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Walmart has this to say...what do YOU say?

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Mike said:
agman said:
Mike said:
Well FH, you asked our opinion.

I do not abhor success. But then again, it depends on one's definition of success. If you think that success is only about making money and power, you might have some more schooling in your future.

response... I am confident that you could neither match the time or money I have provided to assist people in need or those willing to learn. I appreciate success and make every attempt to learn from successful people. While complainers always scream the loudest they always have the least to offer.
 
Agman, "Sandhusker..You really need to get out of your little dream world of myths and fabrications and get some facts to back your baseless and senseless opinions regarding Wal-Mart.

Product difference - prove your point - have you counted the number of beans in each can?

Low pay - prove your point - I quess you failed to see Wal-mart's rebuttal to the Union propaganda that many people hear.

Drag on the economy - prove your point. I quess you know more than Alan Greenspan.

How much money are you really saving? Why don't you ask the 100 million shoppers a month who shop at Wal-Mart. Do you actaully believe they shop their for less value? The key word is "value".

You seem to know so damn much about Walmart, would you be so kind as to share with us what you KNOW about the Van Kamp's example I provided?

Do you have any idea of what their average pay rate is? Do you know how many hours need to be worked to receive certain benefits? Do you know many of their empoyees receive any benefits at all? I guess you just would rather hear Walmart tell the press how wonderful they are to work for and simply believe it?

Are you telling me that Greenspan is not concerned about our trade deficit? Are you going to tell me that trade deficits are good for the economy?

Do you choose to ignore the facts of government services use for low-income people?
 
WAL-MART, GOVERNMENT SETTLE IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATION
No Criminal Charges Filed Against Company or its Associates

BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 18, 2005 – Wal-Mart Stores has resolved on a civil basis the Department of Justice's more than four-year-long investigation into the employment practices of its former floor-cleaning contractors. The agreement came after the government concluded its criminal investigation and announced it would not pursue charges against Wal-Mart or any Wal-Mart associates.

As part of this civil settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to support the fair enforcement of immigration laws, including making a payment of $11 million to the government.
 
I have heard Wally World does not pay for any goods until they have been sold ??? If that is true no wonder they can sell for less. :roll:
 
It's a Wal-Mart world. People will pay as little as they can given an approximately equal product. Why do you think generic brands are so popular. It's all good and fine to say that you want to support the 'Mom and Pop' operations but what it comes down to is 'real cost' as it applies to the family budget. If you are consistently paying 10-20% more for products than what you would at Wal-Mart, it means that you will have less money for the small luxuries in life. Every extra dollar you spend, eliminates one dollar that can be spent elsewhere. I'm hearing alot of the negatives about Wal-Mart and yes they do try to get their suppliers to lower their prices but they also work with suppliers to show them how to cut costs and improve their efficiency. Wal-Mart also sponsors Students In Free Enterprise which is an organization that helps student entrepreneurs in Colleges and Universities across the US and Canada. As far as the people who are working there for such low wages, they have the opportunity, just like everyone else, to go work elsewhere if they feel that they are being taken advantage of.
 
Agman, "Low pay - prove your point - I quess you failed to see Wal-mart's rebuttal to the Union propaganda that many people hear. "

Rebut this, O defender of the Waltons. Notice the tax-payer cash flow.

http://www.ksworkbeat.org/Issues/Walmart_s_Opinon_of_Union_Memb/Walmart_Wage_Doesn_t_Go_Far/walmart_wages_details/walmart_wages_details.html
 
