Living in a Walmart world - Cheaper products not good for everyone

Hello Mac maniacs

I and not a Walmart hater by any means. I shop there from time to time but here is my gripe. For the past decade or so it seems like our products are getting cheaper and cheaper. From toys to electronics to food I have a hard time finding quality products.

Back in the day I only bought electronics made in Japan or Germany now when I look where it is made I cannot even pronounce the country. I know Apple has a high standard when it comes to their products but I believe most are now manufactured in China.

Everyone wants a 5 dollar pizza, have you ever had a 5 dollar pizza? It has put many good pizzerias out of Biz. I don'tvmind spending a few extra dollars for a pizza that actually has cheese and sauce.

Most other stores are forced to carry cheaper products as well. getting anything of quality seems to be a treasure hunt for me now.

What are you thoughts and opinions on this?

Personally I feel that the competetiveness of the markets have forced prices down, and it's actaully a good thing. I don't really think that general quality has suffered, though some products don't last as long of course.
I think buying Apple does offer you quality, or that is the perception, maybe it's style it buys you, because as you point out, nearly all electronics are made in China/Korea/Taiwan these days, and you will find the same chip set in a £100 DVD player that you find in a £1000 one sometimes.
The pizza issue I can't comment on, I never buy pizza from a restaurant of a Domino's for example, I'd rather make my own or buy a supermarket one!

You don't hate Walmart, but shop there occasionally and find their prices to be trending downward.
Apple builds stuff in places foreign to you.
Quality is tough to find.
People like to save money, but might spend extra on quality.
Again quality is tough to find.

I'm not sure I follow the thought process or understand what you are trying to say. Can you summarize or expand?

To be very blunt...

Something can be made anywhere in the world and be a quality product. It's all about the company that is producing it (their production standards), the quality of materials, and the quality of the design itself. I never really worry about where to many things are made (of course there are exceptions to this) but rather the above mentioned attributes.

Walmart has it's benefits. Name brand products (toilet paper, batteries, video games) are going to be the same regardless of where they are purchased. So it's not a bad thing to be able to get them at the lowest possible cost.

That said, certain things I like to buy are going to be bought at a specialty retailer because I do care a whole lot about the quality of the end product.

Hello XJ thanks for your reply. Simply I want quality products and companies to take pride in their products instead of offering throw away electronics.
I was just ranting and saying it is very hard to find products that are made to last.

Stormin I agree for the most part but in my opinon products made say in Japan have a very high quality compared to products made in China.
I remember when Samsung first came out they were throw away products now they are one of the top producers in electronics and made in Asia so you are correct that it depends on the company.

I am a Walmart hater. They destroy local businesses.

First, I support local merchandise, even if it costs more...because from what I've seen, the quality of American made products, similar to those cheap chinese crap in Walmart, far exceeds the cost savings.

Second, quality isn't always the key reason why I hate Walmart. It's that they are so large of a corporation that they can undercut anyone's price, even if it the same product.

Walmart is no longer Walmart. Not many people even know what that means.

Thanks for the reply Iggibar I wish we had more stores to shop at. All my childhood stores have gne out of biz. I do shop often at speciality shops and mom and pop stores as well.

iggibar said:

I support local merchandise, even if it costs more...because from what I've seen, the quality of American made products, similar to those cheap chinese crap in Walmart, far exceeds the cost savings.

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What about consumables? Paper towels, canned goods, etc... There are usually very few "local brands" when it comes to these items. Why not save as much as possible on these items, which gives you more money to spend on other items. Items which may be produced locally.

iggibar said:

quality isn't always the key reason why I hate Walmart. It's that they are so large of a corporation that they can undercut anyone's price, even if it the same product.

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Referencing my above post, why is paying less for the exact same item a bad thing? It gives you the ability to spend more on other items.

I always shop at the local hardware store whenever possible. It's been there for as long as I can remember and I'd hate to see it go out of business. They have good products but more importantly have good people. The staff knows what you need for a particular situation, unlike at the big box stores (especially those not dedicated to hardware-type equipment), where you sometimes get people who don't know the difference between a mill file and a ball peen hammer.

