Walmart and Crowd control. Is it time for Ticketing in all stores?

[jaymacfla]

For years, we have seen the mounting evidence. In videos, news articles, and personal stories, Walmart is not the place to go if you are planning on a safe and sane Black Friday. Stores like Best Buy  and Tiger Direct (CompUSA) have successfully pulled off safer events by starting lines and handing out tickets and/or vouchers. What has Walmart done to protect it's shoppers? If 2013 is any indication then the answer is nothing. Everyone is filming the free-for-all with personal cell phones and posting the riotous activities on all of the major websites. On a larger scale, Walmart can tone down the terror on the floor with orderly lines and tickets, blended into the wave shopping that seems to be so popular these days. We all know that people fight over towels as much as electronics, so make any item that has historically been problematic a ticketed item as well, although smaller items can be bundled together to save on manpower.

 

Placing pallets in crowded aisles has never been smart, and placing the wrong items in the wrong places (like TVs and DVDs in produce) can be an unmitigated disaster. What are your feelings on this matter? Did you ever get nearly crushed while trying to save some unfortunate kids stuck in front of the razor scooter pallet like I did? Would changing the way Walmart does Black Friday ruin the experience for you?

[ObiRich]

The problem is that most of the items that start the fights aren't the real big ticket items, it's middle tier stuff like video games, DVDs, kitchen appliances, and even those dumb towels.  How do you set up a line or ticketing system for $1.00 towels?

[mcwalker]

I think Walmart needs to do a number of things, including tickets for the "hot" items.  I particularly don't like the lines in the aisles that they have been using for some time (and which I have never participated in).  I would prefer some well monitored and controlled lines outside the stores (no matter what the weather).

[mcwalker]

The problem is that most of the items that start the fights aren't the real big ticket items, it's middle tier stuff like video games, DVDs, kitchen appliances, and even those dumb towels.  How do you set up a line or ticketing system for $1.00 towels?

You are absolutely right.  The problem is that the stores are open and the areas around those pallets are accessible before the pallets are opened.  I am not sure of the answer for these.  One approach that coincides with some of my other comments would be it they closed ALL of their stores for at least a few hours on Thanksgiving, then open with things already available as other stores do, and bring out more of these items every hour or two and let people know that they will do that.

 

I think that we also understand that a big part of the problem is the behavior of a segment of the population who tend to shop at Walmart (as evidenced by the well known videos making fun of some Walmart shoppers).  Not sure what can be done about that, either.

[tsjbenny]

The last couple of years my Wal-Mart has not done a ticket system.  I only feel that tickets were not needed because there was more than enough items available.

Also, last year the one hour guarantee worked really well in my area.

[misstaken]

We used to live by a 24 hour Walmart. They would just let everyone come in and start putting things into their carts as soon as the pallets were out. Then it was just a waiting game until the registers allowed you to check out. I really preferred that approach over waiting until the exact minute and ripping open the pallets after huge crowds gather around them. It just seemed so much more relaxed. I don't know if that could work everywhere but there has to be a better way.

[bossy1]

We used to live by a 24 hour Walmart. They would just let everyone come in and start putting things into their carts as soon as the pallets were out. Then it was just a waiting game until the registers allowed you to check out. I really preferred that approach over waiting until the exact minute and ripping open the pallets after huge crowds gather around them. It just seemed so much more relaxed. I don't know if that could work everywhere but there has to be a better way.

 

We used to have the same thing at my walmart...and it worked great..The problems here have really escalated since the went to the early hours. We get a lot of "lookie loos" and a ton of kids. Most of these people have no idea how to behave in a BF environment and definetely don"t coral their children. I do think that a ticket system closer to BB or Target model might work better, but with what I have seen i'm not sure that anything short of going back to early morning hours would help. Just my opinion.

[bribri25]

I've never experienced the "open pallets" before the time, but I think that would be just as much chaos.....just earlier. If the sale starts at 8pm, people would get there at 5 pm and just wander around until the items are put out. And the chaos occurs from 5-6, instead of 8-8:10. I really think one line with handing out tickets should always be the best. If you were at the store first, you should get first pick. However I think you're going to run into "hmmmm. I might want this, I'll take a ticket for that" and then never buy it and the ticket count won't coincide with the stock.

[Tigger97498]

Bri but again as someone else brought up the fights are over things like kitchen appliances video games and $1 towels not really something you can ticket. Edited October 24, 2014 by Tigger97498

[bribri25]

Yep. I read that one immediately after my response... I'm not sure what to do there. Certainly, the appliances and non-color or size specific items could be solved. After that, it does get difficult.

[catholicbride11]

Why couldn't you give out a ticket for $1 towels? 1 ticket ensures you get X amount of product and that's it. I WISH they would do this, I have gotten hurt at walmart in the crowd before and it is always utter chaos.