Sandhusker, I have found any study that shows a strong bias not to included or tell the whole story. What is the average wage in this town in KS? How much lower is wal marts pay compaired to say a local grocery mart? The grocery stores big ones used to have unions and 12.00 per hr checkers, where are they now? There almost all out of buisness.
GM has just stated they will be cutting white collar positions in the comming months due to slow sales and the impact there rising health insurance premiums have been costing GM.
At our wal marts you see alot of college students, retired folk, that work there to support college life or add to the SSI or pention from another job. Yes wages are low in many areas of the country, but the days of large corperations comming to town and having 14-16.00 per hr jobs are over, manufacturing will all be done out of the US. Consumers demand value and quality that doesn't bode well with US and the pay structure we have or want.
Everyones health insurance is going up, that is another issue, my wife pays 243.00 per month for her and our childeren. That is on a 32,000 a year job! Just 3 years ago we had better coverage and paid 156.00 a month, as long as the insurance companys stick together there will be no real value in health insurance in time.
Even large corporations like wal mart don't get near the deals they used too, more workers, more claims, rising medical cost equal more payments for the insurance co. Less price break for said company.
Wal Mart is giving people what they want plain and simple,if they were not doing it, people would be shopping elsewhere. I know the guy from Hunters Specialtys from CR,Iowa and he states there a bear to work with, they will set the price they will pay for goods, but it is all done on volume, thats how they make there money, if you could buy a pair of camo gloves for 6.00 at the Kmart or local supply store, or go to Wal Mart and get the same item for 2.99 at Wal Mart were will you make the purchase? It's all volume, mom and pops don't have volume so they charge more, Wal Marts charge less and do it on volume, when broken out % wise what would be the total net profit % wise for each? I bet after all is said and done it would be close to the same just wal mart will be looking at say 19% of a few billion dollars and mom and pop will be looking at 19% of say 150,000 a year.
What mom and pop store can afford to even offer an employee health insurance? Not many thats a fact. Also what would be the hourly rate of pay differance between mom and pop versus wal mart? then figure into it that mom and pop might give you 1.50 more per hr or even 2.00 more per hour, but you have yet to secure any health insurance through them. NO life insurnace, no long term or short term disabilty etc.
 
Rebut this, O defender of the Waltons. Notice the tax-payer cash flow.

More tripe from some bleeding heart liberal. What was this person thinking bringing two children into the world without a strong committed relationship? Why wouldn't this person get a job closer to home so that he/she could ditch the car? Who is responsible for putting this person in the situation that they find themselves in? Not Wal-Mart. Every person makes decisions in their life that have led them to the point where they are now. Sounds like this person has made some poor decisions but its not Wal-Mart's responsibility to pick up the pieces for them. Up here minimum wage is $7 per hour. Problem is that there's alot of employees out there that aren't worth that much.
 
Sandhusker said:
What a lot of people don't realize in their quest to save a dime is that they're not always getting the same products that they think they are. Example: Van Kamps pork and beans. You think you're getting a better deal at Walmart than the local guy on the corner - but you're not getting the same product. Van Kamps can of beans is different for Walmart - they have demanded their own version of the product. Do you think it is higher quality? Do you think Van Kamps is the only product Walmart does this with?

Does a guy need to point out to you what happens to that extra dime that gets spent at Mom and Pops? How many little league teams get sponsored so YOUR kids can play ball? How many donations are made to your church so you can keep the doors open? How many donations are made to schools, local charities, etc... that Walmart does not make?

How about the extra governmental services that are needed because of the low wages and benefits Walmart is famous for? Who do you think pays for those free school lunches, energy assistance, etc....? Have you stopped to realize that people making low wages with minimal or no benefits are tax receivers instead of payers?

What about the drag on the economy that Walmart's trade deficit alone creates?

How much money are you REALLY saving?


At our walmart they let our school have a fund raiser right in front of the store.they have these on saturdays and sundays all summer for any nonprofit organization they match up to $500 per day for these fund raisers we made 1200.00 plus the 500.00 that walmart gave.

Our local mom and pop hardware home store pays its employees salary $250.. a week no benifits 5 days a week 10 hour days thats $5.00 an hour no benefits we disagree on this one you seem to have your head buried in the sand...

walmart just gave my daughters 1st grade class $500 for a Book It program thats $500 for 36 1ST GRADE STUDENTS .....in one little school..

Walmart is not the Big Bad Wolf...........................
 
I used to cuss wal-mart but buying stuff made in foreign countrys with slave labor
makes my dollar bills go further. After reading the paper thats at the site listed below I may change my mind about wal-mart. http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_03/hommel121703pv.html
 
Mike said:
Denny:"No matter what business your in you need to offer the best possible quality at the lowest possibe price period."

So, if you have 5 bidders, do you take the lowest possible price for your calves? Or do you take the HIGHEST possible price? Or do you take what the market will bear? I'm confused.

Here lets talk livestock trailers I know I can build a trailer with more features and of high quality for less money and I sell them for less than the dealer down the street why?

I have a very low overhead and am willing to make a little less to make sure I have work.

