Wal-Mart

[Nick Douglas]

More liberal logic at its finest--
Point finger at Walmart that "has" healthcare plan as reason our healthcare costs go up--but whats % of your 90% demographical supporters have "NO" healthcare--and what about all the Dems voting against securing borders-- you complain that "possible"substandard coverage is the cause--but have no probs with those with no coverage--the ABSOLUTE-height of hypocracy.

DTB,

If we raise immigration quotas (or at least have a temp. worker program) that would ease the black market a bit, then illegals would become even more of a benefit to the overall economy. It's the right that is against raising quotas and against temp. workers. They make it into a social (read: anti-Hispanic) issue rather than an economic issue. Actually, some do try to make it into an economic issue but it takes about a teaspoon of common sense to see that there is no economic justification for most of these punitive measures against illegals.

 

[Chadman]

A lot of good points from many in here. Some very positive points and value shown on the Wal-Mart side, and in my opinion, not nearly so much for the negative Wal-Mart side. As a matter of fact, many of the points made FOR the mom-and-pop shops are actually being refuted with real stats and points. Like insurance, salary/rate of pay, opportunity, taxes paid. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is pure service and convenience - which is more of a competitive thing. If I want to shop and spend money in my smallish home town, essentially I have to do it between 9 and 5. I work out of town, leave home no later than 7 a.m. and return home no earlier than 5:30. Weekends? Of course they are busy for me and with coaching, I rarely can get to stores during their brief openings on Saturday mornings, that kind of thing, and forget about a Sunday purchase. Quite simply, the mom and pop stores do not provide the kind of hours I need, nor a competitive price, nor the selection I would like, etc. Of course they cannot really compete price-wise for obvious reasons, but I would buy a lot more if they stayed open later or earlier. But they don't. They expect me to conform to their age-old traditions and essentially say their time is valuable to them in the evenings, weekends, etc. That's fine, but that is what service and competition is all about...meeting the consumer's needs in a changing, competitive environment. Those that don't adapt, don't survive.

Mom and pop need to change their way of doing business, and in many cases, they don't. They don't pay any better, they don't offer insurance, they don't provide working hours for many employees that Wal-Mart does...etc.

And what about the business that a Wal-Mart brings to the towns? People come up to Wal-Mart, shop, get gas in town, maybe take in a movie or go out to eat, hit the downtown area for the mom and pop shops for unique items, etc. Not always, of course, but Wal-Mart causes a lot of extra traffic, too.

Nothing is cut and dried. But whining does not get much accomplished in the business world. Adapting and meeting challenges does.

 

[peddler1]

You are completely right. Mom and Pop stores do need to change the way they conduct business.
I my self have a retail store. I have the extended hours. I am the first store open and the last store closed.
One of the problems that small retail stores do run into is that we have to pay up front and net 30 on much merchandise. On the other hand the Big box stores have the luxury of setting there own terms with there suppliers. Most isn't paid for until after it is sold. They are able to stock more and offer a better variety for this reason.

 

[Chadman]

Absolutely right, Peddler. I know you have it very tough when it comes to trying to compete, especially when you cannot buy the same way the big boys do. I admire you for having your own store, and working the long hours. And I would do what I could, if in your area, to give you my business at night.

I was a member of the Chamber of Commerce board in my town, and have heard both sides of these issues. It remains a very tough call for any city, and I do feel for guys like you that work hard, provide a good business, and have a tough time meeting the challenges. Hopefully your efforts are met with some dedication from locals. I know I do try, and so do many in our town.

 

[bear]

Well, to me this is not about Mom and Pop...
They can't compete with WM...neither can K-Mart
Of course low prices bring the low salaried to shop and save......THEY HAVE TO! What does a blue coat make per hour X40 hpw X52wpy ...take away taxes..rent/mtg...food, clothing, ins,transportation expenses etc. .........Where do you expect him to shop..Tiffany's
A FAST SHRINKING MIDDLE CLASS is the issue and the effects on health care, debt, homelessness, and opportunities lost because of Corporate use of (relative) slave labor.
Have the WSJ calculate the trickle down costs to our economy .......to our healthcare system, to care for poor and homeless etc. Oh,the need for and growth and the cost of underground economies as alternatives..you know ..drugs, prostitution etc.
I don't buy that partisan bullshit.....I don't listen to Dem's or Republicans and especially not to the WSJ or the NY Times....I keep my eyes OPEN and SEE what is going on ..then try to interpret it.
I see an unlevel playing field for the American worker and decaying cities and factory towns...rich getting phenominally rich and masses going deeper in debt.....America fueling foreign economies (China is only one)
W-Mart is the biggest offender IMO but it has taught others and become a universal idea to produce overseas...
Well, grow those foreign economies...We like those twin deficits here. Your kids will pay em off..

BREATHE DEEP............
bear

 

[The Sponge]

Income Credit.

