A good article on Walmart (not that it paints it in a good light)

[thewayne]

Describes its economic impact on the economy and what it can do and does to suppliers. As I've said many times before, I wouldn't shop there if I didn't have to. Theoretically we're going to get another grocery store, it's rumored to be either a Kroger's or a Super Target. When that happens (IF it happens), I'll see the amount that I'm spending at Walmart decline quite sharply.

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/77/walmart.html

Thanks for posting the link, SA!

Comments

[deborak]

There's always Amazon.com Grocery . . .

[cteare.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a reason I hated Wal-Mart. I don't shop there unless I absolutely have no choice. I really would rather pay more than shop at those stores.

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

The reason I don't shop there is quite simple: in the long run, their products cost more.

I'll give one example: I am extremely difficult to fit, jeans-wise. To make the problem worse, I don't look as though I should be, and in fact I only really figured out the exact problem within the last year. So when my mother-in-law found cheap jeans at Walmart, I was willing to give them a go.

They do, indeed, fit pretty well. However, within a few washings they develop holes right next to the zipper, rendering them unwearable. I don't care if it's "only" $20 for a pair of jeans; $20 over two weeks is much steeper than $50 Eddie Bauer jeans that last for two winters. (BTW, that's a design flaw, not a cloth flaw. A pair of jeans from another store that developed holes next to the back pockets let me exchange them without blinking, saying that they'd got a bad lot.)

Walmart is full of such "pennywise, pound foolish" products. Cheapest doesn't always mean the least expensive.

[tomegatheron.livejournal.com]

The Wal-Mart bashing seems to be the flavor of the month, popular with those that think that a business has any purpose other than making money. Wal-mart has one responsibility and one alone. To maximize profits for its shareholders. It does this very well by aggressively negotiating with its suppliers. As a shareholder, I applaud ANY legal actions that add to the bottom line. Companies do not need to sell to Wal-Mart, consumers do not need to shop at Wal-Mart, and workers do not need to work at Wal-Mart. Perhaps a pickle manufacturer does not want to accept a 2.99 per gallon price point, but if another company will supply it, the decision for Wal-Mart is simple. They have supreme pricing and buying power.

As an owner of the company, I encourage anyone that doesn’t like them, to not frequent them. Wal-Mart will continue making me money.

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Note that the article is from December 2003.

Personally, I have no problem with Walmart existing. But as I said above, I find the products sub-par, so I do as you suggest and shop elsewhere. My only beef with them is that the company sometimes picks the stupidest places to put the stores, when a good alternative exists nearby.

As an example, Walmart was pushing to put a big box in Sacramento's Downtown Plaza. This is someplace that already has a parking problem, especially during the holiday season. Moreover, the Downtown Plaza is a mall mall and specializes in botique stores. You know, stationery supplies, overpriced tourist stuff, importers, big department stores... there's a conflict of expectations there.

However, the city has been looking to revitalize the K Street pedestrian mall, literally across the street, and are quite willing to see buildings bulldozed for revitalization purposes. So why Walmart didn't propose taking a block and building a store with a parking garage on top* is a mystery to me.

*They have escalators that are sized for shopping carts. Crazy.