Walmarts near Boston?
 

Hi,

I would like to take my family who is visiting Boston from overseas to a nearby Walmart to pick up some suitcases, and generally browse around.

I live in the Fenway area of Boston and am planning to rent a car, maybe a Zipcar.

Which Walmart would you recommend? Something with a larger selection would be nice, and obviously the closer it is, the better.

Thanks for your help,
Regards,

Andy

Go to the Walmart Website and type your zipcode in the Store locator section. There you'll find a list of all the Walmart stores that are closest to your home.

Skip Wal-Mart and go to Target either in Watertown or Saugus.

I think the best stores for inexpensive suitcases are Marshall's or TJMaxx. There's a good Marshall's on Boylston St in the Back Bay or you can head to Downtown Crossing for both stores. The Filene's Basement on Boylston also has a lot of suitcases.

Why would you take anyone to Wal-Mart ?? wyatt has some great suggestions.

If the intent is to pick up some cheap but good suitcases, then I agree TJMaxx, Marshalls, or Kohl's are a better choice.

If the intent is to also take overseas visitors to a prototypical US MegaMart, then at least try to find a clean, orderly Walmart.

Many I've been in are outright dumps, with shelves disheveled, staff standing around doing or caring about nothing, long lines at the in-store McD's for 64oz cokes, BigMac's and fires, and even longer lines at the service counter trying to return something, and even longer lines at checkout.

Walmart has been trying to update many stores, and they continue to be very successful with their low price business model. I avoid our local Walmart like the plague, preferring to go a little farther to Target if I need household items.

Another potential shopping destination would be the South Bay stores in Dorchester about 3 miles from you; they have a Target and Marshall's. It's right off Route 93 Exit 18 or go down Mass Ave to Southampton Street.

The nearest WalMart to you is probably the one farther down Route 93, in Quincy.

I would agree that Marshall's and TJMaxx are better places to shop for luggage than Walmart.

But, not Kohl's. I saw the perfect Ricardo bag at Kohl's, but was able to find it online for about half the price with free shipping.

I would still go to Walmart as part of the US experience....but wouldn't necessarily buy a suitcase there. Check the Kohls sales flyer for that week. Sometimes they have 50% off sales and you can get some great luggage deals.

"I would still go to Walmart as part of the US experience."
Egads, is that what it's come to????? How very sad!

Well, if you come to Quincy to visit WalMart, you might be able to squeeze in an Adams historic site or two.

Yeah - Walmart isn't exactly part of my US experience - and definitely isn't anything I'd want to expose visitors too. Egads is right.

I would think WalMart would be the cheap overseas labor experience. Look what 30 cents an hour gets you.

If they're seriously looking for luggage, just letting you know I saw some good stuff at Nordstrom Rack yesterday.

I have to disagree with those who are aghast at the idea of taking foreigners to "see" Wal-Mart. It may not be the "American experience" for those here, but you can't deny it's uniquely American and the experience of millions in this country. I'd rather take them to see Wal-Mart than the "most gigantic whatever".

Are there any department stores where you COULD you take a visitor and not see mostly stuff made in Asia?

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Filene's Basement. The Downtown Crossing store is closed, I hope, temporarily, but there are several satellite stores. I find it offers a "Boston" experience, and often good buys.

I don't normally shop at Walmart, but I needed a cheap duffle for transporting some things that will be making the journey one way on an upcoming trip and I found exactly what I needed for $10. The other luggage items I saw were cheap too.

I'd think a large shopping mall would be a more interesting place to take overseas visitors.

Let's see, now..."the most gigantic whatever", hm. Do any of the following fit that category? Say, the Grand Canyon or perhaps the Empire State Building or maybe the Golden Gate Bridge or the Metropolitan Museum of Art or how about Old Faithful or Yosemite Falls? Gee, I'd be hard pressed to make a decision between one of them and a Walmart store. Sure I would!

But Howard, you can't buy a suitcase at any of those places.

Yeah, well, the world's biggest ball of twine fits in that category too.

Let's see....the largest ball of twine or a Walmart store. Hm....I'll go for the big ball!

The True Cost of Things- Why Walmart S.U.C.K.S.
(Senseless Uneducated Consumerism Killing Society)


The day Wal-Mart came to town, the townsfolk were downright joyful about it. A huge, brand new, job-providing, property tax paying mega-store planting itself on the edge of the community. And did I mention huge? And amazingly low prices, too! Get the kids! Let’s go shopping!

And they did. Suddenly that $25 widget at the downtown hardware store could be had for a mere $14.95. Incredible! Film developing at the local camera shop was way too expensive now. Prices at the market down the street? Forget about it! Too high compared to the brand new superstore. And the convenience! Food, car batteries, electronics, books, beer, clothes, jewelry, and more, and more, and more… The local unemployed lined up for the new jobs, thrilled at their fresh prospects for a steady paycheck and the self-respect society confers on those with a job. So what if it pays only minimum wage, with minimum benefits . . . it’s a job!

The vast parking lot overflowed, the “deals” crowded like cornucopia in consumers’ carts, and all was well in their world.

Well, sure, there was that “Going Out of Business Sale” sign that appeared in one of the downtown store windows. But only one . . . well, maybe there were two or three after awhile. But no worries. It happens, you know, very sad to see them go, but after all, their prices were always a bit high, so it’s no wonder they went under. The independent bookstore, a fixture for 30 years—the store that people had deeply woven into their life stories—gone. The owners–your neighbors, your friends– moved away, disheartened and disillusioned. The hardware store, that ancient edifice, the old paradigm of personal, knowledgeable customer service—gone. Same with the sporting goods store. One by one, the downtown core, the heart and soul of the business community, dying away. And gradually, as stories of fear and financial failure from friends and acquaintances spread through the town, people finally began to wonder. How did this happen? Why are there no jobs anymore with decent wages? Why are the lines at the unemployment office growing even longer? Why have I lost touch with so many people I used to see downtown every week and share the local news with? Why do I have to drive all the way to the edge of town on a busy stop & go street just to buy something I need?

