Walton's Law

I would like to share with you what I have started to call Waltons Law. Dont get me wrong, I am not some bleeding heart claiming Wal-Mart is pure evil, this is just a recuring issue.

Walton's Law is when you go to Wal-Mart and almost every time, there will be atleast one item on your list you will not find. This holds doubley true if you are going in for ONE specific item.

Thank you for your time.

Oh yeah, and it's not just Wal-Mart. Anywhere. Something will sit on a shelf and I'll pass by it for a year. Then the day comes when I need it, and sure enough it's not there. In fact, it's not anywhere. I use this as an excuse to buy crap I don't (yet) need when I don't (yet) need it. Works for tools in a garage too

I'm not so sure...wouldn't Walton's Law be where you walk into the store to buy something, and(regardless of whether you buy it or not) you walk out with a whole cart full of stuff you never intended to buy?

That seems more in line with the business model of Walmart & the like.

petegossett wrote: ...wouldn't Walton's Law be where you walk into the store to buy something, and(regardless of whether you buy it or not) you walk out with a whole cart full of stuff you never intended to buy.....

Happens to me all the time at the $1 store. I can't get out of there with out dropping $10-$15 on useless crap. I think "hey, this is cool", or "I know what I can use this for", until I get home and then it's "What the @#%&^ did I buy this crap for?" Sad part is that I know it's going to happen, and I do it anyways!

I totally understand Waltons's law, but you are a hundred times more likely to be able to get everything on your list at a Walmart than at a Target. Target has a policy of only carrying the top 2-3 sellers in any catagory which means that unless you want the top trendiest, most advertised product they don't carry it,.

I like it. "Walton's Law" has a nice ring to it. It's a sound concept, and it rolls well off the tongue. I suspect it's not a law of it's own, but part of a subset of Murphy's Laws. Apparently this Murphy guy had a bunch of them, and they all come to fruition sooner or later.

The impulse buying at "dollar stores" is a bit different. I feel it's based along the lines of a Pavlov's dog/ behavioural modification thing. It started when we were kids in the grocery store and the checkout counter had the candy down low where we could grab it. Now that (some of us, hopefully) are grown, we still grab at low hanging fruit, just because there it is, and we can.. Who doesn't need a shower stall mounted AM/FM radio clock for $1.29?

Never mind that batteries to make it work are $2.59. Not that it matters.. they are out of those anyway.