I think I read somewhere that Home Depot was doing the same thing (with
their new help)--only giving them enough hours to make them part-timers.
That way they don't have to pay them benefits.

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 08:57:37 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:

I haven't followed this in the news. So, are these striking chains saying
WalMart Supercenters only employ part-timers and don't have to pay benefits,
therefore they (the other guys) are being run out of business? Or are they
being run out of business because of the 'convenience' of shopping for
groceries, clothes, videos and garden supplies all in one spot?

I have only been in the WalMart Supercenter once, and I won't go back. I
wasn't buying groceries; I didn't even look at their grocery side. But I
couldn't find a darn thing I was looking for. I wandered around for an hour
and finally tossed my hands up and left, very irritated. They closed the
"regular" WalMart I was used to, which had great prices for regular
household items and books and even casual clothing. I could go in, find
everything I wanted and be out in 20 minutes. This Supercenter place was
just ridiculous!

Jill

AFAIK, all of the Walmarts in the Houston area are Supercenters. I'm
not impressed with them. With the exception of frozen foods (good
selection and low prices), their selection and quality of grocery
items doesn't even come close to regular supermarkets. And, like you,
I always have a very hard time finding what I'm looking for. The only
time I ever go to the one near me is when I need several non-grocery
items in addition to grocery items (it's inconvenient for me to stop
at several places with an 8-month-old in tow).

Mary

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 03:12:23 -0500, "Jack Sloan"
wrote:


"MareCat" wrote in message
.. .

AFAIK, all of the Walmarts in the Houston area are Supercenters. I'm
not impressed with them. With the exception of frozen foods (good
selection and low prices), their selection and quality of grocery
items doesn't even come close to regular supermarkets. And, like you,
I always have a very hard time finding what I'm looking for. The only
time I ever go to the one near me is when I need several non-grocery
items in addition to grocery items (it's inconvenient for me to stop
at several places with an 8-month-old in tow).

Mary
Well Pasadena isn't exactly Houston, but the WM on Fairmont is not a
superstore and is as large as a superstore. They have more selection than a
superstore or any of the other WMs I've been to.
Jack

Doesn't surprise me. I've been to other (non-Supercenter) WMs in other
parts of TX that were as big as (if not bigger than) any WM
Supercenter I've ever been in.

Dog3 wrote:

Default User deliciously posted in
:

To be really technical, the union only struck Shop 'n Save, they were
then locked out of the others. But it's the same effect.

Well thanks for the info. I haven't been reading up all that much on it.

It seems that the union got itself in a bind. The previous head agreed
to negotiate with all three chains at once, then abruptly resigned.
Normally the union plays the chains against each other at contract time.

I'm just ****ed that I have to pay Straub's prices for milk and such. I'll
not cross the picket lines. I *did* read about the package offered to the
employees and it is really bad.

The chains ran a bunch of ads in the weekend papers to try and win the
public over.


The people at the 7-11 are totally buried. People are running in there for
quick items like milk, bread etc. The lines are very long. It's all due to
the strike. I made the mistake of stopping for a soda on the way to work
yesterday. Took 20 minutes to check out.

The Sav-a-lot by me was hammered Saturday. I haven't figured out my
strategy for this week yet.


Brian Rodenborn

"Dog3"

snip
:I'll also drive over to Eckert's. Hey, if
: you want to, sometime we can get together and hit Eckert's
together. It's
: no biggie but fun. We could also hit the Soulard Market.
Could be fun.
:
: Michael
=====

No fair, no fair, no fair, no fair!! Arrgghh!! I miss those
terribly! Especially Soulard's!! There is nothing like
Soulard's around here. There is a family-owned orchard named
Tanner's that is similar to Eckert's... but I really, really
miss Soulard's.

Cyndi
Remove a "b" to reply

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 16:36:24 GMT, Default User
arranged random neurons, so they
looked like this:

Dog3 wrote:

Default User deliciously posted in
:

snippidy

The chains ran a bunch of ads in the weekend papers to try and win the
public over.


The people at the 7-11 are totally buried. People are running in there for
quick items like milk, bread etc. The lines are very long. It's all due to
the strike. I made the mistake of stopping for a soda on the way to work
yesterday. Took 20 minutes to check out.

The Sav-a-lot by me was hammered Saturday. I haven't figured out my
strategy for this week yet.

I ran into both Gelson's and Stater Bros. tonight (it's what happens
when you go shopping without a list - there's always something you've
forgotten) and they were both mobbed. The Gelson's is in Newport Beach
and near my office, so I'm in there quite a bit and it's *never* busy.
It was a madhouse tonight. Stater Bros. is usually a bit more lively
and tonight it was overrun. I was in the 10-Items-of-Fewer line and
the woman ahead of me had 17 items (I idly counted as she laid them on
the conveyer belt). She saw me watching her and said, "Please don't
make me stand in that pointing line!"

I've never crossed a picket line in my life and I'm not starting now.
The Ralph's up on Aliso Creek in Aliso Viejo, which is a 24-hour
store, is evidently only open from 8 - 8 now.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"Never argue with an idiot.....they bring you down to their level and
then beat you with experience."

To reply, remove "gotcha"

Dog3 wrote:

I went to Aldi's this morning and stocked up on some essentials.

I'm well set for nonperishables, plenty of stuff in the pantry.

I'm off
work today so I've planned my menu out and I think meat wise I'm okay with
what is in the freezer.

I also have some meat in the freezer I should use up anyway.

At least for this week. I'll hit the Kirkwood
farmer's market this afternoon. I'll also drive over to Eckert's. Hey, if
you want to, sometime we can get together and hit Eckert's together. It's
no biggie but fun. We could also hit the Soulard Market. Could be fun.


There's a produce store in Florissant, I stocked up there over the
weekend. Bread and milk and bagels are what I need now.




Brian Rodenborn