Too late. This town, this community of decent, hard-working people, was addicted, and they didn’t even know it. Having sold their souls to Wal-Mart’s company store for a cheap consumer high, their fate was sealed. They never realized they were degrading themselves, their friends, their families, and their community—just by going shopping.

The mega-store, the so-called Big Box store (Wal-Mart being the biggest of them all) comes to town with a Big Plan. The plan usually works because “consumers” (known locally as “people”) are so predictable. They want to buy things cheaper. What could possibly be wrong with guaranteed lower prices? Let’s shop!

The Shadow of Low, Low Prices
Almost every dollar spent super-shopping immediately leaves town for corporate headquarters out-of-state, never to re-circulate again in the local economy. Life blood lost.

Wal-Mart is so powerful, it usually gets its way through sheer economic force. It can under-price local businesses because it coerces suppliers to cut their costs in order to get the contract with them. As a result, manufacturing jobs fly to places like China, where girls and young women in sweatshops slave under horrific conditions for next to nothing, so Americans can buy cheap clothing & widgets 10,000 miles away. What a deal! The local hardware store, bookstore, sporting goods store, bakery, electronics store, music shop, toy store, food market—all closed through lack of local support because Americans chase those guaranteed lower prices. The local factory—you know, the one that used to manufacture widgets, that used to employ 100 local people at family wages with benefits; the one that was part of the town’s identity? Closed. More life blood lost. Money is the blood of a local economy, and this community is bleeding to death.

And guess what? Your job at the local supermarket is about to be sucked dry, too. You see, Wal-Mart doesn’t pay its employees what you get paid, nor does it give the benefits you receive. So, to remain competitive, your employer has just lowered your pay and cut your benefits! Don’t like it? Not gonna stand for it! Fine, they say. Go try to find anything better in this dying town.

The cycle affects everyone in the community. Everyone is sucked into the downward spiral. And that sound you hear? Yes, indeed, it’s a sucking sound. Wal-Mart is a parasite on the town body. Like a giant tick, it attaches itself to the side of a community, digs in and begins to suck the money out. It entices local folks with goodies at prices unheard of. Like innocents entering an opium den, people succumb to the illusion of prosperity, not realizing the enormous price to be paid soon after. Everything sinks to the lowest denominator (or is that dominator)—wages, prices, products, and services. Until most people have to shop there, because either they can’t afford to do otherwise, or there’s no other widget stores left.

Maybe that $14.95 widget wasn’t so cheap, after all.

Well I see at least one person answered your question without preaching at you.

I just have to laugh.

Everyone hates Wal*Mart.

BUT

Everyone goes to Wal*Mart.

Um, no everyone does not go to Wal-Mart. If you would like to share w/your guests everything that is wrong w/the US, then by all means, take them to Wal-Mart.

Agree. Not everyone goes to Walmart.

This is not a reprimand, exactly..... :), however, I am beginning to understand the reputation that some attribute to us fodorites.

No matter what some of us---including moi--may think of Walmart, our poor OP did not ask for opinions about where to go, but only for information about a location of a large Walmart.

There is a large Walmart in Framingham that is fairly easily accessed from the Fenway neighborhood. Just head west on route 9 and it will be on your right, altho set back from the road a tad. Start watching for it after you pass the Natick Mall.

I do not shop at Walmart.

The closest ones are in Quincy to the south, Lynn to the north, and Framingham to the west. But none of these Wal Marts are especially close to Boston.

I live in Carlsbad, 30 miles north of San Diego. When Wal-Mart proposed coming here, there was lots of opposition. One reason occasionally mentioned was that it was too low-class for the community. So Wal-Mart responded that it would put a high-brow Wal-Mart here, with expensive clothing and $100 bottles of wine.
Even though the chain had already acquired property, it later backed out, allegedly because it was scaling back its expansion plans and Carlsbad didn't seem to be as lucrative a location as others under consideration.
I think even Wal-Mart couldn't really imagine a high-brow Wal-Mart.

I don't know how many in your family you are taking to Walmart, but make sure your Zipcar is big enough to fit all of them and their purchases -especially if they are purchasing suitcases that may not be squishy duffles - the Zipcars I've seen parked near us in town are always small cars ! - but maybe they have larger options -

Although most Zipcars are small, they also have larger vehicles like the Ford Escape and even small pickup trucks.

Anonymous: good to know ! I've only seen small ones in our work garage and near our place -

At the Aresenal Mall in Watertown there is a Filene's basement (or was last year). Across the street from the mall is a large Target. Also in Somerville there is a much bigger Target which is pretty easy to get to if you are familiar with the area. DD went to school in Boston and she said many people went to a Walmart across state lines (NH?)where they didn't have to pay sales tax.

Sales tax in MA is 5% and is not applied to food, clothing, and some other seemingly random purchases. Really not worth driving to NH unless you are spending lots of dough, especially with gas prices so high. We live about 10 minutes from the border and usually don't bother except at Christmas time.

As far as Walmart goes, this is not some bucolic quaint area and I have seen some good effects from big box stores moving in. A local hardware store began promoting its service, put in a post office satellite, wallpaper consults, etc. when Home Depot moved in. They are both thriving.