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[lordfly]

did any one watch this video?  I dont have an hour and half to watch this (is it really that long? or am i too trusting?)  If you watched it and it is long would you mind giving me a short version of it?

It's an (admittedly biased) look at how completely ruthless Walmart is. The filmmakers went through a lot of public documents, news footage, crime reports, economic stats, etc etc and concluded that Walmart coming to town is bad news.

Violent crimes happen in Walmart parking lots all the time (rapes, murders, assaults), but go un-convicted because Walmart has no security cameras (if you see any, they are unmanned and are only used when Unions want to come to the store).

They obliterate downtowns and small businesses.. which yeah, okay, maybe the local businesses should find some other way to keep people coming to them, but it's hard when Walmart can undercut you for years without feeling any pain whatsoever..

They have driven several suppliers to near bankruptcy (Vlasic pickles, Levi's jeans). They drive billions of dollars worth of manufacturing to China. They have a gender glass ceiling, passing over qualified women for management positions. They've locked workers in stores overnight. They won't pay you overtime unless you sue the pants off them. They suggest to their workers (all making minimum wage) to apply for Medicaid and Medicare, rather than the company providing them any sort of benefits; this has the added benefit of dragging down the local economy further as the workers become a tax burden.

The capitalist side of my brain applauds their sheer ruthlessness in the marketplace... but then the other sides of my brain beat the crap out of the capitalist and drag him screaming from the room. (My head is a ruckus-filled pub)

Fun fact: Meijer is one of the few retailers that have successfully fought off Walmart in their local markets, usually doing the same things Walmart does, albeit on a smaller scale.

At least they're local...

BTW, if you want cheap prices on a clear conscience, CostCo has been getting nothing but praise: they pay their workers insane wages for retail (full benefits, 40k a year), and consistently beat the pants off of Sam's Club. Stock price keeps climbing, too.

Seriously, watch the documentary. I normally don't have much of a response to documentaries, but this one had me seething.

[sue lee]

CostCo is great, but you must buy in bulk. A lot of poor don't have the money to save up for a major shopping trip to CostCo. But they do have better deals in everything, including clothes, like jeans tops, underwear,and socks. All are name brands and good quality. If you can not afford to shop in bulk, pair up with someone and split the cost. It is worth every penny.
I will admit to stopping at Walmarts for laundry soap, pharmacy items, and shampoo. It is so cheap there. I always feel so guilty. If I have a coupon I'll go elsewhere.

[crazeemom]

CostCo is great, but you must buy in bulk. A lot of poor don't have the money to save up for a major shopping trip to CostCo. But they do have better deals in everything, including clothes, like jeans tops, underwear,and socks. All are name brands and good quality. If you can not afford to shop in bulk, pair up with someone and split the cost. It is worth every penny.
I will admit to stopping at Walmarts for laundry soap, pharmacy items, and shampoo. It is so cheap there. I always feel so guilty. If I have a coupon I'll go elsewhere.

why would you feel guilty.  Honestly these people have us between a rock and a hard place.  Why would anyone work for these people if they treated them so poorly?  Why hasn't anyone staged a walkout or tried to unionize?  If shopping there is what you can afford then shop there.  Everytime I have walked into walmart I see the employees smiling, chatting or working.  I don't see the "oppressed"  I see people trying to earn a living.  People will never stop shopping there until someone else can give them cheap prices for name brand products.  Who is going to do that Target?  Aldis?  Not even meijers.  I agree it is unfair for them to no offer benefits.  How many other business's offer benefits?  How many are limited to just the worker? (even though the worker has a family)  How many business's now "qualify" their insurance to the point people can't pay for it anyways?    Who made the "documentary" depicting walmart and why?  In business there is always a motive.  I am sorry but if you stop shopping at walmart fine.  There will be someone else to take your place.  Because in case you have not noticed the economy sucks, people are losing their jobs, homes and having to pay much much more for their health insurance.  They can't afford to shop anywhere else.

[lordfly]

Walmart employees have tried to unionize. The result is basically unionbusting, up to and including shutting the store down indefinitely.

