Walmart and other stores, why the negativity torwards them? (1 Viewer)

[Tom Rhea]

If I was living in an economically well-off area I might feel differently, but I don't, so I'm always very conscious about doing what I can to keep the money I spend in the area I live. I shop locally-owned businesses where possible (unfortunatley, the only independently owned video store in my area refuses to carry dvds). If that costs me a little bit extra in cash, fine. I prefer to think long term and as nobody seems to remember anymore, money isn't everything. Plus Wal-Mart seems to be controlled by the sort of people I would prefer to not enrich in any way, shape or form.

 

[RobertR]

if Wal-Mart were to clean up and make me BELIEVE in their integrity as a business, I would shop there again.

So believing in the integrity of Wal Mart would suddenly make the "smelly shoppers, rude employees and long lines" ok with you (none of those things would disappear just because the company is perceived as having greater integrity)?

 

[David Susilo]

"money is not everything but without money, everything is nothing."

 

[Robert_eb]

In response to RobertRs comment: Hmmm, so you're willing to throw people out of work in this country who are in the import business.

I would rather save jobs in the U.S. and keep out the sweat shop jobs in China and other countries that use children to make clothing and other products that U.S. importers profit from.

 

[RobertR]

So the answer to my question is yes, you ARE willing to throw some people in this country out of work (which is the consequence of what you advocate).

 

[Robert_eb]

Yes I would if I could save more jobs in the U.S. than I would loose. Do you favour child labor or something? Are you an Importer looking to save your own skin and take advantage of the U.S. trade policy and exploit third world nations? Do you honestly beleive that more jobs will be lost to Importers than would be lost to U.S. manufacturing jobs?? I doubt it.

 

[Jason Handy]

In my opinion, increasing their business integrity will alleviate many of the other problems. Don't think for a second that each and every bad aspect of Wal-Mart is neatly compartmentalized and independent of every other one.

Ideally, if Wal-mart were to clean itself up, the employees might care a bit more, there would be more cashiers (and they would be better trained), and the shoppers might show more respect for the store.

If you walk into a nasty bar that has full ashtrays and wet tables, you wouldn't flinch if you spilled beer, or stomped a smoke onto the floor. But if you were in a place that was well-maintained, you would think twice about it. As humans, we have some strange instinct that responds predictably to our environment.

I go into a Radio Shack uptown that is cluttered and the help sucks and I am in a completely different mindset than the one downtown that is well-managed and organized. Go figure.

My point, Robert, is that it is futile to fix the porch when the house is rotting. So, Walmart should start by subscribing to the values they promote so strongly.

Peace,

Jason

 

[Scott Hayes]

to the two Roberts
Please people this has been a good thread, lets not get too political and get it closed, the administrators already had to delete some posts lets not force them to close the whole thing.
Thanks

 

[RobertR]

Do you honestly beleive that more jobs will be lost to Importers than would be lost to U.S. manufacturing jobs

I honestly believe that lowering trade barriers benefits this country economically (including jobs) as opposed to maintaining "protective" walls.
Your other questions are insulting and an attempt to argue from emotion instead of from rational economics.
Edit: Point well taken, Scott.

 

[David Von Pein]

Right on, Steve A.!!

Gee, I thought that was the whole idea of a business, and the "sell for less" philosophy .... to get people to shop HERE and not THERE!

Is Wal-Mart supposed to just fold up its tents and forfeit millions of dollars just so they don't offend anyone??

I don't hear anybody raking McDonald's over the coals because they just put that little Ma 'n Pa diner out of business!

I think it's called "business".

 

[RobertR]

Sam vowed to start his own store and run K-Mart out of business

You mean....an individual took on a giant retailer and SUCCEEDED? How can that be? We've been told in this thread that's impossible

 

[Scott Calvert]

As far as only buying products made in the USA, I don't think this really benefits society as a whole. From what little I know of the global economy, the lowering of trade barriers results in a more efficient allocation of global resources.

Sure, some American industries will suffer, but others will prosper. Surely we are better and more efficient at producing some hypothetical good than most other countries. So in addition to providing those goods to our own people, we export the goods to the global market. Global market=more exports=more jobs for Americans=money to spend on imported goods at lower prices than we in the USA would be able to provide.

I could be wrong.

 

[Joseph Young]

I'm lucky when it comes to choice on general consumer goods in the Bay Area. If I ever want to avoid WalMart for some reason, there are plenty of other alternatives. At least 4 Fry's Electronics, BedBath&Beyond, 24 hour Safeways, Trader Joe's, OSH, Aaron Brothers, and the list goes on. If I am worried about a 24 resource, Safeway and Walgreens both cover that base.
Yeah, I have choices.
And while I believe that The Merchant of Death is a resource when there are few other choices in your area, it is also the very presense of WalMart that prevents fair competition and choice.
And quite frankly, the discerning and intelligent consumer always has a choice.
Joseph

 

[RobertR]

quite frankly, the discerning and intelligent consumer always has a choice

And I for one do not think people should be protected from their own stupidity.

 

[RobertR]

Traditionally, this is what has happened to giant businesses in the past.

I agree with you, Buzz. An example is the paradigm shift that turned IBM into just another computer company from the perceived unstoppable colossus that the Johnson Administration thought had to be broken up. Nowadays people think "Microsoft" when they think "big computer company", not IBM, and Microsoft didn't even exist at the time of the filing of the IBM antitrust case.

 

[Scott D S]

Hi everybody.
As a Target employee (3 years in June), I just want to take the time out to say that I have been appreciating all the kind words. Believe it or not (and I can't speak for Wal-Mart), we do try, we really do. Re: long lines at the checkout lanes, I believe one poster put it correctly when he said that, if a few people call in sick and a few others have to leave because of hours, then of course we're stuck. Sometimes, it's unavoidable.
Scott
P.S. I work in the electronics dept. and I do try to promote OAR whenever I can.

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

One thing I do love about wal-mart, though, at least here in Canada, is the 'self service' checkout lines. A scanner, a security tag deactivator, a touchscreen, and a credit/debit card machine. It's great!