all of the changes have been welcomed by shoppers.
MORE SHOPPERS UNSATISFIED
Other Walmart customers have also vowed not to return to the store for similar reasons to those laid out by Field of Dreams.
Brandon (@quietstroller) said in a tweet earlier this month that his recent experience at a local Walmart would be his last.
“I went to Walmart yesterday for soda and it took me 25 minutes to get in there, grab two 2×2 liters of soda, and get to the checkout line to get out,” he said.
Brandon also complained about the payment and checkout options at the store.
“There was three cashiers open and no self-checkout,” he said.
And another Walmart shopper ended their days at the store after getting tired of seeing only self-checkout options.
“I have never had a more aggravating experience at a store before, registers *hate* Chase cards bc of old machines. Self-checkout has new machines. I hate this,” the X user wrote.
And the traditional registers have gotten so bad that they said they might not be visiting a Walmart again.
“I legit don’t want to go back to my good super center ever again. This was supposed to be a simple grocery trip and became the most aggravating experience ever,” they wrote.
BIG CHANGES FOR WALMART
Several retail executives have spoken out in the last few years about the impact of market swings and theft on the profit made by stores.
Walmart announced earlier this month that it would carry out hundreds of layoffs of manager-level personnel over the next year as part of a response to the constantly changing retail landscape.
Top 5 receipt checking tips from a lawyer
Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles attorney, spoke to The U.S. Sun about receipt checks and customer’s rights and options when it came to being asked to show your receipt.
- There has been a lot of debate around the legality of a retailer asking to see your receipt, but if it is within the store, it is completely legal. “There’s seemingly nothing illegal about that. You’re still on the company’s premises and their reason to do it is to prevent thefts,” Dowlatshahi confirms.
- However, if they are chasing you out of the store, that changes things, Dowlatshahi said. “Location matters,” he explained. “If you’re outside of the store you’re in the parking lot and they come and start accusing you of theft and that you have to show your receipt, I think that’s a bit of a different situation because now you’re on your way.”
- While customers are allowed to say no to receipt checks, it may cause issues if you do and the store suspects you of stealing. “You can say no, maybe it creates an unnecessary hassle for yourself because now you may have the police come to your house and follow up,” said Dowlatshahi.
- If you are being barred from leaving a store because you refused a receipt check, you could have a legal case — but the store must have held you for a long time. “Let’s say it’s for hours, that’s certainly false imprisonment, and they didn’t have any impetus for doing so,” Dowlatshahi explained. “If a customer has been emotionally traumatized by being held for false imprisonment, I would definitely encourage [them] to sue.”
- “I would say, show your receipt,” he concluded. “It’s just a really simple thing to do. If you didn’t steal anything, it’s relatively simple to do,” the lawyer advised.
(According to Camron Dowlatshahi, a founding partner at Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP)
“It has been a little over four years since we faced the global pandemic that reshaped our lives in many ways, including our ways of working,” Walmart’s Chief People Officer, Donna Morris, wrote in a statement obtained by Quartz.
“In February 2022, we made the decision to bring Home Office associates back into our campus offices,” the statement continued.
“We believe that being together, in person, makes us better and helps us to collaborate, innovate and move even faster.”
Several employees will be asked to relocate near central offices too, she said.
“In addition, some parts of our business have made changes that will result in a reduction of several hundred campus roles,” the statement continued.
“We have had discussions with associates who were directly impacted by these decisions. We will work closely with them in the coming days and months to navigate the best path forward,” Morris concluded.
Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.
