Business

Weird Things Happen at Walmart: ‘Retail’s Version of Reality T.V.’

With some 3,750 U.S. stores visited by customers 140 million times a week, it’s not uncommon for a Wal-Mart store to be the location of strange news headlines. Ranging from hip-hop videos to rare rodent sightings, a recent WSJ article documents the weirder things that have gone down in Wal-Mart stores over the last decade.

Some of my favorites:

  • Stafford, VA,: Man dressed in a cow suit, crawling on all fours steals 26 gallons of milk from a Wal-Mart and then hands them out Robin Hood-style to patrons in a parking lot
  • Falmouth, MA: Shopper finds 10 human teeth inside a wallet for sale that was imported from Asia.
  • Maryland: Man goes to the emergency room with toilet seat stuck to him after pranksters doused a Wal-Mart restroom with super glue.
  • Wasilla, AK: As Governor, Sarah Palin officiates a wedding at the Wal-Mart in her hometown.

Comments (83)

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  • Carol Ingian
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 10:25am

    Regarding the wallet in the Falmouth, MA, where is the rest of the guy????
    Ewwwww yuck!
    One walmart near me has a reputation that gangs from nearby towns hang out there. There has been theft, but the scariest thing I heard from a reliable source, Walmart employees had told him that the gangs were going to use the store for initiation . The word was that one thing they could do for initiation, was to go in the store and shoot a white elderly woman.
    I drive out of my way to shop elsewhere!

    Report Post »  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 9:59am

    Bill Hicks said it best when he said, “There are some serious POCKETS of humanity out there.”

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • DonaldH
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 9:46am

    DTOM_Jericho (Creator vindicator)
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:08am
    There is no Walmart in my town. Thankfully
    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    Why be thankfull? Walmart isn’t nearly as a boog-a-boo as the liberals make it out to be

    Report Post » DonaldH  
    • Marylou7
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 4:24pm

      I love Walmart and I make no apologizies.

      Report Post » Marylou7  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 7:18pm

      We‘ve been fortunate to have two Walmarts in our town and I’m hoping for a Super Walmart because I get a lot of our groceries from them. We don’t have alot of money and Walmart helps us make ends meet.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
    • concealled9mms
      Posted on July 11, 2011 at 3:23pm

      China thanks you

      Report Post »  
  • DonaldH
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 9:44am

    There is NO Wal-Mart near JB’s Nudey Bar,, sorry,, a K-Mart yes but no Wally-World…

    Report Post » DonaldH  
  • tyler_durden
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 8:39am

    The only time I‘ve ever seen a WalMart that didn’t have long lines at checkout is at six in the morning. For the most part WalMart is a freakshow. I stopped shopping there because I got sick of waiting behind people trying to buy everything under the sun on either an ACCESS or WIC card.. and then there is the fact that WalMart never restocks anything till 2 in the morning and never has enough cash registers open for the amount of people trying to escape their stores

    Report Post »  
    • Dabldo
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:19pm

      Local one use to be real stocked. Now they run out of all sorta stuff. Cutting back on stock and stockers. Probably cause of reduced sales???

      Report Post »  
    • JEANNIEMAC
      Posted on July 11, 2011 at 11:02am

      I know people who work at Walmart. They have cut back on hours and will not pay overtime. If a person has to work past their clock-out time, they have to either take a longer lunch hour, or come in later for work. Also, they have only a limited time to make up the time, or lose it. If someone has too many days out of work, they have to write a letter explaning why they want to continue to work for Walmart.
      There are not enough employees to do restocking and register clerks are often pulled to help with that job, making for longer lines at check out.
      Top managers make great bonuses for not going over budget, and for saving money in their departments, which explains why Walmart works their employees like dogs.

