My Walmart Experience

Tonight while hubby was in the fishing dept., I decided to look at fabric. I have never bought there before. I was going to make a couple of pillow cases with breast cancer awareness fabric, but couldn't find any fabric at JoAnns the other day. Well, Walmart had it. Even though it felt flimsier than I wanted, I thought I would pick it up. Took forever to get a cashier to cut. When she finally did, she couldn't cut straight. Worse cutter I have ever seen. I bought 3 fabrics. A yard and a half, a half yard, and a quarter of a yard. When she tries to input it to get a scanning ticket to take to the register, the only one she knew how to input was the yard and a half. So she hand writes up the other two on tickets, but can't figure out the price. The quarter of a yard was $2.44 a yard so 61 cents. The half yard was $4.99 a yard so $2.49. Needless to say I get up to the cashier to pay and the two that are handwritten out, she couldn't figure out how much to charge either so she just threw them in my bag without even trying to calculate the cost. After that experience and the HORRIBLE cutting job (I will be surprised if it measures close to what I bought), I think that was my one and only time buying there. And the sad part to this is I am a teacher, and to think two people out there in the working world couldn't even take a stab at calculating half of $4.99 or a quarter of $2.44. Ouch!!!!!

Sorry you had a bad experience at WM. I've had pretty good luck with the cutting & labeling, but sometimes have to hunt up someone to help. I know the mgr. of the fabric dept. has several other depts. as well & is over-worked. I bought quite a bit of fabric at WM when I first was starting out b/c I didn't want to ruin full price LQS fabric. Do you have a Hobby Lobby near by? Our store has quite a large selection of fabric, but still isn't quite LQS quality. But with the 40% off coupons, you save quite a bit. JCY

Because our Ben Franklin's store closed this last year my only choice to purchase fabric is at our local Walmart unless I want to make a 90 mile round trip purchase which I don't. I always have to look for a clerk to cut my fabric but at least they can cut straight and know how to figure the prices.

I bought fabric at Hobby Lobby and it is great.

I was in Kohl's tonight and the cashier says if I came to work at 3:30 and work til 10:00, how many hours is that? She was serious. I couldn't believe that she did not have the skill to subtract three and a half from ten. I felt very badly for this young woman, not sure what lies ahead. She also couldn't read the size on the clothing tags as all of her clothes were at least 2-3 sizes too small. Oh well, what can you do. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.

That is the problem with Walmart fabric. They have a decent selection but seldom have anyone knowledgeable to cut and price it.

I have only purchased at Wal-Mart once. It was a slow process, but the fabric was cut properly. I went into my LQS a few weeks ago to buy backing for a top I had finished. There was a new clerk in the store and the owner wasn't there (which is unusual). The new clerk measured out the material I asked for and then snipped a small cut in the fabric and tore it. I was 18 inches shorter on one side that the other. I asked her to measure and cut it again. She said there was enough material there so I should just take it. I took the material and went back the next day and spoke with the owner and she cut the fabric correctly and gave me my money back.

I went in the other day and bought some more fabric and the "New" clerk cut the fabric instead of ripping it.

I hate when the clerk tears the material,but I guess it is one way to do it I have seen many clerks in quilt stores do this.The problem with shopping at Wally's is they don't train any one person for that dept, so it is up to who ever is free at the moment.
As far as math it is pathetic that kids can't figure out simple math in their heads.I never agreed with a calculator being allowed in class,

I have figured out the day to go to walmart for fabric in my area. I know when the girl that runs the dept works so that is when I go. She does not speak english very well, but she cuts great and loves to help me pick fabrics. She also knows how to measure and use the scan gun properly.

Walmart is my only local source of fabric. Hobby Lobby is a 60 mile round trip, quilting stores range between 90-150 mile round trip. I have to go run down someone to cut the fabric. They usually cut ok, but sometimes the scan gun is an issue. I think they should have a phone to call for service if they refuse to leave anyone back there. I am glad this Walmart still has fabric, some do not.

The whole issue of the lack of ability to do mental math is becoming epidemic. The pacing guides for the schools rush the teacher in presenting material therefore leaving the students without adequate time to really master the material. The teachers hate it, the kids hate it...but the powers that be insist that this is necessary for accountability. Ummm....let us give the students time to master the material....

