Walmart
Paul in Cannon Beach
4,703 Posts
Is the success of Walmart a positive example of what's great about this country or a negative example of the dark side of capitalism?
Comments
Anyone can make it big here, no matter how small they start.
Anyone can be greedy here, no matter how big they are.
I am basing most of my opinions on the Walmart that is near my parents in law house. Its generally dirty. The bathrooms are disgusting. The employees are (usually) only moderately helpful.
I have heard stories about cost cutting HR practices that really bother me.
The arrival of a Walmart will usually spell doom for small downtown merchants. They just cant compete with Walmarts prices.
Recently, a brand of dog treat sold at Walmart was found to be tainted. Walmart issued no recall but quietly removed the product from its shelves.
Behind the "aw shucks" Sam Walton image of a successful American entreprenuer who drove the same old truck most of his life seems to be this monolithic death star of corporate greed and cut-throat business practices.
The Walmart near my parent in laws house has a McDonalds, vision shop, hair salon, bank, kids play area, auto center, and probably a few other things I haven't noticed.
Walmart has also made some noise about getting into the health care industry.
When I was in the L.A. area in January I went into one for something. Though I had no trouble at any other store in that area, the clerk whom I asked for help in the Walmart did not speak English. I left without buying anything.
Nae
Interestingly, Walmart has crushed the K-mart which is located just a couple blocks away. While Walmarts huge parking lot is bustling, there are usually only about 15 cars in the K-mart parking lot.
I am not pro-union but I would like to see Walmart use its position of influence to set an example for fair treatment of employees, competitive benefits, and no wage/hour shenanigans.
And maybe clean the bathrooms more often.
Ginger
I think WalMart fills a need in that it allows people with limited funds the ability to have one-stop inexpensive shopping, but I am quite dismayed at the way WalMart has taken over towns and eliminated small businesses.
And don't get me started on WalMart's groceries. If you've never shopped at local farmer's markets/delis/bakeries, you're missing out not only on the experience of it all, but superior quality!
The Walmart subject hits a nerve that makes me crazy. My highschool daughter needed a subject for a paper last year and I suggested Walmart. She did all the reseach and was amazed with what she found. When she read it, the entire class was in a heated debate. The main idea of Walmart has a negative impact on this country that most don't even realize. When they capitalize on business by offering lower prices, that in turn puts others out of business and jobs, therefore while everyone thinks they are getting a great deal at Walmart, their taxes are going up to pay for the people on welfare that no longer have jobs. My husband's business has suffered from Walmart and pretty soon...Walmart will be our only option!
Now that I vented about that...I hope everyone has a nice day!
Walmart is ruthless in their pricing. They negotiate the lowest possible prices from their suppliers then control their markup to ensure a decent profit but keep prices lower than others. They didn't get there overnight and they ain't goin away. Southwest Airlines did something similar with their no frills planes and flights and they are now the largest U.S. carrier. While other airlines were going broke they were making profits and expanding. Only the strong (and smart) survive.
On a side note, while in college (several years ago), I worked at a Walmart! Although, I have no desire to return to that position at this time, at that time in my life, I found the pay to be fair and the management staff worked as best they could with my schedule, and my co-workers were great! I had a positive experience working there!
Don't you think that home office dictates how rewards are distributed and therefore how store managers are encouraged (directly or indirectly) to behave?
Can you really blame Walmart's reputation on a few rogue stores?
When employing a million + and have how many thousands of stores, clubs, distribution centers, etc. a "few" rogue stores takes on a new meaning.
I am not attempting to defend what some have done. Just saying that when you have this many employees you can't ensure that everyone will follow all the rules.
I know that Walmart has some bad media, however, they do offer opportunities to those that other's do not. They employ handicapped and older americans. We have a young man named Michael at one of our Walmart's that is Down's Syndrome and he is the nicest person I have ever met. Also it is not that hard to climb from clerk to manager if you want to do that. I have met several people over the years that have done that, I have a step daughter that did it.
Walmart's in our area and the next town over have formed an alliance with the area Farmers and we can now go to Walmart and purchase from the Farmer's market isle. All locally grown foods, fresh and restocked by the farmer's as needed. The fresh sweet corn is great.
When Middleton High School caught on fire and burned down last year I didn't see any of the other stores helping out. Walmart came in and supplied new computers, School supplies and Walmart gift cards for the teachers that lost everything in their classroom. Then on top of that the employees of Walmart came over and helped move out burned stuff and clean up the school.
I didn't see any help from Kmart, Target, Costco, Fred Meyer,Kohls, Macys or J.C. Penny's all of them have stores in our area. And I can tell you that K-mart in our area has the dirtiest store I have ever been in and the rudest clerks.
Sorry but I am thinking that all the large stores do the employment with the temps and all and the fast food places are worse and all the media is on Walmart...but only the bad media...if they are bad than let it be known but also give them credit for the good they do.
Shirley
Sounds like Walmart has some great qualites and some bad press. I still worry about the way a new Walmart store can pretty much trample mom and pop stores and small downtown shopping areas.
Maybe Walmart IS America. Big, powerful, and mostly good.
Bottom Line - you can't beat their prices so you have to provide for your customers what they don't get at Wal-Mart. Such as unequaled exceptional customer service, fast/easy in and out shopping, provide the speciality items that the big store doesn't carry and be very involved in "your" community.