      Report Post »  
  • danenut6
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 8:12am

    Non-story. . . . this website has been up for years now. . .
    http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

    Report Post »  
  • Master Sergeant Malone
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 7:45am

    Hardly a day goes by I don’t stop in my local Walmart, well maybe two. I’ve had run ins with an “associate” or two, well maybe three over the years. One “black Friday” I happened to be the 10th person in line waiting on one of only 10 laptops available at each store. When the “associate” showed up with a cart load of them and handed out only four, then disappeared with the remaining six to the rear of the store, I went ballestic, as did the other pissed off customers who like me had been waiting for hours to receive this “black Friday” bargain. I made a mad dash to find a store manager. When confronted, he shrugged his shoulders and muffled, “I’ll check into it.” Wrong answer! I ended up calling 1-800-Walmart. (My friend, a former Walmart associate had told me that’s something local managers do NOT want to happen) When I explained the situation to a district honcho; the VERY next day I got a call from the local manager asking me to come to his office where he had an “upgraded laptop complete with bundle” waiting for me.There’s no doubt in my mind that clerk had his friends waiting in the rear that “black Friday” who got those remaining six ‘puters. Point being, keep in mind; 1-800 Walmart. If you have a serious problem give Bentonville a call. Be respect but firm. Alas as an aside, that same clerk is STILL working here. Needless to say, he’s NOT on my Christmas card list!

    Report Post »  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 7:31am

    Wal-Mart, weird people? Look at how many morons voted in Obama. Of course you’ll see weird people everywhere.

    Report Post »  
  • Old Vermonter
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 7:10am

    We have the smallest Wally World in the country in Bennington, VT.
    The average store is 112,000 sq ft, and the sooper centers are 250,000 sq ft and above. Our store is 40,000 sq ft. It‘s an old Grant’s that closed many years ago and was vacant. When WM wanted to build in a cornfield down the road everybody said NO so they moved into the vacant store.

    As far as imported goods, EVERY store sells imported stuff. Go to Target (none in VT) and you see Chinese stuff there too. Why aren’t there complaints about them? I went into JC Penny (It’s a smaller store than WalMart) to buy some jeans and they were made in BANGLEDESH! But we only complain about WalMart.

    Report Post » Old Vermonter  
    • orionreplay6607
      Posted on July 11, 2011 at 6:00am

      You are so right! JCP, Sears, Kohl’s, you name it. Heck, even LL Bean’s clothing products are made in Bulgaria, just for starters. I visited Varna, Bulgaria on a USN trip and bought myself a 3-piece suit for $25. So when I see LL Bean here in Maine selling a Bulgarian made shirt for $60?? I back away quickly.

      Yet, Walmart gets slammed, chastised, and finger waggled for selling imports.

      Report Post » orionreplay6607  
  • Smug
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 6:28am

    I shop at Wally World in my community and the people here don‘t look anything like some of the characters I’ve seen in the videos. Like the people with “Pants on the Ground” and no underwear. It makes me wish they would issue suspenders and belts at the door. I think the funniest one I seen though was a rather large lady in one of those mobile chairs, with a sign on the back that read “I may be fat but you’re stupid, you can fix fat but you can’t fix stupid”. I think she makes a good point!…………MSSMUG

    Report Post »  
    • shirelover
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 10:16pm

      I shop at Wally World too, and one of my favorite thiets to do is, when the voice comes on the overhead speakers, drop to the ground cover my ears and start crying, “make the voices stop!’ when they do, get up and walk off like nothing happened ;-)

      Report Post » shirelover  
  • orionreplay6607
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 6:12am

    I unashamedly shop at our local Walmart in Maine. I also get berated by my brother’s wife to no end… to support the local economy… which I say I am. I choose to shop at Walmart south of our home and by doing so, allow that Walmart to hire the people that work there. (This is the same wife of my brother who giggles as she shops at Amazon.com… how’s that for hypocrite!)

    I see no need to shop at Mom and Pops and spend $3 more for the same box of cereal. I save money, allowing me to buy more for the same $100 I spend, and keep those Walmart employees employed. A great big happy circle.

    Long live Walmart.

