Walmart Archives - Tulalip News

Walmart Takes Twitter Beatdown Over ‘Fat Girl Costumes;’ Pocahottie Still OK

Walmart.com's 'fat girl costumes' page is one of the all-time lowlights of e-commerce. — Walmart.com’s ‘fat girl costumes’ page is one of the all-time lowlights of e-commerce.

Steve Russell, Indian Country Today

They say that making fun of morbid obesity is the last socially acceptable form of prejudice. And it’s hard to defend treating people badly over a serious health issue or, worse, destroying the self-image of children over something they may not be able to control.

Walmart got taken to task by the blog Jezebel for hawking a “Fat Girl” category of Halloween costumes. The social media firestorm about adults so childishly ridiculing un-skinny women was heartening for those of us who were wondering what is next—a “Diabetes Department?”

In the same post, Jezebel also complained of racism, pointing out that Indians have also been put up again as objects of ridicule for Halloween in a stunning line of stereotypes, pocahottie for the females and Tonto for the males.

A costume that really says ‘HOW! Can you possibly not see the racism here?’ Source: Walmart.com

Walmart was slow to react, much slower than Twitter, but they finally took the “Fat Girl” section down (technically, it redirects to “plus size”) and came up with an appropriate Twitter auto-reply.

Customer: “Congrats on your ‘Fat Girl Costumes’ section. Always keepin it classy, eh @Walmart?”

New Auto-reply: “This never should have been on our site. It is unacceptable, and we apologize.”

Notice the straightforward nature of the apology. No claim of tradition involving ridicule of fat people, especially girls or women, and no claim that those being ridiculed should understand it as an “honor.” No hedging that they didn’t mean to poke fun at females with medical problems that cause the look being ridiculed.

The betting window is open on what they’ll say about the “Native American” costumes. Making an issue of the body type of girls and women is bad, and those involved ought to be ashamed. Does it ever occur to the same people that Indians are neither Pocahottie nor Tonto, and the endless bombardment with stereotypes might be bad for them as well?

Ridicule of fat people is a socially acceptable prejudice that ought not to be accepted. But from Walmart to the antics of the fans at FedEx Field, Indians have caricature put in their non-warpainted faces every day. Sambo and the Frito Bandido were retired years ago, and the Fat Girls insult disappeared instantly.

Chief Wahoo lives on, and the most popular sport in the U.S. tolerates a team name that is a racial slur. Mockery of fat people is not the last socially acceptable prejudice, and a Twitter storm of righteous indignation just proved that. Mockery of American Indians is.

Marysville police investigate shooting at Walmart parking lot

By Eric Stevick, The Everett Herald

TULALIP — Detectives are investigating a shooting at a Walmart parking lot on the Tulalip Indian Reservation on Tuesday that sent one man to the hospital on his 29th birthday.

The man was treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett on Tuesday night before being booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of robbery and a parole violation Wednesday morning.

His accomplice, 21, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of robbery and theft.

The men are accused of stealing two ounces of marijuana from a Tulalip man at gunpoint.

That man, 23, said the men hit him in the face with a handgun and shot out his front passenger-side window. He fired back with his own gun, and said his actions were self-defense, according to court records.

Detectives had the car impounded.

“They are still gathering evidence,” Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said Wednesday.

The Tulalip man told detectives that he sells medical marijuana and had taken out an ad on Craigs-list. He agreed to meet with the men Wednesday night.

After the shooting, the Tulalip man drove home to tell his wife what happened. They then went to the Washington State Patrol headquarters west of Marysville to report the shooting. The case was turned over to Tulalip Tribal Police who asked for assistance from the sheriff’s office Major Crimes Unit.

At the hospital, the injured suspect told detectives he was shot at a party in Everett. When asked if he had been in the Tulalip supermarket parking lot earlier that evening, he allegedly became uncooperative.

An acquaintance of both suspects said he drove the men from the Tulalip supermarket parking lot to Everett and dropped them off at the emergency room, according to court records.

Marysville Walmart set to open Sept. 18

Source: Marysville Globe

MARYSVILLE — The long-awaited Marysville Walmart is finally set to open on Wednesday, Sept. 18, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. The new store is located at 8713 64th St. NE and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide Marysville residents with one-stop shopping convenience for their grocery and general merchandise needs, as well as pharmacy services.

Marysville city officials have welcomed this new addition, citing increased opportunity for economic growth, commercial development and job creation.

