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Q: Wal Mart in China
In 22 years of living in America I think I only set foot in a Wal Mart 5 or 6 times either because I was with someone who wanted to go there or I needed to buy something quickly and wasn't sure where else to go. I was never a huge fan of Wal Mart for various reasons - mainly being the perceived low quality products and the fact that I'd rather support local businesses in downtown areas.
But boy oh boy my opinion of the big retail beast has changed since I came to China! Wal Mart is a godsend to me and I do most of my weekly shopping there now. I find the quality and variety of products to be better than most local alternatives. What's more, the prices are lower too! Some examples:
1. blueberry cereal that is 45 kuai at the local foreign foods shop is 30 kuai at Wal Mart
2. a box of imported milk goes for 10-15 kuai at Wal Mart
3. A bottle of drinkable imported California wine for only 58 kuai at Wal Mart
4. Cans of godl Harbin beer for 2.1 kuai at Wal Mart
5. Liter cans of German beer for 24 kuai at Wal mart that are 30+ at other stores
6. A fresh loaf of tasty bread for 3 kuai!
Now, I think my new fondness of Wal Mart has nothing to do with the company itself. It just happens to be that Wal Mart sells similar quality stuff in China and America but in America it's the bottom of the barrel while in China it's near the top (yes, I know there are specialty markets and what not but can't compete with Wal Mart on price). I can buy mostly imported stuff there without breaking the bank. The selection of local products is also diverse, good quality and reasonably priced.
So, does anyone share my feelings towards Wal Mart? Is there a better place to shop in your city? I know Metro is popular and it just came to my city but the location is very inconvenient on the outskirts of town.
u sure would have liked my last apartment in SZ.......... the apartment building complex had as it's foundation building a Wal-Mart! Yep, my elevator would let me off right in WallyWorld ! 
sure was convenient.....
I tried a couple of different Walmarts here and TBH think they are crap compared to Park N Shop and Jusco (now Aeon). They've tried to copy the style of Chinese supermarkets but are dark and dingy in my view. Even Vanguard have better stores. Saying that we all have our personal preferences so glad you're happy shopping there 
u sure would have liked my last apartment in SZ.......... the apartment building complex had as it's foundation building a Wal-Mart! Yep, my elevator would let me off right in WallyWorld ! sure was convenient.....
I don't like Wallmart offering, it's like upscale Vanguard ^^ The shops I've been too (Nanjing, Suzhou) were dirty, few special products, and some bad experiences (Polish milk, I'm looking at you)
Metro have lots of quality products, it really kicks ass. Frozen fillets, impressive wine offering, lots of good coffees, biscuits, etc, etc. But it's upscale. Auchan/ Carrefour are half way between Wallmart and Metro, with some cheap typical European products like pickled olives, quality biscuits, etc.
most cargo containers come back to china empty rather than full on the way to the west, so the transport cost on imported goods is not so bad and walmart ships and has many containers under their control to send goods to china and make a profit on volume rather than price.
the duties and local taxes make the imported things much higher but walmart has very good cost control for high volume items like milk. specialty items with low volume are not something they can beat competitors on price with, they actually dont even try,
i think walmart is only in china because the export so much to the west, they might as use the offices for retail and sell some high volume items to help offset the overhead, they dont think of china as a market to get rich or go crazy in, particularly after they got their ass kicked in germany, they tread lightly into new markets and carry a big stick now, mergers and aquisitions have burned them too often.
most countries need walmart but walmart does not need them.
i have owned stock in walmart, been a regular shopper, and done limited business with walmart.
for consumers that are low or middle income, they may be great but doing business with them really sucks.
they try to pay vendors in 90 days and some companies actually give them the product and get paid 90 days after the full order is sold. the more competitors you have fighting to supply walmart, the more they will squeeze your cash flow.
i only did business with walmart prepaid with discount, no credit whatsoever. walmart is dr jekyl and mr hyde.
I think you are the first foreigner I have ever heard say anything positive about Walmart in China. I always find them pretty filthy and they are sure place to witness some awful Chinese behavior. I once saw a kid take a dump right in the middle of the fruit and veg section in a Walmart in Shanghai. I guess the bargains you speak of attract the bottom feeders.
Carrefour is the shop for me.
dongbeiren:
Perhaps it depends on the city you're in. Walmart tends to bring out the dregs of society in America too because there are a lot better options. In a lot of places in China those options simply don't exist and Walmart is definitely better than the typical Chinese supermarket. There actually used to be a Carrefour near where I lived but it was horribly under stocked with no service and has since closed. I realize that is not typical and was probably unique to that one location but Walmart is the best nearby option for me.
When will Lidl or Aldi make a move into China? Soon i hope...
Jusco (aeon) and rt mart seem best for selection and price. Ole, only seen in jinan, good but expensive. Carrefour, service is terrible, long lines and few check out lines ever open
diverdude1:
Ole is in SZ. Bring your wallet... lol 
to be fair though it is by far the best supermarket in China and I would say maybe in the world (at least the one in SZ is) If I remember correctly it's in King Key mall, but I haven't been there in a very long time and my memory sux to boot.
BHGAL:
I have little good to say about the new (last year +) Ole place in that fancy new undergroud mall thing in Guangzhou...Tianhe.... not bad, but very expensive and I know where to get most of the stuff without paying their premium price.
tbh66:
There are ole throughout china, I have only been to the one in jinan.
