The "Wal-Mart is ruining America" thread

[Hohn]

Post your rants here. For now all I will say is that wherever Wally World builds a supercenter, all the mom and pop places go belly up. Not opinion- just fact.



I also have to say that I go out of my way to avoid wal-mart at all costs. I go in there, and I see the "average American" and I don't like what I see. We have become an embarassment to ourselves. I just feel really white-trashy when I'm there.



The only time Wally seems to have American products is when they are even cheaper and more poorly made than an imported product. At least it helps people afford things they otherwise might not be able to. And i know, for some, it's the difference between getting by or not getting by.



My dream is that EVERY American would be so well off that wouldn't have to shop at wal-mart. That will never happen, though, because we Americans are in love with making stupid decisions (quitting school, buying a $25K car on a $12K income, getting pregnant at age 15, etc etc... )

 

[TPCDrafting]

Hohn, glad to see your up and running again. We'll hook up soon, I promise. Life has me on the run now. Anyway's the only reason I go in Wall mart is to feel better about myself. I don't buy much if anything. Good thing wally world is landlocked here and can't do a super center at it's current location. They'll have to move and losing their prime spot on the main drag isn't such a good idea. Mostly I don't go there cuz they're soo busy all the time. I'd rather go next door and pay a few penny's more and not have to wait in line.

 

[TxDieselKid]

So get them back by parking your RV in their lots over night!

 

[Peter Campbell]

And being a big employer- minimum wage jobs. Wally-world was brought successfully to court about forcing empoyees to work off the clock on threat of termination. I know someone who was subject to that at a retailer like linens an ****** ( I would not want to be sued by using the real name). I do not remember but wally world admitted no wrongdoing and "fixed" the problem. I would have preferred that some executives that came up with the idea to support that policy did time. How about prison time for every one of them equal to the defrauded hours of ALL wal mart emploees affected. Would be nice to see how they like serving time at minimum wage for the good of the company. To bad it will never happen. Same goes for Pep boys. They like to fire managers that answer the reserve call. I served in the Navy and intend to never buy a Toshiba or walk into a PEP boys. And I have a long memory.

 

[fj40charles]

I used to support floormart as a vendor. I can tell you they work the crap out of their people as well as the vendor. They know they're big and they'll take advantage of it.



I've heard of several cases where they screw the small manufacturer.



Example: a company willl make some wigits and walmart will say, "we'll buy a million pieces at 5. 00 each. " The small guy will go out and get a loan to build a bigger manufacturing facility to make these widgets.



Year #2 comes along and now walmart will say, "We'lll buy the same widgets, but we're only going to pay $4. 00 each for the product. " If this company can't comply, then walmart will buy from someone else. In the meantime, this guy can't make the payments on his/her new manufacturing facility and goes bankrupt.



About the only vendor that has any significant leverage on walmart is Johnson & Johnson because they carry so many items that people need and if walmart does not carry it, then why would people shop there?



Personally, I perfer Super Target and Costco. Costco has better quality of products and have a friendlier staff. Also, I don't have to wait in line forever at a Costco or a Target.



Disclaimer: not affliated with any retailer.

 

[Camara]

I really don't have anything good to say so I am not going to say anything!

 

[mjendrejcak]

Originally posted by Camara

I really don't have anything good to say so I am not going to say anything!

I think you just said a mouth full

 

[Pit Bull]

Had a friend that worked for Lucent as the National Account Manager for Walmart. It's Lucents largest account. He took the job as a retirement exist plan. Lucent has never had a NAM last over 1 1/2 years on the Walmart account (but they make a lot of money while it lasts). He almost made it 1 1/2 years. He said they were tough to work with but fair and had very sharp employee's. As long as a company keeps their commitments to their employees and is honest with all of their stakeholders, then I don't see a problem. Walmart is the largest corporation in the world they are bound to have some problems. Walmart is a great example of the American dream coming true. I feel like if Mom and Pop want my business they have to earn it. There is more then price in most peoples value equation, mine included. When the local Mom and Pop can't compete it is usually because they are not smart enough to figure out how. That's not Walmarts problem and it is not my job to support their incompetence. I did not start buying from Walmart until the other vendors that sold the same products as Walmart failed to even try to compete on any level. I personally give every small business a chance to win my business, but have been disappointed since I retired and have moved to a small town environment. It's funny when I lived in Atlanta Georgia I never thought about shopping at Walmart, to many quality small business owners and quality large businesses to buy from. Maybe that is part of Walmarts plan, compete where they don't have much competition, small town America. JMHO

