topic Re: Our Economy and Business Practices in Community Chat

Our Economy and Business Practices

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:13:47 GMT

Some days I think I have an understanding of this topic.

Some days I don't.

Since the new year, Walmart has delivered single items to me four times. A jar of mayo, rotini, Ritz crackers and tonight a can of soup.

We all know has this happens. You put in a free shipping order of over $35 and Walmart decides how they get each item to you. In my area Walmart uses uber for home deliveries. My driver tonight was funny. I met him at the door and told him Walmart must be crazy to do this.

uberGuy: Everybody says that to me. It's very depressing. You must have really wanted this can of soup. They don't tell me how much you pay for the delivery.

Me: Nothing -- it's part of free shipping over $35.

uberGuy: Not even the $10/month delivery program?

Me: No.

uberGuy: You're right. It's crazy.

I don't understand why they don't just put it in a box with the other shipped order items, which often also arrive one item in a box.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

On It — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:32:04 GMT

This started happening to me earlier in the year. It is so inefficient and has to be a money losing proposition for Walmart. I got so frustrated after two deliveries were lost that I stopped ordering from Walmart for a while. I needed some larger items that were bigger ticket items, so I tried again, and they were shipped from a warehouse. Somebody in upper management has made some weird decisions. I think they are trying to challenge Amazon. Big mistake! Walmart should stay in their lane which is their distribution and shipping system not same day delivery. I don't usually have an emergency need for a can of soup that must be delivered that day.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:41:05 GMT

@On It Last year a Walmart manager told me every decision they make is to close the gap with Amazon inch by inch. They experiment constantly and drop ideas that don't work quickly. How long will this last?

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

On It — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:51:41 GMT

@PickyPicky3 wrote:
@On It Last year a Walmart manager told me every decision they make is to close the gap with Amazon inch by inch. They experiment constantly and drop ideas that don't work quickly. How long will this last?

I am glad someone told you their rationale. My frustration level got so high that I tried curbside delivery recently and was pleasantly surprised. It is efficient and well organized.

Walmart has a huge computer system that should have picked up these loses. I do not understand.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

PickyPicky3 — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 03:22:06 GMT

Walmart tries out different versions of an experiment in different locations at the same time. Initial losses are OK if their data show our ordering habits are changing because of this. We're being tracked, don'tcha know.

This won't affect my ordering habits, except that I like their cute GPS tracker.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

SilleeMee — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 03:58:35 GMT

I had two WM items from two different orders that got lost in the mail so I called WM CS and they refunded me the money. Two days later the items showed up at my door. I got free stuff from WM. But my point is, how many times does that happen? They gotta be losing money there? They probably wrote it off on some insurance claim...'lost packages' or something like that.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Snowpuppy — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 05:06:28 GMT

I quit ordering from them about a year ago for the same reason. I got 1 bottle of syrup shipped. Then a box of oatleal in a single box.

The oatmeal was out for delivery 5 days in a row. They refunded my $ and the box showed up, the oatmeal was all over the inside of the box.

It's rare I order from the A. They are awful.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Snoopp — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:10:30 GMT

I order from Walmart frequently. I’ve started to get used to the shipping in separate boxes. What I have a big problem with is delivery-dropping a box at the curb or in the middle of my driveway instead of bringing the box to the front door.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Foxxee — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:49:06 GMT

There's always at least one here who says they aren't having problems with a retailer, so it looks like it will be me this time. Lol.

To answer a few here who don't like orders sent in multiple boxes, there is a reason.

I used to get all my orders from a warehouse in Ohio, then Covid and shortages hit. Instead of telling us something is out of stock, Walmart's system looks at all their other warehouses, if in stock, will send it from that one or from a local store.

I'd rather receive my order in multiple boxes and from the store than be told "out of stock."

Of course...Walmart doesn't want their customers going to Amazon if something is out of stock or can't be delivered quickly.

I'm getting some of my orders delivered from the local store, either the same day or next morning, and other items shipped next day.

Local residents wanting to make extra money deliver from my Walmart store. No Uber or any other company.

The only problems I have had with Walmart were not receiving two orders that were Fedex's fault. Walmart refunded me immediately. No questions asked, no implying I was a thief. It's nice to be believed.

The second problem was before Covid when the warehouse was adding additional items I didn't order to the box. Everything else was there. One call to CS and that stopped.

A third problem, also before Covid, was when the Ohio warehouse was not packing the box properly. One call and that stopped.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Imaoldhippie — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:55:51 GMT

For me the whole world has gone nutty in every way. I stopped trying to figure anything out because it was impossible.

So Cay Sera Sera!

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

CalminHeart — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:18:47 GMT

This has happened to me too, but never for something as small as a can of soup. I placed an order the other day and the whole thing was delivered the next morning instead of being shipped.

