Wal-mart

[t_ross33]

Wal-mart is the spawn of Satan.

But I still shop there cuz I'm cheap :

:

[evenkeel]

My sentiments are pretty much in line with R_G, Dreadman, et'al.

But even putting the labor practices aside, the stores are just miserable. Dirty, confusing, shoddy merchandise. Mr's Keel and I used to shop at WalMart. Couple of years ago we said enough.

Something I've noticed at most if not all the Wal Marts I've been in. You enter the store via a automatic door, followed by a "greeter" who says welcome to WalMart. On the way out you have to push open the door yourself and no one says "thanks for shopping at WalMart". Pretty much sums up the WalMart experience. Phony welcome, got your money, now get your A** out.

[Ch0jin]

......Some of the questions they ask and the way they are phrased is just boggles the mind....

Not to discount what your saying, but whilst in the context of whats considered acceptable in places like the USA Walmart's hiring policies might be borderline unacceptable, I've seen some really dodgy questions listed as mandatory on job application (and status change paperwork etc) forms for some Malaysian companies. Freedom of religion? Sure, you can believe whatever you like, just make sure you pick one that's considered appropriate for the job your applying for. The caste system prevalent in India isn't accepted amongst Malaysian Indians, but with three main ethnic groups in the country, you better believe there exists thinly veiled racism in hiring policies.

My first point is to keep things in perspective for the sake of your own blood pressure As bad as it gets, billions of people have it worse.

The second thing I wanted to mention is that even though here in Oz we don't have Walmart, we definitely have some mega-chains that serve as a point of comparison, and I've actually seen a couple of US made doc's on Walmart too.

Rather than get into what they, and their ilk are doing to small business and society, I just wanted to point out that it's not companies like Walmart that we the people should be fighting. It's ourselves, the consumers, that we need to target.

Doing all your shopping in one easy location is convenient, and given the business model of places like Walmart, consumers typically enjoy better prices and a wider selection of goods. So you've got a convenient, one-stop-shop thats cheaper too? No wonder so many people shop there. Local made Vs Imported is another hot topic for me here in Oz too, but the underlying fact remains that the economy (maybe not the right word) is built on supply and demand.

Very simply put, if people stopped buying imported products and stopped shopping at mega chain stores, they would either disappear or evolve into something else. There is little point attacking them directly. It's us, the consumer that builds or destroys a business by voting with our dollars and it's crystal clear to me that the reason these giant mega stores exist and thrive is because we the people, collectively speaking, shop there.

To offer an interesting anecdote that provides a bit of an insight into what I'm on about, I attended a presentation by the guy that launched McDonald's in Australia. I've forgotten his name at the moment, but he was the guy the US guys selected to kick it all off over here. He told the group in a very open and frank manner about the pressure the business faced during the "health food craze" a few years back. Movies like "Supersize me" and the increasing number of reports that Aussies were getting fatter and fatter drew incessant cries from the media and concerned groups that fast food restaurants were to blame. So in a move that most people saw immediately as pandering to media pressure, Macca's started their "Healthy Choice" menu. One of the guys in the group presentation asked something like "but wasn't doing that an admission that your food is unhealthy, and also, isn't it little more than a PR stunt designed to offset the negative publicity?" His reply was along the lines of "No, and Of Course". He went on to explain that even after the launch of the healthy options, nobody buys the stuff. People come in thinking "O I'll get a salad" and end up buying cheeseburgers and fries.

The point there is that no amount of media pressure and public outcry was ever going to hurt them and they knew (from experience in the US actually) that all they had to do was offer an option to appease the alarmist media and they could go on slinging burgers and fries to millions of customers every day.

The moral of my caffeine fueled extended post is simply that the only way to effect change is at the grass roots level.

Don't shop in these stores, tell your friends and family not to, and explain why. Buy locally made and support locally owned businesses that offer good service and don't complain that it costs a little more. Last but not least, don't do your product selection in a small local business and then go and buy the product online or from a chain store to save a few bucks. I know plenty of people who do this, and in my opinion if you do that, you waive all rights to comment on these subjects.

[Ch0jin]

Something I've noticed at most if not all the Wal Marts I've been in. You enter the store via a automatic door, followed by a "greeter" who says welcome to WalMart. On the way out you have to push open the door yourself and no one says "thanks for shopping at WalMart". Pretty much sums up the WalMart experience. Phony welcome, got your money, now get your A** out.

Wow good point man. We have a massive hardware chain called Bunnings that's put local hardware stores out of business and they have greeters too (maybe they are a US company..dunno), but on the few occasions I've been forced to shop there (because my local hardware store's closed down) they greeters did do the "thanks for shopping have a great day" kind of thing on the way out.

[sumitomo]

I thought I'd practice for that Wal-Mart greeter job.

A very loud,unattractive,mean-acting woman walked into Wal-Mart with her two kids,yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.

The Wal-Mart greeter said pleasantly,"Good morning,and welcome to Wal-Mart Nice children you have there.Are they twins?"

The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say,"Hell no,they aren't.The oldest one's 9,and the other is 7.Why the hell would you think they're twins?Are you blind,or just stupid?"

