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Wal-Mart is unbelievably pathetic!

The Walton heirs should all rot in hell!

They need to remember ...what goes around comes around!

This is pretty standard for insurance companies. While a terrible PR story for them, I am sure this happens daily to many people. The real problem with Walmart that in the name of lowering prices, they force companies that used to manufacture in the US to outsource to third world nations. Companies that move overseas don't do it because of greed, a lot do it because they are forced to move. I know of two companies specifically in my area that moved not because they were greedy but because Walmart forced them to cut costs further.

Skibo wrote:This is pretty standard for insurance companies. While a terrible PR story for them, I am sure this happens daily to many people. The real problem with Walmart that in the name of lowering prices, they force companies that used to manufacture in the US to outsource to third world nations. Companies that move overseas don't do it because of greed, a lot do it because they are forced to move. I know of two companies specifically in my area that moved not because they were greedy but because Walmart forced them to cut costs further.

Wal-Mart absolutely does everything because of GREED!

They tell their vendors....Yes we will carry item X and we are going to sell it for $2.00 now you find a way for us to make our margins and you still make some money! They have little or NO choice to have the thing made in CHINA!

Sam Walton must be turning over in his grave. Soon he'll reach where almost all of the items in Wal-Mart are made....China!

Sam's book was called :"Made In America", funny how nothing in Wal-Mart IS!

ScarletB wrote:While this is terrible and they should have sucked it up and done the right thing - and I'm sure most other employees would have understood - I never shop there because I just dont like it. I find them really depressing stores.

No, they shouldn't have, and no the other employees wouldn't understand. The only thing they'd have gotten was a rash of lawsuits from all the other people that had to pay back some of the costs. If you have a company policy, and everyone knows about it, you have to apply it equally. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for problems.

parrothead216 wrote: Soon he'll reach where almost all of the items in Wal-Mart are made....China!

Try to buy anything at Linens and Things or Bed Bath and Beyond that is not made in China. It's almost impossible! I have nothing against buying Chinese but with all the lead found in children's toys it's disgusting how for a quick buck they will pretty much do anything. Until regulations are better in China I looks real hard to buy things not made there. I will buy from India, Pakistan, Viet Nam or nearly anywhere but China. No one knows what is in the cloth, metal or anything you buy from there. For all you know they are using recycled metal form Hiroshima (could you imagine using a wok and finding out after five years it is radioactive). I also have a friend who travels there for work and says their environmental protection in non existent. They build dye houses on the rivers and after it is totally polluted they simply move the plant upriver until that is ruined and then move up river again. It's just WRONG. Maybe the world should stand up and say no more until you get in line with global responsibilities. Sorry for the rant.

Tarheel Tail-Gator wrote:

rumdrinks wrote:

Elrod wrote:

rumdrinks wrote:I stopped shopping at Wal-mart years ago when it came out that they were taking out life insurance policies on elderly employees and naming themselves as beneficiaries. They're corportate policies are disgusting.

Many companies purchase "dead peasant" policies. Camelot Records is one that comes to mind.

A former employer had a policy on me. (I was shot at several times and assaulted more times than I can remember in that 8 years.) Loved that job.

Houston Chronicle wrote:"Though there are no hard numbers, an attorney for the Hartford Life Insurance Co. estimated that one-fourth of the Fortune 500 companies have COLI policies, which cover the lives of between 5 million and 6 million workers."

http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=4141

I guess this is just one example of why people tell me I live in a fanasty world if I think I can make a difference by not patronizing a Wal-mart for example. Well, maybe I do, but I've always lived by an old saying that goes "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".

While I don't totally fault Wal-Mart in this case, I too believe in not patronizing Wal-Mart. The company is responsible for putting too many little guys in too many small towns out of business.

I've had co-workers know not to invite me to lunch, if it involves an errand run to Wal-Mart in the process.

I saw a story about this about 10 years ago, where they move into small towns in the heartland then all the local shops have to close down due to the competition and basically the whole main street is abandoned and boarded up. Then Wal-Mart starts to see low profits and moves out. By then there are no hardware stores or Mom and Pop places left on main street, thus Wal-Mart is killing small towns in America. I saw another expose on them which was just as bad last year and I virtually stopped even walking in their stores anymore.

Walmart, Home Depot, Pathmark, etc did not put small business out of work. Perhaps the customers, high rent and maybe poor management contributed. Which eventually happens to the oversized stores too. Except it's the little people that get effected. Not the Bob Nardellis of the world.

