2013 Cedar Fair Season pass question

I guess my reply would be we have anti trust laws for exactly that reason. But my other response would be I know enough Coke drinkers that would walk out the store and get their Coke elsewhere!

Thanks for the Fast Company article, Jeff. I'd read something similar for a class a few years' back, but the point remains crystal clear. Suppliers are in a perpetual Catch-22 situation...

Just because seeing this headline instantly reminded me of this thread.

Area Wal-Marts Go Solar

Giant Eagle's have begun doing this as well.

Awesome. Put those big flat roofs that normally just soak up the sun to work generating electricity.

It's a natural extension, I suppose, albeit somewhat in competition (for roof space) with their previous initiative to use skylights to reduce the need for lighting during the day.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^Yes, this is what I was thinking about. I always thought the concept of using sky lighting to light the stores was efficient, but I wondered if it negatively affected sales when it was cloudy for example.

I noticed times when they were primarily using sky lighting at locations when they shouldn't have been. In other words, the store was too dim, and it was difficult to see the products.

I believe I've been in one of the newest concept Walmart stores, and they did away with the sky lighting. Maybe they're going a purely solar approach now.

Oh, and I was catching up on this thread last night (been busy lately). Was surprised to see comments of nasty, dirty Walmarts. Almost all I've been in have been spotless, in a format much like this:

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2010/05/13/walmart513.JPG

They're mostly all new stores or remodels within 5 years. The few remaining old Walmarts are usually in more rural areas or areas that Walmart hasn't tried to fully penetrate. Kmart, on the other hand, has pretty consistent nasty, old stores.

As for all the debate in the thread, everyone has different likes and dislikes, and I'm sure we all have a chosen a place to shop that aligns with our particular needs. For example, the self-serving nature of today's retail industry and self checkouts were panned by some.

I do all my own research, choosing products that are the best reviewed down to the model number. I know exactly what I want, and I rarely want employees assisting me, as I usually am much more informed than them. Probably about 1% of my transactions require any customer service.

I also love self checkout, and I'd choose it over an open regular checkout any day. I like to confirm the price of everything myself, I don't make careless scanning mistakes, and there are plenty of instances where I like the privacy of what I'm buying with self checkout. Sometimes I just don't feel like making jokes with the cashier of why I'm buying 20 cans of tomatoes or something. :)

At the same time, I can totally understand why someone would want to mindlessly wander in their local audio shop and talk to a well-informed employee about the perfect sound system they should buy for their house. But, that's totally not me.

Lord Gonchar said:

Just because seeing this headline instantly reminded me of this thread.

Area Wal-Marts Go Solar

And this article reminded me of this thread:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/04/news/companies/walmart-love-craigslist/

Jeph said:

Almost all I've been in have been spotless, in a format much like this:

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2010/05/13/walmart513.JPG

In contrast, even the nicest Wal-Mart I can think of stopping by, looks nothing like that. If Wal-Mart looked like that, I suspect I'd shop there. That's closer to how the other stores (Target, Meijer, etc) look. Hence, why I visit them.

They're mostly all new stores or remodels within 5 years. The few remaining old Walmarts are usually in more rural areas or areas that Walmart hasn't tried to fully penetrate.

Again, my experience couldn't be more different. I live in a decently affulent suburb (the median income here is just shy of $75,000) for Ohio with a population of over 45,000...and as I said, our Wal-Mart is at least 20 years old and looks and feels like it. (and it's not just me - check those reviews)

On the flip side, the nicest Wal-Mart I can think of is in the town I grew up in. It's also one of the poorest places I am familiar with. (the median income there is barely $28,000) and the population is less than 14,000.

And it's their second Wal-Mart. The original opened in the mid 90's. It was about 10 or 12 years old when they shut it down to build a Supercenter at a different location in the mid-00's.

The nicest Wal-Mart is in a poor rural area and the crap one is in an affluent suburb.

My assumption - based on nothing but personal experience - was always that it made sense for Wal-Mart to invest where more people would be 'forced' to shop there (that whole 'stretching the dollar' thing).

I'm not disagreeing with you, just pointing out how personal experience can differ greatly...and in the case of this discussion it shows how it forms our opinions and habits.

I usually am much more informed than them. Probably about 1% of my transactions require any customer service.

I also love self checkout, and I'd choose it over an open regular checkout any day.

Same here. So much so, that I kind of feel jacked that commissioned salespeople earn anything off of me because they do nothing. Hell, when I bought my car, I told the salesman not only exactly what I wanted (model, trim, color, options) but also which were the closest dealers with that exact car sitting on their lot. The dude did little more than make two or three phone calls to work out the details of getting the car sent over and filling out the paperwork.

