Walmart

[DUTCH in Atlanta]

Originally Posted by Davydd

RossWilliams, You ought to quit explaining before you expose your lack of knowledge more.

The only operation in a Target store managed by a separate company with separate employees are the Starbucks.

And CVS Pharmacy! Target Pharmacy was sold to CVS, and operates as CVS with separate CVS employees inside Target stores.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by DUTCH in Atlanta

And CVS Pharmacy! Target Pharmacy was sold to CVS, and operates as CVS with separate CVS employees inside Target stores.

You're right, Dutch. I was ticked when they sold it off. I lost my 10% retiree discount for drugs. So, I go to Walgreen's now.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by RossWilliams

"SuperTargets are wholly owned and managed by Target. "

I didn't say anything about "SuperTargets". In fact, I am not sure they even existed in 1975. But the original Target, in Roseville Minnesota, still had an attached grocery store run by Applebaums in 1975.

"Overnight RV parking was never in the equation as I said for Target."

Exactly, so why did you bring up your experience with Target?

"Walmarts that don't allow it are because ..."

I am sure there are many reasons why they allow it or don't allow it. If it is up to individual store managers there is no way of knowing what all those reasons are. But I suspect if there are any Walmarts out there with limited parking space, they aren't offering to let RV's park in it overnight. And if they find other uses for the land used for parking, the opportunities for RV parking are likely to shrink.

I made comments about Target because they have practically the same big box retail store model as Walmart and because I know the business which you don't with your insistence about RV overnight parking speculation which is still misinformed. I could get into greater detail about all this but it will fall on your deaf ears I fear.

As for groceries you brought it up as separately operated. Target only had a few original stores with groceries only in the Twin Cities with Applebaums. I remember only the Roseville and St. Louis Park stores. Very few people even remember that. That ended almost 50 years ago. Target didn't bring in groceries again until they started the SuperTarget program in the 90s and that was all in house without partners. It has expanded to almost all stores now.

You wear out that shovel yet?

[RossWilliams]

" because I know the business"

You knew the business. But the business model changes.

"That ended almost 50 years ago."

It ended after 1975 which is, as you seem to agree, agent history.

"they have practically the same big box retail store model as Walmart"

But RV parking is not one of the similarities. And the parking requirements for Walmart and Target apply to a wide range of other stores, big box or otherwise. The reality is that the role of parking is changing. Your experience from 1975 is as irrelevant as Applebaum's, which was my point. And yes, I get that you have more recent experience at Target but its not clear how that informs this discussion.

The regulatory environment is changed in many places. The amount of parking is no longer mostly determined solely/largely by the regulatory environment. In addition, the land use regulations are changing, the transportation environment is changing and the shopping environment is changing. All of those seem to indicate a reduction in the "need" for excess parking and give increased value to the empty land devoted to parking.

I suggested that those changes may impact Walmart's offer of free overnight RV parking now and in the future. Your past experience at Target, "ancient" or otherwise, provides no real basis for judging that since free RV parking was never part of Target's business model.

Your main contribution from that experience is that big box parking in your experience was often determined by regulation rather than evaluation of business needs. My point was that, while that may still be largely true many places, it is changing. And that change in convergence with those other changes may impact the availability of RV parking at Walmarts.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by RossWilliams

" because I know the business"

You knew the business. But the business model changes.

Yep, and you don't.

[RossWilliams]

"Yep, and you don't."

Yep, and you don't know Walmart's business model with regard to RV parking or what changes have happened in their world since you retired. You know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know. Basically you are claiming authority you don't have.

[avanti]

Moderator's note:
Please avoid
-- ad hominem attacks
-- non-RV content
-- repetitive posts
-- bickering

Thanks to everyone for your efforts at keeping the list useful and pleasant.

[magicbus]

I don't know much about building retail shopping centers, I write computer software, but I can read and this article is pretty clear that big box stores are looking at better utilization of their vast parking lots. Is it why more and more are prohibiting parking, I don't know.