That said, I'm not going to harp on Wal-Mart. I try my best to avoid the place because I hate the experience of shopping there. I have the luxury of multiple stores to choose from that sell all the same things. Most people have those choices too - not all, but most.

Smurph i have heard this story a quite often. this might be the kiss of death for them down the road. I hear many people talk about them having like two registers open and it just takes forever to get out of the place. could they possible be this greedy to not want to staff the place with enough cashiers to make shopping pleasant? I had a business close to a Walmart and everyone who shopped there would say "never again" just because of the same experience you wrote about.

 

[The Sponge]

Not picking on you Nick, but you brought up unions. I know that for many, unions are sacred ground. They had a place and still have a place in America. I don't care if you are or not in one but you need to do a honest days work. We can not pay a guy because he is in a union for a days work when he's not worth the money the union commands for him . You work you get paid. If you are worth 10, 20, 30, 40. 100 per hr God bless you. But don't do less and expect to get paid because you are in a union. In the beginning unions protected the working man, today they protect many that don't want to work. They protect guys that embrace socialism. We have to admit in America we have become lazy, we had it to good. Most people when it gets good they take it easy. That's human nature. So now if we want it we have to go back to work. I'm not talking about all of us, just most of us.

in my Union if you didn't work hard you didn't work plain and simple. Now if your talking about city type of Unions i can agree with you but i was in the Carpenters Union. I like to see someone dog it there.

 

[The Sponge]

The one true thing that we have to remember is that Wal-Mart is here. Like it or not. We could sit and make arguments for and against them. The thing is what are we going to do about them. I hate it when I hear people complain about Wal-Mart but then go shop there. If you don't like them than don't go. If enough people will start standing up for what they believe than just maybe there can be a diffrence made.
It is the same as the ban on internet gambling. If the people that where against the ban would of all got off there hind sides and let their elected public officials know than it would have been harder to get it passed.
Many people like to complain but they are afraid to stand up and do for themselves.

i don't go like i stated in one of my first post. chadman takes it as i want attention that is his problem. I call it like i see it. Now my beautiful sweet intelligent mother shops there and i want to kill her but i can't get thru to her. Its a lost cause and Nick is right the Dems have to get off of it. I will never step foot there and im sure this bothers the higher ups because they want every single penny there grubing hands can get.

 

[The Sponge]

i find it amazing that all the Walmart lovers find it okay to under cut someones prices, lose money in the process and then when they finally drive these good hard working people out of business they then raise their prices. this is a total scumbag way to do business. The mom and pop place can't sell fifty thousand other items to make up for loses like Walmart can. This is dispicable. I know im gonna get heat for this but they also take advantage of retarded people. You might say who am i to say something like this? well, its an uncomforable experience when you shop somewhere when someone could fly off the handle at any minute. This has happen to me at the shoprite in my area. the guy was bagging my stuff and i could see he was ready to just freakout from something that must have happen earlier. He finally went after the cashier and i had to pull him to the ground. I knew in my heart it wasn't his fault but this type of stuff happens. He also was as strong as an ox and that women is liucky i was there or he might have killed her.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Canada Has had immigration for years with no probs
--They have housing for the workers--fly them up their in season--and fly them back when they are done.

--and Jabber per your--
"the ABSOLUTE height of hypocrisy (don't use words you can't spell)"

I could prob use spellchecker like you if it was that important to me-however

The biggest diff between you and I- is I have never needed minimum wage increase your whining about to get a raise

 

[SixFive]

I'm happy to patronize "Mom and Pop", but I'm not going to do so if I'm getting severely ripped off.

Example. My brother and I wanted to buy a winch for our father for his birthday (for the 4 wheeler). Local price at the local 4wheeler/cycle shop was $550. Price on the internet was $200. Sorry, can't see paying that much more.

The "mom and pops" that I see being successful are the ones in rural areas or in good locations say heading out of town. Wayne will know about our local Jimmy Diemers. That guy has made a mint. There's also a place near the lake called "Ranger Bobs" that makes a killing too.

The "mom and Pops" have to be diversified though. Those niche shops just don't cut it in today's market.

What I can't stand about going to Wal-mart is the check out line being long and the 19 year old supervisors coming over to pull the cashiers out of their check line to take their break (which is just an arbitrary time). Have a little more common sense and delay the break a bit, or cover for them yourself if they have to take their frikkin' 15 minute break. Ridiculous.

 

[blgstocks]

Good thread guys, I think its interesting to hear both sides from different posters. You can draw a line as to who has a business mind vs liberal arts mind. I agree with 2 posters here,

1 AR(as usual) and

2 Sponge because how many times have we all been in line at our local shoprite and a guy is about to "freakout"? I mean do I ALWAYS have to be the one to bring him down to the ground? And do they ALWAYS have to be as strong as an Ox? It just gets old you know.
Glad I am not the only one out there that having this problem.:mj07: :mj07: :mj07:

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

"Wayne will know about our local Jimmy Diemers."

