Stretch Activity #3: Nonparticipant Observation of Walmart Customers

I recently visited Walmart in Nashville, NC for dog food.  It was a very busy Friday, so I decided to practice my observation skills and jot down notes about the phenomenon of the large, one-stop superstore.

I decided to sit on a bench by the entrance which housed the deli and the produce to the right of me.  This entrance also encompassed the Subway behind me, and the express line directly in front.  It was a Friday night around 7:00; I expected the Walmart to be less busy as sports are in full swing and Friday is when people typical go out to eat or the movies, but I also realized it was payday for many, and thus many are hitting Walmart after getting home from work.

This grocery end of the store, with the express line, gave me a quick glimpse into what people buy when they need to run in quickly.  Food items were the most common items; however, it wasn't milk or bread but snack items that seemed to be the most common.  A few people struggled to hold their items, while one or two of the dozen people had a cart.

I noticed quickly that the majority of the people in the express line were with kids.  The two people with the cart had kids, which was logical because the kids typically ride in the cart.  Several other kids were standing with an adult; most were between 6 and 10 years old.

The customers in the express line wore a variety of clothing; two women were in scrubs, and one man was in a maintenance uniform.  Most of the people in line looked between 30 and 45 years old, and the racial composition was about 50% African American and 50% white, with two children who seemed to have parents of different races.  This composition was pretty typical for what I've experience the handful of times I've visited this Walmart in the past five years.

Everyone in the two lines was very distracted by one little boy, probably about 2.  He was shouting loudly at a woman who seemed to be his grandmother; his speech was typical for his age, and all I could make out was "I don't know what you talkin' bout."  His voice was very guttural; every so often he'd stomp his foot when his grandmother asked him to quit his mess and "come heah before I get your reah when we get home."  He'd stomp the same 10 feet, getting about 3 feet to should his line, then run toward the door with his arms up like he was gonna fly.  It seems I had started observing in the middle of something, as I couldn't tell what the catalyst was for his rant.  Reactions by the customers in line ranged from laughter from the older, childless customers to a stern reprimand from those with kids that they'd better not act like that.

The line seemed to move very slowly; often the cashier had to search for a price on an item.  Most people had over ten items, which also meant the wait would be longer.  No one seemed overly annoyed about the wait; people would wait to see what grandma would do about her grandson's threatening voice.  I wanted to wait to see if grandma was going to make good on her threats, but I had to leave.