Why do you shop at wal-mart?

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

If you cannot compete, you need to figure out how to, or fail.

Winnar!

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

If you cannot compete, you need to figure out how to, or fail.

While I agree with that, Walmart is a little beyond the normal realm of competition.

I'm not against Walmart, but I don't really see a viable method of competition for anyone other than another huge chain (Costco for example).

You can't buy in the quantity Walmart does, you can't influence the sellers like Walmart does, etc.

None of this is necessarily bad in general, but it's very bad for the "competition."

As a business owner, would you open up a supermarket in the same town as a Super Walmart?

Your "failure" ("no" answer) may be in reality a simple recognition that you cannot compete. They're kind of in the same position as Microsoft, while I wouldn't consider them a monopoly they are simply too large for anyone else to compete.

Viper GTS

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Freejack2
I don't. Walmart is abusive to their employees. They pay them piss poor wages, they call full time 32 hours. Make employees clock out and continue to work. Medical insurance is so expensive that most workers can't afford it. They are the junk from China king of the world. I don't think anybody imports more crap from China then they do. They treat their vendors like sh!t often using threats.
The list goes on and on and on.

Go to sites like walmartwatch.com and see what this company is up to.

Oh and before you say this is just normal business, it isn't. Companies don't need to mistreat their employees and vendors. Target makes a nice profit and doesn't need to pull the crap that Walmart does.

you do know walmart is not the only store that does this right?

If the people working there want higher wages or better insurance they are free to go find another job. Thats one of the things that is nice about the country. If you don't like your job then go get a different one! if that is the only skill you have. then tough poop!

At least they offer insurance. They do not have to. Why should the employer pay for it? it is used as a bonus to pay to get people to take the job. Walmart does not need to worry about getting the best or the brightest. it is not hard to run a register or stock shelves.

Yep, it's a free market. If it's so bad, why isn't it unionized? My guess is that most of the people working there want to be part time. Most of the employees I see there appear to be retirees, college or H.S. students, etc. If you want/need full time & benefits, look elsewhere.

 

[Shagger]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

If you cannot compete, you need to figure out how to, or fail.

Winnar!

This is true except for the part about how China props up its currency against the dollar. The largest component of the China/US unfair trade practice is the subsidized Chinese currency. The Chinese buy $600 million dollars a day to keep their currency deflated by 40%.

This is true except for the part about the VAT tax. This VAT program is funded by $30 billion annually, and amounts to an additional 18% price subsidy across the board.

The currency manipulation, VAT subsidies, and other direct unfair practices currently supported by the Chinese government make it impossible for companies producing in the United States to compete. These subsidies add an additional 30% to 40% advantage to Chinese goods, on top of the cheap labor advantage. US Industrial products do not have 30 or 40% margins, and therefore cannot absorb these pricing disadvantages.

Reliable estimates suggest as many as 7,500 to 10,000 jobs are lost with each $1 billion increase in our trade deficit with China. The deficit with China is growing by $2 billion per month.

Winnar my left nut...

 

[Shagger]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

yes since we know that walmart is the only company that buys from China.

 

[Shagger]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

yes since we know that walmart is the only company that buys from China.

Not the "only" just the biggest...try not to condescend TOO much mmmkay?

A WSJ article suggests that Walmart buys 70% of its goods from China - all subsidized by the Chinese government. (Low Value of Yuan Helps Companies Dependent on Cheap Manufacturing, WSJ 9/4/03)

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: phantom309
I hate 'em, but when it's 11:30 on a Tuesday night and you need Pampers, beef jerky, a Subaru oil filter and 200 rounds of .45ACP, you gotta go to Wal-Mart.

Hehe, my former roommate had a reciept lying around for a pack of freezepops, a box of condoms, ramen noodles, and a copy of Half-Life, timestamped at 3 AM. I had a good laugh at that one.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

If you cannot compete, you need to figure out how to, or fail.

Winnar!

This is true except for the part about how China props up its currency against the dollar. The largest component of the China/US unfair trade practice is the subsidized Chinese currency. The Chinese buy $600 million dollars a day to keep their currency deflated by 40%.

This is true except for the part about the VAT tax. This VAT program is funded by $30 billion annually, and amounts to an additional 18% price subsidy across the board.

The currency manipulation, VAT subsidies, and other direct unfair practices currently supported by the Chinese government make it impossible for companies producing in the United States to compete. These subsidies add an additional 30% to 40% advantage to Chinese goods, on top of the cheap labor advantage. US Industrial products do not have 30 or 40% margins, and therefore cannot absorb these pricing disadvantages.

Reliable estimates suggest as many as 7,500 to 10,000 jobs are lost with each $1 billion increase in our trade deficit with China. The deficit with China is growing by $2 billion per month.

Winnar my left nut...

I was not going after the larger trade issues with my comment. Though, I doubt smaller retailers would be any less influenced by the economic benefits of buying lower cost goods.

Failing to adapt to changing situations is death to a business. There are also times when it is advantageous to remove your capital from a business that you know will fail so you can use it in a venture more likely to succeed.

 

[Lyfer]

Walmart fvcking owns for poor people like me! There equate generics are rival the brand name products at nearly half the price!


Until I win the lottery I will be shopping at walmart every week.

 

[Deadtrees]

Why are you saying those people working at walmart aren't "Americans"?
What are they if they aren't Americans???
Give me your definition of "American" before we go on.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Shagger

Originally posted by: PCmaker
Many Small communities in America depend on Walmart.
I could go on an on but i am not sure you would get it .

Many small communities and the manufacturing plants in nearby towns are ruined by Walmart's penchant for buying cheap goods from China.

yes since we know that walmart is the only company that buys from China.

