[pauligan]

So they increase prices for food.... in this one case I like Walmart for creating the tension.

Latest Developments
AP Photo
Wal-Mart Blamed for Stunted Food Prices

(Reuters) - Americans may have noticed that their grocery bills have remained fairly stable, but it may surprise supermarket shoppers to learn that they have retail giant Wal-Mart to thank for keeping a lid on prices. At an industry conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week, makers of foods from cereal to soup lamented the difficulty of raising prices on such household staples when discounters like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wield so much power over the grocery market.

 

[rerun]

This is true...Walmart is so large now that they do have that type of power. I know that recording artists will often change there lyrics to songs just so they can get them on Walmarts shelves.

 

[surfergirlck]

i love walmart. i do the majority of my shopping there. if it weren't for them, my cuppords would be pretty bare. honest.

 

[Snowbi-Wan]

Yeah, be careful buying CDs at Wal-Mart. Everything is EDITED. <_<

 

[Designie]

Wal-Mart also accounts for 10% of China's exports.

That's alot of dollars going to communists.

I won't shop there.

 

[Focker]

I received an email a month or so ago about Wal-Mart that concerns me. Yes they have great prices and seems to be Wal-Marts going up everywhere which is great. But think about all of the other stores that are going out of business because they can't compete with Wal-Mart.

What is wrong with this you ask?

In the email it stated that Wal-Mart will cut there prices so low, that they are barely staying in business. In doing so, other businesses are forced to close doors. In enough time, all of our Farmer Jacks, Krogers, K-Mart, along with family owned businesses will have gone under leaving Wal-Mart the only contender. Once they have no competition and consumers have no other choice on where to shop, Wal-Mart will increase their prices.

I don't know how much truth there was behind the email, but it got my attention.

 

[Capt'n Mike]

QUOTE(Focker @ Feb 18 2004, 06:00 PM)In the email it stated that Wal-Mart will cut there prices so low, that they are barely staying in business. In doing so, other businesses are forced to close doors. In enough time, all of our Farmer Jacks, Krogers, K-Mart, along with family owned businesses will have gone under leaving Wal-Mart the only contender. Once they have no competition and consumers have no other choice on where to shop, Wal-Mart will increase their prices.
That makes perfect sense. Their out to create a monopoly! They've got a great recipe for it.
I don't shop there much, but if I get one of their circulars in my hand and find something that I need at 20% cheaper than the competitor's, I'm there!

 

[Pandora]

same here. it's all about saving money.

 

[MONEYSHOT]

I won't shop at Walmart at all.
Things that I have read:
1, they refuse to carry the morning after pill in their pharmacies due to religious beliefs of the Waltons.
2, they won't allow prescriptions for birth control to their female employees
3, there are numerous lawsuits against them for discrimination against women.

Gotta take a stand sometime...How is the world every supposed to get any better! Much less, I can find places that beat their prices anytime..just gotta look!

 

[bobrob]

QUOTE(Designie @ Feb 18 2004, 05:56 PM)Wal-Mart also accounts for 10% of China's exports.

That's alot of dollars going to communists.

I won't shop there.
I try not to too, for same reason.That and what i have read about how they treat there workers.

 

[ThreeCrabs]

QUOTE(MONEYSHOT @ Feb 20 2004, 02:35 PM)I won't shop at Walmart at all.
Things that I have read:
1, they refuse to carry the morning after pill in their pharmacies due to religious beliefs of the Waltons.
2, they won't allow prescriptions for birth control to their female employees
3, there are numerous lawsuits against them for discrimination against women.

Gotta take a stand sometime...How is the world every supposed to get any better! Much less, I can find places that beat their prices anytime..just gotta look!
Ever work for KMart??? They are discriminatory in other ways.....Let's just say same job, different gender = big huge pay difference!!!

Beliefs of the Waltons

 

[pauligan]

I don't shop at walmart

nor target...

stick to meijering for that stuff... or newly to farmer j's.

 

[Snowbi-Wan]

What's wrong with Target?

 

[pauligan]

just dont' like it.

 

[Snowbi-Wan]

QUOTE(pauligan @ Feb 20 2004, 03:06 PM)just dont' like it.
We LOVE Target!!

 

[ThreeCrabs]

QUOTE(Snowmaker @ Feb 20 2004, 03:12 PM)QUOTE(pauligan @ Feb 20 2004, 03:06 PM) just dont' like it.
We LOVE Target!!
yeah, I do, too! That's where we bought Makenzie from

Nicole was a blue light special

I of course came from Hudson's Downtown

 

[Capt'n Mike]

Learned something new...
WalMart has even forced manufacturers out of business, because they are paying so little for their products. WalMart is forcing them to sell for less than what is costs to produce! They just can't survive that way!

Pretty soon, the only companies left will be Walmart and Microsoft!

Seriously though, the competition is working hard to run their stores leaner, and put new stores up wherever there is a WalMart.

 

[boatmonkey]

Before WalMart came to the big cities, their practice was to build on the outskirts of a good sized town. Everybody got excited about the bargains and before too long everyone was shopping at WalMart and there was no downtown anymore - any store that had to compete with the good old small town boy Sam Walton was forced out of business. I saw alot of little towns ruined that way, and it's ironic because the people living there are doing it to themselves. What's more important, buying more consumer goods than you really need or having a healthy little town with a picturesque downtown, townsquare and all? And here Sam Walton acts like he helps small town America. Bah!

Besides that personal dislike for the company, I don't like the stores or the merchandise. It feels cheap from top to bottom, and we have a new one in Chesterfield.

 

[boatnfish]

Take a look at Levi's. They no longer make jeans in the US because WallMart forced them down on prices. We will have to wait and see the quality of the new ones.

I don't care for the stores myself. Have not found one that I would go back too, but I also have not been in one for close to 1.5 years. Maybe they have changed, but first impressions last.

 

[BigTree]

QUOTE(Capt'n Mike @ Feb 20 2004, 04:00 PM)Learned something new...
WalMart has even forced manufacturers out of business, because they are paying so little for their products. WalMart is forcing them to sell for less than what is costs to produce! They just can't survive that way!

Pretty soon, the only companies left will be Walmart and Microsoft!

Seriously though, the competition is working hard to run their stores leaner, and put new stores up wherever there is a WalMart.
<_< WalMart hasn't "forced" any manufacturers out of business... manufacturers are not forced to sell to them - think about what you said. WalMart does have some market power but not that much. They still have a far less than monopolistic market share. You are right in that they are forcing other retailers and suppliers to become more efficient.

WalMart was a small business once... that happened to do a whole lot of things right. Montgomery Wards was at one time one of the world's largest retailers - but they did a lot of things wrong, and exist no more. Pretty simple economics at work.

I shop at WalMart sometimes - but prefer Target, much better atmosphere.

Moneyshot is a super shopper, which is fine if you have time to burn, but see if the amount you 'save' pays you at a decent rate for the extra time you spend finding the "bargains" and driving from store to store (gas and mileage too). My time is worth a lot more than I could ever save by shopping around much...