I'm not a Walmart fan. I believe Walmart sells cheap crap that has a low life span, which in the long run costs more to the buyer. "Oh don't worry honey that the shirt has a hole after the third wash. I paid little at Walmart, we'll just buy another."

Besides, the Walmart where I live is not always cheaper. I found milk 70 cents cheaper in other stores. There is too much competition in the NY Metro area for Walmart to be the only choice. For smalltown USA, Walmart may be the only choice.

While I feel terrible for what happened to the people mentioned in the article, one must question everything they read or here. Just don't sign or accept. Think ahead. I know it's tough when you are hungry and need a job, but at the same time don't let these companies take advantage of your need.

These Walmart threads are like Landshark/Kenny Chesney/Cable vs satellite threads. I can't think of any mom and pop stores around me that were worth 2 craps before Wally World came anyways. Me, I like Walmart. Next.

moog wrote:I'm not a Walmart fan. I believe Walmart sells cheap crap that has a low life span, which in the long run costs more to the buyer. "Oh don't worry honey that the shirt has a hole after the third wash. I paid little at Walmart, we'll just buy another."

I have found this to be absolutely NOT true. When I was losing weight and going through sizes very quickly I started buying inexpensive WalMart slacks, jeans, shirts, etc. When I finally settled into my final weight, I was still wearing some of the WalMart stuff, as well as buying other more expensive “name-brand” clothing at the mall, etc. The WalMart slacks in daily wear outlasted almost every name brand, especially Dockers, Clairborne, Hilfigger, Lauren, and still looked presentable at about 10 percent of the cost, literally. Their “house brand” jeans (at about $10 a pair) outlasted Express jeans and others from other sources by a mile, again at about 15 to 25 percent of the cost. Coveralls, workcoats, workboots, while not quite up to Carhart standards, have withstood moderate use for several years, at about 50 percent of the cost. Sam’s club also carries many “designer” names at about 25 percent of the cost when sold originally through non-WalMart retailers in the mall.

I also noticed no one is screaming for Medicaid to “bend” the rules so the husband wouldn’t have to divorce the poor woman.

sonofabeach wrote:These Walmart threads are like Landshark/Kenny Chesney/Cable vs satellite threads. I can't think of any mom and pop stores around me that were worth 2 craps before Wally World came anyways. Me, I like Walmart. Next.

I gotta be honest, I think that's the best line I've heard in this argument. people always say that big box stores kill the moms and pops, but what percentage of those people actually shopped at the locally owned place? And you never hear anyone b**** about a supermarket coming to town and putting the local grocers, bakers, butchers, etc out of work, because people recognize the convenience and savings. Walmart, Target, etc are just retail versions of a supermarket.

I never thought I'd be defending Wall Mart. I'm not fond of the way they've squeezed their suppliers and some of their business tactics...

However, they have been a large contributor to the animal rescue I work with.

As far as this situation...if they have to follow their policy OK do it, get your money, and then find a way to give it back...a corporate gift to a foundation that supports this lady or something like that. I know they make charitable contributions...her cause sounds like a fine one...and as she is a member of their corporation's family, I think they should be pleased to be making sure she is taken care of.

All companies that you work for these days tell you that the employees are their most important asset. The truth of that would be if they were there for you when you needed them....as you were there for them when they needed you.

Anyway you look at it...this is a sad situation

popcornjack wrote:

sonofabeach wrote:These Walmart threads are like Landshark/Kenny Chesney/Cable vs satellite threads. I can't think of any mom and pop stores around me that were worth 2 craps before Wally World came anyways. Me, I like Walmart. Next.

I gotta be honest, I think that's the best line I've heard in this argument. people always say that big box stores kill the moms and pops, but what percentage of those people actually shopped at the locally owned place? And you never hear anyone b**** about a supermarket coming to town and putting the local grocers, bakers, butchers, etc out of work, because people recognize the convenience and savings. Walmart, Target, etc are just retail versions of a supermarket.

People always seem to forget that WalMart didn't start as the huge company it is today, it started as a mom and pop business. Seems like it just competed better. Isn't that the American way?

AS I said earlier, I don't like Wal-mart. They pretty much come into a rural community, strong arm townships into giving them all kind of zoning variances with the promise of big tax revenues coming in. Then 2/3 years later, they decide to build a "super" wal-mart 3 miles away across township lines and do the same thing all over again and then leave the original township with a 100,000 sq. ft. empty building.

On a more positive note, Wal-mart did build a Super store in Amish country in PA and actually built a covered shed for horse and buggies to park in.