[m0x]

Employees afraid to sign a petition for fear of being fired. Just watch the video. I lused to ove Walmart too.

[Noki49]

I had an assignment about a year back in a Sociology class to determine if Wal-Mart was good for communities. Along with the documentary, I found a few other independent sources supporting pretty much everything despicable claimed about this company. Wal-Mart can become such a  powerful force in a community, that other companies can find themselves having to follow in Wal-Marts footsteps to try to stay competitive, often without much luck. Wal-Mart calls the shots with suppliers, creating an even more unleveled playing field. Wal-mart can and will suck the lifeblood out of a community, just through tax subsidies, often gained unscrupuslously (sp?), and giving nothing back in return; Wal-Mart has a few empty lots in areas where the communities demanded 'pay-back'. It goes on and on.

Contrary to popular belief, Sam Walton is not rolling in his grave, distressed at the troubles his 'baby' is creating. It was his wish to make as much profit with as little cost as possible. People need jobs, whether they pay decent or not. 

Actually, I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart after a family member worked there. Saying Wal-Mart is unfair to their employees is an understatement.

I probably save around $3,000 a year since I no longer load my shopping cart up with useless items, thrown in for the 'savings' (ie, good lordy! How can I pass up that set of cheap plastic thing-a-ma-jigs for only $3.00?) when I only went in to buy some toiletries real quick. My family is doing quite fine, thank you. Smarter shopping, not cheaper items, is the way to go.
 

[livewire]

Excellent post, Noki49.  Your research is right on the money (pun intended).

I own a retail store, and I understand the impact that WalMart has on a community.  It destroys other small businesses.  It eats them alive. 

WalMart is NOT good for local businesses.  Your observation of buying useless items also is very accurate.  WalMart is taking advantage of the 'gotta have it', no matter what 'it' is, 'throw away' society we live in, and they're cashing in.  Many people, if they are truly honest with themselves, fit into this description.  Don't believe me?  Look in your cart after you leave WalMart next time, and ask yourself if you REALLY need those items.

There's a lot of truth in that JibJab link I posted earlier.

[charcoal]

i have a couple of workers at walmart i became friends with and alot  know me and are friendly because i shop there always.when we get the superstore i wont shop anywhere else.i dont need to look at the video i dont care who made what or where.when i shop i dont look at a item and say geez this was made in china or wherever i look at the price.if walmart stores from other places that have problems would not be in the news so much, peoples views would be different . and i bet i can go into meijers or wherever and pick up a item that was made somewhere else, people dont pay attention because it wasnt brought up in the news.i could say meijers frozen foods always smell freezer burn or to many boxes and supplies in way cant get to the foods but i dont because i dont shop there i dont like meijers  i like walmart . i feel comfortable in there and know where everything is and people are friendly and helpful if you need something  i will continue shopping there .lots of people shop there must be a reason----good prices --friendly atmosphere---rarely are out of stock on items. i have shopped at the superstores at other places and their food items are good tasting deli items fresh .  ya walmart is my store

[www.BarackObama.com]

Well it truly is up to you what you do with your money, and if that is where you want to shop, then so be it.

I do look at where things are made, especially in the last month or so. When we went shopping for special outfits for the kids, I was extremely displeased to not find A SINGLE AMERICAN MADE outfit at Kohl's. In fact the only Made in U.S.A. product, was a bottle of cologne, and my son and I looked at tags from over 90 items. Then funniest part was seeing clothes from a manufacturer, like Carter's, that were made in 4 different countries, all within 5 feet of each other. Child labor, low pay, and filthy stinking transportation of those items is keeping it cheap enough to still make a better profit than making it here in our own backyard.

[lordfly]

If you don't care who sells the crap to you or where it was made or how many arms they had to break to get it to your shopping cart at a dollar cheaper, don't come crying to us when you wonder where the downtowns, good jobs, or non Welfare recipients are.

Also, keep in mind Wal-mart only keeps prices down when they have competition. Once they run everyone out of town they crank the prices up to make up for lost margins.