Now lets talk cows I know I ran my cows last year for $341.00 a head my calves averaged 544# at $1.25=$680 for a profit of $339.00 a head on top of that I built 30 trailers in my welding shop for an average profit of $900.00 each

can I afford to take less for my calves yes, will I, yes if thats what I need to do to stay in the cattle business can I shave my input cost,Yes most likely near a $100.00 a head,how well After I figured all my expenses for my cows last year I added $100.00 a head to get the$341.00 for overlooked expences.

You will take the highest bid you can get what are you going to do when there's only one bid can you make it on that? I believe i can.
 
sandhusker=Do you have any idea of what their average pay rate is? Do you know how many hours need to be worked to receive certain benefits? Do you know many of their empoyees receive any benefits at all?

And they are the only company that does that.. :?: If its that bad, how does wal-mart keep any employees :?: .Give your head a shake.....
 
Sandhusker said:
Agman, "Low pay - prove your point - I quess you failed to see Wal-mart's rebuttal to the Union propaganda that many people hear. "

Rebut this, O defender of the Waltons. Notice the tax-payer cash flow.

resposne...Interesting, did you note the STARTING wage as opposed to average wage. The articel failed to mention benefits-I wonder why? BTW, what do your mom and pop shops pay and do thye provide any bvenefits?

Im am not defending anyone. I am just not interested in the coffee shop crap you spew. I will start a new post on this isssue.
 
Understanding the Wal-Mart Effect

By Max Borders Published 04/11/2005

TCS
"I'm writing this column in West Virginia, USA having just come back from shopping in Wal-Mart, the extraordinarily successful supermarket chain that makes our own look slow and tiny -- not to mention expensive! I had to keep blinking at the price labels. With my notion of prices tied to British expectations, Wal-Mart's just look as though the staff can't do their sums."

- John Blundell in the New Scotsman


Wal-Mart is rarely the object of such praise. To be the best is usually to be the object of scorn. Wal-Mart knows this well. They are the best, and their critics would have you believe that the mammoth retail chain earned its laurels through unfair competition, civic destruction, even third world exploitation. The stories are familiar: In order to offer such low prices (always), Wal-Mart:



- Puts Mom-n-Pop shops out of business.

- Contributes to the burgeoning of third world sweatshops.

- Degrades communities by introducing a big box aesthetic.

- Makes the Walton family and shareholders even richer.



But it's time we looked a little deeper into what can only be called the "Wal-Mart effect."



Boone, North Carolina (named for the famous Dan'l) is a college town nestled in the rustic mountains of Appalachia. The population is divided roughly among groups of students, locals, and the academic elite. Such a microcosm of American diversity works in its own way. The locals realize how much money the university brings in. The students love the Smoky Mountain amenities and the bluegrass music. Academics find the local folkways charming and complementary to their status as, well, elites. But when Wal-Mart decided to come along in the 90s, locals, students, and academics also had a common purpose to bind them: to keep Wal-Mart out.


As it often does, Wal-Mart won. And since then, Boone has experienced the Wal-Mart effect. First, some Mom-n-Pop shops in Boone may have gone out of business due to the intense competition. But something interesting has happened: many new businesses have sprung up and they're cooler, more interesting, and more highly specialized than most of the old ones were. Mom-n-Pop have decided to move into more boutique-style businesses -- and not even Wal-Mart can compete with that.



For example, Hands Gallery -- formed c. 1998 -- is an interesting fixture for visitors to the downtown King Street area, offering indigenous art and sculpture for more refined tastes. While taking in the spring verdancy or autumn foliage of the high country, visitors can take jaunts through nearby Blowing Rock and Banner Elk for the utterly zoned and picturesque experience (and, of course, denizens of these planned towns take advantage of Boone's big boxes along highway 321).



But big boxes and all, downtown Boone offers its own home-grown order, complete with quirky restaurants and shops one might have found on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. An eclectic mix of businesses line the main thoroughfare. Earth Fare, an organic foods store, has come to King Street. Older fixtures such as the Appalachian Antique Mall and Mast General Store (retail) have enjoyed continued success and remain favorite establishments for shoppers. You'll even find "Josh," a vagrant everyone in Boone knows, selling poetry and beaded jewelry to passers by.



The question becomes: do we really need small, inefficient and expensive shops to supply us with our shaving cream and plastic laundry baskets? How vibrant is a downtown where such items are being hocked? Since Wal-Mart consolidates these kinds of goods into "big boxes," we, like John Blundell, can get them for dirt cheap all in one place. Charming downtown areas can then evolve into gorgeous window-shopping and restaurant-hopping districts for both locals and tourists. In the meantime, everyone knows where to go to get the bare necessities quickly and at a lower cost.



