It was nice to see a new Walmart close.

[mjbtexas]

Now for you folks who live and breathe Walmart, hear me out. This was in a small town that still has mom and pop stores. There was no need for Walmart to build in this tiny, but growing town. No doubt the execs at Walmart planned to dominate everything there as far as retail sales go. I honestly was worried for the small corner gas station/convenience store that also has a full kitchen among other things. That business has been there for 50 years or more.

There's also numerous other small businesses in the old downtown area that surely would've closed if it hadn't been for the loyal locals in the town and countryside. After the smaller version of a Walmart opened, I pictured the inevitable doom for many of those individually owned businesses.

Fast forward about a year. To my surprise, the Walmart store was closed with a for sale sign out front. That was shocking. I wish more small towns had the same results for the execs that push for over-saturation of those stores. There once was a time in my life that I shopped at Walmart. No more. That ugly habit ended long ago.

they closed the "express" stores all over, had nothing to do with individual store sales but core biz model focus

[Graysonhogs]

Same thing happened here. I wish all the family owned stores would have been able to stay open though. One of those little Walmart stores moved into our town and closed all the other places. Then, about a month later they shut the Walmart down too.

Did they put a Brookshires in the old building?

[bphillips]

I am in no way a WalMart fan. I was a Sam Walton era fan though but that company is long gone. Ill go out on a limb here and make a prediction. Those local business will show their appreciation for their local loyalty by jacking the prices up and ripping folks off because they can. I have read this book before. It always ends the same. Competition is good for a community..

[WItoTX]

I am in no way a WalMart fan. I was a Sam Walton era fan though but that company is long gone. Ill go out on a limb here and make a prediction. Those local business will show their appreciation for their local loyalty by jacking the prices up and ripping folks off because they can. I have read this book before. It always ends the same. Competition is good for a community..

Well not because "they can", but because of supply & demand. If you have two stores competing, both taking 50% of the market for similar products, and all of a sudden 50% of the supply is gone (A store closes), price necessarily HAS to go up.

Think about after the bird flu, and the price of eggs shot up. Not because anyone wanted to jack prices up, but because there were no birds to produce eggs. They when from a dollar a dozen to more then 5.

[GarGuy]

Well not because "they can", but because of supply & demand. If you have two stores competing, both taking 50% of the market for similar products, and all of a sudden 50% of the supply is gone (A store closes), price necessarily HAS to go up.

Think about after the bird flu, and the price of eggs shot up. Not because anyone wanted to jack prices up, but because there were no birds to produce eggs. They when from a dollar a dozen to more then 5.

Thats just not the case. The existing stores still have unlimited supply. The customer just has less options to choose from an the existing stores will use that fact to gouge the customer base. The shelves wont be running empty.

[AntlerCollector]

I remember the good old days when I had to go to 5 different stores to get everything I needed.

[AntlerCollector]

Is it just me or are the dollar general/etc not any cheaper than a decent grocery? I thought they seemed high for less of a product.

They are not always cheaper but competitive. What they have is the convenience of not having to go into a giant superstore to grab a few items.

[Rubi513]

I can see some have ever been part of a small business.
Small business do not get the price breaks that larger ones do.

My Dad had an office supply store when I was growing up.
When larger retailers such as Walmart came to town, they could sell their product cheaper than my Dad could buy it. It wasn't too long after, he had to close the doors.

I know several small business owners. None of them are rich by any means.

[Tubby]

I thought that the only Wal Mart that ever closed was in Hearne????
Adios,
Gary

To the best of my knowledge, yes. The only "walmart" Wal-Mart that closed was in Hearne. This is before Wal-Mart started the Supercenters and long before the Neighborhood Markets.

The OP is referring to the Neighborhood Markets.

[Todd-ty729]

Walmart sux!

There entire business model only makes everyone suffer.

Walmart is a miserable place to work and I mean from late night stockers to upper level management. Not many "happy" people are employed by them.

Even vendors hate working for them.

We did some store remodel work over the last year and I will never work for them again.

If the EBT/LoneStar cards were ever done away with , Walmart would take a huge hit in there volume. You want an entertaining evening, go into a walmart on the 1st 2-3 days of the month at about 8-9PM.

[GarGuy]

Walmart sux!

There entire business model only makes everyone suffer.

Walmart is a miserable place to work and I mean from late night stockers to upper level management. Not many "happy" people are employed by them.

Even vendors hate working for them.

We did some store remodel work over the last year and I will never work for them again.

If the EBT/LoneStar cards were ever done away with , Walmart would take a huge hit in there volume. You want an entertaining evening, go into a walmart on the 1st 2-3 days of the month at about 8-9PM.

It hasnt always been that way though. The Sam Walton business model is amazing. His desire was to have everything you needed under one roof at the best price around. He employed people that couldnt get jobs elsewhere and did it in their home town. He set up a plan to share profits with the employees and offered the greatest stock options ever, offered amazing advancement opportunity, and paid twice what his competitors paid.

He turned many old country boys into millionaires. I realize that model has been largely lost though.

The EBT/lonestar card has nothing to do with walmart. All grocers take it.

Now for employees being unhappy. I totally agree. Its a different company with far less opportunity an benefits now.

[Quackerbox]

Now for employees being unhappy. I totally agree. Its a different company with far less opportunity an benefits now.

Not sure about that. I have 2 cousins with kids from the same dude. All three worked at wal mart. In crockett

Now about that ebt card

[GarGuy]

Not sure about that. I have 2 cousins with kids from the same dude. All three worked at wal mart. In crockett

Now about that ebt card

Whats their names? I probably hired them.

[Quackerbox]

Whats their names? I probably hired them.

At that time I guess they used Nesbitt as a last name. No telling these days. Neither live in the area now. Burning down my grandmaws house they lived in kinda ruined that gravy train

[gumbl3]

They're building in a Walmart in my town. No doubt that sucker will thrive, they'll come from miles upon miles