    Report Post » orionreplay6607  
    • TruthTalker
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 8:04pm

      Walmart does a great service for Americans. They insist on the best prices. They strong arm manufacturers and distributors on prices and they win. I know, I have dealt with them and they are merciless. If you want your product on their store shelves, you give them the price they ask or they just walk away and you have to give it to them at the price they want because they have so many stores it is a huge sales point for your products. Face it, so many people shop at Walmart that not having your product in their stores is not an option.

      Report Post »  
  • oldsoldier10
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 5:52am

    youtube has some really interesting wacky wallmart videos. show like the space mutants that visit wallmart the wacky clothing and lack of clothing worn while shopping.

    Report Post » oldsoldier10  
  • mdlwoods
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 2:15am

    If you want some good laughs, go to YouTube and watch the Walmart Song video. Shows all different types of people who shop at Walmart. Funny, a little gross, but funny!

    Report Post » mdlwoods  
  • likwidlizard
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:09am

    I shop there once in a while. I’ve learned to go there at like 5-6 AM because then you don’t run into the snot-nosed half dressed lil sh*tstains that welfare mama in a swimming top and a beach towel wrapped around her big fat ugly rear drug along and most the freaks are still at home or crashed in their cars outside. But the bakery goods have just came out and they‘re FRESH which I can’t say about anything else-veggies included. They only carry certain brands of food too which sucks. I‘m a Sam’s or Costco shopper for the most part. But even they are starting to get some freaky customers too.

    Report Post » likwidlizard  
  • the hawk
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:54am

    Please no wal-mart shows! ! !

    Report Post »  
  • John Campbell
    Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:26am

    I shop Walmart every week for the larger portion of my staple supplies. The balance is purchased at Vons, a Safeway store. The only problem I have with Walmart is the occasional long lines. The service is fine. The employees seem quite happy for a store of it’s kind (and I do talk with them). As for the “made in China” political garbage of the left, do tell what store of this kind is selling made in U.S.A. products more than Walmart. Either put up or shut up.

    Report Post »  
  • Ashley
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 11:06pm

    Only in Wally World can one see the total spectrum of humanity standing at the cash register, at any given time . . . from upper class to the poorest . . . dressed well to dressed the worst . . .

    Report Post »  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:42pm

    You can get a Freshetta “Inspired” pizza there for 4.95 when everywhere else it’s 7 something.
    What else is there ?
    Walmart employees once went all the way back into the warehouse and got me a couple of cans of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. I like ‘em.

    Report Post » Rayblue  
  • llotus
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:27pm

    When Wal-mart first came to our smalltown it knocked out the five and dime and most all hardware stores. When they built the super center that had groceries and tvs and some furniture acessaries it knocked out more local stores. I disliked Wal-Mart a lot. After I got used to all the store closings, some I grew up with, I was able to see the good. The good is that there are many more jobs available to the town. More people are shopping from other areas and you see more people more often you dont see otherwise. Last but not least, its cheaper. Spend a lot of time at Wal-Mart. Lotus.

    Report Post »  
    • Flyndad123
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 10:44am

      Wal-mart does NOT create jobs !!!!! NOT !!! A recent study done by some university in upstate N.Y. concluded that for every job created by this dispicable “retailer” 1.6 jobs in the community are LOST !!!!!! Don’t spread un-truths to feel better about saving a few cents on your 6 pack of undies,….

      Report Post »  
  • Browncoat359
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:01pm

    The things that happen at a Wal-Mart store aren’t unique or restricted just to them. the folks at WallyWorld are there because they can get what they want for the price they like/can afford,all under one roof too.
    I worked for the Kroger grocery chain for the better part of a decade and we had our share of crazies,and plain old odd folk as well. The problem is that unless you work in that store you don’t have context for some of these customers. Many people may appear to be “crazy” or “out there” but when you get to know the because they come in and shop in your store everyday you begin to see that what they really are is just people. Wal-Mart’s customers are a reflection of humanity,the good and the bad.

