SHOPPING at Walmart has been a less than pleasant experience after the retailer implemented several changes to the store.
Walmart customers have criticized the major retailer on social media for the five obstacles they face in stores while shopping.
two
Shoppers have been relentlessly criticizing Walmart online for the wave of hurdles they now face when purchasing groceries.
“Going to Walmart really sucks right now. The carts don’t work, there are no plastic or paper bags, there is no Apple Pay, and some fat guy has to check your receipt when you leave like wtf,” said user X.
A second user criticized the retailer for long queues caused by two store moves.
“Go to Walmart and I kid you not, you will be in a damn line back to the clothing department because they only have two self-checkout booths open!!!!!! Not a single employee in sight! At the door, one guy to check it out your receipt, that’s it,” they wrote.
1. CARTS
An in-store hurdle most shoppers face occurs immediately when you walk in and grab a cart.
Walmart shoppers often have difficulty loading their cart due to broken wheels.
While it is rumored that retailers purposely make carts uncooperative to force shoppers to more closely inspect products in the aisles, there is a logical explanation for the challenging wheels.
They’re the result of the endless beatings shopping carts are subjected to, expert Alex Poulos shared with CNN.
Poulos is director of sales for RW Rogers, which supplies shopping carts to companies including Whole Foods, Tractor Supply Company and Meijer.
Supermarket carts are often in worse condition than those at other types of retailers because customers often take their shopping carts to their cars to unload their purchases.
Dragging carts through parking lots, in and out of the store, and up and down curbs affects the caster, the metal piece that attaches the wheel to the cart.
“If the caster plate twists a little, it can lift the wheel and both wheels don’t touch the ground at the same time,” Poulos said.
2. BAGS
Starting last year, several Walmart locations began eliminating single-use plastic and paper bags at checkout.
The store change has been implemented in locations in Colorado, Connecticut, New York, Maine, New Jersey and Vermont.
The measure — part of Walmart’s “Bag Better” initiative — was intended to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags and limit the retailer’s harmful waste.
“We have set a goal of becoming a zero-waste company and plastic bags are part of that,” the retailer shared.
“Our customers want to be involved in this journey, and we remain committed to making the sustainable choice their everyday choice,” Jane Ewing, senior vice president of Sustainability at Walmart, told the Connecticut news station. WTNH.
3. APPLE PAYMENT
Another hurdle Walmart shoppers face in-store comes down to the retailer’s limited payment options.
Despite being launched 10 years ago in the US, Apple Pay is still not accepted at Walmart.
A survey by The US Sun revealed that 77.9% of readers would like Walmart to offer tap to pay as a payment option.
One shopper was forced to leave his cart and get his wallet from his car to pay.
“I’m in line and Walmart doesn’t have tap to pay,” shared a customer on X. “Google Pay [or] Apple Pay. It’s 2024.”
Why doesn’t Walmart offer Apple Pay?
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon revealed why stores don’t offer Apple Pay on Stratechery with Ben Thompson.
While the retailer’s use of Apple Pay has been an ongoing conversation, McMillon emphasized that “we would like customers to open our app in store all the time.”
The app can be used to help find items in the store, but it can also be used to pay for your purchases.
“That’s one of the things we’d like people to use our app for,” he said.
4. RECEIPT CHECKS
Many Walmart shoppers are furious with the retailer for its forced receipt checks.
The store change comes as an attempt to mitigate the significant amount of money lost to robberies.
Walmart lost an estimated $3 billion to retail theft in 2021, $6.1 billion in 2022, and $6.5 billion in 2023, per Investor’s Place.
Up to half of money lost comes from items stolen at self-checkout.
In addition to checking receipt, another preventative action by Walmart includes locking essential items.
5. SELF-CHECKOUT
The theft that led to the receipt checks also affected shoppers who rely on self-checkout.
While some Walmart locations have removed self-checkout completely, others have limited who can use the kiosks.
In late February, shoppers took to Reddit to share news about self-checkout’s reduced availability.
Lanes were no longer available to all shoppers, but were instead reserved for Spark delivery drivers or Walmart+ subscribers.
The store change was implemented in selected locations by store managers, Walmart spokesman Joe Pennington told The US Sun.
“Our managers look for ways to innovate in their stores and pay close attention to customer feedback about where they can best meet their needs,” he said.
“Based on several factors, including customer and associate feedback, purchasing patterns and business needs, some locations are temporarily testing different checkout staffing options.”
In related news, Walmart shoppers rush to buy a five-piece outdoor furniture set originally priced at $347, on sale for just $159.
Additionally, customers criticize Walmart for having to pay to use self-checkout.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
