Believe It Or Not Walmart Impressed Me

[FC]

I tried out their service where you pick your food and stuff online, then you pick it up at a separate entrance. Took a while to set up the account, but sure beats going in the store to shop! I hate shopping for groceries. Right now they've got 10 bucks off if you try it. My daughter picked up the stuff and the lady was nice to her. Also, they were out of some of the things I ordered, so they gave me extra for a substitute free, plus some freebees for being a first-timer. http://r.wmt.co/ezaWr

[Dr.Hess]

Walmart "DotCom". I manage data for "several" of the "big" companies involved in that. Let's just say that you made transactions that I will be able to see Monday morning.

 

Anyway, it is catching on and Walmart thinks it is the way of the future. They really want to compete with Amazon.

[FC]

I'm not sure what you mean by being able to see the transactions Monday?

 

The internet has sure been the death knell of retail store buildings. Not having to go to a building to buy means boarded-up buildings. I went to an auction Saturday for an antique business. They are trying to sell their 30,000 square foot building in downtown Augusta. If it doesn't get converted into apartments that will be another boarded-up building.

[karlunity]

Truth FC the Net has changed things. I talk to mot people on line than i do to people on the block

karl

[Dr.Hess]

Walmart allows its vendors access to sales data. The vendors can see your transaction when you buy something at a store. For example, you buy a case of Coke at your local Walmart today. Tomorrow, the sale is in a record that Coke can see. Sold a case of cans, this UPC, at that Walmart store.... They are doing the same thing with DotCom sales. What you did was called a Pickup Today, or PUT. There will be a record of everything you bought. Somewhere in what you bought is a vendor that we host DotCom data for and I would be able to see that sale summed up with similar sales on Monday when I go back to work.

 

Yeah, the internet has changed a lot of things. It has increased productivity tremendously. Just in car (or gun) repairs, it used to be that when something went wrong, you had to work it all out yourself, go to the library for books or magazines, etc. Now, 5 minutes on google and you can come up with 4 causes to investigate, one of which will be the cause. The dashboard lights were acting strange on the Camry. 5 minutes of googling came up with the cause being a broken wire inside the harness at the trunk hinge. That would have been a couple days work "back then."

[FC]

Yeah, you are right. I used to long for my parents to buy me World Book encyclopedias, but they never did. We also used to covet phone books from San Antonio. Now, no peachy problem! The internet has really expanded my knowledge of everything. It comes with huge pluses and minuses.

[Dr.Hess]

I have 3 encyclopedia sets. One from 1932, one from the '50's and one from the .80's (before the internet). You can look up something in all three, like a steam turbine. The 1932 version shows you how to build one, gives tables, graphs on optimum blade pitch and multi-stage design, history, pics of the first one (10HP, very cool,) etc. The 50's one shows pictures and uses and some general theory. The '80's one says "Steam turbines are big machines that go round and round."

[AzRednek]

My parents bought the World Book Encyclopedia in 1959. Got it for my brother the brain of the family. He attended Brophy College Preparatory. A school ran by hard core Jesuit priests. A recommended brand home encyclopedia was required of all students. My biggest disappointment at apx 10 years old there was no naked women pictures like other encyclopedias. I used the set from apx the 6th grade through high school to make phony book reports. Only got caught once doing a fake book report on Harry Houdini.

 

Doc I'm going to try it at Wally's. Back in the late 90's I tried using Safeway from a WebTV. The biggest problem was with substitutions and incorrect sizes or portions. Seemed like they always subbed larger or higher priced than ordered. For refrigerated or frozen items I had to call 800# one hour prior to picking it up. First order they didn't fill cold goods blaming it on the corporate office for not relaying it. Second time as per instructed I called the store. Never forget the mess from a warm box of Klondike Bars. Safeway did replace the warm items but I no longer dealt with it. I was told internet orders were filled from Safeway's warehouse and sent early morning to retail store.

[Dr.Hess]

Tell us how it goes. Walmart is really trying with the DotCom. What I hear is that they custom shop for you. If you want 5 apples, they go and pick the 5 best apples.

[FC]

Sounds like Wally is trying to do this one right. MY wife refuses to go into Wally because her experiences have been so bad.