Wal-Mart vs. The Morons

[srkruzich]

Steve, you need to take a little drive down to Pawhuska, Okla. During the oil boom in the 70s, Walmart came in there and ran out all the locals. When oil busted, Walmart skedaddled and left those folks with no grocery or other shopping. The town is just now beginning to recover from all the chaos. 

Like i said before, people do not want their status quo messed with.  If you want to compete with walmart you have to find a niche that walmart dosen't touch.  One is customer service.  I ran my computer business at the same time walmart came in and yes my prices were 200 -400 dollars higher but walmart couldn't compete with me.  I offered 3 year warranties, onsite service, things that walmart didn't want to bother with.   

the grocery store in town went to battle with walmart and won.   It was a constant lowering of prices, but ultimately what sunk walmart was when they started bringing all their meats in prepackaged.  J&J butchers were there at the store, cutting meats fresh.   every day the owner would go into walmart and price check before he opened then came in and dropped prices under walmarts.   Walmart couldn't compete as they were bound by corp policy. 

Walmart did bring products to town that no one else in town carried.  Like the garden center, equipment, things like that.

[srkruzich]

This is the problem with the right wing movement,  they don't understand their own principals.  Look at how a good conservative patriotic man has been tricked into supporting a multinational corporation with a well known reputation for ripping off its suppliers and contractors, for hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas,  for violating state and federal employment laws, and for evading taxes.

Hasn't got a thing to do with principles.  It has everything to do with having a product that no one else can deliver.   If there was a pharmacy locallly that would sell me my medications 90 day supply for 10.00  i would buy from them. But no there isnt anyone that will do it outside of walmart or dillons.  Its all about being able to afford the meds.

[frawin]

Steve, you need to take a little drive down to Pawhuska, Okla. During the oil boom in the 70s, Walmart came in there and ran out all the locals. When oil busted, Walmart skedaddled and left those folks with no grocery or other shopping. The town is just now beginning to recover from all the chaos. 

Are you saying that Walmart had groceries in the 70s, I don't think so. Pawhuska has suffered like all Rural towns. the young people all left to go other places to find work. A big portion of the Pawhuska Population commutes to Bartlesville and Tulsa to work and with that they shop out of town. Walmart tried a store in Pawhuska, it didn't work, like any prudent Businessman, Sam Walton gave up and moved on.

[frawin]

Bill Clinton passed over 300 trade agreements/Bills to help Walmart import everything they wanted. Hillary Clinton served on Walmarts Board for 6 years and was there when Walmart was battling the labor unions. Noone did more to foster trade with China and other overseas manufacturers than the Clintons. Walmart and the Waltons were the Clintons biggest supporters.

[redcliffsw]

Anmar, what's the diffference between a right-winger and a Republican?
That is, how you're seeing 'em.

Since you're a Keynesian, I don't buy into all of that baloney you're saying
about "principles".  You might be one of 'em who is taking gov't money too.

And just because you've never been in a Walmart, that doesn't mean anything.
I doubt whether there's a certificate or an award for such a sacrifice as yours!

[mtcookson]

I just don't understand what the problem with Wal-Mart is. Without it you wouldn't get classic websites like this: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com

[greatguns]

But who in the world wants to see that?

[W. Gray]

The first "Walmart" in Bentonville, Arkansas.



Before opening his first store Sam Walton was a Ben Franklin dime store manager.

The first Walmart super center opened in 1988 in the town of Washington, Missouri, and was the first to sell groceries.

The smallest super center store is 98,000 square feet and largest in Albany, New York contains 261,000 square feet. An acre contains 43,560 square feet.

The busiest Walmart in the world in 2006 was in Rapid City, SD.

In 2009, Walmart received 51% of its revenue from grocery sales.

Germany and South Korea are the only countries in which Walmart has failed.

There are 59 Walmarts in the State of Kansas with 14 of those located in three towns: Overland Park has 5, Topeka, 3, and Wichita, 6.

Chicago, Ill, has only one Walmart.

[srkruzich]

Chicago, Ill, has only one Walmart.

Makes sense, walmart can't compete in chicago with all the small neighborhood business's there.

[Diane Amberg]

Wal-Mart, like a lot of other businesses, incorporated here because of the favorable corporate tax structure. We have 8 total now including a Sam's Club and a big distribution center.They hire almost nobody full time here and tend to pay whatever is average in any given area. The problem is getting enough hours to make decent money. They also move people around from department to department to "help out," but you won't get the higher pay if that job normally paid more. They also expect people to work off the clock to "help out "if things are busy. Complain? You'd better not or at the least your hours will be cut or they will find some reason to let you go, especially now.