Having grown up half of my life in Pullman and the other half in Yakima has given me somewhat of a skewed idea of the general public's opinion of Walmart.
Here's what I mean.
My perceived Pullman/Moscow view of Walmart, in short and maybe slightly exaggerated...mabye not:
Walmart is a corporate beast aimed at sucking the life-blood out of small, local businesses.
My perceived Yakima view of Walmart:
Walmart is a dumpy store, but it's cheap. (The Yakima Walmart is pretty dumpy. So I kind of associated Walmart with dumpy.)
However, neither of these opinions seems to find it's home here in Panama City Beach. Nope. Normal people shop at Walmart. They are just grateful, probably, that there is somewhere to buy groceries that is not ridiculously over-priced.
There are basically three grocery stores here. Publix, Winn-Dixie, and Walmart (there is at least one small one in Panama City, but we haven't been there.) I'd say Publix and Winn-Dixie are sort of on par with Safeway and then there's Walmart. There's no WinCo (probably the cheapest grocery store...I'll describe it by saying that it's wonderful but they use flourescent light, if you catch my meaning. Ambiance really has nothing to do with it. But they have what you need and have some of the best prices.)
And, there is no Co-Op/Trader Joe's type store (the cool "green" type stores for those environmentally-minded people who also have a large grocery budget, or for those who refuse to submit to the corporate beast or for those who simply prefer to shop in places that are more comfortable and relaxing--and are willing to fork over the cash for this luxury.) Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Co-Op and appreciate their soft lighting, earth tones and interesting inventory. I'm especially drawn toward the organicky aesthetic but it would just not be practical for my type of every-day shopping.
Oh yeah, I have a question. What is peoples' big deal about monosodium glutamate (aka MSG)? It doesn't seem any freakier than Splenda to me.
So, if you know what the big old deal about MSG is, you can let me know.
3 comments:
Great post--I understand your comparisons, having been at multiple WalMarts in the US, and even in Cancun Mexico. I love ambiance but you always pay for it. I keep thinking there must be some local produce around Pensacola and PC somewhere...I really love outdoor ambiance.:) Motherinlaw
Hi Hil!
We have a brand new Walmart in Post Falls, and the shopping experience is so much better. I have always heard how evil and terrible Walmart is, however I can find no better prices(Safeway, Albertsons, Super 1, ect). The closest Winco is in the Valley, and it is wonderful for bulk stuff, but even Walmart's produce is better and definitely lasts longer. But I definitely prefer to support the fruit stand in CDA during the summer for fresh fruits and veggies from Yakima. :)
I enjoy and prefer my occasional use of Splenda in certain things over the use of sugar for sure, and have also been using my blue agave syrup for many things as well(even baking!).
Some people can have allergic / unpleasant reactions to MSG (nausea to migranes, dizziness, and heart palpitations).
Post a Comment