28 replies to this topic

[HeazerHacker]

So, I sent my husband out for some gluten free Pita chips at my local Walmart, and he brings back Pita Chips with Wheat, turns out he got them from the middle of the gluten free section. I called the Walmart to ask them to remove them, and the manager hung up on me.

[mbrookes]

At least they have a gluten-free section. My Walmart mixes it all together (gluten-free cereal on cereal isle, gluten-free bread on bread isle etc.) I do not shop at Walmart for that and other reasons.

[HeazerHacker]

At least they have a gluten-free section. My Walmart mixes it all together (gluten-free cereal on cereal isle, gluten-free bread on bread isle etc.) I do not shop at Walmart for that and other reasons.

Yeah, my husband and I are not shopping there anymore. And also, wow I can't believe they don't have anything for a section where you are, how frustrating. Where do you usually shop for gluten free? I need store suggestions.

[mushroom]

Yeah, my husband and I are not shopping there anymore. And also, wow I can't believe they don't have anything for a section where you are, how frustrating.

I know whereof she speaks. After hearing of everyone shopping at Walmart I thought, Wow, they must have changed!. Well, not in Nevada they haven't. They have gluten free Chex in with the other cereals and apart from that it is almost impossible to find a labelled gluten free product. Certainly not easy enough to make it worth the effort.

[CarolinaKip]

I have gone to their website before and written the home office about my experience in one of their stores.

[Adalaide]

All of the Wal-Marts in my area have a gluten free section. Of those, none of them separate things that are common products that simply happen to be gluten free and popular with us such as Chex.The section is used exclusively for specialty products such as pastas, crackers, and cookies. Annie's mac & cheese is with all the other mac & cheese, cereal is with the cereal unless it is one of those specialty brands. Could they do better? Sure. Then again, it is Wal-Mart. I don't shop there for their superior customer service, the ease of finding products or any number of other reasons that make my life as a shopper better, I go there because it is cheaper. My expectations are ridiculously low, because I know exactly where I am going. One day I may have the money to change the world by having principles, until then I will continue to shop at the place with the lowest prices regardless of how must less convenient it is.

I also never call places to complain, they can't hang up on you in person and having a rapt audience of other customers usually yields results. I worked in customer service for long enough to have a few tricks up my sleeve. Complaints should be made in person, and during the busiest parts of the day, lunch hours are good and so is the time when people are getting off of work and stopping in during the evenings on their way home. I may be just a little evil inside.

[shadowicewolf]

I'm greatful they have a section. Most stores mix products, its just a fact of life. I'm just greatful they have them.

[mushroom]

Yes, if there is a gluten free section, who's complainin? You're in and out. I just don't have the time to look at every price tag in the store or read the packaging of every product. And I sure don't have the energy to walk the whole supermarket at Walmart and end up with ONE product I only complain when you have to be a sleuth to find the stuff.

[HeazerHacker]

All of the Wal-Marts in my area have a gluten free section. Of those, none of them separate things that are common products that simply happen to be gluten free and popular with us such as Chex.The section is used exclusively for specialty products such as pastas, crackers, and cookies. Annie's mac & cheese is with all the other mac & cheese, cereal is with the cereal unless it is one of those specialty brands. Could they do better? Sure. Then again, it is Wal-Mart. I don't shop there for their superior customer service, the ease of finding products or any number of other reasons that make my life as a shopper better, I go there because it is cheaper. My expectations are ridiculously low, because I know exactly where I am going. One day I may have the money to change the world by having principles, until then I will continue to shop at the place with the lowest prices regardless of how must less convenient it is.

I also never call places to complain, they can't hang up on you in person and having a rapt audience of other customers usually yields results. I worked in customer service for long enough to have a few tricks up my sleeve. Complaints should be made in person, and during the busiest parts of the day, lunch hours are good and so is the time when people are getting off of work and stopping in during the evenings on their way home. I may be just a little evil inside.

Going in person is a great idea. Yeah, a lot of people are like "shop at Whole Foods", but I am not rich, so I was shopping at Wal-Mart. I am switching to HEB because I noticed they are pretty cheap and have a great gluten free selection. It is a little farther from my house, but a friend let me in on their gluten free section so it may be worth the gas. I should have read the label truthfully, I just got diagnosed this past month after a stay in the hospital due to malnutrition.

[HeazerHacker]

I'm greatful they have a section. Most stores mix products, its just a fact of life. I'm just greatful they have them.

It seems like its more a "pretend" section, most the products are still mixed. I think it is more for people who are on a fad diet than people like me who actually get sick. Also, products like Amys , cereal , and most other products are still separate. I guess I should be grateful they have anything though as it seems
Houston (where I live) is better than most places.

