[Brantonio2709]

I currently work for Walmart and anything can be put back in the system that has been taken out, the only things that can't be sold that a customer might find on the sales floor are items that manufactures have put on recall and sometimes displays, and why would you want to buy that anyways? I don't agree with every policy Walmart runs on but it really is all about location, the Walmart I for for has wonderful managers (for the most part and they usually give the customer what they want (especially when price matching) and they bend the rules everyday to keep our customers coming back... Just yesterday a customer was told by someone in the garden center that she couldn't have the plastic pots from the leftover Christmas poinsettias that perished in the sudden cold weather we are currently experiencing, because the plants are composted ( which is given to local farmers for their crops the pots just get thrown away, the lady wanted to speak with a manager about why they can't give them away and when the manager arrived he gave them to her AND told her to come back if she ever needed more! While I can most definitely agree that there are Walmarts with terrible customer service I also know that some go above and beyond to keep you coming back... I'm sorry foe the bad experiences you've all had in your Walmarts but I hope you can find one close by that treats you like store #5389 treats their customers!

[laffyg]

The reason for stores tossing instead of donating is that they get a bigger write off on their taxes. If the government would give bigger tax credits for donating there wouldn't be so much waste.

[kcochranx2]

Wow what a waste. I wonder if we sent messages to Wal Mart headquarters, via the web, to encourage something different to be done.

[russman4]

As disturbing as it seems, there actually IS a reason why retailers do this type of thing. It doesn't mean it's logical, nor reasonable, nor acceptable morally, but capitalism and morality seldomly blend together well.

Years ago where I worked part-time, there was a little store that catered to very low income people. Early every morning, they would bring back from grocers and restaurants day old breads, pastries, pies and cakes (or nearly day old). The items were severly discounted - I remember we would buy a few items now and then, because the owner knew our boss and let us purchase now and then. Loaves of bread were 25 cents. A dozen doughnuts were 50 cents, and so on. At the end of the day what was not sold (usually most was sold) was given away for free, instead of thrown away.

After a year in business, over a period of a month, the amount of food stuffs began to shrink. Each week they had less and less to sell, until finally, one morning, their doors were closed for good. Our boss told me that the grocers and restaurants who had supplied them with the goods decided that it was against their interests to allow the food to be sold so cheaply, because it diminished the value of their goods.
So, they went back to throwing away good food instead.

Never mind that those who purchased the items couldn't afford the regular prices anyway and would never have purchased them - the fact was that word was out and really anyone could walk in and purchase the food instead of buying it at regular prices. So it came to an end.

That's why they would rather throw an item out after a period of time.

[Lovage2]

I was looking for day old bread once to make a bread pudding and asked at my local Wegmans where they put such items. I was told "we don't" at the close of each day (they close at midnight) all the "day old" and "soon to expire" baked goods and produce get sent to the local shelter/soup kitchen. Sure it means I have to go to Giant to get deals on stuff like that for myself but I was so happy to hear that someone in this area is doing something good with the food instead of destroying it!
They told me it's Wegman's policy to do so wherever there are organizations that can take the food.

[Robbo]

Wish I had a Wegman's... I'd patronize them on purpose just for that.

[babyrn]

Originally Posted by Lovage2

I was looking for day old bread once to make a bread pudding and asked at my local Wegmans where they put such items. I was told "we don't" at the close of each day (they close at midnight) all the "day old" and "soon to expire" baked goods and produce get sent to the local shelter/soup kitchen. Sure it means I have to go to Giant to get deals on stuff like that for myself but I was so happy to hear that someone in this area is doing something good with the food instead of destroying it!
They told me it's Wegman's policy to do so wherever there are organizations that can take the food.

to Wegman's!!!!!

[babyrn]

Originally Posted by Robbo

Wish I had a Wegman's... I'd patronize them on purpose just for that.

[bumperchic]

Back in the day when I was in High School I worked at a bakery and every Sunday morning a lady from her church would come and pick up the "day old donuts" that were actually made on Saturday that didnt sell. She took them to a homeless shelter and it was such a good feeling giving her those donuts so someone else could enjoy them rather than trashing them.

[lms28023]

The local Food Lion in China Grove(NC) gives leftove deli to to a small local food bank. I think Harris-Teeter donates locally too.

[Sher71481]

Originally Posted by Brantonio2709

I am a Walmart garden center associate so I feel that it's my duty to reply to this thread.... I completely agree about the plants, I can't count on my hands the number of times a customer has asked me if they could purchase a plant that has been deemed unsellable but if you were at my store my dept manager and I would sell you one anyways and at a very generous discount because we still practice the Sam Walton Way, the customers always right... As far as produce goes my store donates everything that's about to go to our local Care-A-Toss as well as dented cans, opened boxes of individually wrapped foods, soon to expire milk and formula, and any other product that we can, our Green Team is dedicated to not only recycling but helping out the community, we are currently working to get the books donated but it's gotta go through home office first, just wanted y'all to know that there are walmarts out there working for more than just a paycheck but here we really do care about our community! I hope this restores a little bit of your faith in Walmart we aren't all bad!

I WISH my local store practiced the Sam Walton way!! He was a good man!! My store practices the Stacy (whatever the hell his last name is) way. He i he is GOD as he is the store manager of Wal-Mart hold him to the higher power!!!! Sam Walton would roll over in his grave if he knew some of the things that go on now!

[shanabunch]

That's awesome! I wish that one I worked at that time had been like that!

