What I Thought of It

Wal-Mart, Brooks
917 3rd Street W (see map)
Brooks AB  T1R 1L5
Phone: 403 793 2111

Wal-Mart is one of my favorite stores to visit. They just seem to have everything I need for the prices I am willing to pay. This time, I was looking for some snacks to take on my car trip.

The Wal-Mart in Brooks is small, much smaller than the stores I’m used to seeing in Calgary. This of course means that they have fewer choices of products. The parking lot had a big poster advertising Great Value, the “no-name” brand sold at Wal-Mart stores, but I was disappointed to find very few Great Value items on the shelves.

The lack of no-name selection forced me to buy a more expensive brand, only to realize at the self-checkout that the display price had been wrong (the product actually cost 50 cents more).

Overall, this Wal-Mart was a mess. It reminded me of a convenience store, with too many products and not enough order, making it almost impossible to find anything or make your way through the store.

Last thoughts: I will still shop a lot at Wal-Mart, but if I ever return to the Wal-Mart in Brooks, I’ll be sure to price-check my purchases before going to the till.

Product Range ++
Service +++
Ambiance ++
Washrooms +++
Tidiness ++

Find Wal Mart Brooks on the map

Zellers, Market Mall
3625 Shaganappi Trail (see map)
Calgary AB  T3A 0E6
Phone: 403 286 1621

This Zellers is in the Market Mall Shopping Centre in Calgary NW. Zellers has its own entrance from the outside as well as an entrance from the mall. In this case it means that Zellers often has longer hours than the mall.

Shopping at this Zellers is more of a burden than a pleasure. First of all, the store is just a big mess, with stuff everywhere in no particular order. Secondly, lots and lots and lots of products are priced wrong.

This Zellers store also looks pretty old-fashioned and could really use some updating. Luckily, Zellers offers a wide range of products, so when you shop here you don’t have to go to many other stores. That said, you of course expect them to have the products.

On my visit yesterday to the Market Mall Zellers, I was extremely disappointed with the gift wrap section. There was a measly selection of wrapping paper and gift bags, and what was there between the empty spaces was messy and disorganized.

Service at Zellers is not the best. To be fair, the staff are friendly, but when something goes wrong they get annoyed and flustered. At the checkout yesterday, three of my purchases scanned at the wrong price. When I pointed this out, they got defensive and tried to avoid giving me the lower price that I had seen on display. Of course, I wanted the display price, and this meant another exercise in patience while they confirmed and adjusted the prices.

Then I needed to use the washrooms. They were clean, but there was no soap and not a sheet of paper towel in any of the three dispensers.

Last thoughts: I shop at Zellers when they have good deals or something I really need right away. Otherwise I stay away from the Zellers in Market Mall. The messy merchandise and messed-up prices are just too frustrating.

Product Range ++++
Service +++
Ambiance ++
Washrooms ++

Find Zellers Market Mall on the map