Walmart's Project Impact: A Move to Crush Competition

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: dawp
I'm glad there is a new Target under constuction a few hundred yards from walmart. I find that the meats at Hy-Vee are better quality and they have an actual meat counter where I can talk to the butcher if I want to. I just don't like shopping at walmart, their customers just seem a bit trashier than other stores. I will never buy clothes from walmart as the few times i did in the past, they just fell apart. just no quality control.

This. At least Target carries name brands.

only time i buy clothes from walmart is for my kids. they are going to outgrow them in less then a year so why bother getting the name brand stuff? it last long enough for them.

walmart clothes aren't bad as Dawp sais though. but they do not last as long as the jeans i get from Farm and Fleet.

 

[Modelworks]

It wouldn't be so bad if walmart had competition in every city, but they often don't. In smaller towns they are the only source of merchandise. They pushed out everyone else and have created a market where they are the only game in town. I have one small town near me that suffers because of walmart. The downtown areas once filled with smaller business is now empty, it really looks like a ghost town with street after street of empty store spaces. It wasn't that walmart was that much cheaper either. Something like clothing sold at walmart was only $2-3 cheaper but still cheaper than what a local business could do.

Consumers don't think long term , they think about the here and now. They don't think about if they had supported the local businesses it would have helped everyone, instead they see it as the local businesses just charging more because they are greedy. They forget that those local businesses provide support for what they sell. I would rather go to the local guy who has been selling lawn mowers for 30 years to buy a mower than some 17 yr old kid who probably spent his life playing video games. If I go into the local garden shop and they don't have what I need they will order it and have it in a day or two, can't do that at walmart , you have to buy what is on the shelf. Local businesses are also loyal to their customers, concerned with more than just price. How many walmarts do you know that will tell you "you are going to need a special wrench to attach that clamp, they cost about $120, but I got one you can use , just bring it back when you are done" ?

 

[dawp]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: dawp
I'm glad there is a new Target under constuction a few hundred yards from walmart. I find that the meats at Hy-Vee are better quality and they have an actual meat counter where I can talk to the butcher if I want to. I just don't like shopping at walmart, their customers just seem a bit trashier than other stores. I will never buy clothes from walmart as the few times i did in the past, they just fell apart. just no quality control.

This. At least Target carries name brands.

only time i buy clothes from walmart is for my kids. they are going to outgrow them in less then a year so why bother getting the name brand stuff? it last long enough for them.

walmart clothes aren't bad as Dawp sais though. but they do not last as long as the jeans i get from Farm and Fleet.

that was about 20 yrs ago and they did literally fall apart, as in the seems came undone. i have never bought cloths there since, and never will.

 

[piasabird]

If you lose a contract with Wal-Mart you might have to file for bank-ruptcy. It is like being shut out of the US Market. Maybe the USA should go back to tariffs. The worst part of this world economy is that it is most likely they can make things cheaper becuase they are producing more pollution where the part is being made.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: dawp
I'm glad there is a new Target under constuction a few hundred yards from walmart. I find that the meats at Hy-Vee are better quality and they have an actual meat counter where I can talk to the butcher if I want to. I just don't like shopping at walmart, their customers just seem a bit trashier than other stores. I will never buy clothes from walmart as the few times i did in the past, they just fell apart. just no quality control.

This. At least Target carries name brands.

only time i buy clothes from walmart is for my kids. they are going to outgrow them in less then a year so why bother getting the name brand stuff? it last long enough for them.

walmart clothes aren't bad as Dawp sais though. but they do not last as long as the jeans i get from Farm and Fleet.

I act5ually bought some gym clothes and flannel shirts from a Walmarts a bout 4 years ago and all of those clothes lasted about 2 months before they ripped, the sesms came undone or they generally fell apart. It's not because they were made in China, it's because it was the cheapest stuff they make in China.

Some stuff like Sneakers that are made in China are real good (Nike, Addidas) but then there are the $20 sneakers from China that are pure crap and that's what you find in
Walmarts.

BTW anybody know the only the brand of the only Sneakers still made in the USA? (I do)

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: bamacre
Who cares if a lot of things are made in China? Generally there's nothing wrong with this. It's more efficient for us to buy things made in China, if they can make them more efficiently than we can. We can focus on producing things we can make more efficiently, and that means using ingenuity and technology rather than cheap labor. It's just stupid to try to produce every single thing we consume.

I hate the Goddamn word "efficiency". Just use the real meaning of the word...cheap. They get paid $0.08 per hour is this "efficiency" that you guys refer to. Fuck that.

The US worker is the most productive worker in the world. Even with that, they cannot come close to competing with $0.08 per hour. The "efficiencies" that you mention have driven the folks out of the closing US factories, where they made a decent wave, into the stores of Walmart where they make shit wages. I guess it helps them afford the cheap stuff, especially since their incomes are so much lower now.

And for the record, this is not unique to just Walmart, however they were big in pushing and promoting it well before others finally gave in and did the same.

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: bamacre
Who cares if a lot of things are made in China? Generally there's nothing wrong with this. It's more efficient for us to buy things made in China, if they can make them more efficiently than we can. We can focus on producing things we can make more efficiently, and that means using ingenuity and technology rather than cheap labor. It's just stupid to try to produce every single thing we consume.