[delphernina]

The only time I was ever "hurt" at Black Friday was over a $10 Cabbage Patch Doll that wasn't even for my kid. At my Walmart at least they have the big ticket items pretty well under control. I agree it's the smaller items that people fight for. Don't even get me started on the craziness over cheap towels. <shudder>

[jaymacfla]

My suggestion would be a line for the hotly contested items. You get to go through a tightly monitored/roped off line where they hand you a ticket with the top 10 items in the area that is roped off. Other areas would be set up throughout the store with the same concept, yet different small items. You get to take your cart, but no assistance can be rendered by anyone that does not hold a ticket. You get to move through the line and select items as long as you keep moving and do not hold up the line. Reasonable limits will be like 5 towels, 10 DVDs, etc....All of the hotly contested items would be gleaned from years of data and video footage. All Larger items (TVs, etc) would be one per customer. A quick, but not intrusive check of the cart by an employee would ensure that over-filling of the cart would only lead to the cart being taken to a special holding area, until the overages are peacefully surrendered.

 

Rolling out the hotly contested batches in waves(event 1 2, 3 etc) would also work for these lines. All agree that nobody should have to fight over a towel. All "top 10" lines would be advertised in the store in advance of the sale or event, with a map of their locations.

[riven3d]

My suggestion would be a line for the hotly contested items. You get to go through a tightly monitored/roped off line where they hand you a ticket with the top 10 items in the area that is roped off. Other areas would be set up throughout the store with the same concept, yet different small items. You get to take your cart, but no assistance can be rendered by anyone that does not hold a ticket. You get to move through the line and select items as long as you keep moving and do not hold up the line. Reasonable limits will be like 5 towels, 10 DVDs, etc....All of the hotly contested items would be gleaned from years of data and video footage. All Larger items (TVs, etc) would be one per customer. A quick, but not intrusive check of the cart by an employee would ensure that over-filling of the cart would only lead to the cart being taken to a special holding area, until the overages are peacefully surrendered.

 

Rolling out the hotly contested batches in waves(event 1 2, 3 etc) would also work for these lines. All agree that nobody should have to fight over a towel. All "top 10" lines would be advertised in the store in advance of the sale or event, with a map of their locations.

If they did this they wouldn't get much business as it would take several minutes for each person

I would not waste my time either as I usually buy around 20 DVDs so not worth it to me to only get part of what I wanted

[Bobbi0125]

In my Walmart they rope off a section of the store for DVD's and games and only allow like 10 or 20 (I don't remember the exact amount) people into the area. Although we had to wait in line for over an hour we were able to get all the games and DVD's we needed to get. I guess they could do the same thing with the other smaller items as well. Like maybe they could put them all in Lawn and Garden and only allow so many people at a time. That might work...

[mcwalker]

In my Walmart they rope off a section of the store for DVD's and games and only allow like 10 or 20 ... Although we had to wait in line for over an hour ...

I finish shopping entire stores (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, department stores) in about an hour (or less) on Black Friday.  That kind of delay just for some games and CDs wouldn't work for me, but maybe they could do something like that but allow a faster flow of people.  Target does this for their electronics department recently, and causes an excessive line, too.  I think they would be better off if they could spread more of the hot electronics deals out to other areas of the store.

[AndreaInNC]

My 24 hour Walmart also lets you get whatever you want when you get to the store.  You can't checkout until the item actually goes on sale.  when I asked an employee about taking someone off the pallet that hadn't been unwrapped yet - she said store management decided they were not going to stop anyone from doing that.  It wasn't worth it for them to cause havoc.

 

I went to a different Walmart in another state last year and they did the pallet thing.  They had 4 security guards standing over $1.00 dvds.  It was a zoo and a nightmare and I would never go back to that Walmart ever.  

 

For anyone that says they don't like showing up at the store opening to get those doorbusters .. do you really thing you'd get those doorbusters if you showed up at the store opening anyway?  As most lines start hours before the store opens .. they'd be gone when you got there if you waited that long.

 

Just my two cents.

[Nate Dogg]

I was in a Wal-Mart that did that with DVD's... It was a nightmare. 3 hours in line to go through the "DVD/Video Game" line. Granted there were more titles available because of the long line, but people were not in a hurry and would spend several minutes looking at each DVD to decide if they wanted it.

 

I prefer the free for all... I normally get to the DVD's and Video Games last, but there are normally a few left that I want.

[julz0420]

Haven't they done tickets before and it was still a mess?

 

There is no safer way really. People go to Walmart in bf expecting craziness and the masses never let them down. The people,that act like fools over a 99.00 tv are going to act that way if they are waiting for a ticket or the actual tv, kwim?

[jamieva]

The answer is to not BF shop in a walmart.  Sorry that's my editorial comment.  I had a co worker get trampled over a trampoline several years ago.  She had her hand on the box of the last one, a woman violently shoved her down and she was at the crowd's mercy from there

Edited October 29, 2014 by jamieva

[zoemonstr]

I think if they used lawn and garden more creatively like for towels kitchen appliances toys w limited number that might work but you need to keep the line moving.  The only problem is that here all the big ticket electronics have there own lines that the tickets are handed out 2 hrs after the first ale starts. So you have 2 decide which is more important to you We did toys in lawn and garden as a free for all one year that was terrible no one could get in or out especially those with carts.  Other than that its really a lot of fun to watch the crowds go crazy over the strangest things and finding DVD and games in the freezer cases. Our worst problems have been the items in the ad that never get shipped to our store That is enough to set some people of right there.

