21. Walmart

I am writing this for my friends in Roma, Kikka, Matteo, and Francesco. If you come to Fayetteville for the first time, especially if you visit from overseas, you really must stop at a Walmart store. By the way, the yellow icon after Walmart is called the spark. Also, recently Walmart dropped the hyphen. It was formerly called Wal-mart.

Here is Bill checking out phones. The battery on his current one dies all the time. I think he'd like an iPhone because of all of the fun things it can do.



I noticed that Walmart is now using signage similar to that used by the British Rail system in their terminals. The suspended blue box is so much like ones used in the London stations. This is the major aisle that runs at the back of the store. The bright yellow at the end denotes the grocery area.



The picture below was taken from the back of the store looking toward the front. All of the merchandise on the left of the picture is food.

I really like the way Walmart uses skylights in their stores.



The following picture is taken for Kikka and Matteo and actually for any U.S. student who has ever spent a semester at the Rome Center. Of all of the items missed, peanut butter seems to be missed most of all. Well, except for me. I really miss being able to purchase chicken and beef stock in either cans or boxes. The Italians don't sell broth. They'll sell bouillon cubes (yuck) and demi-glace, but they're just not the same as opening a can of Swanson's chicken broth.



Here's the produce area. It's rather cheery.



I really expected to be intercepted by Walmart security for taking all of these pictures. They have cameras everywhere. See the little black balls suspended from the rafters? Well, those are security cameras. Of course, if you pretend to take a picture of your husband, what can they do to you?



We were shopping for supplies for Catherine's graduation party. Most of the stuff we purchased from Sam's Club, the wholesale version of Walmart. Still, we managed to leave with a lot of bags.

When the Italian delegation visited the UA, they commented on what a large vehicle we had. It's a Chevy Equinox. Bill really wanted it so that he could haul soccer players and their gear to games. It's also very handy for groceries.



I do feel like an eco-criminal. Look at all those plastic bags! And to think I use them for rock disposal--another eco-criminal activity. Aside from hauling rocks from the backyard to the garbage can, I really don't like plastic bags. The groceries always roll out of them. In Europe, we'd have to take out a bank loan to leave a store with this many plastic bags. After the first one, you have to start paying for them.



People who invested in Walmart early on are rolling in dough. However, it occurred to me while I was taking the bath that Walmart's success could change if Americans modified their driving habits. Shopping like this with huge quantities once or twice a week is really predicated on a society driven by motor-vehicles (sorry about the pun). If we don't develop alternative fuels and gasoline becomes scarce, the corner market might make a comeback. Well, food for thought (yes, another miserable pun).