Wal-Mart Monopoly

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Well, I thought I'd start a thread about Wal-Mart, since it could possibly be employing about half of us within a few years. Here's an article from Yahoo, stating that Wal-Mart is selling new hardcover books at just $9.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wal_m...DeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3dhbC1tYXJ0Ym9vaw--


One quote in the article says that the books usually cost retailers about $13. This means that either Wal-Mart is selling things at a loss to knock out competition, or is negotiating for lower prices from the publishers to knock out the competition. Either way, we're fucked.

I personally think that Wal-Mart is growing too large. The article even mentions Wal-Mart offering their own wireless phone service and filling 90-day prescriptions online for as little as $10. When and where is it going to end? Guess this is a downside of capitalism. :cry:
 
Yes, all I know is that if something is cheaper it's good, I don't like asking why, that way I don't have to care!

About all you can do is stop buying stuff from them and encourage others not to as well. Some people don't have that option when they push out the competition though, and it's hard to resist getting something cheaper, so people will justify doing it regardless of what Wal-Mart does in order to have lower prices.
 
Here is the thing, Wal-Mart has such negotiating power that if they demand a lower price for something, the company trying to sell to them better comply. The last thing any company wants is for it's product to be removed from Wal-Mart shelves. Sales in Wal-Mart stores account for such a large percentage of sales that no company could afford it.

This is why Wal-Mart scares me, they're like the mafia of retailing.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Here is the thing, Wal-Mart has such negotiating power that if they demand a lower price for something, the company trying to sell to them better comply. The last thing any company wants is for it's product to be removed from Wal-Mart shelves. Sales in Wal-Mart stores account for such a large percentage of sales that no company could afford it.

This is why Wal-Mart scares me, they're like the mafia of retailing.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Wal-Mart has more than just lower prices, they have power. Let's not forget about John Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Let's just hope the government will intervene again and prevent Wal-Mart from getting that large. If they don't, we could all be screwed.
 
Walmart NEVER has sales, because they can't. Prices are already the lowest they can go to still make a 50% margin on it.

I don't know how they can "break" up walmart. Besides maybe seperating the grocery and the retail side, and getting rid of say any Optical/pharmacy portions...
 
Well most of their employees are guaranteed customers considering that they don't make enough to shop anywhere else.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Well most of their employees are guaranteed customers considering that they don't make enough to shop anywhere else.[/QUOTE]

Don't they also not provide insurance to thier employees? or not a low cost one?

Can't remember if I ever heard of that...
 
The solution is simple.
Shop smart. Shop S-mart.


I haven't been to Walmart in such a long time. I sometimes stop by Target to check out their clearance games.
 
[quote name='Access_Denied'] Wal-Mart is selling new hardcover books at just $9.

The article even mentions Wal-Mart offering their own wireless phone service and filling 90-day prescriptions online for as little as $10. When and where is it going to end? Guess this is a downside of capitalism. :cry:[/QUOTE]

Yes it's f*cking horrible..HORRIBLE! 30 day prescriptions for $3/month, wireless service for $10/month.. My local mega Wal-Mart actually has a drive-through oil change branch attached to it where they do full service oil changes for $15, less than half the cost of the other places. They also have a hair salon where men's haircuts cost $8.

It sucks saving so much money to buy the things I need..damn them. DAMN THEM TO HELL!! :bomb:
 
Walmart is awesome because they make everything so magically cheap! It doesn't affect wages or anything! I need things cheaper cheaper cheaper! Since one day I'll be working for Walmart!
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Well most of their employees are guaranteed customers considering that they don't make enough to shop anywhere else.[/QUOTE]

:roll: Average wages for full time Wal-Mart associates are $10.48 an hour, which is significantly higher than minimum wage. But really, you're telling me that a low skilled entry level retail job doesn't pay well? No shit? You want to solve this problem, let's eliminate archaic minimum wage laws and allow the free market to compete for labor.
 
[quote name='spmahn']:roll: Average wages for full time Wal-Mart associates are $10.48 an hour[/QUOTE]
Hey. Listen. Could you do me a favor and prove this? That would be great. Thanks.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Hey. Listen. Could you do me a favor and prove this? That would be great. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

http://wakeupwalmart.com/facts/

On an Anti-Wal-Mart site even. The figure for the average wage for a Wal-Mart employee varies depending on which source you're using. My guess would be that given that the site I linked to is against Wal-Mart, they probably used the lowest estimate they could find (or pull our of their ass). Wal-Mart's internal figures usually point to a higher average wage.
 