I also like local restaurants and find the quality and service are better at many. If I get breakfast out, it's at a local cafe. While I do love Panera, if I'm not planning on going there, I'll go to the locally-owned sandwich shop, not the big-name hoagie place. I get my hair cut at a one-man barber shop, order my pizza from the same local parlor I've been getting it since I was a boy, buy baking supplies at a little place that's been around since practically the beginning of time, and bowl at an independently-owned bowling alley.

As far as quality is concerned, many products these days are indeed poorly-made. A case in point is vacuum cleaners. I inherited one from my grandparents, which was purchased in the mid-70s. It's a Hoover and was made in the USA. Aside from a few belts and bags, this thing still works every bit as well as it did 35 years ago. (On a side note, it even has an option for shag carpet, just in case I buy a house which hasn't been updated since the 70s). Since then, others in my family have been through tons of vacuums. My power drill from the 50s is still kicking and just may outlive the brand new Craftsman I got last month. It's been through plenty of use and abuse over the years and has managed to survive every time. The only reason I got a new one? I wanted to go cordless after all these years.

Some companies have cut quality to keep prices down and also because some products aren't considered as important anymore. Case in point--pencils. Twenty years ago, I used to use Faber Castell American pencils. These were every bit as good as the Dixon Ticonderoga and seemed to go longer before they needed sharpened, plus they cost a little less. In the late 90s, Sanford bought Faber and cheapened the wood, erasers, and graphite quality. Now sold by Paper Mate, the pencils are still awful, if not worse. I now use Ticonderogas and German-made Fabers (not related to the American unit and not part of Sanford/PaperMate) exclusively, but who knows how long they'll remain at the top of the class?

I always take into consideration quality and reputation when I buy something. This is why I didn't hesitate to buy a Honda Civic (in fact, it was the only car I looked at when I made my purchase). I've had only one problematic Apple product over the nearly 23 years I've used them. Every Craftsman tool I've owned has been a good investment, as have my Delta power tools. It's true brands can go up or down (the Samsung example is perfect; Zenith and RCA, meanwhile, aren't what they once were) but I've found many to stay the same.

Bottom line--do the research. Read the reviews on Amazon or any other site. Ask your friends who have similar products. Get up and complain if there's a problem, as it may help both yourself (to receive a refund or repair) and others (so they avoid purchasing the same product).

Ghost Rider said:

What are you thoughts and opinions on this?

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Most people value quantity over quality. Those who don't will find quality products


Yea, that's pretty much how I feel about it. Wanna know where I stand? You should see my handtools (Lie Nielsen, vintage tools, and Lee Valley.. exclusively)

I'm not rich, but I find false economy in buying things twice. So I simply save up.

Scott, good example with that old Hoover Vacuum. I have a Kirby that is around 15 or so years old and it's like new. Only bags and a belt every few years. AMAZINGLY well built. The typical Vacuum at Wal Mart is so cheaply built I doubt it would last me more than 4-5 years.

I try and support local stores as much as I can with my limited budget, but still get paper towels and other such things at Wal Mart to save $$$.

Great reply Scott
Exactly what I am talking about. I don't mind paying more just give me quality. Some people are happy paying less for suspect quality. I am not one of them.

I'm more of a good deal kind of person. Not having a lot of money, you're constantly trying to find the cheaper, and as a result, lower quality product. I don't hate Wal-Mart, some of their stuff actually does have a decent quality to it. They have name-brand stuff just like other stores, but can sell at it a cheaper price because they're such a massive corporation.

In short though, I'd rather have the option to buy a $5 "low-quality" pizza, than not be able to get a Pizza at all because I can't afford the $20 price tag for a "quality" one.

As far as people that want to pay more and buy a quality product goes, I think that there are still plenty of places to find them.

MacDude121 said:

I don't hate Wal-Mart, some of their stuff actually does have a decent quality to it. They have name-brand stuff just like other stores, but can sell at it a cheaper price because they're such a massive corporation.

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What they do, is demand a price point from the manufacturers, or they won't sell it. To make this price point, often product quality needs to suffer.. or it can't be sold at the worlds largest retailer.

Got a lot of good things at Walmart also and for a great price like my 16GB Sandisk flash drive for at the time under $20 when it was over $30 everywhere else. They do have some good stuff there also.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart near where I live now. I know this is a regional thing (and probably specific to individual stores), but the employees there are the stereotypical "People of Walmart" type people, and these are the employees! They have no answers to questions, they have a "meh" attitude about pretty much everything. I choose not to spend my money there but instead to go across the street (literally, across the street) to Meijer. By contrast, the Meijer employees are positive in their response to inquiries, generally have answers, or will direct you to where to find an answer, and have a [overall] MUCH better attitude. Prices are very comparable. I will take my business to a store that employs nice people.

