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Hastings Video Store in Tyler

March 26th, 2010

Hastings

www.gohastings.com

4015 S Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75701-8727
(903) 534-9278

Hastings parking lot maybe an awesome hang out for the East Texas teenagers, but I think that there are more people in the parking lot than in the store. The store does have a great variety of books, movies, music, and video games. This store is probably the dirtiest store in East Texas. I feel like I have to take a bath after renting a movie. The well known store may be struggling to stay in business.

As I try to find the door through the clouds of smoke from the teenagers hanging out side the door, I already know that I really want to get a movie and leave as fast as you can. You can dig through the towers in the aisle to find cheap movies to buy. “Buy two get the third for a penny.” They have great deals for movies on sale and as the world of electronics grows to the newest level; Hastings is starting to sale and rent movies on Blue Ray.

Hastings lack of convenience may be the thing that puts them out of business. Although you can shop online for movies and music and much more, you have to return to the store. The great thing about the competing rental companies, such as Red Box and Netflix, is that they are convenient to your every day life.

The odd and, many times, unhelpful people that work at Hastings add to the frustration of the shopping experience. The oddly disturbing action figures and adult board games makes me rush out the store with my hands over my eyes.

Although you can find most music, movies and books, I would look everywhere in Tyler before I endure the torture of shopping in Hastings. The good thing about the store is that they buy those old movies and CDs that have been sitting on your shelf just collecting dust and taking up space.

Hastings is my “last stop store”; if I can not find a movie I have been wanting to watch for months in Red Box, or the dollar rental machine at Brookshires, or if it is not at the other failing rental store, Blockbuster, I go to Hastings, then I go home and take a bath until I can not smell the stink of the store in my hair.

Walmarts in Tyler

January 12th, 2010

While I’m not sure Tyler warrants them, we now have three Wal-Mart Supercenters in town. The idea of one stop discount shopping is a fine idea. I’m a firm believer in free enterprise capitalism. So if I’m critical of the store it’s not about politics. It is about the quality of the product and care given by the employees to address customer needs as well as maintain the store.

The South Broadway and the Troup locations are pretty nice stores. Although they are not the Wal-Mart’s I usually shop, I find that they are orderly and the employees are generally fairly knowledgeable. I have heard the retail giant often poked fun at for its greeters. Not unlike walking into church there is usually someone there to welcome and if necessary point the customer in the direction of what he or she is looking for. This is not something I require in a department store but it is nice. The employees at these locals are mostly neat in appearance, and reflect positively on their perspective stores.

This is not my impression of the highway 64 location. Upon entering the store the customer is “greeted” by an employee who stands and listlessly stares in the direction those entering the building. The store’s appearance is another problem. It is generally disorganized, and what is more, the employees usually know very little about the products they sell. On more than one occasion, I’ve had workers tell me they were unable to find what I was looking for and simply leave me to search the aisle on my own. And then there are the customers themselves… I guess I’ve just never experienced the joy that loitering in a department store can bring.

As a rule, I like Wal-Mart’s low prices and their community involvement. The company is a good company, but some of the local outlets need some serious quality control. In comparison with other companies like Target who’s stores are always neat and the employees are always attractive, Wal-Mart has its work cut out for it. For those who have a choice of Supercenters I would shy away from the 64 location. Better yet, try shopping on line at www.walmart.com.

Halloween Costume Shopping

November 10th, 2009

As the Halloween holiday approaches the Tyler area begins to turn the large abandoned buildings into Halloween costume shopping centers. Not many people shop around for the best prices or the best selection. Two new competing Halloween stores have opened in town right across the road from each other. I shopped at each comparing the two in both selection and prices.

At Spirit Halloween I was greeted by a scene of spooky lawn decorations setting the mood for the Halloween holiday. As I pass by aisle after aisle of costume for every person in your family I am greeted by an employee dressed up in a costume. I made the whole shopping experience more exciting, although I got pretty frustrated when an employee dressed as a serial killer would not leave my frightened kid alone. I looked through the many different choices of costumes for small children, I loved the many different fun outfits and all the different accessories to make top of the perfect costume. I walked across the store to the woman’s Halloween costumes. Every single item was either going to show everything up top or show so much leg its dangerously close to showing much more. I don’t understand why Halloween is the day of the year that woman are expected to dress as inappropriate as possible. Costumes actually had the word “slutty” on the bag; slutty nurse, slutty lunch lady, slutty cat. I don’t really understand how a cat is slutty, but seriously? Why can’t you ever find an appropriate, fun outfit for woman in Tyler Texas? I guess I will stick to getting material from Hobby Lobby and making my own!

Across Broadway is the Halloween Bootique. When I walked into the store I was not greeted by any scary yard ornaments or employees dressed for the season. Come to think of it I was not very greeted by normal dressed employees. No one asked if they could help me, I don’t think I said a single thing to an employee and I was the only costumer in the whole store. Everything was very spread out. The Halloween Bootique did not have as large of a selection as the Halloween Spirit.

The two stores’ costumes prices were about the same, and pretty much the same costumes, but Spirit Halloween was a much more fun experience. So make this Halloween holiday be the best, and make your house the spookiest in the neighborhood.