Walmart

So I got tired of the one at 59th & Northern. 59th and Bell is getting remodeled to a Supercenter but it will take another year. That leaves 79th & Peoria and 83 & Union Hills, neither of which I knew about until I went looking on the website even though I shop regularly at the Costco just 1/2 mile South on 83rd. I mentioned to a customer that lives in my neighborhood about the two stores and that my neighbor shops at the one at 83 & Union Hills and he said they really keep that store nice. So last night off I went on my way home from work. It is a newer store layout much like the one at Camelback & 101 (I went there once and never again, I never saw a larger collection of over weight women with white spandex and bright colored thongs in my life). This store shares a parking lot with Sam's Club and of course I went in on the wrong end and had to traverse the parking lot.

What a difference! Just in general the store is brighter lit, everything is cleaner and fully stocked and neater displayed and there is more open floor space. And the people! Both employees and customers are more friendly and smiling. With the impending Holiday and folks looking for stuff they do not normally buy there were employees and customers helping find stuff. And conversations amongst strangers as to the variations in green bean casserole and candied yam recipes. The whole experience was a good one. I mentioned the differences between the stores to the young man checking my order and he said it was driven by the managers concept of what the shopping experience should be and he had the entire store caught up in it.

The difference in the more open layout is a corporation thing. Much like the newer Targets which is why I shop at Northern & 91st rather than 79th & Bell. But beyond that it is up to the manager to make it a positive shopping experience. I just hope corporate realizes that and compensates the entire range of employees at that store for their efforts.

Just like many folks I was shopping for some stuff I do not buy often. I knew I had flour on my list and fortunately this new to me store is a 90% mirror image of my old one. Started out with flour which I could read the aisle sign that said flour, then off to bread then I needed marshmallows which after searching I found my self back in the same aisle as the flour. Then I found crushed pineapple in the canned fruit aisle but it took searching about 4 aisles to find raisins about 2 feet from the marshmallows back again in the flour aisle :-).