She Wolf Loc: Currently Georgia

Have you seen Walmart's new ad campaign. It goes like this: Walmart and Tide protecting American jobs. Oh really, then why is two thirds of your store filled with cheap plastic crap from China. Walmart must really consider the American people to be really stupid to put this ad out.

You get what you pay for. You buy cheap crap you get cheap crap. Buy less and better quality and you don't have to buy so often. I never shop at their stores. If I want crap from China, I can buy direct from web.

Voice of Reason Loc: Earth

Americans ARE really stupid...that's how Obama got elected twice.

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

I always liked the coffee shop in my local K-Mart now it is a feed store and garden center. Safeway put up a new store in our next door city North Bend After the IGA and Albertsons closings. Kroegers is every thing you could ask for.

Voice of Reason Loc: Earth

Jeez, Tom, you should stop holding back and say what you really mean! :)

Until you mentioned made in America, I'd completely forgotten about that advertising campaign way back when.

What do you consider a 'family wage'? Do you think a person should be paid based on need instead of their work? Certainly some jobs at Walmart pay more than others, how high up in the organization does one need to rise to reach a 'family wage'?

Regarding those working less than 40 hours, has that been in effect since they opened, or just since Obamacare forced most employers to do that?

Do all employees work revolving shifts, or just some? Is the store open 24/7?

If Xmas bonuses are promised and then not given, that sounds like a case for legal action. There is almost no chance that a jury would let employees lose in even a semi-valid lawsuit against one of the most hated corporations in America.

I shop at department stores like Walmart, Kmart or Target maybe 2 or 3 times a year, so nobody in their right mind would design a store to my preferences, but I agree that the supercenters are too big.

When I first moved to the city where I live (about 20 years ago) there were two Walmarts nearby (one about 10 minutes away, the other about 15). More recently they scratch-built a new supercenter about 5 minutes away and opened a 'neighborhood' grocery store about 2 minutes away in a building that had been a Whole Foods clone that went out of business. There was a Kmart about 10 minutes away that went out of business a couple of years ago, but I don't know how much Walmart had to do with that. It was there when I moved here and stayed in business for another 18 or so years. There are also a couple of Target's nearby. I used to avoid Walmart like the plague, not because of any social issues but simply because the stores and parking lots are too big, getting in and out of the parking lots takes forever, and most of the shoppers were arrogant ignorant welfarers.

After the new closer supercenter opened here I needed something and went there. I was surprised. I guess because of Obama's economy most of the shoppers there were normal people (those who used to shop at higher-end stores before), there aren't any panhandlers and the place is clean, bright and HUGE. I wonder if Walmart isn't allowed to remove panhandlers in Oregon?

I've never bought paint from Walmart and never would, in fact I didn't even know they sold it. If I want paint I go to Home Depot.

The wait times you described for prescriptions are ridiculous! Are their prices so much cheaper that people will endure that? I wouldn't. For most of my life the only prescriptions I got were the occasional antibiotic. Then a couple of years ago I had a stent installed in my heart and now I have to take two prescription pills a day. I use Walgreens (there's one of those on virtually every corner here). They automatically send me an email every month when it's time to renew the prescription and all I have to do is hit 'reply'. The next day they send another email saying it's ready for pickup and I go to the drive-up window and get them. It ususally takes 2 or 3 minutes.

You mentioned long lines at the cash registers and I agree, it's the same here. At the new supercenter there are about 60 registers and I've never seen more than 6 or 7 open. The neighborhood grocery store is better.

I've tried the meat at Walmart a couple of times, and I agree the quality is poor at best. I usually get meat from Albertsons (There's 3 of those within a mile of my house.) The Albertsons closest to the new Walmart Neighborhood Market saw a pretty good hit when the Walmart first opened. But within a couple of months most former shoppers returned. There are also a couple of Kroger's not far from my house, but those are too big too. Personally, I think the quality of the meat at Albertsons is slightly better than Kroger's, but they're close. Interestingly, I used to buy Albertson's store-brand breakfast bars. One day I was in Krogers and needed breakfast bars, so I bought their store brand. The two are exactly the same, right down to the wrappers on the bars. The only difference is the box they come in.