[quote name='spmahn']http://wakeupwalmart.com/facts/

On an Anti-Wal-Mart site even. The figure for the average wage for a Wal-Mart employee varies depending on which source you're using. My guess would be that given that the site I linked to is against Wal-Mart, they probably used the lowest estimate they could find (or pull our of their ass). Wal-Mart's internal figures usually point to a higher average wage.[/QUOTE]

That's a fun link...

In 2008, the average full time Associate (34 hours per week) earns $10.84 hourly for an annual income of $19,165. That’s $2,000 below the Federal Poverty Line for a family of four.
Click to expand...

Oh noes! You mean an individual cannot support a family of four on a no-skills, barely-above minimum wage job? Who'da thunk it?

I can't support my twelve kids on the money I make from my paper route! Someone get the union on the phone!
 
Eh who cares. Their grocery department (I have a Super Center) is actually pretty awesome and I shop there now. If it saves me money, I'm happy.
 
[quote name='Access_Denied']Well, I thought I'd start a thread about Wal-Mart, since it could possibly be employing about half of us within a few years. Here's an article from Yahoo, stating that Wal-Mart is selling new hardcover books at just $9.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wal_m...DeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3dhbC1tYXJ0Ym9vaw--


One quote in the article says that the books usually cost retailers about $13. This means that either Wal-Mart is selling things at a loss to knock out competition, or is negotiating for lower prices from the publishers to knock out the competition. Either way, we're fucked.

I personally think that Wal-Mart is growing too large. The article even mentions Wal-Mart offering their own wireless phone service and filling 90-day prescriptions online for as little as $10. When and where is it going to end? Guess this is a downside of capitalism. :cry:[/QUOTE]

You can always choose not to go there. Kroger has the same quality of food and mails you coupons that can beat Wal-Mart prices. Meijer's has everything Wal-Mart has except for a lube express.
 
Well at least I'll be working for the monopoly while others will still be job huntin'.

I can't tell you how many people have came in and applied that had jobs of $20-$40+ an hour, only because this economy sucks ass.

Things won't get much prettier though. Every year more and more companies seem to outsource jobs and the car industry has already crashed here, correct ? I wonder what's next.

Also we get pretty decent health insurance. Starting this year we are actually getting a HSA. It's no HMO but the health insurance has gotten better here each year.

My wife makes the big bucks, while I make a lot less. But to be honest I am doing a lot less work then some other people and still making decent money.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Meijer's has everything Wal-Mart has except for a lube express.[/QUOTE]

Don't think you can confuse us with your clever wording...I see you posted this right after lilboo's post for a reason.
 
pretty astonishing how many otherwise-rational people don't even care enough to learn why they shouldnt be shopping at walmart, shutting out criticism before even considering it... sad...
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Here is the thing, Wal-Mart has such negotiating power that if they demand a lower price for something, the company trying to sell to them better comply. The last thing any company wants is for it's product to be removed from Wal-Mart shelves. Sales in Wal-Mart stores account for such a large percentage of sales that no company could afford it.[/QUOTE]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopsony

[quote name='spmahn']You want to solve this problem, let's eliminate archaic minimum wage laws and allow the free market to compete for labor.[/QUOTE]

This is pure theoretical nonsense. Reduce the safety net and watch wages skyrocket!

[quote name='Koggit']pretty astonishing how many otherwise-rational people don't even care enough to learn why they shouldnt be shopping at walmart, shutting out criticism before even considering it... sad...[/QUOTE]

It's not surprising, it's cognitive dissonance. People want the comfort of low prices, but they don't want the realization of the global-level social and economic problems that are the result of them and millions of other people shopping at Wal-Mart. Don't tell me that I'm the cause of low wages - I just want cheap stuff. Don't tell me that I perpetuate child labor - but 7-year olds do make nice sweaters. Don't remind me that my short-term impulse driven economic decisions have global political ramifications - it was 75¢ cheaper than at the regional chain store.

It doesn't bother me that people shop at Wal-Mart; after all, they account for more than 26.5% of all consumer transactions in the US every day. You might as well be bothered that the sun rises in the morning. What bothers me is that people - not just people, but grown adults - refuse to recognize that there are consequences of the choices they make, and they extend *farfarfarfar* beyond "hey, I can get this stuff for cheap."
 
