Crogers...I agree with you about this! It's nice to have smart people like you in this community. Wake up people! We need jobs in this town. Better yet, we need more working people in this town. Less taxes to pay for welfare :)

I have a couple of things that agree and question comments made above. One is that when I worked at WM most of the people I worked around were full time employees. I don't know the statistics of how many mom and pop stores were put out of businees by WM opening here but would you figure that enough closed that 150 employees lost their job? And how many mom and pop type stores offer insurance, 401K, stock options, sick days, personal leave time, yearly bonuses and paid vacations? Those were the good things about WM.

Now..the bad..and it had to come. I read an article that bears out DG’s comment about inferior material with a name brand. Levi is one. WM told them to cut their prices or they would be taken out of the stores. To keep the business Levi started using thinner material to make their jeans and lowered the price. I’m trying to remember the name but ut was a name brand mower/yard machine that refused to sell to WM any more because their smaller dealers were losing money.

As for the employees now. I’m told that they only hire part time employees and that theirs a cap on how much anyone, depending on their position, can make in their time with WM. Gone are the incentives to keep shrink down or to perform in an outstanding way. Gone are the merit raises and, I imagine, the bonuses we used to get.

One thing is for sure..you hit the nail on the head too...Sam Walton would be devastated at the underhanded tactics WM now uses. He was a tough old bird but he and his wife also knew that to have a successful store you had to treat the employees right. And you had to be honest.

Now it’s all about the bottom line. Aren’t the Walton children something Daddy can be proud of?

Erik,

When I posted about Wal-mart putting their suppliers out of business, I meant what I said. This Happened. Then, Wal-mart went overseas looking for suppliers because most of the domestic companies left, wouldn't do business with them. I'll bet Sam Walton is turning over in his grave right now. His kids don't have the same level of integrity as he did. This same strategy almost killed Sears because they didn't sell Groceries.


Try telling the Power Company, Telephone Company or your Mortgage Company that, starting now, you'll be paying all of your bills 4 months late. I hope it works out for you like it does for Wal-mart.

ericbako, it's not just the employees who are paying for the lower prices you enjoy at Wal Mart.  You'd be hard pressed to call me a liberal.  Hell, I even have a few shares of Wal Mart stock in my portfolio.  But I will not support a company who built itself up on Buying American and has forced its suppliers to outsource jobs over seas.  Not only that, but the tactics they use to keep prices down have forced many of their suppliers into bankruptcy.  Others have chose to discontinue supplying them rather than hurt their smaller "Mom and Pop" retailers who wouldn't be able to purchase their products for the price Wal Mart was selling them.  But the truth is, they weren't the same product.  They just had the same name.  The product sold at Wal Mart was made from inferior material to keep manufacturing cost down.  But consumers don't know this.  All they see is I can get it at Mom and Pop's for $299 or Wal Mart for $189.  As far as the consumer is concerned, It ain't rocket science.  They'll take the lower priced Wal Mart product, then complain how ABC's products aren't what they used to be.  This, ericbako is just a small part of the high cost of Wal Mart's lower prices.

Hey Adampayne,
You're exactly right about almost everything you said. Almost all of  Wal-mart merchendise is made off-shore, but not exclusively in China. Wal-mart pulled a Sears & Robuck tactic on its American suppliers. Once they became the large majority of a Factory's business, they started demanding price cuts each year, or they'd pull ALL of their business and leave them high and dry. They also started stretching out payment to their suppliers as much as 120 days, rather than the standard "net 30" deal. That lets them operate on their suppliers' money for 4 months, at no more than 1% interest. These tactics killed a lot of privately owned factories in rural America. It crippled many more. There are a lot of small communities in this Nation that rely on those factory jobs for livelyhood. It's a heartbraker to watch happen. I know this first-hand.


The reason that they're doing the Union thing in China is because the Chinese Government required it, as a stipulation for them to continue doing business in their Country. If they violate it, the Government will nationalize their assets and throw them out, like they've done with other American Companies.

But it's okay for Costco, who endorsed John Kerry for President???????

Target has more square footage in Bakersfield, than does Walmart.  

Von's and Albertson's put all the mid-size chains out of business such as 11-C, Mayfair markets, Thriftimart, et cetera.  They said "Too bad; we're a better deal for the consumer."  Then they want protection from Walmart, acting as though they are now the "little guy."

WalMart is just a convenient target (get it?) because they are #1.  Why no moaning because all the major oil companies put the mom and pop oil companies out of business?

Look at the label on all the crap all you liberals buy at Taret.  It is al made in China, by the same 10 year olds in slave labor factories.  Don't think you are so righteous, buying your junk at Target.  Target is no great place to work wither.  Most of the people who work there are part-time, receiving no benefits. 

If you can put up with the trashy people who are omnipresent at WalMart, you will save some money there.