OT: Wal-Mart Watch.com

[stockstradr]

We do shop about once every two weeks at Wal-Mart, but we do NOT enjoy it. Obviously we go there for a limited basket of items on which Wal-Mart undercuts everyone on price.

I’ve noticed a significant decline in the cleanliness of their stores over the last five years. Also, five years ago Wal-Mart always kept its shelves stocked and organized. Now every Wal-Mart we go to the shelves are a MESS, and often items unstocked and missing.

I see someone wrote this which we AGREE with completely:

worse can’t stand some (not all, some) of the shoppers that fit the stereotypes about walmart shoppers there. Glut glut glut of purchases of useless crap.

THAT above is the main reason going to Wal-Mart is like torture we put up with so we can save a few bucks. Screaming and yelling kids running through the aisles, unwatched by their single welfare mom’s, who are filling their carts with junk food. Also, we cannot even push a shopping cart through Wal-Mart shopping aisles because so filled up with incredible OBESE illegal immigrants speaking whatever language but they don’t understand “excuse me” so they block all the aisles.

Every time my wife and I LEAVE a Wal-Mart, we look at each other and say “THANK GOD we got out of that nasty place!”

We buy ~80% of our groceries from COSTCO

[stockstradr]

We do shop about once every two weeks at Wal-Mart, but we do NOT enjoy it. Obviously we go there for a limited basket of items on which Wal-Mart undercuts everyone on price.

I’ve noticed a significant decline in the cleanliness of their stores over the last five years. Also, five years ago Wal-Mart always kept its shelves stocked and organized. Now every Wal-Mart we go to the shelves are a MESS, and often items unstocked and missing.

I see someone wrote this which we AGREE with completely:

worse can’t stand some (not all, some) of the shoppers that fit the stereotypes about walmart shoppers there. Glut glut glut of purchases of useless crap.

THAT above is the main reason going to Wal-Mart is like torture we put up with so we can save a few bucks. Screaming and yelling kids running through the aisles, unwatched by their single welfare mom’s, who are filling their carts with junk food. Also, we cannot even push a shopping cart through Wal-Mart shopping aisles because so filled up with incredible OBESE illegal immigrants speaking whatever language but they don’t understand “excuse me” so they block all the aisles.

Every time my wife and I LEAVE a Wal-Mart, we look at each other and say “THANK GOD we got out of that nasty place!”

We buy ~80% of our groceries from COSTCO

[Shadowfax]

So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?

I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…

Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.

I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?

[Shadowfax]

So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?

I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…

Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.

I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?

[Shadowfax]

So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?

I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…

Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.

I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?

[Shadowfax]

So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?

I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…

Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.

I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?

[Shadowfax]

So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?

I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…

Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.

I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?

[CA renter]

So many supply-side economists…

If prices go down 10%, but your wages go down 20%, are you better off?

What about all the manufacturing jobs Wal-Mart decimated when they started purchasing from overseas markets (slave labor)?

Are the retail jobs they provide better than the manufacturing jobs they displaced? What about the small retail shops that were shut down after Wal-Mart moved in? Did the sole proprietors make less or more before Wal-Mart came to town?

Did our unemployment rate take a dive as Wal-Mart grew?

Which would you rather have:

– good-paying jobs with benefits, while paying slightly higher costs for higher-quality goods?

OR

– low-wage jobs with no benefits and slightly lower costs for lower-quality goods.

BTW, the corporate “benefits” burden is shifted onto the taxpayers in emergency medicine, food stamps, and “free” meals at school for the kids, since their parents can’t afford food. Poor people — who are treated like commodities — tend to commit more crimes, so we likely have higher law enforcement costs, too. Can’t wait to see the plush retirement portfolios of all those wealthy W-M workers when they retire. For sure, taxpayers won’t have to pick up any of Wal-Mart’s slack there, no sireee.

I’d rather focus on the demand side than the supply side. If the demand (J6, the customer) is healthy, the rest will take care of itself.

Wal-Mart has HUGE margins, because they beat-up their suppliers and still keep prices high on the retail side, relatively speaking. With the exception of offering convenience (and they do this well), they are NOT doing us any favors.

[CA renter]

So many supply-side economists…

If prices go down 10%, but your wages go down 20%, are you better off?

What about all the manufacturing jobs Wal-Mart decimated when they started purchasing from overseas markets (slave labor)?

Are the retail jobs they provide better than the manufacturing jobs they displaced? What about the small retail shops that were shut down after Wal-Mart moved in? Did the sole proprietors make less or more before Wal-Mart came to town?

Did our unemployment rate take a dive as Wal-Mart grew?

Which would you rather have:

– good-paying jobs with benefits, while paying slightly higher costs for higher-quality goods?

OR

– low-wage jobs with no benefits and slightly lower costs for lower-quality goods.

BTW, the corporate “benefits” burden is shifted onto the taxpayers in emergency medicine, food stamps, and “free” meals at school for the kids, since their parents can’t afford food. Poor people — who are treated like commodities — tend to commit more crimes, so we likely have higher law enforcement costs, too. Can’t wait to see the plush retirement portfolios of all those wealthy W-M workers when they retire. For sure, taxpayers won’t have to pick up any of Wal-Mart’s slack there, no sireee.

I’d rather focus on the demand side than the supply side. If the demand (J6, the customer) is healthy, the rest will take care of itself.

