Walmart
 

Hi all,

I stopped into the Gilford Walmart today to pick up some PWC winterization supplies. They have removed the cinder block wall on the side of the grocery section. They are going to have a fresh produce section, a deli, meats & poultry, a large frozen section etc...

Hopefully, this creates some pricing pressure and lower grocery prices generally.

Jetskier:cool:

Yes, Walmart has spent a lot of money for the old Rich's Department store in Gilford on the hill.

There was a nationwide study published awhile back of the top 50 grocery store chains in the US.

Walmart grocery - came in number 50.

Walmart spends a lot of TV advertising money attempting to convince the consumer that Walmart produce is "great".

Sadly, Walmart business model is to get the absolute cheapest prices - and the results do show up in their grocery/produce.

I'll spend the extra 10 -15 minutes and go to Market Basket and know that I will always get good "stuff".

Doubtful.
 

If anything, as Walmart will not fare as well in small town Gilford during the winter and will need their high prices to sustain a profit. Though, I foresee Hannaford's will not be as busy on any given day.

Competition
 

There is little competition in the area (unless you go to Tilton and Market Basket), that I figure any addition will help. If the Walmart prices are lower, that will help create downward pricing pressue. If they are not, then Walmart will not get enough volume to justify their investment. So, I figure that it will likely help. Personally, I would love to see a Market Basket in Laconia/Gilford, but I doubt that is ever going to happen.

It will be easy enough to make comparisons on quality and value once Walmart opens and stocks these areas.

Jetskier:cool:

My closest store is a Walmart Superstore and I won't use it for groceries if I can avoid it. Pretty much everything in it is heavily processed (grape flavored apples anyone?).

Attachment 9871

Very little is from local farmers and the only organic fruit/vegetable they stock is cauliflower if you are lucky. The meat is all factory farmed.

You can make bad food choices wherever you go of course, but it is very hard to make good choices in Walmart.

And I'm afraid it will be the end of Shaw's in Gilford. Some say their prices are higher than Hannaford's, but I think some are and some aren't. But if Shaw's goes, I will miss it terribly.

More info:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ad.php?t=15639

Not so fast.....They didn't become the biggest in the world by being stupid.I read that Walmart is making a major move into organic foods.
The goal is to make organic foods price competitive.The plan is to partner with some major farms and processors to offer a huge line of products.
With all the concern over GMO foods that seems like a pretty smart move.Organic food sales are rising by a whopping 12% annually.
I'll still shop at E.M.Heaths......they buy more from local farms than any other store in the area.

I doubt that it will ever be more than a niche for Walmart. Organic food is much more expensive to produce because of labor and losses during production and distribution. Even with scale, Walmart can't drive prices below what the food costs to produce. There is much more profit to be made selling junk that can be mass produced and lasts on the shelf forever. Just keep the customers in the dark about the damage it is causing them in obesity, diabetes, heart disease....

The Walmart model demand mass production of food. It is a model that has driven most family owned farms out of business. It is impossible to supply walmart unless you are a large agribusiness and are happy to rape the land. It's not just Walmart either, but they set the standard.

Support your local farmers instead, especially the ones that respect the land.

I'd like to see a study/survey of the employees of the Gilford Walmart.

From, say, UNH or Plymouth State grad students.

How many of the Gilford Walmart employees qualify and/or collect food stamps, housing assistance, and fuel assistance.

I read national statistics. None local.

Some/many of these employees do collect such. And we, as taxpayers, are subsidizing with tax money - state and federal - these employees and indirectly this company.

walmart
 

Walmart never was or will be your friend.

Wmt
 

Seriously, if you don't like Walmart, don't shop there but the FACTS are that walmart is responsible for keeping prices low for people who cannot afford higher prices or CHOOSE to buy from the a low price provider. You walmart bashers sound like you live in VT.

And that goes for whoever works there, if you don't like Walmart, don't work there.

....noticed that Shaw's is running a special right now on green seedless grapes .....99-cents/lb.....and has become a believer and found a new religion and is supposedly lowering prices across the board or something ? will go look for their website promo?

Yes, but this is mostly because people are sheep and don't bother to research things beyond Facebook outrage trends.

Some prices for a half gallon of whole milk:

Hannaford's 1.69

Wal-Mart 2.39

Heath's 2.49


Hannaford's seems to be a lot less expensive than both Wal-Mart and Heath's for dairy items like milk, cheese, and sour cream.

Have never shopped at a Market Basket so I have no clue about it, plus the closest one is way down south in Tilton.

Did u know that the new entrance to the Gilford Wal-Mart is now located in Laconia so if you get busted shoplifting there you get arrested by the Laconia Police, and not the Gilford Police......the old entrance was in Gilford.....as if it makes any difference. Somebody said that Wal-Mart will have you arrested for eating a single green seedless grape inside the store before you have paid for it. Imagine that! Busted for a single green grape?:eek:

"....but your Honor, it was not my intention to eat the grape surreptitiously....what I was doing was testing all the grapes in the bag for taste and eatability by sampling a single grape.....after all....it came from Wal-Mart so it could have been packaged and shipped from Santiago, Chile, which is so far away?":laugh:

......pssstttt.....Shaw's is running a special and has green seedless grapes for just 99-cents/lb!

hmmm interesting I try the grapes all the time everywhere I go. Good to know.

The grapes were on sale at Shaws down here too, I don't think it has anything to do with Walmart.

Anyhow we have a place in Florida and shop at the local Walmart all the time when we are there, the produce is as good as any other store. And now I have a super-walmart with groceries closer to me here at home. I do go up there now and then to shop, not my full on shopping, but if I have to pick up a few things it's nice to be able to do the one-stop-shopping thing. And thier produce/food seems just as good as any of the other supermarkets. Pricing, well I think no matter where you shop, you need to be able to shop around. Some things will be more at one store than another but they will have things cheaper than the other stores. Walmart's meat prices are way too high. I recently took a trip to Market Basket to see what the hype is, and yes a lot of things were cheaper, but I found other things there cost the same as rival stores and some even more. Sadly for me, it's a 17 mile trip one way to the closest one so that's eating up about 5 bucks worth of gas, there goes my 4% overall savings that they give. Where Stop and Shop gives the gas points and I recently saved $1.60 per gallon. You have to do your research, it can be exhausting.

New superstore grand opening tomorrow.

Stop by Sunday
 

I guess they are still getting merchandise. Limited groceries. I did notice the apple cider is not refrigerated. Rather on the shelf filled with preservatives. The jugs were filled in NY. No thank you, I would rather buy fresh from local farms available at Shaws, Hannaford and Vista.

Because we are the only nation . . .
 

that fights GMO labeling. And apparently someone thought it necessary to add even more additives to a natural fruit.:(

Hey FLL
 

"Have never shopped at a Market Basket so I have no clue about it, plus the closest one is way down south in Tilton."

You owe it to yourself to check out the Tilton Market Basket. From all that I deduce about you, you will fall in love with the place. Good stuff and endless varieties of it. Prices noticeably less than the other stores.
I have no connection to it. I happily drive the extra 25 miles (each way)
to shop there (but not for just a few things).

And take a look at the Wal-Mart brand process foods. Plenty of GMO. Even the basic bake mix has bleached flour! And Wal-Mart shoppers are clueless????

Bl/ol
 

I like BigLots/OddLots. It's like WalMart's little brother but you don't have to dress up.