Is WalMart killing America

[Ramblin]

I always thought a good way for Wal-Mart to assimilate main street would be for them to take the money they would spend on the big box, and instead use it buy out local businesses, become their sole suppliers, keep and pay the original proprietors to run the stores as they always have. Would preserve the local flavor of Main Street and bring lower prices to the community too.

Of course, this would be regarded as blasphomy by the folks over in the 'Wal-Mart Camping' thread.

[wildtoad]

So some are once again being critical of Walmart for using their purchasing power to lower costs for millions of families and in many cases raising their standard of living. The OP reflects a great double standard in that many folks will park overnight at the demon Walmart to avoid having to pay that small business owner (the campground owner) a fee to stay at the campground.

My take is that Walmart has done more to improve the lives of lower income americans than any government program. Walmart comes to town and people flock to it immediately, including the little shop owners that will eventually go out of business. They too want the lower prices and variety of products offered.

If you don't like 'em don't shop there and don't park in their parking lot.

[JadedDancer]

Originally Posted by wildtoad

So some are once again being critical of Walmart for using their purchasing power to lower costs for millions of families and in many cases raising their standard of living. The OP reflects a great double standard in that many folks will park overnight at the demon Walmart to avoid having to pay that small business owner (the campground owner) a fee to stay at the campground.

My take is that Walmart has done more to improve the lives of lower income americans than any government program. Walmart comes to town and people flock to it immediately, including the little shop owners that will eventually go out of business. They too want the lower prices and variety of products offered.

If you don't like 'em don't shop there and don't park in their parking lot.

I can't stand walmart, and don't camp overnight there either. I can say this here, this is not the walmart parking thread.

i just think the experience of even walking through the place is terrible. The one near me is over crowded and I have found that before they remodeled they had much better selection and better deals. I have a handful of other places I go to that have better selection and comparable or better prices. They started out very cheap, but I think over time, they have slowly been upping prices but most people are brainwashed to believe they have the best deal and they no longer bother to comparison shop and just head straight there.

[ga traveler]

I was born in the same town as a famous dentist. His name was Doc Holliday. (yes he was a dentist before he became a famous gunfighter) Griffin was a mill town. The majority of people were in low paying jobs. Before WalMart came to town the only place to buy anything was from a mom and pop store. They had to pay full retail. My cousin paid $295 for a deer rifle. When Walmart came to town, they sold the same gun for $179. These hard working people could now afford to buy more things because of WalMart. Some of the mom and pop did go out of business, but many, many more people were able to see their money go much further. I think a lot of people have forgotten how the small shops always charged full retail and their idea of a sale was a $5 discount on a $300 item.

[Ramblin]

Mars Music was an attempt at a big-box mentality music store (musical instruments, PA systems, etc) back in the mid 90's. They came to town, launched a HUGE advertising campaign, operated at a loss for a year or so selling everything below cost, then slowly jacked up the prices to competitive range or above.

Their goal was to put all the little guys out of business, and build a 'Mars is always cheaper.' mentality among the patrons. The stores that managed to hang on to compete from a price standpoint were sunk by the 'Mars is cheaper' propeganda which caused many people to stop bothering to comparison shop.

Their model ultimately failed, but this is the same sort of thing Wal-Mart does. If you have pockets deep enough to absorb a year of losses, you can pretty much torpedo those who don't.

[old bullfrog]

Originally Posted by hellojohnny

In a Southpark episode the kid's were trying to find a way to stop Walmart from taking all the business away from small businesses in their town and in the end they had to break the mirror at the back of the store to stop it. Meaning: look in the mirror if you want to know why Walmart is successful.

Adam

You are absolutely correct! Walmart became what they are because of the consumers shopping of their own free will!

Walmart management is obviously very capable of running a successful business, something that I cannot say for the politicians in our givernment.

And yes I spelled "givern"ment because it seems that everyone wants the government to give them something and the politicians are happy to oblidge with money taken from someone else via the tax system!

'nuff said! Old Bullfrog

[1stCougar]

of course everyone wants a WM in there town for the low prices
the chicken and the free overnight parking

[BryanL]

put me in the camp that what's "killing America" is questions like in the OP or ideologies as in post #3.

The question should be more towards what WalMart has done for mom and pop stores: Formal training in how to focus their business, incentive for efficiency and better business practices, customer service focus, and on. We all profit by that.

And as for the xenophobes who denigrate U.S. manufacturing prowess and think China is it -- why not look at the actual numbers?

Suspicion and distrust without actual basis, conclusions based on fictions, and ideology over reality ... these are the things that will kill America.

[Ramblin]

Originally Posted by 1stCougar

of course everyone wants a WM in there town for the low prices
the chicken and the free overnight parking

I knew it wouldn't be long before the 'Walmart Parking' crowd infiltrated us.

[lunatech]

Originally Posted by TAZ

If anyone has watched King of the Hill this is our future... MegaloMart!

That is what is going to happen when walmart and lowes home improvement merge....MegaloMart! And that corporation will RULE THE WORLD!!!!

[lunatech]

Originally Posted by BryanL

And as for the xenophobes who denigrate U.S. manufacturing prowess and think China is it -- why not look at the actual numbers?

Suspicion and distrust without actual basis, conclusions based on fictions, and ideology over reality ... these are the things that will kill America.

I guess that the 4 manufacturing plants I've helped close down over the years and move to China mean nothing then? I'm also guessing that the numerous vacant manufacturing facilities that have a for lease/sale sign in front of them mean nothing also. I've personally seen several thousand people loose jobs to China so I guess that makes me a xenophobe. My conclusions aren't based on fictions, they are based on personal experience watching jobs leave the US and go to China. Is walmart to blame for all of them. No. Most of them? No. Some of them? YES. More than most think? Yes. You can say what you want but the bottom line is this country is built on manufacturing and it is steadily leaving this county for what ever reason (the list of factors for this is great) and it will get to a point I don't want to see.

[Fred1609]

What Walmart gives you is everything in one location and an average product for a good price. If you want the sheets with Egyptian cotton with a 1000 thread count (I have no idea what that means) then run over to the boutique store and pay the extra cash. I have teenagers, who eat me out of house and home. The day after their 14th birthday they shift gears and don't stop eating. I shop at Costco to survive. Walmart and other big box stores are also a time saver, one stop shopping.

[bingo1492]

Ah, yes, the WAL-MART issue...any body recall them labling MADE IN AMERICA was a ball faced lie...[moderator edit] There prices have caused even. road side framers market to increase their prices. And the fed's will tell you there has been no cost of living increase. Istopped buying clothes there because the buttons fall off or the zipper quits. All in all not a good experenice. You can always go to WINN-DIXE and get a fuel discount.. My complaints were made on-line to them and not just one...once i learned how...i use it...

[Donr827]

I miss the neighborhood harware stores that have faded away with Home Depot and Lowes in town. Things change over time.
Don