Just bought some furniture last week. Found it all online. Was approached by the salesman as we entered. Told him we were just looking. Browsed the store a little to confirm our choices, circled around handed him the info we had printed at home and said, "Order us these." Guy punched a few keys on the computer, took my credit card and set a delivery date. You're welcome, skippy.

But, on the same note, is this exactly why salespeople in general don't have to know anything anymore? I mean, just 10 or 15 years ago, you couldn't really shop that way. Between the info available to the average Joe and the "price is all that matters" mentality, the art of the sale - the art of customer service - is being lost.

Whether that's good or bad is a whole different discussion.

Jeph: looks like the Wal-Marts around here. 20 years ago there were no Wal-Mart stores in Columbus.

My observation with the skylights is that they seem to have some method of monitoring the overall light levels in the store, and I've seen various lighting configurations (half lights, full lights, lights in various sections) kick in and out with the ambient light. The first time I was in a store with the skylights, I noticed that something was different, but I didn't really notice what...until about half the lights kicked on. The light level was about the same as with the fluorescents, but the incidence angle and the color are a little different.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The linked photo looks a lot like my local Walmart. I remember a time when I wouldn't shop at the dirty, crowded Walmart with poor service. In other words, I have encountered both kinds of Walmarts, and many degrees in between, so I can see where some of you non-Walmart shoppers are coming from.

Jeph said:

Almost all I've been in have been spotless, in a format much like this:

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2010/05/13/walmart513.JPG

That's an optical illusion. I've never been in a Walmart with so few people (and such a small percentage of them wearing NASCAR pajamas).

I've been in plenty of nice clean Walmarts. Cleanliness usually isn't the issue.

Well in the case of the car and the furniture, both the times the salespeople WOULD have had to know something, but you didn't give them that option. Hehehe...

I remember a time when I wouldn't shop at the dirty, crowded Walmart with poor service.

Interesting. What made you change your mind, especially since people on a message board keep writing bad trip reports about Walmart?

I loved that King County had so few Walmarts when I lived there. It was like the area was saying, "You suck, don't come here."

I've been in a couple WV Supercenters that were a joy to shop in (it was a tradition to stop there on our way to our annual camping spot since they have a great outdoors section). However, I am loath to set foot in my local Wal-Mart. It's surreal just how miserable a shopping experience I've had there.

In fact, I think I've been there twice in the 9 years I've lived here. The last time was to buy a cheap 46" LCD TV, and thanks to their wonderful customer service, I ended up getting one.

...at Best Buy.

bunky666 said:

Well in the case of the car and the furniture, both the times the salespeople WOULD have had to know something, but you didn't give them that option. Hehehe...

Yeah, that was exactly my point.

I think you may have skipped the paragraph following those examples. :)

Gonch, you're close. I misread it.

Lord Gonchar said:

But, on the same note, is this exactly why salespeople in general don't have to know anything anymore? I mean, just 10 or 15 years ago, you couldn't really shop that way. Between the info available to the average Joe and the "price is all that matters" mentality, the art of the sale - the art of customer service - is being lost.

Yep. Times are changing, and the stores are adapting. It's funny just looking at the generations too. My grandma enters a store and expects the employees to know everything and do everything for her. She'll hand her watch and key to the first employee she sees, telling them she needs a new battery and a copy of the key. She'll get upset if they redirect her.

Then, we have my parents. I've forced them to get smart phones, and they're getting a bit better. But, my dad refuses to use self checkout; he's terrified by it even though I've walked him through everything several times. And my mom tends to immediately ask employees where stuff is before even looking herself. Or she'll ramble on about a problem and ask an employee for a solution..."I have an air bed that got a small hole in it...what do I need to repair it?"

Then, we have me, my friends, and the younger generations that I've observed. The employees around the store are simply beings that you smile at and say "Hi." to. Or if they ask if they can help you find anything, it's a quick: "No, I'm fine. Thanks." Then, you either quickly pick up your researched products, or you bust out a smart phone. At Target, for example, their app has a map of the whole store. If you can't find a particular product, you can type it in, and the app will tell you the exact isle. If a product is out of stock, the app will show you all of the nearby Targets that have it in stock and directions to get there. Or if you find an unplanned item in the store that you potentially want, you quickly check Amazon's price/reviews, other review websites, price scanning and deal forums, look for competing products, etc. At least I do...

So, as the younger generations grow up and the older generations die off, I think customer service will be even less of a focus. Even more of those smiling beings around the stores will fade away in favor of lower prices.

But while we're looking into the the future, I wonder if many of the physical stores will fade away altogether. It seems like online shopping will continue to grow and become the future. I can see grocery stores and super centers sticking it out, but is there really a need for stores like Best Buy, Sears, and the massive amount of redundant retailers? I expect we'll have a leaner mix of physical stores in exchange for more online competition, which will drive prices even lower. It'll be interesting to see it all unfold, and whether or not there will be a reversal of the trend at some point.