Walmart - Does the Devil wear Prada or Faded Glory?
Written: Dec 27 '05 (Updated Mar 15 '08)
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For most of my life I lived in a town where Wal-Mart was considered the equivalent to the Devil. Target and Kmart stores were ok with our city officials, but if I wanted to visit the nearest Wal-Mart I would have to cross an entire mountain range. Instead of driving over 100 miles every time I wanted to visit my nearest Wal-Mart, I frequented Wal-Mart's online store.
About Walmart.com
With the exception of beauty products, food, firearms, etc. Wal-Mart's online store features nearly everything that you would normally find at their retail store. Wal-Mart’s online store also features some extra stuff. For example, at Wal-Mart's online store you can book vacations and you can now download songs for just 88 cents (11 cents cheaper than iTunes). Note: You must download Wal-Mart’s software (6.2 MB) in order to download songs (takes about 2 minutes when using a DSL connection). Wal-Mart’s music store is not available to Mac and Linux users. Windows users must have Windows 98, 2000, or XP and have Microsoft Media Player 9 (downloadable from Walmart.com for free).
Navigation:
Walmart.com is a very large online store, so an easy-to-use website is a must. Wal-Mart has done a great job with its formatting, offering multiple product categories neatly arranged on their home page. Main categories include, Electronics, Music, Movies, Sports, Baby, Toys, For the Home, Garden and Patio, Photo Center, Apparel, Gifts and Flowers, Pharmacy, Jewelry, and Books. If you can't find what you are looking for, Walmart.com offers an excellent search engine.
Selection:
The selection at Walmart.com is nowhere near as generous as its retail stores, however it's still a gigantic store, offering a large selection in each of its product categories. When it comes to name brands, Walmart.com features most of its dealer brands i.e. Faded Glory and thousands of non-dealer brands as well. Wal-Mart offers over 80,000 music CD titles (most Genres), 800,000 downloadable songs, and over 40,000 movie titles.
The only major rant I have with Wal-Mart’s selection is its somewhat scant selection of downloadable songs. While 800,000 song titles sounds impressive, there have been multiple occasions where I would have to go over to iTunes to download my music due to a song not being available. If Walmart.com even hopes to compete with Napster, Rhapsody, and iTunes, they are going to have to better their selection.
Prices:
You can almost always count on finding a great deal at Walmart.com. Usually you can bet on saving anywhere from 10-20% over retail, however it's not unusual to find a clearance item for 80% off. In comparison to Target.com and kmart.com, Walmart.com seems to always have them both beat when it comes to low pice tags.
Checking out:
To finalize a purchase you must fill out a pain-free personal information form and create an account. Once you have created an account you can purchase items without ever having to re-enter your billing info, unless you are using a new address or using a new credit card. At checkout Walmart.com accepts major credit cards (Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express), Wal-Mart credit cards, and Wal-Mart gift cards.
Shipping:
Shipping fees are based on the weight and size of your order, as well as your delivery address in some cases. Since most of the items I have purchased from Wal-Mart have been compact and lightweight, I have got some pretty good deals on shipping; never paying over 15 bucks on a single order. While Wal-Mart’s delivery method is great for those buying expensive lightweight items, for those planning on buying heavy items i.e. televisions, prices on shipping can rise in the hundreds of dollars. Shipping methods include standard shipping, 2-3 day shipping, 1-day shipping, and freight carrier (for oversized items).
Arrival Time:
Wal-Mart's online store has always been very punctual with my orders. When opting to use their standard shipping I have never had to wait more than 7 days to receive an order; usually taking around 3 days to arrive. Note: Wal-Mart does not ship internationally.
Return Policy:
If you are not happy with your order, Wal-Mart offers an impressive 90-day window period on non-electronic and computer items. You can simply mail your order back using the pre-paid label for a full refund (minus shipping), or you can return it for cash or exchange at your local Wal-Mart. Note: Electronic equipment receive a 15-45 day return policy depending on the type of gadget.
Customer Service:
Wal-Mart's customer service, for the most part, has been excellent. I will usually receive my online receipt almost instantly after placing my order along with a tracking number within 24 hours. If you do have any problems with your order, Wal-Mart offers a toll free number that is open 24-7.
Final Words:
Although Wal-Mart’s downloadable music section could use some work, Wal-Mart's online store is simple to use, offers a vast selection of goods, and excellent price tags to boot. If you plan on buying anything online, I highly suggest checking out Wal-Mart’s online store before making any final buying decisions.
Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Music, electronics, movies
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