Wal-Mart has HUGE margins, because they beat-up their suppliers and still keep prices high on the retail side, relatively speaking. With the exception of offering convenience (and they do this well), they are NOT doing us any favors.

[CA renter]

So many supply-side economists…

If prices go down 10%, but your wages go down 20%, are you better off?

What about all the manufacturing jobs Wal-Mart decimated when they started purchasing from overseas markets (slave labor)?

Are the retail jobs they provide better than the manufacturing jobs they displaced? What about the small retail shops that were shut down after Wal-Mart moved in? Did the sole proprietors make less or more before Wal-Mart came to town?

Did our unemployment rate take a dive as Wal-Mart grew?

Which would you rather have:

– good-paying jobs with benefits, while paying slightly higher costs for higher-quality goods?

OR

– low-wage jobs with no benefits and slightly lower costs for lower-quality goods.

BTW, the corporate “benefits” burden is shifted onto the taxpayers in emergency medicine, food stamps, and “free” meals at school for the kids, since their parents can’t afford food. Poor people — who are treated like commodities — tend to commit more crimes, so we likely have higher law enforcement costs, too. Can’t wait to see the plush retirement portfolios of all those wealthy W-M workers when they retire. For sure, taxpayers won’t have to pick up any of Wal-Mart’s slack there, no sireee.

I’d rather focus on the demand side than the supply side. If the demand (J6, the customer) is healthy, the rest will take care of itself.

Wal-Mart has HUGE margins, because they beat-up their suppliers and still keep prices high on the retail side, relatively speaking. With the exception of offering convenience (and they do this well), they are NOT doing us any favors.

[CA renter]

So many supply-side economists…

If prices go down 10%, but your wages go down 20%, are you better off?

What about all the manufacturing jobs Wal-Mart decimated when they started purchasing from overseas markets (slave labor)?

Are the retail jobs they provide better than the manufacturing jobs they displaced? What about the small retail shops that were shut down after Wal-Mart moved in? Did the sole proprietors make less or more before Wal-Mart came to town?

Did our unemployment rate take a dive as Wal-Mart grew?

Which would you rather have:

– good-paying jobs with benefits, while paying slightly higher costs for higher-quality goods?

OR

– low-wage jobs with no benefits and slightly lower costs for lower-quality goods.

BTW, the corporate “benefits” burden is shifted onto the taxpayers in emergency medicine, food stamps, and “free” meals at school for the kids, since their parents can’t afford food. Poor people — who are treated like commodities — tend to commit more crimes, so we likely have higher law enforcement costs, too. Can’t wait to see the plush retirement portfolios of all those wealthy W-M workers when they retire. For sure, taxpayers won’t have to pick up any of Wal-Mart’s slack there, no sireee.

I’d rather focus on the demand side than the supply side. If the demand (J6, the customer) is healthy, the rest will take care of itself.

Wal-Mart has HUGE margins, because they beat-up their suppliers and still keep prices high on the retail side, relatively speaking. With the exception of offering convenience (and they do this well), they are NOT doing us any favors.

[CA renter]

So many supply-side economists…

If prices go down 10%, but your wages go down 20%, are you better off?

What about all the manufacturing jobs Wal-Mart decimated when they started purchasing from overseas markets (slave labor)?

Are the retail jobs they provide better than the manufacturing jobs they displaced? What about the small retail shops that were shut down after Wal-Mart moved in? Did the sole proprietors make less or more before Wal-Mart came to town?

Did our unemployment rate take a dive as Wal-Mart grew?

Which would you rather have:

– good-paying jobs with benefits, while paying slightly higher costs for higher-quality goods?

OR

– low-wage jobs with no benefits and slightly lower costs for lower-quality goods.

BTW, the corporate “benefits” burden is shifted onto the taxpayers in emergency medicine, food stamps, and “free” meals at school for the kids, since their parents can’t afford food. Poor people — who are treated like commodities — tend to commit more crimes, so we likely have higher law enforcement costs, too. Can’t wait to see the plush retirement portfolios of all those wealthy W-M workers when they retire. For sure, taxpayers won’t have to pick up any of Wal-Mart’s slack there, no sireee.

I’d rather focus on the demand side than the supply side. If the demand (J6, the customer) is healthy, the rest will take care of itself.

Wal-Mart has HUGE margins, because they beat-up their suppliers and still keep prices high on the retail side, relatively speaking. With the exception of offering convenience (and they do this well), they are NOT doing us any favors.

[Coronita]

And for walmart haters…

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN0728259520080807?rpc=44

Walmart misses. weep weep…

“NEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Thursday reported a 3 percent rise in July sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, below Wall Street estimates, and issued a cautious forecast for August sales as shoppers run out of extra cash from tax rebate checks.”

[Coronita]

And for walmart haters…

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN0728259520080807?rpc=44

Walmart misses. weep weep…

“NEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Thursday reported a 3 percent rise in July sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, below Wall Street estimates, and issued a cautious forecast for August sales as shoppers run out of extra cash from tax rebate checks.”

[Coronita]

And for walmart haters…

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN0728259520080807?rpc=44

Walmart misses. weep weep…

“NEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Thursday reported a 3 percent rise in July sales at U.S. stores open at least a year, below Wall Street estimates, and issued a cautious forecast for August sales as shoppers run out of extra cash from tax rebate checks.”

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