 

[Wayno]

Its call buying in bulk . Mom and Pop can not compete because they can not buy in bulk . Wal - Mart buys so many of one idem at a time they get it so much cheaper than Mom and Pop could ever buy it for . When Wal - Mart runs all the Mom and Pop out of business ( along with K - Mart and others and probably the Dollar Stores , you know here in Texas Wal- Mart is going to put their own version of a Dollar store in their stores ) they will have the same control on the American public just like O- Peck . And as for as a American Dream come true , Yea Sam Walton's dream came true for him but he pass'd away , what five , ten years ago maybe longer . Now it is the Stockholders dream come true .

 

[WadePatton]

Finally

The Wallwart Sucks Thread.



If everyone thought like I did. Walmarks, would not exist as it does today.



As I prophosized a few years ago: Keep on America, eventually we'll ALL be going to work at Wally World in our Wally Cars fueled by Wally Gas, wearing our Wallyform with our tummies full of Wally Food. We'll all work for Wally Credits, because there will be no place to buy anything else.



Extreme, maybe--but think about it. That's just the economics of it. I'll get into the politics of it next post.



I'll starve, go naked, and even run out of beer, rather than support that place.

 

[QRTRHRS]

There was a time, perhaps some of you remember, perhaps some of you still know of it's existance, when you might not have had enough money to buy a quart of milk and a loaf of bread.



You could however, go to the local Mom and Pop, explain the situation, go home not only with your milk and bread but maybe a dozen eggs and some other staples too.



True, that era may not really have been so innocent as we would like to remember. But at least people cared.

 

[Gray Ghost]

We need to start buying American. Wallyworld only sells foreign.

If we don't demand American products, we will all be out of jobs.

I work for Royal Dutch Shell. They are laying everyone in America off, that they can. They made 9. 1 Billion last year.

The first 6 months this year, they made 8. 2 Billion.

They aren't making enough, so jobs go to India and far east for 15 cents an hour. Also there are two bills pending in congress to eliminate the L1 and H1 foreign job holders that companies are hiring cheap.

Sorry for the rant. Losing my job in Nov. Merry Christmas Shell.

 

[GiesJ]

This book will rile you up more:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/103-7462858-5822251?v=glance&s=books

I go to walmart as little as possible.

 

[fj40charles]

Gray Ghost,



Your story sounds like many in IT. The jobs are going to India or are being outsourced because it cheaper in the short run.

The big buzzwords in IT is "outsourcing" and "off shoring. "

I hear the same crap at work too.



If this trend does not stop, America will be a third world country in about 20 to 30 years.



BTW, most IT shops that have outsouced their operations is bringing it back because the quality sucks. A good example would be Washing Mutual Bank.



Charles

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by Gray Ghost

Wallyworld only sells foreign.

Chevron Delo 400 is foreign?

Shell Rotella T is foreign?

Mobil I is foreign?



That's the problem with blanket statements - my ole Daddy told me that I'd better be real careful with using words like never, always, only, because most things aren't any of these.



Rusty

 

[Pit Bull]

It's not price it's the value equation. I bought two Michelin LTX/MS's from a local tire store. Price was $20 cheaper per tire at Walmart. Same tires, less money but not the same caliber of employee installing the tire and not the same service after the sale. So I bought from the local guy. Grocerys are a different story. Local story was higher less selection and poor service. They don't deserve my business so I buy my grocerys from Walmart.

 

[Hohn]

Originally posted by TxDieselKid

So get them back by parking your RV in their lots over night!

Where's Gary KJ6Q when you need him?