My walmart has always had fabric, There is 2 other walmart's that are close and they had done away with the fabric but have now put it back in the store. The only issue I have had is locating someone to cut. On the issue of tearing the fabric, I ordered fabric from Elenore Burns website and it was torn and Mary Fons did a segment on her Quilty show on QNNTV website and she said it is ok to tear fabric.

If fabric is always torn it is always on grain. If it is cut it might not be on the bolt correctly so your yardage might not be straight. This can be very noticable if there is a pattern or a plaid.

Once upon a time most fabric you bought was torn rather than cut. Tearing fabric should be accurate, but both ends need to be torn so you have the straight grain on both ends.

Often Walmart clerks are put wherever they are needed rather than where they have been trained to work. I feel for them sometimes because they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Situations like this are poor management issues but it makes for disgruntled customers regardless of the reason.

I am happy to say our Walmart has some good people working in it.....it is not as big as it was...they stopped selling for a couple years then when it came back it is smaller....and the craft dept. is in another area of the store so sometimes it takes a while to get help.....I do have a couple ladies that I look for.... they always do a very good job.....
As far as math goes I think that is a lost skill for a lot of younger people.....the computer went down at McDonalds one time and they had to close...because no one knew how to count back the change.....;0(
bopeep

Sorry that you had a bad first experience with WM. I buy fabric there sometimes no problem with cutting just getting someone there to do it. As for the kids know that have a hard time doing math in there heads...It is the way they are taught now. When I was in school we memorized math. 10-4=6 and so on. They have a long drawn out way of getting the same answer. Therefore it takes them longer in their head. So it is quicker just to ask someone else. I see kids struggle with this more and more everyday! I honestly struggle to understand my sons math homework now and he is only in Kindergarten. :icon_shake:

I've written before... I worked the "craft dept" for 3yrs...(Walmart) and everything is so "telzone" driven,, that any beginner would go nuts trying to figure it out,, and then there is the fact that many of them don't work properly (heaven forbid they give you one that works, and people "steal from one dept. to another for this reason"... I could go on about the "write up" if you don't take your lunch when assigned or be "written up"...and do not take time chatting or helping anyone,, there are "mods" to be worked..
Because this was a job for "fun" they were shocked when I told them I was leaving because it wasn't "fun" anymore...:)
I worked Sunday's cause there were no "bosses" and it was like running my own little shop,, the good customers came in that day and I sold more on that day than they did all week,,, but that's not the "Walmart" way...
Hey, I shop walmart all the time and am greatful for it's locations and bargains of convenience.. but there should be a middle ground somewhere,, especially since all that's left around here is them or Joann's!!:)
ps.. tearing fabrics only works well with the "better quality" fabrics... the lower thread count, just pulls threads and puckers..

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Originally Posted by BobW

I have only purchased at Wal-Mart once. It was a slow process, but the fabric was cut properly. I went into my LQS a few weeks ago to buy backing for a top I had finished. There was a new clerk in the store and the owner wasn't there (which is unusual). The new clerk measured out the material I asked for and then snipped a small cut in the fabric and tore it. I was 18 inches shorter on one side that the other. I asked her to measure and cut it again. She said there was enough material there so I should just take it. I took the material and went back the next day and spoke with the owner and she cut the fabric correctly and gave me my money back.

I went in the other day and bought some more fabric and the "New" clerk cut the fabric instead of ripping it.

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There is a quilt shop not 'that' far from me and they snip the edge of the fabric and carefully lift out a couple threads, snip and lift, snip and lift - across the whole width. You should have seen how long that took when I bought 112" backing fabric - but, you know what? It was STRAIGHT. I've never seen anyone else do that.

I don't shop there to much except for shampoo and pet food, oh and the plant dept. When I did buy fabric there they actually took a cut piece back with the receipt. I was surprised.

So for tearing, I don't mind it if they do it in the right place so it's even. But for her to say it's big enough, that is so wrong. I'm glad you took it back. Most of my shops will give an inch bigger to make sure. I had one time where I had to say that's looking a little short. I hate to correct people at their jobs, but you are paying for their mistakes.