I was perusing the small local bookstore in Chehalis Washington and I overheard a conversation between the book store owner and a teenage girl.
The bookstore owner was talking with the girl about the newest Harry Potter books. They had a very nice conversation for about 30 minutes about the series and the latest edition.
Finally, the owner says "We will have the latest book (I forget what its called) here next week. I can put one aside for you."
The girl replies "Oh, I'll probably pick it up at Walmart."
I about fell over. The bookstore owner was even wearing a button that read "Support your downtown shops!" or something like that.
It got kind of quiet and then the owner responded but I dont really remember what he said. I felt sorry for him. He had spent a good deal of time talking with this girl only to be stabbed in the heart.
For some people, price is all they care about. They may regret it when their local business shut down and the personal customer service they have enjoyed is no longer available.
I don't know how any small local retailer makes it. The days of private jewelers are also going by the wayside. Sad, really.
We had a little coffee express store here that we all loved and Moxie Java set up right next to it and now we only have Moxie Java.
It is how it is here, but I think that they do give back to the community and when I go in my Walmart store they are friendly to me even if I just spent 3 days at my mountain cabin and look like it.
I can afford to go anywhere, but let me tell you one time I went to Boise Towne Square mall in Boise, it is a huge mall with Dillards and JC Penny's, Marshall's, and Sears as well as about 50 other stores. I didn't dress up much a pair of capri's and a top and some comfortable sandles, I am 58 after all. I wanted a bedroom set. comforter, shams, curtains, towels the whole bit for my new home I just purchased. I went to the service desk to order a bedspread from the catalogue because it was not on the shelf. The lady told me that is pretty expensive are you sure you can afford it? There were other people standing around and I was very much embarrased for me and for my daughter. I went next door to Dillards and the young man there was so nice, I bought everything I needed, and yes I spend way too much, but I had it to spend and I was just as valuable a customer as the lady in the suit beside me , I just wore comfortable clothing because I wear a suit at work all day.
Walmart doesn't care if I wear capri's, shorts, Jeans or a suit. The clerks treat everyone the same. Michael still carrys out my groceries and puts them in the car, George greats me at the door and Catrina checks me out at the checkstand. I go there because of the people. Yes the store is crowded, and yes it is cluttered and the shelves are too close together, but I feel welcome and valuable as a customer there so I go there. Why do you think all the people go there instead of the other places...it is prices..but I think it is so much more than that.
Shirley
The prices and one-stop-shopping are the reason I go. Otherwise, there is minimal eye contact from the employees, they seem not to notice if their cleaning equipment or carts are blocking the aisles, and the checkout lanes are minimally staffed.
I gotta say though, it's not all that different at other large stores. Target? Same. Mall department stores? Same. How often do you go to a department store and you have to hunt to find an employee actually manning the register? I end up hauling my purchases to the jewelry counter because there is usually an employee "trapped" back there.
I do love thier outside garden center. It just has everything from plants to building blocks.
Some stores are actually better than others. One thing I never get is the switch and bait that I get at Shopko, Kmart or Sears. Item advertised in the flyer and you go down to the store and they only had one and it is sold so they try to sell you something 3 times the price. Shopko is the worst for that one!
If Walmart advertises it they usually have enough for at least the first day of the ad and they will give you a raincheck.
Shirley
We bought a new fridge, stove/oven and vent from Sears a few years back. Spent several thousand dollars.
They didn't have my oven in stock so they sent me a similar model, (there was enormous confusion over this) then when it was time to switch them out for the one I really wanted, they double charged my credit card, then the ice dispenser on the fridge broke, etc etc etc.
I still go back to buy replacement water filters for the fridge and the special cleaner for the cook top but I get in and out as fast as possible. Even that shopping experience is often difficult. Sometimes after standing by the register for a while, I have to interrupt the clerks from their chat session so one of them can get my filter.
I know Sears has a great reputation for quality products but next time I need large appliances, I am shopping somewhere else.
Clothing is one thing I have to go to another store to buy...can't find what I need at Walmart.
Shirley
A lack of competition is generally never a good thing either.
If that many people go there there has to be a reason. If people stopped going than Walmart could not put other stores out of business.
Maybe other stores should figure out why people go to Walmart. It is not all price it is also convenience. I don't want to go to the Drugstore then the food store, than the hardware store and then the garden store. Gas costs way too much and it is not going down anytime soon.
I think the people dictate what is on the market by what they purchase. If the store doesn't sell it than it won't stock it.
Give the people what they want and they will visit your store.
Shirley
[url]
Hear the CEO of Walmart say with pride "Our policy is that every employee get paid for every hour worked."
A pretty scathing satire of "big box mart":
[url]http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5681418[/url]
There is even a very professional looking website devoted to fighting Walmart: [url]www.walmartwatch.com[/url]
They have published "A Handshake With Sam" which states 7 principles of ethical business they would like Walmart to agree to.
As the nation's largest employer with 1.8 million workers, they feel that Walmart ought to take a position of leadership in the area of corporate responsibility.
I tend to agree.
Here is the publication "A Handshake With Sam"
[url]http://walmartwatch.com/img/blog/handshake_with_sam.pdf[/url]