    Report Post » Browncoat359  
  • RightPolitically
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:39pm

    Let’s get our “Made in the USA” going again so that Walmart doesn’t have to sell 90% Chinese made goods which is building up the COMMUNIST CHINESE MILITARY!

    Report Post » RightPolitically  
    • motes_art
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:38am

      @RIGHTPOLLITICALLY

      Wal-Mart caused our manufacturing to go to China by forcing manufacturers to reduce prices. If the manufacturer refused, Wal-Mart would not sell their product and the manufacturer would go out of business. If they protested, Wal-Mart told them that they could afford to lower prices if they moved their facility to China. This has happened many times over the past 30 years. I have done the research myself and know this to be true. No other entity (save for maybe the Obama administration) has done more damage to the U.S. economy than Wal-Mart. That is an indisputable fact.

      Report Post »  
    • David in OKC
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:07pm

      The “Made in U.S.A.“ label sounds great in theory except that nowadays it should be translated into the ”Made by cheap illegal labor” label.
      Most of us would love to buy American until reality kicks in and we realize that we only have half of the money that we used to have thanks to our dictator in chief and his socialist economic policies.
      I’ll continue to shop at wal-mart because my wallet tells me to.
      Say what you want about wal-mart but they’re responsible for thousands of American jobs that keep a struggling economy afloat. Which is more than I can say for Unions and our wonderful Fed. government with it’s endless regulations which have done nothing but destroy most workers and the bussineses that employ them.
      Yeah…right,,,,,wal-mart is the problem.

      Report Post » David in OKC  
  • LadyIzShy
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:39pm

    i shop at walmart all the time and 99% of the peopel are normal everyday people. and once in a while ya something that makes ya go HMMM but I honestly see more peopel that make me go HMMM just driving down the road here in town

    Report Post » LadyIzShy  
  • BobParker2003
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:34pm

    I have to tell you I go to Walmart regularly. I have friends that say the people there are all creepy but I love everyone I meet there. The Walmart is the community of the good, the natural, the average person. I don’t watch their TV but I do love their prices! At two competitive stores corn on the cob was 50 & 100% more per ear! Maybe these snob friends can afford to spend 50% more but I can’t. God Bless Walmart!

    Report Post »  
  • Rational Man
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:18pm

    People can make fun of, critisize and bash Walmart all they want. But I see alot of ‘swanky’ looking folks starting to show up at Walmart these days. Same with the discount grocery stores and other discount stores…………Gee, I wonder why???
    The snobs are having to make adjustments to their ‘lifestyle’ because of their beloved president and his crew. It must be painful for those folks to have to ‘mingle’ with the rest of us at WinCo, instead of the gourmet food stores………………

    Report Post » Rational Man  
    • Jenny Lind
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:41pm

      The middle class is where the real hit is, we do Aldi’s and buy only great specials in retail big boxes. Costco and BJ’s are our friend too. See a lot of new faces, and using coupons too!

      Report Post »  
    • Browncoat359
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:03pm

      Jenny Lind? The “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind?

      Report Post » Browncoat359  
  • navyone
    Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:48pm

    Well for one, if a town only has one bus stop it will be there. Another is east a open 24 hours a day so you’ll get a lot of pajamas, howell scopes house coats and slippers.

    Report Post »  
    • cheezwhiz
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 8:55pm

      I go there for the peeps :
      http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos

      Report Post » cheezwhiz  
    • MEESHEL
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:37pm

      I crack up seeing the Wal-Mart ‘people’ photos! The dress code, in general, has certainly gone downhill since I was a kid. We used to put on our good clothes to go to a movie. Lots, these days, don’t even dress up for church. It’s a shame, I think…

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 9:46pm

      I shop at Wal Mart, its just across the street and down a bit, so it beats anywhere else for sheer ease and location.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:47pm

      it is a shame.

      Report Post »  
    • SacredHonor1776
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 10:50pm

      “Falmouth, MA: Shopper finds 10 human teeth inside a wallet for sale that was imported from Asia.”

