This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Java Buzz by Michael Cote. Original Post: Profile of a non-Wal-Mart Customer Feed Title: Cote's Weblog: Coding, Austin, etc. Feed URL: https://cote.io/feed/ Feed Description: Using Java to get to the ideal state. Latest Java Buzz Posts Latest Java Buzz Posts by Michael Cote Latest Posts From Cote's Weblog: Coding, Austin, etc.

Check out Ruel's recent post, a "letter to Wal-Mart," for a fantastic (though inadvertent) profile of someone who is definitely not a Wal-Mart customer. That is, it details the opposite of the characteristics of Wal-Mart customers.

I really like reading and thinking about the Wal-Mart "story," as I do other large retail companies and people. The target customer for Wal-Mart, of course, is about 80% completely price-centric and 20% convenience centric. That is, customers are most concerned with price, and then a little concerned with having everything available under one roof.

Our man Ruel, however, is also interested in a quick check-out...which, really, isn't that important to Wal-Mart customers. Put another way, Wal-Mart customers will "gladly" sacrifice a speedy checkout for really cheap product.

I'm pretty much with Ruel: I avoid Wal-Mart because the process is too "big" all around:

• It takes too much time to checkout, the items are too generic and "normal" This is largely an aesthetic complaint, but the grocery selection is often more limited than, say, HEB.
• Wal-Marts are always "too far" for my lazy driving habits. The size of Wal-Mart demands a really big plot of land, so they're often located further out of the city than I'd like to drive.

The reason I end up going to Wal-Mart is because there's no where else to go for the item I want: like a cheap, plastic swimming pool for the dogs, or cheap door-mats. Indeed, I'm still motivated to get cheap-shit, but I'm willing to pay more for some stuff...or go to the dollar store instead, which is closer.