Walmart Drive-in Theaters

[Phase2]

Didn't see this coming, but it actually makes sense. Walmart is working on setting up 160 of their store parking lots for use as drive-in theaters starting this August thru October. People can watch from their own cars with friends/family and listen via radio. With other theater options seriously hampered, this is another way to get out of the house for a nice diversion. Walmart will also have options for picnic/concession purchases while you are there.

I haven't gone out for a movie in years, but this seems like a nice innovation for those who are interested.

Walmart to make 160 store parking lots into drive-in theaters

https://walmartdrive-in.com/

 

[Alamo]

There are theaters in Texas that have already done this. Initially they had a flat fee per car to enter, and all the money for concessions went to the kids running cokes and popcorn back and forth.

 

[snorko]

The local drive-in in Reo Indiana has been doing very well this season.

 

[4651feeder]

Having a difficult time embracing this announcement, Plymouth IN has one of the few true Drive-In theaters with Putt Putt in our area. If they experience competition from Walmart, what impact will that have on their future?

 

[JCSR]

Drive-in at Walmart seems like a good place to practice your self defense skills. I will pass.
No doubt some of these fine folks will show up as well............
https://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

 

[Phase2]

Having a difficult time embracing this announcement, Plymouth IN has one of the few true Drive-In theaters with Putt Putt in our area. If they experience competition from Walmart, what impact will that have on their future?

Good question. I have no idea how Walmart is picking locations and they haven't released a list yet. There are only about 300 drive-ins currently in the US, so there are tons of locations they can choose from: 3300 supercenters and 1300 smaller locations. I have no idea if they are taking current drive-in locations into account one way or another.

 

[churchmouse]

Drive-in at Walmart seems like a good place to practice your self defense skills. I will pass.
No doubt some of these fine folks will show up as well............
https://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

This.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Good question. I have no idea how Walmart is picking locations and they haven't released a list yet. There are only about 300 drive-ins currently in the US, so there are tons of locations they can choose from: 3300 supercenters and 1300 smaller locations. I have no idea if they are taking current drive-in locations into account one way or another.

I don't know about the other super centers, but at the ones by me, the parking lots are usually pretty full. I don't know how it would work, unless they're planning on closing the stores during the movies.

 

[Phase2]

Highly doubtful. I'm sure they are looking at this for both community relations and money making. Doubtful, they are putting these where it would require a significant decline in regular store sales. Based on the numbers, they are only going into about 5% of the supercenter locations.

 

[johntheplinker]

Sounds like a good way to get a captive audience for advertising. Hopefully the movies won't be made in China like most of the other crap they have.

 

[JCSR]

Sounds like a good way to get a captive audience for advertising. Hopefully the movies won't be made in China like most of the other crap they have.

Yep but the sheep will think it's a great thing Walmart is doing and pack the place.

 

[OurDee]

Projector may be cheaper than running lights in the parking lot. They may show half a movie and you have to buy the dvd to see the ending. I'm not going.

 

[maxwelhse]

Drive-in at Walmart seems like a good place to practice your self defense skills. I will pass.
No doubt some of these fine folks will show up as well............
https://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

My first thought as well. People don't know how to act right inside a Walmart. Give them what they think is an outdoor area with no rules and 90F heat and watch them go wild.

Especially in the finer areas of the country. DC, Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, etc.

No thanks.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Wow, such a bunch of grinches in here. I think it is a neat idea and there are plenty of Wallyworlds with plenty of room in the lots for them. I doubt they're motivation is to put any real drive-ins out of business. My bet is they pick areas that are nowhere near an existing drive-in.

Captive to advertising? What the hell planet have you been living on where you can escape that? Lol! Newsflash. Drive on ANY public road and you are innundated with it. But I'm guessing some of you guys don't drive public roads and you don't watch any TV, either, right?

I think it is a neat and innovative idea to help people cope with a crappy situation. Americans are VERY quick to adapt, as many business have done. Just roll with it! If you don't like it, well, don't go.

I'd go if the movies are good, but I doubt they'll do it anywhere near me. We've got Tibbs drive-in and Centerbrook down in Mooresville. I enjoy both, so no need for Wallyworld. But I still like the idea.

 

[maxwelhse]

Captive to advertising? What the hell planet have you been living on where you can escape that? Lol! Newsflash. Drive on ANY public road and you are innundated with it. But I'm guessing some of you guys don't drive public roads and you don't watch any TV, either, right?