The Wal-Mart effect is happening all over the country, allowing many municipalities to renew their town centers. In fact, residents able to reduce their day-to-day shopping budgets at Wal-Mart have more money left to spend on the things that make life great and towns charming -- whether it's hand-blown glass or delicious roadside produce grown by local farmers. (Take it from me, no big box can do Silver Queen corn like North Carolina farmers on the side of the road.)



Wal-Mart has also made concerted efforts to work with communities to stylize their stores, especially in cases where such is desired by the locals. The result is that the big box look is not always battleship blue corrugated metal with plastic letters. Wal-Marts come in all manner of brick, stone and Mediterranean styles.



The Wal-Mart effect may be destructive from time to time, but it's also profoundly creative. Wal-Mart has inadvertently hastened the pace of specialization and municipal renewal. As consumers, of course, we only benefit from the presence of Wal-Mart and other big box retailers. People in developing countries and at home are being lifted from squalor because Wal-Mart seeks out the great, low-cost products they offer. Wal-Mart is also giving a lot of people opportunities to earn a living -- including retirees who want to stay active as well as immigrants prepared to accept the wages Wal-Mart offers. Don Boudreaux puts it succinctly here:



"And because Wal-Mart indisputably keeps prices to consumers low, by far the most plausible conclusion is that Wal-Mart promotes the economic prosperity of the places it which it operates -- it creates better jobs and increases the availability of goods and services. In short, Wal-Mart makes its workers and its customers (and, yes, its stockholders) wealthier."

The Wal-Mart effect is overwhelmingly beneficial.

As prices continue to fall and quality continues to improve, critics of Wal-Mart will have a tougher time resisting the temptation to shop there. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying shorter lines, lower prices, quality products, and smiley-face stickers.



Max Borders is a writer and Wal-Mart shopper in the Washington, DC area.
 
Cal- All I can say in response is that if you think the Walmart effect and era is the way for the generation to come is I disagree 100%- and I'm glad I won't be around to see it........ :cry: The radical right could end up being a bigger ruin to the US than the tree huggers and the the ultra left even came close to... :?
 
i skipped from the initial post to here, because it says it all: it is not strong demand at this point that's driving beef prices; it is simply low supply.

this is ending even as we speak: fat cattle prices in the US are dropping because supply is outstripping demand. believe it!! look at the DTN! look at the USDA MPR!

and guess what: this supply outstripping demand is happening even WITHOUT Canadian live cattle being shipped across the border!

so now what? how does one create demand??...

look at the cattle cycle, ok??? at least..
 
Oldtimer said:
Cal- All I can say in response is that if you think the Walmart effect and era is the way for the generation to come is I disagree 100%- and I'm glad I won't be around to see it........ :cry: The radical right could end up being a bigger ruin to the US than the tree huggers and the the ultra left even came close to... :?

OT, you certainly have the right to disagree. I don't understand your obsession with BSE either, when the human risk factor is so low. It seems to me like the retailers that are successful at present are very much influenced by some of the sucessful practices of Walmart. If they don't provide price and service, or unfortunately get weighed down by labor unions (asta lavista GM as we know them,if they don't pull it together), they're headed for the history pages. It seems ludicrous to me to complain about success when there's so much positive we can learn from it.
 
Oldtimer said:
Cal- All I can say in response is that if you think the Walmart effect and era is the way for the generation to come is I disagree 100%- and I'm glad I won't be around to see it........ :cry: The radical right could end up being a bigger ruin to the US than the tree huggers and the the ultra left even came close to... :?

Response...Do you really consider Wal-Mart on the extreme right? That is a hoot if you do. Your beloved R-Calf is much closer to the extreme right than Wal-mart would ever be. I agree with you on one point and that is the danger of the extreme right as an impediment to progress. Thank God, while very vocal, they as such a very small minority.

The simple fact is you and several others on this forum constantly gravitate toward negative news as evidenced by your repeated posts with almost total disregard for positive news. One hundred million shoppers a week who frequent Wal-Mart are not wrong or stupid. Have a great day. agman
 
One of the things that really burns me up about Wal-Mart is that they have say, 20-30 checkout isles, and only have 2 open - the line sometimes takes forever. I have on several occasions left my full shopping cart sitting and walked out. Service takes top priority over price for me. I guess I have more to do than just stand in line.

:mad: :mad:
 

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