[Adalaide]

Going in person is a great idea. Yeah, a lot of people are like "shop at Whole Foods", but I am not rich, so I was shopping at Wal-Mart. I am switching to HEB because I noticed they are pretty cheap and have a great gluten free selection. It is a little farther from my house, but a friend let me in on their gluten free section so it may be worth the gas. I should have read the label truthfully, I just got diagnosed this past month after a stay in the hospital due to malnutrition.

I found very early on I had a deep emotional need to replace everything I was used to having with those gluten free replacement foods. I now rarely buy any of them. It comes with time, but I feel a whole lot better for not eating all that processed crap. And that is what it is, crap. I shudder to think that I used to eat food with ingredient lists that long.

It seems like its more a "pretend" section, most the products are still mixed. I think it is more for people who are on a fad diet than people like me who actually get sick. Also, products like Amys , cereal , and most other products are still separate. I guess I should be grateful they have anything though as it seems
Houston (where I live) is better than most places.

When it comes to Amy's in particular, they don't just do gluten free so we don't specially "own" them. A lot of other companies are the same way that do the specialty foods. A lot of retailers, with little room for a "specialty diet" section lump it all into one area. Having already labeled it gluten free they simply leave it labeled that way since we are the largest part of the 1% so to speak. There are plenty of other people on special diets that if there are other foods that are specialty foods that end up in my gluten free section I tend to not say anything unless the store has separate health food and gluten free sections. We get super defensive about it, and we do need to be extremely vigilant but we can never, ever just buy something because it was in a particular section of the store. Not even if it is the same brand we have always bought. (Example: Alexia sweet potato fries, which have recently stopped labeling as gluten free due to a new shared processing plant.) My life motto is every label, every time. I bought Classico pizza sauce yesterday, which I know darn well is gluten free... it's Classico after all. I still read the label. Read the labels on cheese, on a soda, on literally everything that goes in your mouth until it is so habitual that you won't put anything into your mouth (or cart) if you haven't read a label. Sure, it is annoying. Sure, it takes time. One day though it will save you, and will all be worth it.

[Cristina4268]

Wow how rude, I can't believe he didn't even attempt to address your concern. How infuriating.As far as suggestions. I'm recently diagnosed so I don't have alot to offer. Where I live, Wegman's Supermarket is a lifesaver. They have a nice Gluten/special dietary needs section. There is also Feel-Rite Markets and local co-op markets that specialize in organic/local foods, which is fantastic because they have a good assortment of Gluten free Foods


I feel like if a store has taken the time to seperate an aisle for gluten free foods, or even any other sort of limited diet, they should at least insure that the foods in the section belong there

Hopefully you checked in advance and didn't get gluttened,

I will check out my walmart now for a gluten-free section to see what we have.

[HeazerHacker]

Wow how rude, I can't believe he didn't even attempt to address your concern. How infuriating.As far as suggestions. I'm recently diagnosed so I don't have alot to offer. Where I live, Wegman's Supermarket is a lifesaver. They have a nice Gluten/special dietary needs section. There is also Feel-Rite Markets and local co-op markets that specialize in organic/local foods, which is fantastic because they have a good assortment of Gluten free Foods


I feel like if a store has taken the time to seperate an aisle for gluten free foods, or even any other sort of limited diet, they should at least insure that the foods in the section belong there

Hopefully you checked in advance and didn't get gluttened,

I will check out my walmart now for a gluten-free section to see what we have.

I totally got glutened - rookie mistake. I will see if any of those stores are in my area and get better at checking labels.

[HeazerHacker]

Wow how rude, I can't believe he didn't even attempt to address your concern. How infuriating.As far as suggestions. I'm recently diagnosed so I don't have alot to offer. Where I live, Wegman's Supermarket is a lifesaver. They have a nice Gluten/special dietary needs section. There is also Feel-Rite Markets and local co-op markets that specialize in organic/local foods, which is fantastic because they have a good assortment of Gluten free Foods


I feel like if a store has taken the time to seperate an aisle for gluten free foods, or even any other sort of limited diet, they should at least insure that the foods in the section belong there

Hopefully you checked in advance and didn't get gluttened,

I will check out my walmart now for a gluten-free section to see what we have.

And yeah thats what I felt like about the whole situation.

[luvs2eat]

I totally got glutened - rookie mistake. I will see if any of those stores are in my area and get better at checking labels.

I'm no rookie and got majorly glutened when I assumed all of Rudy's stuff was gluten-free. It just made me remember that no matter where they place stuff, I still need to read the labels.

WalMart in my town has no gluten-free section!