"I'm neither blind nor stupid,Ma'am," replier the greeter."I just couldn't believe you got laid twice.Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart."



Sumi

[luvmyshiner]

I thought I'd practice for that Wal-Mart greeter job.

A very loud,unattractive,mean-acting woman walked into Wal-Mart with her two kids,yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.

The Wal-Mart greeter said pleasantly,"Good morning,and welcome to Wal-Mart Nice children you have there.Are they twins?"

The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say,"Hell no,they aren't.The oldest one's 9,and the other is 7.Why the hell would you think they're twins?Are you blind,or just stupid?"

"I'm neither blind nor stupid,Ma'am," replier the greeter."I just couldn't believe you got laid twice.Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart."

Sumi

I try to avoid all of the big box chains. But it's mostly because I hate people.

[just strum]

I try to avoid all of the big box chains. But it's mostly because I hate people.

Ditto, from the standpoint of crowds and lines.

I don't know about the Wal-mart's around the rest of you, but here they seem to be a place for family reunions of families that practice incest.

[Spudman***]

Walmart has what I call "isle blockers." Those are the couples that when walking two abreast fill up a whole isle and there is no getting around them.

I finally made a trip to our new Costco yesterday. My first ever trip to a Costco. Frankly I couldn't find anything in there that I couldn't beat the price on where I regularly shop...but they did have nice wide isles.

[sumitomo]

A 'heads ups'warning for all men who may be regular Home Depot customers.

Over the last month I became victim of a clever scam while out shopping.Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be traumatic.Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.


Here's how the scam works:Two very hot 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk.They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex,with their breasts almost faling out of their skimpy T-shirts.It is impossible not to look.When you thank them and offer a tip,they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to another Home Depot.You agree and they get in the backseat.On the way,they start undressing.Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you,while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen Sept.4th,9th,10th,twice on the 15th,17th,20th and 29th.Also several times in Oct.and most likely this weedend.So tell your friends to be careful.

P.S. Wal-Mart has wallets on sale $2.99


Sumi

[Dreadman]

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Very good Sumi.

[TS808]

I just watched a documentary about Wal-mart and I found it very interesting. What's your thoughts about Wal-mart? They have more than 1.4 million employees and over $12 billion in profits - a giant company with giant responsibilities.

Wal-Mart has been criticized by many directions. More specifically, by community groups, women's rights groups, grassroots organizations, and labor unions, mostly for foreign product sourcing, low rates of employee health insurance enrollment, resistance to union representation, and also alleged sexism.

Learn more about why Wal-mart is getting a lot of criticism.

Wal-Mart has gotten alot of bad press for a number of reasons, however they do what consumers want them to do: deliver products at a LOW price over their competitors. Wal-Mart has dominated the retail market much like Microsoft has dominated the software world, and look at how companies like Microsoft, AOL, and other industrial innovators have been attacked for making a profit.

Despite what the press puts out there, Wal-Mart DOES provide health insurance to their employees, does provide vacation pay, and even gave my mother in law time off WITH health insurance when she was battling cancer.

Wal-Mart's criticism comes from the fact that they don't have union stores and much of their products (if not most) are manufactured in China. Here's the reality that alot of people don't realize and much of WHY production has gone to China. The United States has the SECOND highest corporate income tax in the world, and in addition, health care costs are high. Health insurance and wages alone account for up to 42% of most company payrolls, and top that off with a 35% corporate tax, and you wonder why American companies are sending jobs to China, Korea, Mexico and India??

Wal-Mart donates HUGE amounts of money to community groups, and non-profit organizations and encourages their employees to do so as well.

I get somewhat irritated when I see companies like Wal-Mart and Microsoft get "strong armed" by the press and the government for being innovative and delivering what consumers want, AND make a profit in doing so.

I'll stop here....don't want to get too political.

[sumitomo]

I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind put he things on the belt close to mine.I picked up one of those"dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed.After the girl had scanned all of my items,she picked up the"divider"looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it.Not finding the bar code she said to me,'Do you know how much this is?'I said to her;Ive changed my mind,I don't think I'll buy that today.'She said'O.K.'and I paid her for the things and left.She had no clue to what had just happened. Sumi

[sunvalleylaw]

I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind put he things on the belt close to mine.I picked up one of those"dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed.After the girl had scanned all of my items,she picked up the"divider"looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it.Not finding the bar code she said to me,'Do you know how much this is?'I said to her;Ive changed my mind,I don't think I'll buy that today.'She said'O.K.'and I paid her for the things and left.She had no clue to what had just happened. Sumi

I know you from your posts well enough to question whether that is a tall tale or not, but what a great story! LOL!!! Cracked me up!

[pes_laul]

I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind put he things on the belt close to mine.I picked up one of those"dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed.After the girl had scanned all of my items,she picked up the"divider"looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it.Not finding the bar code she said to me,'Do you know how much this is?'I said to her;Ive changed my mind,I don't think I'll buy that today.'She said'O.K.'and I paid her for the things and left.She had no clue to what had just happened. Sumi

oh man your full of them