The Wal-Mart back home, I do go into on occasion. The employees at that store aren't as moronic as the ones here. There are far fewer employment options back there though, so the store can hire the better quality candidates, whereas the store here doesn't quite have the pick of the litter, so to speak.

There was a day where department stores had personality and the employees knew the products and your name. Now a days you are lucky to get answer. Heck lie to me instead of saying I don't know. That is what the employees of Best buy do

Ghost Rider said:

Hello Mac maniacs

I and not a Walmart hater by any means. I shop there from time to time but here is my gripe. For the past decade or so it seems like our products are getting cheaper and cheaper. From toys to electronics to food I have a hard time finding quality products.

Back in the day I only bought electronics made in Japan or Germany now when I look where it is made I cannot even pronounce the country. I know Apple has a high standard when it comes to their products but I believe most are now manufactured in China.

Everyone wants a 5 dollar pizza, have you ever had a 5 dollar pizza? It has put many good pizzerias out of Biz. I don'tvmind spending a few extra dollars for a pizza that actually has cheese and sauce.

Most other stores are forced to carry cheaper products as well. getting anything of quality seems to be a treasure hunt for me now.

What are you thoughts and opinions on this?

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Twenty-five years ago, my Compaq Deskpro 286 computer cost $6000 (that's over $11000 in today's dollars). And the hardware was of such a high caliber that every component still operates perfectly to this day. Even the antique 20MB hard disk spins to life without so much as a click or scrape.

The truth is, though, in spite of the hardware longevity, that old system hasn't been of much use to me in a long long time (unless you count playing Commander Keen from time to time). Software development pushed forward at breakneck speed, opening up entirely new avenues for computer use -- avenues down which my very expensive system was unable to travel.

A lower caliber of hardware may have died more quickly, but it also would have saved me money -- money that I could have put towards my next, more powerful, system a lot sooner that I did. (And it would have prevented a lot of grumbling about how anything costing $6000 should be useful for at least a decade or more.)

Anyway -- my point is that it's easy to complain about the decline in quality in recent years; but if you think about it, do you really want [to pay for] technology that's going to last forever? I don't.

Z

I think that depends on the product. I don't buy decked-out Macs anymore for the reasons Shikarnov mentions. In fact, of my three laptops, only the black MacBook is a step-up model (the others are the 11" Air and old clamshell iBook G3). Typically, I buy a new Mac every three years to stay current and have one sort-of-current model as a backup. I did buy the top-model iPhone 4S because I expect to use the 64GB capacity with the video camera built into it.

Likewise, I don't buy top-of-the-line TVs. My last set was a 1994 model RCA. When I got my current set in 2004, I knew my old one had been outclassed within less than a decade. Therefore, I went with a regular, CRT-based Sony Wega--a good set, but not cutting edge. Of course, it looks almost prehistoric today, but it still works and was worth every penny of the $300 or so it cost. My only requirement was component video input, which this set has.

However, if I know I'm going to keep something for a long time, I'll get the best I can. This is why, for example, I chose the Honda, which was more expensive than some competitors but offered better quality. I may not have gotten the sunroof the competitor offered at the same price point, but I got a car I can trust on the road every day (also a car I love to drive).

About Wal-Mart: as I said, I usually frequent small businesses if I can. True, I go to Macy's to buy clothes, get some tools at Sears, and shop at a regional chain for groceries, but I try to stick with small businesses. I do go to K-Mart occasionally if I can't find what I want at the local stores, but typically only visit every other month or so. (The Wal-Marts in my area aren't convenient for me). I do go to Target now and then if the prices are better than the grocer. Also, Wal-Mart isn't always the best on prices--I seem to remember paying less for dumbbells (CAP brand, sizes over 20lb) at Dunham's Sporting Goods.

Shikarnov said:

Even the antique 20MB hard disk spins to life without so much as a click or scrape.

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I can tell you that this is pretty much luck of the draw.

Same with the Compaq still running. I fixed many of them back when those were still new.