 

[Hohn]

PB, I respect your wisdom. I agree that in many ways, Wally world is the American dream. Sam Walton must be turning in his grave to see how it is run now. I hear all kinds of stories, since I have family in Bentonville, Rogers, etc...



In the end, this whole economic fiasco may serve us in the long run. Think back to 1972. Think OPEC. American car companies sat on their butts expecting the American sheeple to continue buying gas-guzzlers and waiting in line.



Along comes Toyota and Honda to give the American consumer what they want. Result: the big 3 are not so big now-- they have to COMPETE!



The American worker has now become like the car companies were in the 70's. Minimum wage hurts job competition. This only benefits the foreigners, like in the 70s.



Now, we find ourselves scrambling for jobs again. We are having to COMPETE against the foreigners. At first, we seem to be losing. But we CAN win this competition.



The answer lies not in protectionist trade tariffs which only serve to stifle competition and allow American companies to rest on their laurels. No, all we need is a level playing field.



But the playing field ISN'T level. The porous borders have flooded our market with cheap labor-- illegally. I am convinced that given a FAIR market, and a FAIR system, the American worker can compete with the best in the world.



But lots of Americans don't want a fair system. Because the unfair system has often worked in their favor-- giving us stock options, health insurance, etc. Now that the unfair system is turning against them, only THEN do people sit up and take notice.



A "fair" system would have no minimum wage. No laws would exist that FORCED an employer to provide insurance and all that other crap. A fair system would seal off the borders and actually enforce the laws we have!!



This economy is mostly to blame on the gov't requiring businesses to do so much, instead of letting the market set things like wages and benefits. The bait people with "evil corporation" rhetoric and pass a bunch of laws that hurt the Mom and Pop places FAR more than the bigwigs companies.



Don't get me wrong-- there is a lot of ugliness in corporate America. If our gov't was as concerned about the rule of law as it was about social engineering, few of these problems would happen.



Don't protect the American worker from competition-- make him EARN his job. He will-- and you will see the best dang worker around. Just let him do it fairly.



The elitist politicians don't want a fair system because it costs them power. The WANT the worker to be dependent upon them for insurance and other essentials of life. The view the average American as stupid, and they think we can't be trusted with out own lives-- so they "help" us by living our lives FOR us.



It all points towards ONE thing and one thing only-- the Federal gov't is simply too big, and involved in doing things that a gov't should not be doing... ... .

 

[mjendrejcak]

Originally posted by fj40charles

Gray Ghost,



Your story sounds like many in IT. The jobs are going to India or are being outsourced because it cheaper in the short run.

The big buzzwords in IT is "outsourcing" and "off shoring. "

I hear the same crap at work too.



If this trend does not stop, America will be a third world country in about 20 to 30 years.



BTW, most IT shops that have outsouced their operations is bringing it back because the quality sucks. A good example would be Washing Mutual Bank.



Charles

I'm going to be in this position by year-end.



My employer is cut cost in all departments. They said in most cases they can hire two or three people for the on position held now. My employer as well as many others are looking at bottom line. Many employees have a poor work ethic and in some cases forced employers into going to offshore staffing.



In my particular case. I have been the network admin for two years, in that time we have been down a total of 135 hours through all worldwide facilities I support. My employer found an offshore firm that guarantees 99% uptime for 20k a year instead of my 80k a year salary.

 

[Rman]

Hohn stole my thunder with that post. I was going to get into someting very similar with social engineering and how the govn't place in corporate america is a huge contributing factor.



People may call is captialism, but it is far from that. It is what our government has structured, and it is was a huge company like wally world found a way to win that structure. If you want to call it the american dream coming true then so be it. Just sit back and look at what this company is doing to america, give it some more time, and tell me after what it leaves behind that this is the "american dream".



I get really irritated by peoples ignorance so i'm going to just read most of this thread. I find it entertaining. They started construction of another one of those god awful stores 2 blocks from my house, thank god i'm moving in a few months before its completed.



One question for PitBull... do you tip people? Just wondering how your view on value was passed on in tipping.