22 Comments
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Jim the Geek's avatar

I always feel a bit sad when I walk into Walmart. The staff always looks depressed, probably because they are struggling to survive on the crumbs they are paid. Even the shoppers look a little down, like feral animals searching for a deal. The only time I've ever seen a smile was when I told the staff of the pharmacy how much better their service was than their competitors.

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Stephen Beals's avatar

I wind up getting into conversations with some of the staff there.. They have some long time employees that are making a pretty good salary, but they are clearly outnumbered by coworkers who won’t last the season.

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Deidre Snutz, Mind Goblin's avatar

The first video I was forced to watch at Wal-Mart was about The Evil of Unions, and why Wal-Mart banned them. The second video was about how to apply for food stamps.

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Jim the Geek's avatar

Which demonstrates that they have perfected extracting as much wealth from the population as possible. First manufacture most of your products in third world countries, second destroy small business everywhere you decide to plant another Supercenter, and finally get the American taxpayers to subsidize your business. We’ve reached the point where people are having to pay for groceries with credit cards that put them deeper in debt every month. I wonder how much longer this can go before it all falls apart.

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247kath's avatar

💔

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Willy from Philly ButNotReally's avatar

Wow, that's so on the nose I can't tell if this is a lie, part of a stand-up routine or the God's honest truth. Maybe all 3?!

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Jim the Geek's avatar

I think it's totally true. See this for confirmation:

https://substack.com/@magenaheart/p-165779136

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Nick H's avatar

I don't directly support the websites, but as someone who supports the warehouse management systems that report inventory to the websites I can tell you a few of the reasons that the website will be wrong about on-hand inventory in the store. (Hint: the words "user error" apply to more than one of these.)

1. The product was not properly counted during the scheduled cycle counts. Someone said there were x in that location but really it was x - 1. Or they counted eaches instead of cases. Or some other counting error.

2. The product was shipped incorrectly from the warehouse and/or received incorrectly by the store. This can happen when stores do "blind receiving" which assumes that everything that is supposed to be on the truck is really there. Sometimes that assumption is wrong.

3. The inventory was received but hasn't been put in the correct location yet.

4. The inventory is in the wrong location.

5. The inventory system doesn't update in real time with sales. So the inventory it thinks is in the store is already sold.

6. The inventory system was not set up to account for online sales. (This causes the opposite problem: inventory on the shelves that the website says is already sold to a different customer.)

7. The website and the inventory management system have achieved sentience and hate you. I haven't seen this one yet, but I can't rule it out.

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Stephen Beals's avatar

An extremely thorough answer, thank you. Management always blames “shrinkage”, which is Seinfeld word that applies to something entirely different than theft.

I did know a manager who counted things by the case, instead of the individual units inside. You had to multiply his inventory count by ten.

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Willy from Philly ButNotReally's avatar

Hahahahahahahaha

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Charles Fout's avatar

On YouTube, Jill "the sword lady" Bearup occasionally runs a poll. One of the choices is always related to cheese, no matter what the poll is about.

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Miriam Boland's avatar

That reminds me of whoever always puts, “I don’t know/care; I’m Scottish.” as a choice. Something like that. I see it all the time!

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Stephen Beals's avatar

“I’m Scottish, and I’m offended” That’s the great Dave Barry.

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Miriam Boland's avatar

I think others are beginning to use versions of this, but not with the Scots - aliens, I’ve seen — and others, pirates. Obviously they admire the man, himself!

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DAVID's avatar

Mmmm. Yes, I have had people who theoretically were there to help me so I showed them how to do the job. Then they left and the next time I needed help I was lucky if I got someone I had previously trained. More likely it was another person I had to train and never progressed beyond rookie before he left.

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Wendy Voorhies's avatar

Snickerdoodle, a pale beige cookie dusted with cinnamon sugar. Surprisingly addictive.

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Stephen Beals's avatar

I’m not at all surprised. In fact, I want some now. They sound like they could help me through the harsh winter.

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Miriam Boland's avatar

Let me just say Snickerdoodles are a godsend when you come back into the beach house after being knocked over and rolled by several waves! 🌊 They bring you back to the reality that you’re alive and not still drowning — and .. mmm… this sure tastes good! 👅 (my family always brings only snickerdoodles to the beach house.)

But speaking of coming home late, tired, rained on, and you want to nap, but happy to see kitties at door…. BUT… then you walk in the l.r. and abazillion people (it seems) turn on the lights, shoot silly string, and yell, “Surprise! Happy birthday!! 🎊 “ 🥳 And you just about fall on your face!! 🥴

This was one party I could’ve done without, but I soldiered thru it grinning unbearably. 😬🎈

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Elizabeth's avatar

Thank you. I needed this distraction tonight. Takes me back to my long retail career. The world is such a shit show right now.

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Simon Brooks's avatar

Brilliant

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Deidre Snutz, Mind Goblin's avatar

April Bloom is offering to help when no one else can or will. For whatever reason, what’shername hates April (not fully caught up on the strip). Whatshername needs a kick in the ass.

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Stephen Beals's avatar

That’s Vickie. Based on an actual Vickie.

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