I actually do pretty well there. I run multiple tiers of adblockers on my devices, I haven't had network TV in over 10 years, I don't listen to broadcast radio, and I rarely drive on highways. The only advertising I see on any sort of regular basis is for local businesses. As in, the sign in front the McDonald's, gas station, etc. Usually I'm driving when I'm driving, so, I don't pay those much attention.

In 4 days spent at my parents house just hanging out in their living room while they had the regular old cable TV on I promise you I was exposed to more ads than I had been in the last 4 months and I noticed it immediately.

This is all outside of the point that Hollywood is full of people that literally want us to die. I do what I can to not give them any money. Read that as you will.

 

[Principal Skinr]

I actually do pretty well there. I run multiple tiers of adblockers on my devices, I haven't had network TV in over 10 years, I don't listen to broadcast radio, and I rarely drive on highways. The only advertising I see on any sort of regular basis is for local businesses. As in, the sign in front the McDonald's, gas station, etc. Usually I'm driving when I'm driving, so, I don't pay those much attention.

In 4 days spent at my parents house just hanging out in their living room while they had the regular old cable TV on I promise you I was exposed to more ads than I had been in the last 4 months and I noticed it immediately.

This is all outside of the point that Hollywood is full of people that literally want us to die. I do what I can to not give them any money. Read that as you will.

Exactly. Ignore it. So what's the big deal at a Wallyworld drive-in? They can be ignored there, too.

Advertising is a healthy thing for a free-market capitalist economy. I embrace it and celebrate it.

 

[JCSR]

Exactly. Ignore it. So what's the big deal at a Wallyworld drive-in? They can be ignored there, too.

Advertising is a healthy thing for a free-market capitalist economy. I embrace it and celebrate it.

Don't be Pro-Walmart and expect us who are not to give a sh*t.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Don't be Pro-Walmart and expect us who are not to give a sh*t.

I'm pro free-market, pro-business, and pro Walmart. I'm very happy to know you give enough of a **** to post about not giving a ****.

Biggest Walmart I ever saw was in Beijing. It was packed and had probably 100 check out lines. Gave me a freedom b0ner just taking it all in.

 

[maxwelhse]

Exactly. Ignore it. So what's the big deal at a Wallyworld drive-in? They can be ignored there, too.

Advertising is a healthy thing for a free-market capitalist economy. I embrace it and celebrate it.

It's a little hard to ignore when you're literally paying money to be sat in front it. That's my main beef in this exact case and it's the same beef I have with pay TV services (cable, satellite, etc). I don't give people my money so they can sell me like cattle to their overlords. If I pay for a service, I expect to be provided with that service. Nothing more, nothing less. Therefore I don't pay for their services.

I have 3 main beefs with advertising in general:

1 - Most of it insults my intelligence (not that there's much to work with). Coming down "Saturday, Saturday, Saturday" to the "Tool Liquidation" or "Sidewalk sale" just offends me because you must think I'm stupid if you believe that's going to work on me. The fact that it works on others is bad enough... If you have a good product, tell me why it's good and if I'm in the market for it I'll buy one. In the internet age, customers seek that information out so the other way around is pointless, annoying, and preys on the weak.

2 - It's radically intrusive. The last thing I want while I'm watching a movie or TV show is have things sold at me in an aggressive way like excessive product placements and the like. This goes 1000% for things on the internet. Without ad blockers, web browsers are basically just sales kiosks and are nearly unusable. The largest repository of knowledge in human history has been reduced to nothing more than a cash register.

3 - Most of it encourages people to buy things they don't need, with money most don't have, so they can simply have more stuff. This entire mentality is half of what is wrong with the world today. Simply "more, more, more" is not a sustainable or healthy way to go about pretty much anything.

Capitalism is great and I wouldn't take any other system over it, but half of this country doesn't even have $400 saved for an emergency and that same half is likely those who pay no taxes (and a large percentage of those on public aid). So... If we want to foist up the merits of the system, we have to let the system stand alone. Aggressively advertising garbage certainly doesn't help things... especially today when it seems 90% of the advertising is BS like "We stand with BLM". So pretty much every company in the US is supporting domestic terrorism right now with their ad campaigns. No thanks...

If you're all for it, that's fine. I'm not. Let the sheep be led by the advertising shepherds if they don't know what to do otherwise. I'm not that guy, generally.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I'm pro free-market, pro-business, and pro Walmart. I'm very happy to know you give enough of a **** to post about not giving a ****.

Biggest Walmart I ever saw was in Beijing. It was packed and had probably 100 check out lines. Gave me a freedom b0ner just taking it all in.

Well sure... they can shop Walmart and still "shop local".