LIPH wrote:

popcornjack wrote:

sonofabeach wrote:These Walmart threads are like Landshark/Kenny Chesney/Cable vs satellite threads. I can't think of any mom and pop stores around me that were worth 2 craps before Wally World came anyways. Me, I like Walmart. Next.

I gotta be honest, I think that's the best line I've heard in this argument. people always say that big box stores kill the moms and pops, but what percentage of those people actually shopped at the locally owned place? And you never hear anyone b**** about a supermarket coming to town and putting the local grocers, bakers, butchers, etc out of work, because people recognize the convenience and savings. Walmart, Target, etc are just retail versions of a supermarket.

People always seem to forget that WalMart didn't start as the huge company it is today, it started as a mom and pop business. Seems like it just competed better. Isn't that the American way?

To a point. To a perfectly reasonable point.

I've railed against Wal-Mart ever since I've been around here.

What you see today, with anything from toys to dog food being produced unsafely
to higher energy costs at the pump is directly attributable to the cut-cost demands fostered by the Wal-Mart mentality of the buying public.
They'll tell you it's All-American, but look at the label next time... you're just pumping your money into ONE mega corporation and China.

You got your "big savings", huh? But, America hasn't hardly bothered to wonder how and why??
Just like anything else you shop for... do you wanna pay NOW or do you wanna pay LATER?

The slogan should read like this...

SHOP AT WAL-MART -- DO YOUR PART TO SELL AMERICA DOWN THE YANGTZE RIVER!!

I'm not a huge fan of ANY store chain... OK, maybe my local grocery and liquor store.

But WM and their purchases of beans, rice, popcorn, foil, and a few other assorted products in HUGE quantities keeps Elrod and his company employed, and they I'm happy about that.

rumdrinks wrote:AS I said earlier, I don't like Wal-mart. They pretty much come into a rural community, strong arm townships into giving them all kind of zoning variances with the promise of big tax revenues coming in. Then 2/3 years later, they decide to build a "super" wal-mart 3 miles away across township lines and do the same thing all over again and then leave the original township with a 100,000 sq. ft. empty building.

That's exactly what happened here. Except an unusual positive happened, too .... When the county library needed to relocate during renovations, Walmart allowed them to relocate into the 100,000 sq ft empty building, free of charge. They've been there going on two years now.

I think the Wal-Mart problem will eventually take care of itself.

Two important factors in their business model are unsustainable over the medium to long term.

The first is cheap oil. Wal-Mart's tremendous expansion through the 1990s was fueled by cheap oil. When the current president took office oil was selling for around $10 a barrel. Current oil prices are hovering around $100 a barrel. This change has impacted their transportation costs tremendously. Their share price has reflected this in the last few years. They've been increasing dividends to shareholders as a way to prop up the share price but they can't sustain that for very long.

The second factor is cheap labor. How much longer will laborers in China and other parts of Asia work for peanuts? They're all buying cars, TVs, washing machines - just like us - and those consumer goods cost money. The cost of labor will inevitably rise, further reducing Wal-Mart's competitive advantage.

These are also the reasons why Wal-Mart has expanded into other market sectors like financial services. They know they won't be the nation's purveyor of cheap foreign goods for very much longer.

I doubt very much whether anyone will recognize Wal-Mart ten years from now. I don't think our children's generation will be shopping there.

rumdrinks wrote:AS I said earlier, I don't like Wal-mart. They pretty much come into a rural community, strong arm townships into giving them all kind of zoning variances with the promise of big tax revenues coming in. Then 2/3 years later, they decide to build a "super" wal-mart 3 miles away across township lines and do the same thing all over again and then leave the original township with a 100,000 sq. ft. empty building.

On a more positive note, Wal-mart did build a Super store in Amish country in PA and actually built a covered shed for horse and buggies to park in.

Yes, but any town that is led by people short-sighted enough not to see that possibility (let's mortgage our future for good times now) I can't feel sorry for.

And Flyby? I think ten years is optimistic, but yeah, any company with that much money isn't going to be that shortsighted.

keybdplyr wrote:I have found this to be absolutely NOT true.

Okay. Maybe it's not true for everybody and everything. I stretch my sneakers from Payless for 2-3 years.

rumdrinks wrote:AS I said earlier, I don't like Wal-mart. They pretty much come into a rural community, strong arm townships into giving them all kind of zoning variances with the promise of big tax revenues coming in. Then 2/3 years later, they decide to build a "super" wal-mart 3 miles away across township lines and do the same thing all over again

As stated above isn't that the American way? Unfortunately big business runs our country. That is why almost everything is made in China now . Like I said I have nothing against buying Chinese if I could trust their products as being safe, so for now I can't so I buy anything but......