I hate the Goddamn word "efficiency". Just use the real meaning of the word...cheap. They get paid $0.08 per hour is this "efficiency" that you guys refer to. Fuck that.

The US worker is the most productive worker in the world. Even with that, they cannot come close to competing with $0.08 per hour. The "efficiencies" that you mention have driven the folks out of the closing US factories, where they made a decent wave, into the stores of Walmart where they make shit wages. I guess it helps them afford the cheap stuff, especially since their incomes are so much lower now.

And for the record, this is not unique to just Walmart, however they were big in pushing and promoting it well before others finally gave in and did the same.

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

That's nice and all but are those jobs making bra snaps being replaced with Walmart greeter jobs? If so, we are not progressing.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: bamacre
Who cares if a lot of things are made in China? Generally there's nothing wrong with this. It's more efficient for us to buy things made in China, if they can make them more efficiently than we can. We can focus on producing things we can make more efficiently, and that means using ingenuity and technology rather than cheap labor. It's just stupid to try to produce every single thing we consume.

I hate the Goddamn word "efficiency". Just use the real meaning of the word...cheap. They get paid $0.08 per hour is this "efficiency" that you guys refer to. Fuck that.

The US worker is the most productive worker in the world. Even with that, they cannot come close to competing with $0.08 per hour. The "efficiencies" that you mention have driven the folks out of the closing US factories, where they made a decent wave, into the stores of Walmart where they make shit wages. I guess it helps them afford the cheap stuff, especially since their incomes are so much lower now.

And for the record, this is not unique to just Walmart, however they were big in pushing and promoting it well before others finally gave in and did the same.

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

So we shift those workers to Walmart? That's called progress?

If you think that only low wage and small crap manufacturing plants are going to other countries, I've got a bridge to sell you. I'm watching manufacturing from ALL sizes leave. Boeing is moving more and more of their sub-assemblies overseas, and I would suspect (like Airbus has already done) will move to China as soon as they can. Don't kid yourself.

I would like to see a link to the idea that we manufacturer more than we ever had. Other than the possibility of an expanding defense sector, name (or link) others?

There's a reason that the US has went from first to second (and maybe third by now) in exports and from #1 to #2 in competitiveness...first time since the history of the measurement.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: rudder

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

You're so full of shit your words are brown.

China Begins Its Transition to a Clean-Energy Economy

China 40%

U.S. 12%

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: bamacre
Who cares if a lot of things are made in China? Generally there's nothing wrong with this. It's more efficient for us to buy things made in China, if they can make them more efficiently than we can. We can focus on producing things we can make more efficiently, and that means using ingenuity and technology rather than cheap labor. It's just stupid to try to produce every single thing we consume.

I hate the Goddamn word "efficiency". Just use the real meaning of the word...cheap. They get paid $0.08 per hour is this "efficiency" that you guys refer to. Fuck that.

The US worker is the most productive worker in the world. Even with that, they cannot come close to competing with $0.08 per hour. The "efficiencies" that you mention have driven the folks out of the closing US factories, where they made a decent wave, into the stores of Walmart where they make shit wages. I guess it helps them afford the cheap stuff, especially since their incomes are so much lower now.

And for the record, this is not unique to just Walmart, however they were big in pushing and promoting it well before others finally gave in and did the same.

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

So we shift those workers to Walmart? That's called progress?

If you think that only low wage and small crap manufacturing plants are going to other countries, I've got a bridge to sell you. I'm watching manufacturing from ALL sizes leave. Boeing is moving more and more of their sub-assemblies overseas, and I would suspect (like Airbus has already done) will move to China as soon as they can. Don't kid yourself.

I would like to see a link to the idea that we manufacturer more than we ever had. Other than the possibility of an expanding defense sector, name (or link) others?

There's a reason that the US has went from first to second (and maybe third by now) in exports and from #1 to #2 in competitiveness...first time since the history of the measurement.

No, the ones working at walmart are the ones who have no other gumption in life but to earn near minimum wage. And I will get you a link to the data showing that the U.S. is producing more now than ever. Except I am leaving work so if you dont see a link within a reasonable time, send a pm cause I brain fart alot.

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: rudder

The United States manufactures more goods now that it has ever done in its history. The perception that we are losing jobs to the Chinese is that they have taken a lot of manufacturing jobs. But what the U.S. has done has shifted a lot of the lower skilled manufacturing jobs to other countries. I would rather them make the $3 t-shirt... lets the U.S. make industrial machinery, high tech goods, more efficient solar panels etc. It is called progress.

And the word efficiency is just what it sounds like. U.S. manufacturers can now do a lot more with a lot less manpower. The fact that we want people to go to 12 years of school so they can make bra snaps and shoelaces is ridiculous. Let the Chinese make those things.

You're so full of shit your words are brown.

China Begins Its Transition to a Clean-Energy Economy

China 40%

U.S. 12%

for that article

"The bottom line: China is not there yet, but it is beginning to transition to a clean-energy economy through a wide range of actions. The United States should recognize China?s efforts and encourage China to expand upon them. We have sketched this claim before, but let?s run though the numbers in more detail."

They shuttered half their factories to hold the Olympics because the air quality is so poor.