Yep Clint--its only place in town I can buy 20lb boxes of unsalted peanuts in shell. Buy about ten a year to feed squirells and my birds.

Sent Jack a box years ago for his Parrott Wally and he bout freaked

 

[Jabberwocky]

"I could prob use spellchecker like you if it was that important to me-however

The biggest diff between you and I- is I have never needed minimum wage increase your whining about to get a raise"

not sure what this has to do with my point that this "Secure Fence Act" is nothing more than empty politics after 6+ years of soft border policy.

when did I whine about increasing minimum wage?????

I am not going to get into what I do for a living DTB and how much I make...suffice it to say, if personal, selfish, economic class interests was the deciding factor in how I vote, I should be voting republican and I am quite certain that you should be voting democrat. Democats protect the interests of the middle class, the little guy, like you DTB...but alot of you identify with the ruling class, and vote them into power, even though they could give a shit about you and your middle class job. I am sure that the dividend yield and capital gains tax reduction have done wonders for your financial bottom line. But I digress....

 

[peddler1]

"mom and Pops" have to be diversified though. Those niche shops just don't cut it in today's market.

SixFive has a good point. What i have started seeing more and more in my shop is that you have to keep your core business that you started with for your repeat and referral business. To gain further business you have to be diversified. That is the only way you can keep expanding your business. The one thing that i strive the hardest for is customer service. With out it the mom and pop stores have no chance to make it.

One other thing that puts small stores out of business that people haven't hit on is attitude. If a box store comes in or business is slow you have to keep your spirit's up and figure out how to deal with it. Do what they aren't doing. If one thing doesn't work try something else.

 

[peddler1]

I was a member of the Chamber of Commerce board in my town, and have heard both sides of these issues. It remains a very tough call for any city, and I do feel for guys like you that work hard, provide a good business, and have a tough time meeting the challenges. Hopefully your efforts are met with some dedication from locals. I know I do try, and so do many in our town.

I am on the board of the merchants association. We had a meeting talking about the changes that we as business owners to get loyalty from the locals. With out that support you are done. Chadman as i am sure you are aware since you where a member of the chamber lots of people like to complain but they don't like to take action. You can usually tell which business will strive to make it.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

I am the working class Jabbers--work seven days a week and enjoy it--also hit golf balls about the same.
have had my own business for 23 years which many here can attest to--I take sole responsibility for successes and failures in my life--and have no complaints--thank you

I don't really try and hide much--my profile is up to date and have met many here.
Had my address and website posted for years here.
Quite transparent-

Unlike yourself who has nothing in profile-not even residence and hides behind key board.
Your like theother 1000's of internet lurkers who can say what they want and have absolutely no one that can autenticate a word you say--

You don't have to tell me much about your personal life--your stance on taxes-minimum wage-economy ect pretty well sums up who pays your bills.

 

[Jabberwocky]

DTB,

never really thought much about putting my residence up on this site, and I will not get into my business.

However, your statement:

"You don't have to tell me much about your personal life--your stance on taxes-minimum wage-economy ect pretty well sums up who pays your bills."

is based on what? I have never expressed an opinion on this site about taxation,minimum wage, or the economy (except that I have a problem with passing on an 8 trillion dollar debt to our children.) You can put me into any sort of box you want, and make presumptions about my finances all you like. I really do not care in the least. Just don't put words into my mouth or tell me what opinions I have about things that I have never commented on.

 

[SixFive]

DTB,

never really thought much about putting my residence up on this site, and I will not get into my business.

However, your statement:

"You don't have to tell me much about your personal life--your stance on taxes-minimum wage-economy ect pretty well sums up who pays your bills."

is based on what? I have never expressed an opinion on this site about taxation,minimum wage, or the economy (except that I have a problem with passing on an 8 trillion dollar debt to our children.) You can put me into any sort of box you want, and make presumptions about my finances all you like. I really do not care in the least. Just don't put words into my mouth or tell me what opinions I have about things that I have never commented on.

you put words into his mouth or at least surmised he was working class first, did you not? He works hard, but he's definitely not working class :mj07: (not that there's anything wrong with that).

 

[The Sponge]

let me help some of you since this story has you all amused but in essence its a disgrace to find humor in this.
I was in line and i could tell this mentally challenge fellow was very irritated. I tried to talk to him when he was bagging my stuff because i feel real sorry for people like this. He wouldn't even look at me because he was in some sort of rage. I asked the older woman if she was alright and she said don't worry he always gets like this.
All the sudden the guy just flips. the lady was screaming and i grab the guy and held him down. People who are enraged like this are pretty tough to hold down. Another guy jumped in and gave me a hand. How you can take a story like this and think it is humorous is pretty sickening to me. Now if you ever listen to Howard Stern he once in a while talks about retard strength. I know what he is talking about. There you go Kosar go run with it. Blstocks and Six im sure the two of you most likely would have ran to the kotex isle to avoid helping this lady.