A Comparative Analysis: Shopping at Walmart vs. Local Stores

This comparative essay examines the contrasting shopping experiences offered by Walmart and local stores. It delves into consumer behavior, highlighting how busy lifestyles and preferences influence shopping choices. The essay explores Walmart's advantages, such as its extensive product range, discounts, and online presence, while acknowledging the continued relevance of local stores, especially in rural areas. The analysis covers various aspects, including product availability, pricing strategies, customer service, and the impact of online shopping. The essay highlights the importance of supermarkets adapting to customer demands, emphasizing the need for fair prices, diverse options, and a satisfying shopping experience. It concludes by suggesting that both types of stores should tailor their strategies to meet customer expectations for value and convenience.

Running Head: COMPARATIVE ESSAY
Comparative Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COMPARATIVE ESSAY
Topic – Comparative Essay on Shopping at Walmart vs. Shopping at local stores
When two different ways of shopping is being compared, people do not realize that they
undergo both of the shopping ways without even knowing it. The contemporary society and the
busy life schedule has made people shop while working or after the work at the weekends.
However, most of the people go to the stores and spend time to go through the racks for
purchasing something (Nalchigar et al., 2016, July). The ways of shopping can be different but
the aim of the customers is always getting the best quality product at affordable prices. The
people with busy lifestyle especially the working women are rapidly being driven towards
shopping at the supermarkets. The essay will brief the shopping experience in Walmart in
contrast to the shopping experience in a local store.
In case of Walmart, it is almost the largest supermarket in the United States. People
prefer to purchase from here because of several reasons. Similar to Walmart, there is a growing
scenario of other supermarkets based on the customer preferences. It is an interesting feature of
Walmart that it attracts maximum customers by supplying fresh goods, providing discounts on
multiple purchase and by simplifying the shopping experience as customers get everything they
want at a single store (Parvatiyar, Donthu & Gruen, 2018). On the contrary although the local
stores are losing their demand, in the rural areas where there is less facility of supermarket like
Walmart, these are the only option and run successfully. In the urban areas, there are some
special differentiating attributes which fascinates the customers towards the supermarkets.
According to a latest survey it has been found that people prefer to go to Walmart for the
purchase of day-to day cooking products and other utility products.

2COMPARATIVE ESSAY
The customers respond positively to the saving of money and time while shopping from
Walmart. They even avail the fresh meat, fish stored and preserved and do not have to struggle
for visiting a fish shop or a butcher’s shop. They get whatever they want from a single one-stop
shop (Robson & Pitt, 2018). The online presence of Walmart also privileges them to order
online and get the needful delivered right at their homes. Walmart is also famous for its fresh
milk products, frozen goods and the confectioneries too. The beverage products are another
segment that is also available at Walmart. As far as raw vegetables and fruits are concerned,
customers might prefer to buy from the local store where there is less scope for freezing and
fresh goods are obtained in most of the times. As a contrast, the local stores provide discounts
on selected items and the amount is less. Whereas in Walmart, people avail theme base offers on
a particular period. The supermarket provides the international food products and many other
products which are not available at the local store.
The finance schemes are also sometimes provided for easy shopping such as coupon
offers, membership/loyalty cards and others. Overall, the customers feel comfortable while
shopping at Walmart ad there is no change or mistake in the product the customers choose as
they choose it by themselves (Shannon, 2016). There are many staffs as compared to the local
store which usually have 2-3 staffs and create mess most of the times. However, the local stores
help find the right product wanted by the customers and the customers are saved from feeling
uncomfortable while they do not find the right product right at the place (Kahn, 2018). It usually
happens due to misplaced quotations. Sometimes, the customers find the frozen goods at
Walmart to be frozen for a long time that reduces the actual taste of the goods.
In a nutshell, it can be said that the appearance of the supermarkets has provided the
customers extra options for experiencing their shopping. The supermarkets have become the

3COMPARATIVE ESSAY
“focal point” to the busy working people (Hwang & Park, 2015). The services of the
supermarkets are found to be highly beneficial for the customers. However, it is suggested that
they must listen more to the customer demands and changes should be made in their modes of
service. It has to be kept in mind that the customers want fair price, discounts and variety of
captivating options along with feeling better. The stores irrespective of being a supermarket like
Walmart or a local store should tailor their service strategy according to that.

4COMPARATIVE ESSAY
References
Hwang, M., & Park, S. (2015). The impact of walmart supercenter conversion on consumer
shopping behavior. Management Science, 62(3), 817-828.
Kahn, B. E. (2018). The Shopping Revolution: How Successful Retailers Win Customers in an
Era of Endless Disruption. Wharton Digital Press.
Nalchigar, S., Weber, I., Lak, P., & Bener, A. (2016, July). A large-scale study of online
shopping behavior. In
Parvatiyar, A., Donthu, N., & Gruen, T. W. (2018). Value of Outsourcing Sales and Marketing
by CPG Companies in the Age of Retail Disruptions. Handbook of Advances in
Marketing in an Era of Disruptions: Essays in Honour of Jagdish N. Sheth, 256.
Robson, K., & Pitt, L. (2018). People of walmart: Targeting the world’s largest retailer and its
customers. SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals.
Shannon, J. (2016). Beyond the supermarket solution: Linking food deserts, neighborhood
context, and everyday mobility. Annals of the American Association of
Geographers, 106(1), 186-202.