Walmart was far from the first big-box retailer. I am not sure who was first, but Kresege (Kmart) was the first national company with large numbers of big-box stores. Their first national wave of discount stores contained 80,000 square feet. Those 80,000 square foot stores contained 18,000 square feet of grocery space.

Kmart probably had several hundred of those 80,000 square foot stores when Sam Walton started his company. Sam's first stores were small (10 to 20,000 square feet). Wal Mart's large stores came many years later.

We all bitch about Wal-Mart but I shop there because I can't find a store that even comes close to their prices on most everything.
My local Wal-Mart is open 24 hours and the array of goods and food items are unbeatable. Their stores are not fancy but they are always clean with prices clearly marked. Maybe they don't do everything right but for me they are doing just fine. There are huge chain stores closer to me but their prices are often 20 -30% higher than Wal-Mart. Lets face it, without Wal-Mart it would be open season on all of us right now.

Dude...please come to Philadelphia! ACME is a joke!!! They charge twice the price for rotten meat and vegetables. It's like a company store around here...please help!!!

I really dislike Wal-Mart to an extreme. I used to shop there all the time but got fed up with junk merchandise. Battery charger that was dead on arrival, power strips that shorted out, markers and pens with no ink in them, a toilet seat that broke in half after 1 day. They press their suppliers so hard on price that they cannot supply a quality product and the last time I returned something I was one of 25 in line with only 1 clerk, (who was in slow motion) doing returns. I threw the item in the rubbish and swore off Wal-mart.

wonder if its a whole foods store for once? maybe there will be one in my town!

CLEAN.......WALMART????? I have NEVER seen a clean Walmart???

There has been a small WALMART grocery store on the north side of Phoenix for at least two years. They have been test marketing them for a while. Just what we need, more darn Walmarts.
There was a huge store in Phoenix 40 years ago, caleed GEMCO. I loved it. They carried good quality merchandise at reasonable prices. Walmarts merchandise is usually not so good. At least when Sam Walton was alive, he had a conscience about what he was selling to us. Todays Walmart doesn't give a darn about quality and the American people. It is simply about profit!!!

yea china mart has such a monoply this is why other small family owned stores are going out of business china would not be around except for U S I nevr shop there if you find sale some where else I buy there walmart china mart they suck

I remember years ago when Circuit City told me that they wouldn't hire me because I was "TO HONEST". I told them that I wouldn't work for them because they were "TO CROOKED"! Glad to see them in trouble. I hope they lose it all!

I moved from So. Cal. to the Dallas Texas area three ago where I discovered Walmart Super Stores. I can say in all honesty that their stores are clean, well stocked, with prices clearly marked. And most of all, the prices at Walmart compared with other large chain grocery stores, such as Kroger, Safeway (Tom Thumb) and Albertson's, Walmart is the clear winner by far! Prices, availability, cleanliness, and dependability are key words at Walmart. When I returned for a vist to So. Cal, I found prices in chain grocery stores higher on all items, from produce to staples. I'm for Walmart!

I never shop there. Haven't for several years. I won't ever again. It is plain what kind of shoddy merchandise is offered, mostly chinese, against the original philosphy of its founder. The shameful way their workforce is treated is something quite dispicable. Putting how to get foodstamps info in the breakrooms for their staff. Being fined by the US government for illegal practices regarding their knowing hiring of illegal immigrants and locking the immigrants in their stores at night so they can't leave. It is uncanny how they manage to locate their stores in the most dangerous intersections they can find. They have used unethical business practices to run Mom and Pop stores in rural areas out of business. For what, low Prices? What low prices? You might save a quarter on a small item and a few dollars on the more expensive? What message does it send to shop in such a place?

I am totally disabled with heart disease and at Walmart the other day, they had hardly any handicapped parking and no amigo's for me to shop with. I had to walk from one front door down to the other only to find out there were no amigo's. I left the store and don't plan on going back since they refuse to accomodate the handicapped!

Walmart is huge monopoly!! I will never shop there and neither should any other American. If one has to pay 30%-40% more, than ask yourself why?
WALMART carries junk merchandise and low prices. Read your history monopolies are not good for anyone.

I hate KMart. I'll take Walmart anyday over anything that is even affiliated with KMart. The one near my house is filled with the rudest people you will ever meet. They're shockingly rude and I'm not the only one who has complained. But they don't give a rats behind about the customer. Then they say, call this number, tell me how we did...LOL After the 3rd time of being told off by one of their pathetic employees I TOLD THEM!

I NEVER SEEN A CLEAN WAL-MART WITH GOOD PRODUCTS AND SERVICE SINCE 1989. WAL-MART IS NOT LIKE WHEN IT FIRST OPENED IT ONLY SOLD AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS PER SAM . NOW THE GREEDY TEENY BOPPERS OF THE FUTURE ARE RUNNING IT AND ALL THE STORES OUT THERE . GOD HELP US ALL WITH THESES YOUNG MONEY GRUBBERS WITH NO VALUES AND COULD CARE LESS ABOUT T6HERE ELDERS ARE ENVIRONMENT.

When Sam Walton was alive he was a proud man, proud to say made in USA.Today is China west.....what are they going to do....import all thier grocerys from chiina for thier pilot project

Joe I think that you are a Wal-mart hater and part of a group that likes to make up stories to make Wal-Mart look bad. There is no way that you have had all that happen to you. The "junk" merchandise that you refer to are all national brands that have stood the test of time...it is the anti Wal-Mart people such as yourself that state such outlandish statements. We all have had gone to chain stores and had to return merchandise because something was wrong, but that is because the product was bad. To hold Wal-Mart responsibe for all manufacturing defects is insane. I am for one tired of all this crap and if you don't like Wal-Mart, just don't shop there.....go else where and try to get the most for your hard earned dollar!

It's so funny anytime Walmart is mentioned so many people claim they don't shop there,but with as big as they are and the business they get you know these people are closet Walmart shoppers....lol.
I shop there it saves me money,only a fool would pay more for the exact item elsewhere.

To all those saying Walmart merchandise is crap, tell me what's the difference betwen say Simply Lemonade $1.98 @ Walmart compared to $3.50 @ Safeway or $2.98 for Frosty Flakes compared to $4.00 @ Albertsons. That may be a few $ more, but it all adds up in the end. Also, they both taste the same to me no matter where it's bought.

So, there are a lot of folks who hate Wal Mart. However, in these times of soaring food and gas prices, we consumers are getting hit hard at many angles. I for one am glad I have a super Wal Mart near me. We consumers need a break these days and chains like Publix, Kroger, Dominicks, etc. just are not going to give you the prices breaks you need in this day and age. I can tell you that if I have two grocery carts full of merchandise at Wal Mart, I'm hard-pressed to spend over $250. Those same two grocery carts (buggies to you Southerners out there) at Publix would cost me well over $400!