I might be more cost effective for them to have things delivered than shipped. FedEx and UPS prices have really gone up, more than USPS.

It also has to be in the company's contract that they deliver.

I sure hope drivers get paid for it. If not, I'll stop ordering.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Laura14 — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:50:09 GMT

Actually I am sitting here thinking and it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to have a local gig worker pick up your order and drive it over to you.

Between the cost of packing materials, labels, printer ink, workers comp insurance, the payroll and employee benefits packages, storage, postage and overhead if you shipped in house (or even if contracted out in which case the costs would be passed along), it's probably peanuts to cut it all out and just pay a gig guy or girl while they're on their own dime, gas, and insurance to run a quick errand for everyone.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

chrystaltree — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:55:15 GMT

Why does it matter? You got your items? Isn't that the point and why did you have a long conversation with some Uber driver? I cant wrap my head around that. I use Uber, Ubereats, Uber Delivery frequently and I have never said more than "thank you" to any of them. Also ALL of my bags and all of my meal deliveries come sealed. No driver know anything about what I bought or how I am paying and they don't care. Those of us who use delivery services do it for the convenience and the delivery charges are reasonable for us. It's a win win, we get delivery and people like your delivery guy get jobs.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

goldensrbest — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:17:57 GMT

Also, i find they do not ship quite alot of items,even though it says 1 day shipping,and 3 day shipping.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

millieshops — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:19:04 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I hope the reason for all single deliveries was that the items were not at hand I. The warehouse where the Rey of your order was filled.

I think if the company finds out it's losing more than it expected (every business has to expect losses) then they will change their offers.

One final though for now -- it may actually be more damaging to their bottom line not to deliver those singles than to make all the separate deliveries. Walmart is many times larger than QVC. Imagine how many social media complaints there would be if missing items were just ignored by the company.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

CelticCrafter — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:34:36 GMT

It isn't just Walmart.

There hav been times where I have ordered from Macy's and the order qualified for free shipping and they sent an order o 6 items out one at a time resulting in 6 packages.

Same thing with Zazzle. I placed an order for a 6 piece collection of printed items, all from the same designer. They came in 5 different shipments.

It's really ridiculous.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

gardenman — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:35:13 GMT

We look at things on the micro-scale. "How does this affect me?" The big retailers look at things on the macro-scale. "How does this affect the company?"

If your can of soup was readily available at a local store and they had a driver making deliveries in your area already, it made more sense to just have that driver deliver that can of soup than package it, send it to a distribution center where the rest of your order might be in stock. Have them accept it into inventory. Then find your big order and add it to that. Odds are your big order was already assembled and ready to ship, if not already shipped by that time. Keeping a nearly completed order hanging around until another piece comes in sounds easy and smart until you realize the volume of orders they're dealing with. If there were five hundred orders missing one component, keeping track of them and then finding them and adding the missing piece gets complicated.

On the macro-scale, it's better to absorb the cost and get the goods to the customer as quickly as possible.

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

patbz — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 16:04:22 GMT

Even though we shop frequently at WM we've never ordered from them, not even pick up. Substitutes would drive me nuts. We do, however, frequently order case lots from Sams and deliver within a couple of days for free if you are a member. I was getting ready to drop Sams membership ( prefer Costco) until we discovered this option ( we love it).

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

Spurt — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 20:38:44 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@PickyPicky3 I hope the reason for all single deliveries was that the items were not at hand I. The warehouse where the Rey of your order was filled.

I think if the company finds out it's losing more than it expected (every business has to expect losses) then they will change their offers.

One final though for now -- it may actually be more damaging to their bottom line not to deliver those singles than to make all the separate deliveries. Walmart is many times larger than QVC. Imagine how many social media complaints there would be if missing items were just ignored by the company.

@millieshops

A friend used to do Walmart curbside and that was such a disaster that she gave up on them.....

I do Instacart and Im a member so I get free deliveries of $35 or more...they do charge a $2 service fee and state tax......But my orders are large orders and total membership and fee/tax it works out to $12 a month to have groceries shopped and delivered and thats worth it to me especially the heavy items like 25 lbs kitty litter, large bags of cat food, laundry soap, gallon of milk, etc etc

And speaking of social media complaints and deliveries ....just check out UPS's Facebook Page filled with HORROR stories and mine is one of them from January...I paid extra to have it sent UPS for front door delivery, it was misdelivered! I Spoke to UPS Supervisors but no resolution, filed a complaint still no action, I finally filed complaint to get refund via CC....

Re: Our Economy and Business Practices

ECBG — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:26:05 GMT

We're between two walmarts so that is probably why some of my items arrive seperately.

I have ordered items that come direct from the manufacturer.