“We want to welcome Marysville’s newest corporate neighbor, Walmart,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said. “This is a grand opening that has been anticipated for several years, but will surely have been worth the wait for the many patient shoppers in our community and around the region.”

“We’re very pleased that Walmart is adding a second store to the Marysville community,” said Caldie Rogers, President and CEO of the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. “Walmart has been a valuable community partner since its first store opened in 2001. Their Tulalip store has provided their customers with literally hundreds of referrals to neighboring business when asked for a product they do not stock. This newest store addition will provide even more opportunities for economic growth, both in referrals as well as in sales tax revenue for our city.”

Store employees expressed their aim to offer quality, value-priced general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and lawn and garden items, as well as a full line of groceries, including organic and natural selections, in addition to local favorites. The store’s physical site is intended to serve as a convenient location for a variety of communities, including east Marysville, Lake Stevens, and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County.

The pharmacy likewise touts a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions, and customers can ask about health and wellness solutions.

The grand opening celebration is also slated to include presentations of $8,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups, including the Marysville Boys & Girls Club, the Marysville Community Food Bank, the Marysville Police Department and the Marysville Sunrise Rotary. The new store will also host a day-long toy drive, in partnership with the Salvation Army, on the day of its grand opening.

The new store employs approximately 300 full- and part-time associates, and more than 1,000 applicants submitted interest in working at the Marysville Walmart.

“Our associates are looking forward to a fun grand opening celebration, and cannot wait to welcome Marysville shoppers as we open the doors to our new store,” said store manager Sonia Smith, who began her Walmart career in 1999 as an assistant manager.

The Marysville Walmart will give customers a chance to meet Smith, and enjoy family activities such as face-painting, cupcake decorating and free food samples, while supplies last, during the store’s “Big Family Welcome” from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.

‘Early fall’ is Walmart date for Marysville store opening

Christina Harper / Special to The HeraldGwyn Porras (left) and Roderick Brogan stock shelves at the new Walmart store on Highway 9 at Highway 528 in Marysville. — Christina Harper / Special to The Herald
Gwyn Porras (left) and Roderick Brogan stock shelves at the new Walmart store on Highway 9 at Highway 528 in Marysville.

Christina Harper, Herald Business Journal

MARYSVILLE — Walmart staff members insist that there is no fixed date for the grand opening of the new 147,000-square-foot Marysville store. Judging by the huge Halloween section overflowing with scary monsters and black-and-orange garb, shoppers can safely bet that the one-stop shopping experience on the corner of Highways 9 and 528 will be ready to roll back prices in the next few weeks.

“Early fall,” said Sonia Smith, manager at the new store.

With 270 full- and part-time workers on board, the store now is being set up. Staff are stocking baby formula is on the shelves, setting up electronics and emptying dozens of cardboard boxes.

Kayla Corley of Marysville will switch to part-time work from full-time once the store opens.

“This is my second day,” Corley said.

Corley previously worked at the Tulalip Quil Ceda Village Walmart then took time off to have her children. After an eight-year break, she is back and happy to be employed in sporting goods.

“It’s a good company to work for,” Corley said. “Good benefits.”

Rumors abound that the Tulalip Quil Ceda Village Walmart will close once the Marysville store is up and running. The Quil Ceda store is not closing, Smith said.

The Marysville store took eight months to build and includes a garden center, food, pharmacy and firearms. The store also has a sewing and craft section with bolts of fabric that can be measured and cut.

“Customers are asking for it,” Smith said.

Freezers light up as shoppers approach pizza and other frozen food displays adding to Walmart’s commitment to energy saving and sustainability, Smith said.

There is no tire and lube section, but inside the store, shoppers can stop for a sandwich at Subway or a trim at the Smart Style hair salon.

Walmart has long been criticized for stocking shelves with goods from China. This long-term relationship could mean that company’s recent commitment to “Made In America” goods, which Walmart hopes will bring more manufacturing jobs to the United States, might be met with skepticism.

But Smith is one of many Walmart employees involved with a local vendor program where people who have ideas for locally made goods they want to see on shelves can contact her at the Marysville store. Local goods including “Big Foot” mugs and caps are likely to prove popular with shoppers, Smith said.

For Roderick Brogan, of Everett, and Gwyn Porras, of Marysville, Walmart is a new venture. The two will be working in the store on Walmart.com, checking for website orders and getting them ready for customer pick-up.

As the men sorted socks from boxes and hung them on wire hangers, they each said they were excited about opening day. Whenever that is.

“It might be crazy,” Porras said. “But I am looking forward to it.”