[starbeck96]

Thankfully, while our Walmart is crazy crowded, we've not really had a ton of violence.  Several years ago they had a fight over towels.  From them on, we've had police presence.  It has really helped.    For the past two years a police officer, sheriff deputy, or reserve officer stood near the towels.  If I remember correctly they also had other items that people tend to fight over there near the towels.  One year one lady started cussing and carrying on over toys.  An officer politely escorted her out and she was not allowed to re-enter.

 

I believe they said last year a police officer actually handed out the towels.  Each person was allowed 2 towels.

 

We do live in a small town and Walmart is the only major retail store.  So, it is very crowded, but I do feel safe there.

[Deal Grabber]

Those cheap towels crack me up.Nt even toilet paper worthy.LMAO!!

[jamieva]

People fighting over towels.  Unreal

[mudd274]

In the beginning, the towels were of good quality...big and thick towels.

[hack2222]

I think the real problem is the location of where they place the items. If they were smart and had a better plan, it'd not be chaos.  Their is ways to solve it without the hassle of ticketing everything, but I won't post my way of how I'd do things.  The can easily move Some of the shelves and displays in the middle of the aisles.  As for the towel situation, it needs to be controlled by an employee, I'm not saying a limit, just controlling it. You just make a line and ask how many what color and give them what they want and move to the next person.  The problem with the free for all system is that by opening earlier, you encourage more parents to bring their kids to black friday shop and keep pushing it back so not only are they running around, but you also get the rest of the problems when they mis-behave.  I'd prefer they did a little more control, b/c parents are bringing their kids to grab items.I think they need to add another time slot for toys and do them say at 2pm, with other kid related items.  Trampoline, outdoor kids things, everything toward the kids.  Kid Electronics, leap pad, whatever pertains to those under 12 or 13.  Make it a 4 hour difference, this way you have plenty of time for that to be finished well before the kitchen/appearal and movies/games and I'd do the dirt cheap tv's and any guarantee item at that point.  The goal is to keep people moving out of the store so that as the next wave kicks off you get new customers to buy them without the hassles.  Or better yet have the towels during the black friday morning sale, at 8am the next day.  Spread out the times for the items that cause problems and see if they are willing to come back to walmart for those Towels.

[starbeck96]

I completely agree!

 

It was terrible last year at our Walmart.  They had set it up so that there was one main line going to the registers.  The problem was, that line was right in the middle of the store. 

 

I had items to get at 2 of the sales times last year so I was there a good 6 hours total.  It was nearly impossible to get around our store.  I was not there to get toys at all.  Most of the younger parents were there only to get toys and of course they were the ones who brought their young children.  It would have made a huge difference if all toy items would have been on sale several hours later than everything else.  I believe it would have helped the crowd by at least 25%!

[emilyjp]

I have seen fights over the cheap kids pjs. The toys at our store are always crazy. I don't know about other locations but they put our toys all in the produce department. I got mad 2 years ago because the employees were telling everyone not to put anything in their cart until the sale starts but the new crowd does not listen at all and as soon as the employee leaves people grab them. If you want anything you need to be standing right by it when the sale starts. Last year I skipped the Thursday evening sale and went out Friday morning. I got everything I wanted because the extras were put back by then. No crowd I was in and out in 20 minutes.

[mcwalker]

... Last year I skipped the Thursday evening sale and went out Friday morning. I got everything I wanted because the extras were put back by then.

 

I am seeing this in a few posts.  Since I will not be there for the early Thanksgiving openings, I might try this strategy.

[Nate Dogg]

The one "must have" item for me last year was a Skylanders bed set for my son. I was obviously the first one there and found the one (of only 2 at the store) I wanted and put my hand in the handle so I could grab it and go without an issue. When the employee in charge (I think this was their first Black Friday) came over she told me I could not touch the items until it was time... I explained to her what was going to happen and how at the last minute there were going to be a ton of people with nothing to lose in that section and this was the smart thing to do to avoid fighting. Keep in mind I was the only person there at that time.

After politely going back and forth I told her if I was wrong I would give her $20 so she agreed to let me do that. As People came up we explained the rules and everyone kept their cart out of the aisle and grabbed the handle of whatever it had of the item they wanted. Everything was great until about 5 minutes til... then the "nothing to lose" people came and crowded everyone in... but when the time came everyone grabbed the item(s) they had in hand and there were no issues. Everyone that came early got what they wanted and I got to keep my $20.

As long as you remain calm you can negotiate deals like that with the employees as long as you can show them it will actually make their job easier. Sometimes you have to get a manager involved, but not typically.

Honestly, the thing that sucked most about last year was I was able to get everything on my Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C list so I spent way too much money.