I was at aldi's one day and the cashier told me that they are clocked on how many items are scanned per hour (minute?? Not sure of the time frame)... then I had the one cashier who banged my bag of chips around while she was trying to scan it. I was thinking of telling her nevermind cuz I didn't want smashed chips when the bag opened from her mishandling. She said "oh, this bag is open... do YOU want to go back and get another?" Uh. No. Forget about the chips. Then she called the supervisor over to void the sale and said to the superv... "this bag is open and she doesn't want another".
I do still shop there because I have many more pleasurable interactions and their prices cannot be beat :-)

Off of original subject, but.....we now have Common Core in schools. Does anyone remember "New Math"? It's only going to get worse.

The last time I was in my WalMart, the fabric section was a disorganized mess, not like months before.

I'd occasionally run into a sweet lady who seemed engaged and interested in what I was undertaking. Maybe she, like GrammaBabs decided it wasn't fun anymore, too. I haven't seen her, of late, and maybe that's why it looked so very, very bad.

I had this lovely gentleman cut a couple times for me, always gave me a smidge over, but when he tucked the fabric back into the bolt as he finished, OY VEY!
What a hot mess!

I ran out of fabric once (HA! Once?), and sent my daughter to look at a neighboring WalMart. She found the material, but no one was available to cut the fabric after 9pm.

REALLY?
This is NOT rocket science....

Attachment 87531 This is what I was referring to!

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Originally Posted by mpattylou

Off of original subject, but.....we now have Common Core in schools. Does anyone remember "New Math"? It's only going to get worse.

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All these reasons are why I buy my fabric online from ETSY.com. I have never had a problem and I've bought tons of fabric from that website. :icon_wave:

That is terrible. But I know what you mean. I don't buy at walmart for basically this reason and it just seems their fabrics are a bit thinner than the same brand at Joann's..and Joann's has the coupons! But it is bad about people these days... seems if they can't press a button to figure it out..they dont' know what to do! And this is not only at Walmart...check out fast food and you'll most of the time see they can't calculate change unless the machine tells them what to do and even then...it takes them a struggle to count the change out of the drawer.....yet they want $15 an hour?

How many stores do you go in that the clerk can't count back your change? If the register didn't tell them how much money to give you back I would hate to think what would happen. It is a very sad.

Dear Lightwriter: Even thought I have a Hobby Lobby and a Walmart (which makes me shudder if I think I have to go there) I find that ordering fabric on line is a good option. I do know that it can be more money than if you purchase it at a store, but sometimes you can get a bargain. Have you tried Jo-Ann's on line? I am about 12 miles (24 round trip) from town so even though I don't have the ride you do I can sympathize. How do these clerks get the job in the first place? There must be some standard to be met, maybe not. Sad state of affairs.

When I was at a Walmart once in the fabric department, I could not get anyone to come cut fabric for me. Several workers walked past but did nothing. SO, I picked up the phone store intercom system and paged for 'customer assistance needed in fabrics'. Needless to say someone came right away as they did not recognize the voice. The clerk was very surprised to see that I was the one that paged. My kids thought it was hilarious. :icon_crazy:

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Originally Posted by stitching woman

How many stores do you go in that the clerk can't count back your change? If the register didn't tell them how much money to give you back I would hate to think what would happen. It is a very sad.

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Stitching woman...most every fast food/store I go to where the clerk is mid 20's (looking) or younger... will literally be searching for which coin...looking back up to what the register says (like they forgot how much they were looking for) then back down and search around and grab coins, then drop them back...and of course NEVER count back the change to the customer. And I count my change and when it is wrong I will tell them and they look at me like I"m the stupid one! Since the automated world does the thinking for you and push buttons have become all it takes to do things... people don't have to think anymore. Schools these days (well, back in my kids days even) they teach you about computer this and that, but dont' bother teaching kids about how to balance a check book or calculate interest rates or things that we do in daily life.

I'll never for get when my 4 year old grand daughter told me... we were shopping and I didnt' have enough money for something and she said "well, nanny, why don't you just swipe your debit card?"

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Originally Posted by mommadeb

When I was at a Walmart once in the fabric department, I could not get anyone to come cut fabric for me. Several workers walked past but did nothing. SO, I picked up the phone store intercom system and paged for 'customer assistance needed in fabrics'. Needless to say someone came right away as they did not recognize the voice. The clerk was very surprised to see that I was the one that paged. My kids thought it was hilarious. :icon_crazy:

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Mommadeb....GOOD ONE!!!! That is another reason I don't bother with walmart fabric. NEVER anyone there and I would do as you did, but they didn't have a phone there. I had to go to the auto section...no one there and then over to the electronics...and ask and then wait and go back over and ask again. I say good for you!!!