[quote name='mykevermin']This is pure theoretical nonsense. Reduce the safety net and watch wages skyrocket![/quote]

While I doubt wages would skyrocket, I think a reasonable theory of what would happen would be more jobs would be created. However, they would be at lower wages. For example, Wal-Mart might hire five associates instead of four, but they would pay them all less. Or more likely they would hire more part-time workers to avoid health insurance coverage.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']While I doubt wages would skyrocket, I think a reasonable theory of what would happen would be more jobs would be created. However, they would be at lower wages. For example, Wal-Mart might hire five associates instead of four, but they would pay them all less. Or more likely they would hire more part-time workers to avoid health insurance coverage.[/QUOTE]

That's what all the unemployed Americans want and need right now. 32 hours a week at $4.15 an hour.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']That's what all the unemployed Americans want and need right now. 32 hours a week at $4.15 an hour.[/QUOTE]

Obviously not. I was just musing about what might happen if such a policy was implemented.
 
The article in the OP is based entirely on Walmart vs. Amazon and yet no one is slamming Amazon for undercutting competition on prices...
 
[quote name='mykevermin']That's what all the unemployed Americans want and need right now. 32 hours a week at $4.15 an hour.[/QUOTE]

I could always get a second job, right?

Then, I could work 64 hours a week and not have to worry about higher taxes due to overtime pay.
 
The funny thing are the fools who reply "cheap cheap cheap yaaaay :applause:" and actually mean it.

Later the same fools will be bitterly complaining about their Walmart work conditions or whining after Walmart demanded a censored version of their favorite music/movie/video game because it violated vanilla christian morals.
 
The problem with a lot of Anti-WalMart heads is this. You don't have well-to-do people shopping at Wal-Mart so it's not as if they can say, "Yes I only have $100 to spend so I should get even less than what I need to support long, drawn-out, possibly never-going-to-happen consequences." Seriously though. When is the last time you heard someone who lives comfortably say, "I do all my shopping at Wal-Mart." They usually make some snobby comment about how dirty it is, etc. People who are actually poor can't support the ideals of those who have the liberty to do what they please.

As far as other things like supporting child labor:
Other countries' practices are not our dominion (or did you think the war in Iraq was super?) and atleast they're benefitting the American people as opposed to Sean John which actually aims to make money off the poor with expensive designer-wear for inner-city youth and Nike which sells sneakers at 100+.

As for lack of health insurance:
I have had atleast 10 jobs in retail and never even had the *option* of health insurance until the one I had in college. It's unfortunate but skill-less jobs generally don't have great perks.
 
You all do know that if you stopped third-world production of stuff like clothing that those people would be worse off, right? The jobs it provides them pay them, which allow them to get by, not by our standards, but better than they have it without us. The problem is that instead of ACTUALLY helping them, we exploit them to improve their conditions.

Now, while it's not the best way of helping, if everywhere closed their sweatshops, third-world nations would have it a lot worse off than they do now.
 
[quote name='davo1224'] People who are actually poor can't support the ideals of those who have the liberty to do what they please.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, stupid poor people, god I hate them.:bomb:
 
[quote name='georox']Now, while it's not the best way of helping, if everywhere closed their sweatshops, third-world nations would have it a lot worse off than they do now.[/QUOTE]

Because, y'know, it's totally black-and-white.

Obviously at the same time the sweatshops were closed, American consumers would suddenly have no need for clothes, housewares, and whatever else the sweatshops had been producing.

I'd like to bolster your point with another observation. Running a business is a costly proposition - do you have any idea what a CEO and his executive team expect to make? There's no way you can pay that and pay foreign factory workers a fair wage, you just have to make tough choices. Obviously a CEO puts that much worth into a company, if it were otherwise his buddies on the board of directors would have no incentive to keep upping his salary (beyond the kickback business they get as a result, of course)
 
[quote name='davo1224']The problem with a lot of Anti-WalMart heads is this. You don't have well-to-do people shopping at Wal-Mart so it's not as if they can say, "Yes I only have $100 to spend so I should get even less than what I need to support long, drawn-out, possibly never-going-to-happen consequences." Seriously though. When is the last time you heard someone who lives comfortably say, "I do all my shopping at Wal-Mart." They usually make some snobby comment about how dirty it is, etc. People who are actually poor can't support the ideals of those who have the liberty to do what they please.[/QUOTE]

Poor people support the ideals of those who have the liberty to do what they please all the damn time. How else would you explain policies based on supply-side economics?
 