      Eww, was the wallet made out of human skin?

      Report Post »  
    • drattastic
      Posted on July 9, 2011 at 11:29pm

      All very amusing .What I want for Walmart is for them to start treating their employees better and how about some American made products .I don’t care if it cost me a little more money. You can’t walk into a Walmart and find a happy employee ( like the old days)if you can find an employee at all. They run a skeleton crew at all times and I suspect that the manager’s bonuses are based on keeping the “help to a minimum and paying them peanuts.

      Report Post » drattastic  
    • DTOM_Jericho (Creator vindicator)
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:08am

      There is no Walmart in my town. Thankfully.

      Report Post » DTOM_Jericho (Creator vindicator)  
    • mils
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:49am

      Unhappy employees/??? weeeeeelllll go get another job!!! most of the clerks are lucky to put two words together and make sense. Ebonics at their best in some of the stores..I feel sorry for some of those people!! They act like working at walmart is old home week. Half of them don’t know what the heck if going on in the store or where things are…
      There are several utube videos of “the people of walmart’…“funny”!…only in America and only at walmart.

      if you don’t like the products…dont’ shop there. Simple stuff folks…simple stuff…just go somewhere else…it’s a free market out there

      Report Post »  
    • Teaparty-grammy
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:51am

      @ drattastic, who Posted:
      All very amusing .What I want for Walmart is for them to start treating their employees better and how about some American made products .I don’t care if it cost me a little more money. You can’t walk into a Walmart and find a happy employee ( like the old days)if you can find an employee at all. They run a skeleton crew at all times and I suspect that the manager’s bonuses are based on keeping the “help to a minimum and paying them peanuts.

      No, actually their bonuses are based on pressuring employees to work off the clock through their lunch hours and after work for free. They got in trouble for this repeatedly a few years ago in different states. When they did, it was always some“rogue manager acting on his own authority”. But they forgot to mention they give the managers impossible man-hour expense goals to meet and put heavy pressure on them to do “whatever they have to” to meet them–and that is the result. And when they get caught, they throw the manager under the bus and pay a fine, which, for a country that makes BILLIONS every DAY (true statistic, there, not an exaggeration), that hardly amounts to “punishment” for their sins. The way they’ve been sucking up to MOO-chelle lately, I suspect they are positioning themselves to be the “state store” once the moonbats establish their new “soviet-style” state.

      Report Post » Teaparty-grammy  
    • Uranium Wedge
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 3:06am

      Wsj?

      Report Post » Uranium Wedge  
    • fastfacts
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 3:17am

      Remember that it was Wal-Mart that sided with Big Sister Janet Napolitano to ask customer’s to report terrorism, this from the Wal-Mart tv’s.

      This was the same lady that said that domestic terrorists were the most dangerous to us in America: http://tiny.cc/a857w

      She was also the lady that criticized the Arizona law, then admitted that she never read it: http://tiny.cc/8h0gg

      HYPOCRISY COMES IN SO MANY WAYS

      Report Post »  
    • THIS GENERATION
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 9:01am

      TEAPARTY-GRAMMY, If daddy only knew, his kids wouldn’t own Wal-mart. What a shame these kids of his has brought to his good work.

      Report Post » THIS GENERATION  
    • Mimi2B
      Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:49pm

      I havel been a Walmart associate for ten years. Never once have I been asked or forced to work off the clock or skip my meal break or been locked in the building. I have excellent health insurance and I make a good wage. I am not on welfare, not below the poverty level, own my home, drive a decent car and I have retirement savings. I raised two boys that proudly serve our country and never had to do without. There are many others like me who proudly go to work everyday and thank God we still have jobs. I have seen donations from our store that are amazing, usually for organizations that are in the immediate area of the store. And I am willing to bet that those that criticize my company either want something for nothing or never worked a day in retail. If you don’t like Walmart, don’t shop there. You have the freedom to make that choice.

       
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