There are two items that I've discovered Walmart is always the best place to buy. Televisions (not that most people buy them often) and ammo. Walmart virtually always has the best prices on those.

For about 90% of what I used to buy in department stores, I now use online retailers. I love Amazon. They don't have facilities in my state so there's no sales tax and I usually spend more than $35 so I get free shipping. Their return policy is excellent as well.

Each fall my state has a back-to-school tax-free weekend (where there is no sales tax on most items that have any relationship to school - clothing, stationary supplies, computers and other electronics, etc.) The leftist local news channels always hype how the state is saving the taxpayers millions. The way I see it, the state is stealing millions from the taxpayers every other week and weekend during the rest of the year.

Loki Loc: Georgia

We are fortunate in that we have a smaller, locally owned supermarket that has very good meat prices. My wife and I grow a lot of our own vegetables, and buy most of the rest at a couple of produce stands near the house. Kroger is great for a lot of non-perishables, rice, beans, flour, preserves, canned stuff, and they have a really good coffee selection.

badbobby Loc: texas

:lol: :lol:

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Thanks for your reply Wal-Mart here has always used revolving shifts as a means of trapping employees by not letting them have time for another job. Obama care has nothing to do with Wal-Marts pay scale or hours worked policy. Funny you injected it into The conversation. It is reasonable to assume that you are somewhat of a Wal-Mart apologist You take their side but admit they have a crummy meat department. Your reasoning on family wage is out of line because you asked me what is family wage. The fact is family wage jobs were promised by Wal- Mart when they came to my town and they did not keep their promise.

Voice of Reason Loc: Earth

Thanks for your reply, too.

If Walmart came to me looking to build a store in my town and promised 'family wages' I would immediately ask two questions:
1. What, in terms of annual salary, are 'family wages'?
2. What percentage of employees will earn that amount or more?

Apparently you guys forgot to do that.

Do the folks who actually work there, for the most part, hate Walmart as much as you do?

Anyway, they did a TV show about Walmart-hating people like you, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-o1fj1rX7A

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

The City of Coos Bay took Wal-Mart at their word and agreed to pay for the neccessary street improvements . The promise of full time jobs with insurance was welcomed as we were at the time faced with a rapid decline in the wood products industry. Wal-Mart does a huge business here. It is too darn huge. I like my smaller local places where they know me and stuff is easily found. They claim to have the lowest prices but other stores here beat them frequently. They are here to stay but they hurt the smaller stores and knew they would.

Voice of Reason Loc: Earth

So, really, your economic problems are caused by environmentalists, not Walmart.

But I agree, I too like the smaller places quite often, although for myself it's usually hardware stores. The big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes have almost anything you need, but you can't find it, and as often as not the employees are clueless assuming you can even find one. I like the convenience of being able to go to the local small hardware store with a sample of what I need (the old one) and showing it to an expert so they can give me a new one. However, I can afford to pay for that privilege and apparently you can too, but what about those who can't?

But you're also right that Walmart does not always have the cheapest price, either. In the market in which Walmart competes, there are two basic strategies for pricing:

One is the Walmart way - always low prices. This means that the retailer sells all products as inexpensively as possible while maintaining the desired profit margin. The profit margin is usually low and they make up for that with quantity.

The other strategy, used by most other supermarkets, is called 'loss leader'. They put certain items on sale at a loss while everything else in the store has a higher profit margin than under the other strategy. The hope is that customers will come in to get the good deals on the sale items and then buy other items at 'regular' price.

So, usually if a store is selling an item on sale at a loss, it will be cheaper than at Walmart.

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Thanks for your input. You seem to know a lt about how the retail biz works. Any way you are honest.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Voice of Reason Loc: Earth

Thanks, I value honesty.

However, I have also learned that when your wife asks, "Does this dress make me look fat?" answering honestly with "No, the fact that you're fat makes you look fat." is not necessarily the best policy. :)

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

Tell me about it. My wife took my rebel flag off my pickup racks and went ballistic about racism. Funny thing a few months back she cared less.