Inside Walmart’s plans to convert parking lots into ‘town centers’

Down a ways in the story is this statement:

"Kohl’s says it is working with a list of possible partners from the grocery and convenience channels to develop parking acreage at some 300 stores, while Macy’s points to about 50 of its stores that it thinks may be conducive to such parking-lot repurposing. The typical Macy’s tract measures about 20 acres."

[Eraygunz]

I also read that article.
And they are trying to use all that extra space to bring in revenue.
Also there was a big scene between Overnighters and the Police. I think in Arizona?
Shots were fired and it was a circus!
Only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole barrel!

[ikanode]

Originally Posted by Winston

Did we miss some Walmart policy change announcement concerning overnight parking?

My local Walmart (Lenoir, NC) has put up a no overnight parking sign within the last month.

[Eraygunz]

I live in Naples Florida.
I think the county has passed no Over Nighting ordnances here as well.
But, the local Walmart’s do not enforce them.
On most maps they are listed as No OP.
But, there are RVs in them over night all the time.
In many cases it’s the local business owners trying to force Walmart not to welcome OP because they feel it is costing them business?
Not that any of us would stay in their hotels or crazy over priced camp grounds anyway.
It really is just old fashioned greed!.
And Walmart really isn’t the bad guy in most of these instances.
Thanks
Eddie

[MotoBill]

We also look for supermarkets with a Starbucks.
They are open late and open early...the Starbucks gets us going in the morning!

[RossWilliams]

Overnight parking laws are like a lot of laws that are enforced selectively. It gives police a tool to get rid of perceived "trouble makers". So if you look low income and homeless, they enforce the ban. If you look like you are "respectable" people stopping for the night, they let it pass.

That distinction is becoming hard to make with a lot of "full timers" who are the "respectable" part of the homeless population. Walmart may want to offer free parking to RV travelers looking to stop overnight, but not people who are simply traveling from one free RV parking spot to another free RV parking spot. Like a lot of things, the "boondocking" lifestyle may really only work when the number of people doing it is limited.

[Brad1998RD]

Don't know where you got "most Walmarts" from but there are way more ONO than there are NOP .

[InterBlog]

Truck stops can have atrocious air quality depending on the number of rigs idling overnight, to the point where I fear for my health. Some of them offer those ducted a/c hookups to truckers so they don’t have to idle, but most don’t. Larger ones with plenty of space usually mean that you can position yourself upwind.

[Brad1998RD]

Driving in a city especially LA or Phoenix is way worse than stoping at a Truckstop for the evening.
My father was a truck driver till he retired and I drove truck so have spent lots of time at truckstops. No need to fear for your health.

[Juliem]

Originally Posted by Jimc1977

With most of Wal-Mart' stopping overnight parking does any one have some alternatives?

Dick’s Sporting Goods
Cabelas...both have been great so far.

We’ve also,stayed in church parking lots and police department parking lots, I always call the PD in a small town and ask them where I could park overnight, they have suggested their parking lots or a church. The benefit is that the cops know where I am, and kind of keep,an eye on things.

[justme]

We just returned home from 3 months on the road, and many nights at Walmarts throughout the north and west. Some did have no parking posted but we always asked and were rarely turned down. Coastal So. Cal was an exception, as were ones close to cities in CA. The lack of affordable housing across the country is causing a lot of folks to live alternative lifestyles and cities are struggling to cope with the homeless, including those living in vans, mobile homes, etc. Thus the increase in restrictive ordinances.

[jgmarcotte]

I hate Wall Mart i prefer to use boondockerswelcome and sleep free on one of their guest. It is very nice to meet new people , and most of the time in very quiet place.

[justme]

Originally Posted by jgmarcotte

i prefer to use boondockerswelcome .

Thanks for this info. Excited to try it on our next trip. We do a similar thing with cyclists on Warm Showers but hadn't heard of this one before