Wal-Mart gets a bad rap. Sure, it IS a portal to China, but who cares - if you have a problem with China, you'll have to boycott so many things you won't be able to vote, eat, or wear clothes.

And if you are going to be all principled about the things myke listed in his post, you would have to boycott SEVERAL manufacturers, like Nike. Just about anyone that does any manufacturing in Asia does it for a reason, and you should boycott them as well if you boycott Wal-Mart - oh so that means you have to boycot your computer, because most, if not all, of it's components were made by those evil Asian sweat-shops too.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']That's what all the unemployed Americans want and need right now. 32 hours a week at $4.15 an hour.[/QUOTE]

Yay for 10% unemployment and Obama Welfare! Much better than people working - even if the job is crappy.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']You can always choose not to go there. Kroger has the same quality of food and mails you coupons that can beat Wal-Mart prices. Meijer's has everything Wal-Mart has except for a lube express.[/QUOTE]

I live in northern Illinois, and there are no Meijers or Krogers. We have a Jewel, a Dominick's and a Wal-Mart. Jewel has good food, but ridiculous prices. Dominick's has good prices, but still can't compete with Wal-Mart. We used to have a pick and save, but they went out of business because of a Wal-Mart opening up right down the street. Sure, there's a few mom and pop stores, but they're really only good for a few things here and there. Basically, a lot of people are forced to go to Wal-Mart, because they can afford more groceries for their money.

We do our shopping mostly at Jewel and Aldi though. We get a bill higher than we would at Wal-Mart, but we're avoiding all the hassles of Wal-Mart, and the downfalls. (My grandma NEVER shopped at Wal-Mart, and I guess she kind of passed it down to us.)

Also, I'm not saying it's bad that Wal-Mart has cheap prices, I just think that by shopping there, we could be putting good competitors out of business. Just look at the Pick and Save by me. It was the best grocery store around, and we did almost all of our shopping there. But the new Wal-Mart put it out of business in just a few years.

I just think we need a balance. We need to keep Wal-Mart alive, but we need to keep it's competitors alive to. We need options of where we want to shop, not a monopoly.
 
I never go to Wal-Mart.

All the stuff mentioned in this thread is part of it. But I'll be honest, it's a pretty small part of the reason I quit shopping there.

I'm just one of the snobs who hates dealing with the crappy stores, crappy employees and crappy clientele. Even before I finally started making real money last year (and this year especially) and said screw it and just paid more at Target when I needed toiletries etc. that are too expensive at the grocery stores.
 
Oh man. I don't know if Target everywhere is like my Target, but I absolutely can not stand it. Not only are their prices ridiculous, but the only people that seem to shop there are snooty yuppies. Parking lot is full of sports cars and luxary SUV's. Young trophy mom's in their sweat suits parading up and down the aisles.

Also, my coworker got sued by Target after working there less than a week, because they claimed he "stole" stuff (he didn't, he bought heavily discounted returned items after his manager taught him to). I have heard Target is super hardcore when it comes to prosecution, but after hearing his story, I was pretty disgusted.
 
I barely ever go to Walmart, but it's not because of the people or store itself. I don't see how Target is all that different as far as the people or employees (though it is obviously the more suburban store or whatever). I don't go there because I don't want to support Walmart and it's busy all the time (there's also this weird guy that stands at the front of the Walmart near here all the time...I guess he's supposed to be a greeter, but he's just creepy). The Wegmans and Target are right next to each other so I just go to Wegmans all the time for food and if I need something from Target I go over there. I don't go to Target all that often either really, mostly just Wegmans.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']Oh man. I don't know if Target everywhere is like my Target, but I absolutely can not stand it. Not only are their prices ridiculous, but the only people that seem to shop there are snooty yuppies. Parking lot is full of sports cars and luxary SUV's. Young trophy mom's in their sweat suits parading up and down the aisles.
[/QUOTE]

The Targets I've went to the past couple of years were nothing like that. But of course neither was near a Wal-mart (10-15 miles to the closest wal-mart).

It's a pretty mixed crowd. Vs. the Wal-marts which skew very highly to the lower income crowd in urban/suburban areas. They aren't so bad around my parents in WV since that's where everyone shops--so also a mixed crowd. Though there are a few targets around them now that just moved in the past 5 years or so, so maybe it will change some.

But of course I'm probably what you'd call a "snooty yuppie" so maybe the Targets I've been to are the same and I just don't see the crowd the same way.
 
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