[shanabunch]

The local Kroger and I think the Food Lion as well here donate their food items (mostly bread but sometimes canned soups and such as well) to a local ministry here that is similar to salvation army. They have a thrift store and a homeless men's shelter and are very good to help out people in the community as often as possible with furniture, clothes, etc. I think it is wonderful when stores donate these items to people who can still get use out of them rather than just throw them out.

[daisy]

Walmart does donate a LOT of food in our area. Our DDs church has a program that provides daily free lunches to needy people. They cook the lunches and pkg them to go.
There is a WM distribution center nearby and WM gives the church cases of good stuff to use.
It is fresh food , not left over or out dated food.

I understand why they are careful with food items that are outdated. If someone got sick they could have a big law suit.

Also there are people who would get items and take them back for refunds

Locally they mark clothes down to as low as $1 an item. I doubt if there is much left to shred here.

[Gibber69]

I have to speak up for the Wal-Mart, Target, K-Marts, and other retailers these company do what ever they can with in the limits of the law. I work in retail and the store that I worked at used to donate to a local food shelter untill someone who went to the food shelter got food from there and tried sued the retailer by saying the food was bad (they lost) we stopped sending food there and now we send any and all food to a food bank who then sends the food out to the food shelters. You would be supprised at all the good these companys do that you just don't hear about. All the news reports about is the bad. And just so you know there is NO incinerator on site at any Retail stores.

[reed76]

WAL-MART HAS POLICY THAT THEY MUST FOLLOW WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD AND MERCHANDISE. I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD WANT TO GET SICK FROM SOMETHING THAT WM WAS GOING TO THROW AWAY,BUT THEN THEY SOLD IT TO YOU ANYWAY. I DONT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING WM DOES, BUT THEY ARE NO DIFFERANT THEN ANY OTHER RETAILER/GROCERY STORE. THEY ARE JUST OUT IN FRONT SO THEY GET MORE ATTENTION. WM ALSO DONATES CLOTHES AND FOOD TO HOMELESS SHELTERS. THEY ARE PARTNERS WITH FEED AMERICA AND THEY HAVE A RECYLING PROGRAM THAT EVERY WM IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON.

[reed76]

I agree i think once his "kids" took over thing diffently changed ( sam has rolled over quit a few times)

[Brantonio2709]

I just helped my store manager take all the leftover Christmas merchandise including clothing and shoes (not Christmas) to our local Womens Shelter, right before we left he told me "go grab some of those $5 clearance playdoh toys to give to the kids at the shelter", I asked him how many and his reply was "all of them"!!!' I love the Walmart I work for, and the store manager personally drove with us to give the stuff to the shelter... I wish other Walmart store managers would follow his lead!!!

[Sher71481]

Originally Posted by Brantonio2709

I just helped my store manager take all the leftover Christmas merchandise including clothing and shoes (not Christmas) to our local Womens Shelter, right before we left he told me "go grab some of those $5 clearance playdoh toys to give to the kids at the shelter", I asked him how many and his reply was "all of them"!!!' I love the Walmart I work for, and the store manager personally drove with us to give the stuff to the shelter... I wish other Walmart store managers would follow his lead!!!

That is a beautiful thing! I wish ALL Wal-Mart store managers were like that!!

[daisy]

Seems like the bigger the companies are
the more bad press they get.
Same with McDonalds. People are not forced to eat there.
Why take the toys from the happy meals because parents don't choose what their children eat.

Both WM and McDs do a lot of good things .

I don't like some stores but I don't say bad things about them. I just don't go there.

I rarely go to a WM.

[megan.wike90]

Wal-Mart used to donate & sell items to shelters & such for cheap.. They also used to sell expired produce & food to farmers & such for food. But there have been several lawsuits brought on by people that ruined it for everyone. They were suing because they got harmed in some way for eating an expired product & such. Just about every store now destroys their back stock, rather than donating, to avoid expensive lawsuits.

[shameit]

And if one wal-mart store is doing so much good,,what I dont understand,,is why cant/dont they all?

[saponimimi]

And we wonder why our country is in the prediciment it is in.......

[mtyner2]

I dont know about Walmart but I do know that at Dollar General that some of the clearance items will eventually get put in the system as a penny. Once this happens they are not able to sell it and it has to be thrown away. So even if they miss something on the shelf and it rings up for a penny they are not allowed to sale it to you. Very frustrating.

[jennabell12]

I worked at walmart for almost 2 years and yes you cant sell anything that is not in the system because the computer will not allow you. but you could of talked to a manager and they might of been willing to just give them to you. I have seen the managers at my old store give customers old displays and what not because they wanted then. and as far as a compost goes, they do have a compost, and im pretty sure they dont have a place where they burn things. We also dont destroy cloths that would be a waste of money, they mark it down to like a buck and well if they cant sell it then they send it back and then that manufacture does what they want with it. you cant believe everything you read in the paper or what someone is saying about walmart, or any department/supercenter for that matter. I am a firm believer in if you dont like walmart...then simply dont shop there...go somewhere else. I also know for a fact, if you return food products, that it is STATE LAW that we CAN NOT resale that. even if it is unopened or unused, for example a can of corn. We have to damage it out and ship it back to whereever it came from. and this is coming from personal experience, I have had to damage out bags of food before because someone bought to much. thats a waste...go donate it. if walmart or any other company gets caught reselling that product then they get in trouble. end of my rant!