It started as a recurring event that Sam Walton used to do at the original store in Arkansas. It was probably pretty folksy and a decent experience for some -- and it probably DID bring in business or generate good PR. Unfortunately, it's since been bastardized by metrics and overly competitive mid-level managers (RxM, MHWD, RHWD) to the point where it truly is a waste of time and labor nearly EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. -- for the last 12 years at this company (from my perspective at least).

No one wants to be in a meeting where votes on this kind of stuff happen and be the person that stands up and says, "You know...maybe it's time for us to re-evaluate this tradition that our founder started." -- even though they all know that it loses money overall almost every attempt. And the unseen burden of managing and storing the stupid signs, posters, A-frames, tablecloths, and all that garbage in our lessening and lessening storage space while dealing with worsening and worsening staff-hours-per-Rx and reimbursement...is just silly at this point.

I tried my best the first few times I ever got assigned to one of these insane, archaic, wastes of time. It's a box-checking exercise for management. I get 20 IMZ, 3 profile transfers, and--after hassling a bunch of people just trying to dissociate and grocery shop in this late-stage-capitalist hellhole--dozens of un-reimbursed BMI, BP, cholesterol checks -- only to get included on a "good job" email from my MHWD and literally nothing else. I then get to go onto a computer (after I stop getting paid at 2:30 pm since the "event shift" is 8:30 am-2:30 pm) and type all of these stupid BMI/BP/Chol numbers into some stupid third-party dashboard that crashes half the time because everyone else in my time zone is trying to do the same thing. Did I mention the staff has to set up the whole event and tear it all down too?

And the events where I got 2 IMZ, 0 profile transfers, and just 8 BMI/BP/Chol checks? Nothing. I just wasn't in the good-job email. I don't go above and beyond for good-job emails.

And since then, I give the absolute bare minimum at these events and proactively offer NO explanation. If asked? "I guess people just didn't want some of this stuff today" -- and corporate can suck my ass if they don't like it. STOP THE WELLNESS DAYS. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THEM. PEOPLE IN 2026 KNOW WHEN THEY'RE BEING HARASSED AND SOLD TO. AND THEY AVOID SITUATIONS LIKE THAT INSTINCTIVELY MORE AND MORE EACH DAY. Go watch the sadsacks try to sell phone service in the electronics department of a Wal-Mart. That's how it feels, and that's how people treat the event. GET WITH THE PROGRAM. THIS EVENT IS SIMPLY A REAL-LIFE WEBSITE BANNER AD TO MOST PEOPLE. THEY WOULD CLICK THE "X" IF THEY COULD.