anyone hear about these strange wal mart closings?

[karlac]

I had a dream last night that my local Big Lots closed without warning. Store fully stocked, but it was just inexplicably shut down. I was mad because I then had to goto WalMart for TP.

No way; this thread jack is good. How about "butcher block" counter-tops. I'm a bit dubious on their durability, but they don't cost all that much and are easy to repair.

The best "edge grain" butcher block counter top material, which is generally the less expensive, is more expensive than mid priced granite, and takes a good deal of maintenance ... forever.

Don't get much call for full butcher block counter tops these days, but do spec quite a few partial "end grain" counter tops for those who really want a cutting board surface:

https://picasaweb.google.com/111355...itchen201102?noredirect=1#5679345635462551890

https://picasaweb.google.com/111355...itchen201102?noredirect=1#5679345696973532274

Basically, the "butcher block look" is making a slight come back, but hasn't gained much traction from what I can see. There were a lot of cheap, faux laminate butcher block counter tops back in the 70's and I think many folks are still suffering from seeing too many of those.

YMMV..

 

[stdreb27]

One of my customers told me last night that FEMA really owns them and ordered them closed. Said he had inside government confirmation.

Said it with a straight face too.

Government confirmation or contamination.

 

[stdreb27]

The best "edge grain" butcher block counter top material, which is generally the less expensive, is more expensive than mid priced granite, and takes a good deal of maintenance ... forever.

Don't get much call for full butcher block counter tops these days, but do spec quite a few partial "end grain" counter tops for those who really want a cutting board surface:

https://picasaweb.google.com/111355...itchen201102?noredirect=1#5679345635462551890

https://picasaweb.google.com/111355...itchen201102?noredirect=1#5679345696973532274

Basically, the "butcher block look" is making a slight come back, but hasn't gained much traction from what I can see. There were a lot of cheap, faux laminate butcher block counter tops back in the 70's and I think many folks are still suffering from seeing too many of those.

YMMV..

I would love a butcher block counter. Just can't see how you sanitize em.

 

[I hate dry counties]

There's people posting on social networks that these "closed walmarts" will be FEMA camps soon. IDK if this is coming from Alex Jones or what not but some people seem to be addicted to conspiracy theories and actually hope for this shit to happen.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

When my old Walmart shut down, it just kinda sat around empty for about 10 years. Now it's a pretty nice storage facility. I hope they do that with the old vacant HEB building.

For those wondering, both just moved to bigger buildings.

 

[jrbfishn]

I would love a butcher block counter. Just can't see how you sanitize em.

Read a good article some years ago. A wood block kept clean was tested to have less bacteria than a synthetic one. The wood would somewhat self heal, the other no leaving cuts and roughness that are hard to sanitize. If the right wood was used, chemicals in it would also help kill bacteria. I still prefer it over anything else.

 

[jrbfishn]

Government confirmation or contamination.

Was busy trying not to laugh.

He bought a lot of ammo getting ready for the government takeover.

 

[TwinGlocks]

Thanks Obama!

 

[karlac]

I would love a butcher block counter. Just can't see how you sanitize em.

Cheap and easy.
Besides soap and water after use, keep a spray bottle of white vinegar handy.

And to stay on topic, Walmart sells it in gallon bottles, and the spray bottles too.

 

[BG1960]

strange days, indeed...

 

[Savage20]

No, what it means it that little mom and pop stores sometimes don't do anything to differentiate their products and services in a way that the market cares.

Walmart doesn't "shut people down." They just show up and do a better job of giving the market what it wants.

I'm not a Walmart fan at all, but those are the facts.

Who has ever seen a Wal-Mart show up that did not bring dozens of other businesses with it? Not me...

 

[TheDan]

The best "edge grain" butcher block counter top material, which is generally the less expensive, is more expensive than mid priced granite

Even for a DIY install?

 

[karlac]

Even for a DIY install?

Yep, per square foot for the "edge grain" material is equivalent to a mid priced granite per square foot.
You can find cheaper, but the quality would not be the same.

Installation is always a separate charge with counter tops, and that price depends upon the material, as well as edge profiles and cutouts for sinks, ect.

Butcher block, being wood, is very DIY friendly (with the right saws/tools), and is where the savings can make a big difference in upfront cost.

Not available at WalMart ...

 

[stdreb27]

I <3 conspiracy theories!

http://conservativepost.com/helicop...sed-walmarts-heres-whats-taking-place-inside/

 

[Army 1911]

Heard on the radio that the closings were because of employee demands for higher wages. Reminds me of the camera store in Chicago that closed when the employees tried to unionize. That store took up a square city block and did so much mail order that all the companies, Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Leica, Hasselblad, Sinar, et al, had full time reps there just to take orders every day. Aldens was the name of something like that. They just closed rather than unionize. This was in the 70s as I recall.

 

[Coiled]

I'm not going to read the thread word-word so, any hard proof as to why these stores closed? Proof, not theories.

We likely would all agree it wasn't plumbing issues and as for the Livingston store specifically, I find it difficult to believe it was wasn't profitable. I've passed it many times over the years and the parking lot is usually full as seen in the gooey earth pic just 6 months before this thread. I even went by there while this thread was active and thought it very eerie there were no customers.

Why a bump? Because I was in the Livingston store this evening and beyond narrow aisles, it is one of the cleanest, quietest Wallys I've ever been in, including the RR.

 

[Younggun]

It could very well be that they are going to rebrand the stores with another name. We’re the all employees terminated or are they all on a temporary leave?

Dude, this happened in 2015, lol.

 

[baboon]

Dude, this happened in 2015, lol.

Yeah so much for posting before coffee is even started.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

I remember reading why some closures were do to bad locations,
High theft loss, high taxes. Remember when Wally world came about people didnt want them due to the smaller mom and pop stores would lose business?

Well thats exactly what happened just like the internet.

Some cities where Wally world wanted to build didn't give them Tax breaks and it finally took its toll on those locations.

Home Depot has done the same because some stores were built on leased land. They want to own the land therefor they can lease out partials to small businesses to make more money.
It's all about the BIG bucks theory.

 

[Younggun]

I remember reading why some closures were do to bad locations,
High theft loss, high taxes. Remember when Wally world came about people didnt want them due to the smaller mom and pop stores would lose business?

Well thats exactly what happened just like the internet.

Some cities where Wally world wanted to build didn't give them Tax breaks and it finally took its toll on those locations.

Home Depot has done the same because some stores were built on leased land. They want to own the land therefor they can lease out partials to small businesses to make more money.
It's all about the BIG bucks theory.

The closed stores reopened.

The only lead on anything besides plumbing was claims by a Union associated with Walmart employees that the stores closed due to Union activism.

The idea being they used plumbing as an excuse to lay everyone off, close the store until paid leave expired and workers moved on, and then hire fresh staff. Though I don’t know if that case was ever settled.