In Focus

Why It's Fun to Shop at Walmart

NOTE: June was a month for buying. So for the whole month, we will be going into detail on the companies that we recently considered for our quarterly Chick "buy." We ended up purchasing stock in Medtronic (MDT) on June 3, 2001, but there were many, many great companies that didn't get our majority vote. We wanted to highlight them as it was a close call and they are still up for consideration for our next buy in September. For more on the companies that were considered, and what we'll be featuring all month, check out our summary.

My, oh my, it was a busy day! I knew I had company coming for dinner and I hadn't gotten groceries yet, I needed a table centerpiece, I had told Pete I would pick him up some paint, I needed a birthday card, and I wanted to pick up some fabric as I'd promised a granddaughter I'd make her a "Winnie-the-Pooh" dress. Where to start? The fabric store was a long way from the grocery store. Where was the closest paint store? I mentally started routing my trip, and then it hit me -- Walmart! Walmart had everything I needed! A one-stop shopping place.

Now I know that not all Walmart stores have groceries yet, but the one near me does. It is the newest trend in the Walmart stores -- to provide a lower cost, clean, grocery department in the already multi-department low cost store nation wide. I have found the new grocery store to be one of my favorites too, with nice brand assortments and good quality food. So, in just a little over one hour, I had all my errands completed instead of a three-hour trip to five different stores. Since I have been so satisfied shopping here, I decided to present it to the Chicks for our last "buy."

Walmart does feature a great selection of high-quality merchandise, friendly service and, of course, low prices. What could be better than that? Another recent goal of theirs is to bring the best shopping experience to the Internet. Although the office of Walmart is located near California's Silicon Valley, their heart and spirit are still in Bentonville, Ark., the corporate home of Walmart Stores Inc. and the town where Sam Walton opened Walton's Five and Dime in 1950. From humble beginnings in northwestern Arkansas, Walmart has grown to become a familiar name in households all over the world.

At the heart of Sam's business philosophy was the simple idea of making the customer No.1. He believed that by serving the customer's needs first, his business would also serve its associates, communities and shareholders. They are adamant about the fact that every customer must be completely satisfied with every purchase. Truly, this has been shown to me so many times. I think of how Walmart has treated me as a customer so often, especially at times when my bank teller has a ring in her nose and can't answer a simple question, or the manager of a certain place "may" have time to talk to me sometime "next week." I have been treated just the opposite by Walmart employees and management. Let me give you another example of that.

Pete and I purchased a computer table at Walmart about six months ago. It came in a box. No problem, the clerk said it was very easy to assemble. Pete and I then knew we could put it together fast. Right! We worked on it until midnight that night (beginning at eight o'clock), and there it was -- boards and planks, and 1500 nuts, bolts, and screws laying around everywhere. We got busy planning our divorce. Next morning, after hunting around the neighborhood for a handy man and calling some from the Yellow Pages, I gave up. Just better pack it all up again and return it to Walmart. I called them first. The friendly operator connected me with the unfinished furniture department, and sure enough, the man who answered the phone said he would be out shortly to put it together for me! Jim came a half hour later, put it together in short order, and would take no money for the work. He only said, "A satisfied customer is our goal." I certainly was one of them. Sam Walton's dream was simple: give people high value, low prices, and a warm welcome. I had received all of the above.

That dream of Sam Walton's was realized in 1962 with the opening of the first Wal-Mart. Today, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. employs more than 1.2 million associates in some 4,203 stores and offices across the United States. The company has expanded internationally with more than 1,000 stores located beyond U.S. borders. It has also expanded online with Walmart. Com, which is dedicated to bringing Sam Walton's dream to the Internet.

Another interesting fact about Walmart is that they give out local college scholarships yearly to high school seniors. I love that type of commitment. They raise funds for local children's hospitals via the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. They educate the public about recycling and other environmental concerns. And much, much more.