" As far as math goes I think that is a lost skill for a lot of younger people.....the computer went down at McDonalds one time and they had to close...because no one knew how to count back the change.....;0(
bopeep "

Was at my cousin's yesterday and her 3 and 5 yr. old grandsons had their tablets in their hands the whole time, only time they put them down was when the had to use a fork to eat but that tablet was right next to their plate. These kids can manipulate games etc. so easily but are they learning anything? To read, to do math? How are they going to write as I don't think they can text their way through the first few grades but then again maybe they will.
Sad state indeed.

As for someone's grandkid telling her to swipe her debit card, I remember a friend telling her son he couldn't have something because they didn't have the money for it, his reply was, so write a check, you have a whole bunch of them.

[QUOTE=coffeebreak;597361]Stitching woman...most every fast food/store I go to where the clerk is mid 20's (looking) or younger... will literally be searching for which coin...looking back up to what the register says (like they forgot how much they were looking for) then back down and search around and grab coins, then drop them back...and of course NEVER count back the change to the customer. And I count my change and when it is wrong I will tell them and they look at me like I"m the stupid one! Since the automated world does the thinking for you and push buttons have become all it takes to do things... people don't have to think anymore. Schools these days (well, back in my kids days even) they teach you about computer this and that, but dont' bother teaching kids about how to balance a check book or calculate interest rates or things that we do in daily life.

I'll never for get when my 4 year old grand daughter told me... we were shopping and I didnt' have enough money for something and she said "well, nanny, why don't you just swipe your debit card?"[/QU

Yes sometime I wonder if the kids are learning anything in school it is so sad. Love your grand daughter they don't equate that debit card with money.

If you want to really see someone get confused - go to a register that doesn't automatically tell the clerk how much change to give you, purchase something that costs $8.26, give the clerk $10.01 and see how long it takes to get the correct change! I hate pennies so if I can give them one penny so I don't end up getting 4 as part of my change I will, but it usually causes more trouble than it's worth! Our kids don't know the basics these days - I had a cousin who couldn't tell time on a regular watch - he only had digital clocks when growing up so had not a clue how to read a clock/watch with a regular non-digital display :(

Many of the stores around here are putting in machines that automatically give the change. I get frustrated when they just say take the change without having any idea what was given is correct or wrong. Sadly, if I hand change to a clerk, they just stare out it or just put it in the drawer without even counting it. My 8 year old can tell me exactly what change I would get back & what the coins should be while the clerk just looked at the drawer in a complete loss. I still make my 8th grade son do Pre-Algebra without a calculator and he is good at doing math in his head. We homeschool and I think it is important that children can do math.

As far as our local Walmart, it does not have a very good selection of fabric. We are a college town and there is a town about an hour away that is just a tiny town but their Walmart has a good selection of fabric and crafting supplies plus the rest of their store is really nice too.

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Originally Posted by BobW

I have only purchased at Wal-Mart once. It was a slow process, but the fabric was cut properly. I went into my LQS a few weeks ago to buy backing for a top I had finished. There was a new clerk in the store and the owner wasn't there (which is unusual). The new clerk measured out the material I asked for and then snipped a small cut in the fabric and tore it. I was 18 inches shorter on one side that the other. I asked her to measure and cut it again. She said there was enough material there so I should just take it. I took the material and went back the next day and spoke with the owner and she cut the fabric correctly and gave me my money back.

I went in the other day and bought some more fabric and the "New" clerk cut the fabric instead of ripping it.

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Wow...just tore it? And at a LQS? Wow...can't believe that! Why would she do that? You were nicer than I would have been. Fabric at LQS is expensive and if I was paying that much, I"d have told her cut another piece or I'm not taking it. It seems to me that tearing it like that would also stretch the fibers and thread to make the rest of the fabric wonky. Weird!