Not the "only" just the biggest...try not to condescend TOO much mmmkay?

A WSJ article suggests that Walmart buys 70% of its goods from China - all subsidized by the Chinese government. (Low Value of Yuan Helps Companies Dependent on Cheap Manufacturing, WSJ 9/4/03)

Is the country of origin breakdown for walmart significantly different then that of other similar chains?
It seems the trade issues are better addressed by the government then by individual retailers. If walmart decides to just "buy american" they will simply lose to other retailers who don't.

 

[Shagger]

The problem could be addressed in two ways:
1) The US could somehow force China to stop propping up its currency
2) US retailers could then take the resulting 40% change in prices into account and support / reinvigorate American suppliers where prudent.

Walmart isn't necessarily the problem, The US government's inablility to force China to allow its currency to "float" in relation to the US Dollar isn't the whole problem either. The high cost of living in the US isn't all the problem either. Taken together however, its a monster problem! The Trade deficit that we run with China is sucking the lifeforce / capital from this country.

 

[TheAudit]

I shop at Wal-Mart because toiletries are cheap there.

 

[deerslayer]

I get what I need wherever I can find it the cheapest. Frankly, who gives a rats ass where you get it from. Some of you people have nothing better to do than to bitch about things that don't really matter.

 

[Shagger]

Originally posted by: deerslayer
I get what I need wherever I can find it the cheapest. Frankly, who gives a rats ass where you get it from. Some of you people have nothing better to do than to bitch about things that don't really matter.

The loss of American jobs / declining manufacturing base in America doesn't matter to you? It will in about 5-10 years...

 

[shenaniganz]

I thought the Wal-Mart-is-the-devil-and-I-will-never-shop-there-again-bandwagon was full?

 

[CVSiN]

I only shop at S mart

SHOP SMART... SHOP S MART!!!

 

[Shagger]

Originally posted by: shenaniganz
I thought the Wal-Mart-is-the-devil-and-I-will-never-shop-there-again-bandwagon was full?

There is always room for one more...

I was at a rah-rah sales seminar and Zig Ziglar was one of the featured speakers, he is quite a funny / dynamic guy and he was speaking on the need for a person to have a faith to follow in order to believe in himself to be a better sales person. Anyway, he told this joke - He was talking to some sales managers about getting to church on a regular basis. The one manager stated that, "I don't go to church because everybody there is a hypocrit!". Zig replied, "We've always got room for one more..."

I am not saying that Walmart is the devil, but people need to be aware of their choices in where they shop having long range impacts on the Country.

 

[Jadow]

I ship at Wal Mart because I work hard for my money, and I want to purchase items at the lowest cost they are available for.

AIM Toothpaste, 89 cents at Wal Mart, over $1.00 at Target, and local grocery stores.
Low Carb Yogurt: 43 cents at Wal mart, 54 cents at my local grocery store.

I think it STUPID to spend more for goods than you need to.

And I have NO PROBLEM with Wal Mart's labor practices. If people don't want to work there, they don't have to, Wal Mart isn't putting a gun to their head. If they would all of a sudden start paying more wages, prices would go up, and they would be overpaying for the unskilled workers they need.

I am 100% pro-Wal Mart.

 

[Orsorum]

I prefer Costco, by far, over Wal Mart. They have top quality merchandise, excellent staff, and some of the lowest margins in the industry. They also pay their employees well.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: badmouse
The employees at the local walmarts here aren't "foreigners". They are low-paid americans.

Yeah. Ironically, at my local store, pretty much everyone working there is white, and about half of the customers are portuguese, or brazilian.

Whereas if you go to any of the fast-food places, that's pretty-much 100% reversed. In fact I knew this portuguese fellow that claimed that the owner of all of the local Dunkin' Doughnuts franchises will pretty-much *only* hire br/pg, I assume because they don't speak much english, but don't have to, and they'll happily work for minimum wage.

I'll admit to shopping at Wal-Mart, although it's usually just to buy soda and chips, and peruse their clearance/markdown electronics section to cherry-pick any decent technology items, of which there are usually zero. Their house-brand "Dr. Thunder" soda is 2/$1, and generally just as caffiene-rich as Mt. Dew and some others, at half the price. They also have reasonable prices on certain snack-foods, like boxes of graham crackers for $1. OTOH, I stopped at a local grocery recently, and they had real Mt. Dew for $0.75/ea, which is quite a good price. Alternatively though, when it's not on sale somewhere else, W-M usually has it for either $0.89 or $1.19. I've noticed something a bit suspicious about that though. When it's $0.89, it's usually marked as such. When it's $1.19, the price tags mysteriously disappear altogether, leading you to believe that it's still $0.89, but it's not. Which leads me to believe that based on that "trick", they are effectively charging you the in-between price for them.

 

[Pepsi90919]

to spite bastages like you

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
to spite bastages like you

hey thats a good reason.


Why should i care what the walmart worker gets paid? that is not my problem. I am there to spend my money. I want to get as much as i can for what i have to spend.

I don't go to expensive restuarants over McDonalds because they make more. so why should i shop at more expensive stores? pfft.

 

[TheNinja]

Sadly almost everyone says, "I want the lowest price and I don't care how I get the lowest price or who it affects as long as I get my deodorant 18 cents cheaper I'll buy from them." It's sad b/c it is an incredibly short sighted and selfish way of thinking and is one reason we lose a lot of jobs to foreign countries. I can understand college students and younger thinking like this b/c they don't have much money and just want to party anyway, but those of us in the business world should know better and try to think further ahead than a couple of weeks. Hey, I'm guilty of it to, but I'm trying to pay more attention to it now.

 

[Jadow]

ohh, so buying something at Target or Shopko for 25 cents more than Wal Mart is somehow better for soceity?