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Originally Posted by MayinJerset

" As far as math goes I think that is a lost skill for a lot of younger people.....the computer went down at McDonalds one time and they had to close...because no one knew how to count back the change.....;0(
bopeep "

Was at my cousin's yesterday and her 3 and 5 yr. old grandsons had their tablets in their hands the whole time, only time they put them down was when the had to use a fork to eat but that tablet was right next to their plate. These kids can manipulate games etc. so easily but are they learning anything? To read, to do math? How are they going to write as I don't think they can text their way through the first few grades but then again maybe they will.
Sad state indeed.

As for someone's grandkid telling her to swipe her debit card, I remember a friend telling her son he couldn't have something because they didn't have the money for it, his reply was, so write a check, you have a whole bunch of them.

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I know! It is sad...they don't have to "do" anything,... just press buttons! Now I do figure that maybe their hand/eye coordination might be strengthened, but still...it is enough to be an asset in regular life? and they don't have to do any interaction with others. I made a hopscotch quilt, and an I Spy quilt for my grand kids - 4,5 and 8 and they just loved it! Ask me to bring it every time I visit and whine if I forget! And don't want to stop playing when I leave! And CAndyland board game...if I don't have the quilts...they automatically get out the board games!

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Originally Posted by Simply Quilting

Many of the stores around here are putting in machines that automatically give the change. I get frustrated when they just say take the change without having any idea what was given is correct or wrong. Sadly, if I hand change to a clerk, they just stare out it or just put it in the drawer without even counting it. My 8 year old can tell me exactly what change I would get back & what the coins should be while the clerk just looked at the drawer in a complete loss. I still make my 8th grade son do Pre-Algebra without a calculator and he is good at doing math in his head. We homeschool and I think it is important that children can do math.

As far as our local Walmart, it does not have a very good selection of fabric. We are a college town and there is a town about an hour away that is just a tiny town but their Walmart has a good selection of fabric and crafting supplies plus the rest of their store is really nice too.

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Good for you and your kids Simply Q! If for no other reason than they learn to count change so THEY don't loose any money! The grocery stores have had that automatic change thing for some time...granted it I still count it when I take it out, but...sometimes I come near to forgetting to get it since so much going on and being rushed, now that they have the scanners!

I have only bought fabric a couple times at WalMart - I just don't feel their quality is very good, overall. I think if you search and be selective, you can find a few decent fabrics (at least the ones here). The funniest story was at JoAnn's, with a mom and her 2 teenage daughters - one asked how big a yard was. The answer? "About 30", or so." And the mom didn't even know!! It is very sad, because this next generation is the one who will be running this country.... scarey, eh?

THAT^^^ makes me want to find a cave to hide in!

The local Walmart where I live doesn't carry fabric anymore. 70 miles round trip to Walmart in another town and the selection was poor AND no one to cut the fabric. Back when all Walmarts had a fabric dept the selection and the help was great. So sad because all of us can't afford to buy at LQS and even JoAnn's fabric is expensive and there clerks are rude and not very helpful. Closest Hobby Lobby is about 70 miles one way. I have purchased from fabric.com and was very pleased with the selection. Just not the same as looking and feeling the fabric!

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Originally Posted by Simply Quilting

Many of the stores around here are putting in machines that automatically give the change. I get frustrated when they just say take the change without having any idea what was given is correct or wrong. Sadly, if I hand change to a clerk, they just stare out it or just put it in the drawer without even counting it. My 8 year old can tell me exactly what change I would get back & what the coins should be while the clerk just looked at the drawer in a complete loss. I still make my 8th grade son do Pre-Algebra without a calculator and he is good at doing math in his head. We homeschool and I think it is important that children can do math.

As far as our local Walmart, it does not have a very good selection of fabric. We are a college town and there is a town about an hour away that is just a tiny town but their Walmart has a good selection of fabric and crafting supplies plus the rest of their store is really nice too.

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I agree! We homeschool too and have for 10 years…Common Core is just one more reason I am happy to be homeschooling my kids! It is ruining our schools. A couple of my many jobs during the college years included being a cashier and it was a requirement to be able to count back change on your own, in order to run a cash register. I used to know what the change would be faster than the machine did, its how I kept from being bored out of my mind. It is so frustrating to see how many people can't do basic math in their heads. Technology is great, but we should not be dependent on it.

As for walmart fabric, I don't waste my time, the couple of stores here that still carry it have really thin fabric….kleenex is thicker.