Whats your opion about Wal-Mart

[Natey]

Well personally for me my dad is manager of one and is one of the best. Inface the did a nation commerical in my dad's store. He keeps it clean. Keeps the registers going. But i doubt this is a normal Wal-Mart store, from all the stories i have heard. Most People Don't like Wal-Mart. So what is your opion of the leading retailer.

[Zyzzybalubah]

It all depends which location you go to. The one that opened up near me is alright and the one at my college town is alright, but then I've seen others in town and they can be pretty messy and almost look "trashy". They always look better than the K-Marts I've been too (I used to work for one, I did not like working there one bit.) I prefer Target, but Wal-Mart isn't too bad.

[iggy]

The Wal mart by me is horrible always a mess and never enoguh registers open, and my mom went Christmas shopping there the day after Thanksgiving and said never again. She said it was crazy and unorganized. Maybe if your dad managed my wal mart thingws would be diffrent

[AkirQueen]

Its good for me, since if I need something cheap, I know where to go.
Tho the other night my friends and I were very pissed off because we waited over an hour for somebody to cut some fabric for us. They called for someone to come over 4 times, and nobody came. We actually left an angry note on the table.
But yea, other than that, s'alright.

[Charlie]

Don't have one here so I really don't care. Though the couple of times I was there it was pretty nice. Snagged me a computer desk for about $70 when it would have been over $100 at any other furniture store.

[Speedy Boris]

I stopped shopping there in January 2004 because they let me down more times than I can count. The final straw was not having The Critic OR Dilbert on release day. And yes, the ones near my hometown are messy and unorganized. There were times when I had to actually track down a clerk to check me out.

I shop at Target now.

[Master Moron]

I go grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter every week. Its the cheapest place in the city, and the bus runs there every hour. I've heard bad things about them though. Has anyone seen that documentary "Wal-Mart:The High Cost of Low Prices"?

[G. Wen]

The Wal-Mart near my college and hometown are clean and organized. People know where stuff is and gladly assist you.
I like Wal-Mart because it's where I go to get cheap necessaties: bleach, dishwashing liquid, toilet paper, etc. I do know they purchase a lot a lot of products from sweat shops, and they don't pay their janitors good wages. They need to change that. They're a multi-million corporation, and they can afford to pay workers more.

[solarflere]

Maybe thats the reason that NYC does not have one. Every mayor fought over it. No one wants it here. NYC economy lives on small business, and a store like Wall-Mart is a small business killer. I like Target though. My K-Mart closed down. So Target is the only discount store close to me. Other then that, we have whole sale stores like Cosco and BJ's. Those are always good and clean.

[BishopWells]

Sure the stores are clean. That doesn't mean their business ethics are.

[One Radical Dude]

I don't have a problem with Wal-Mart. In fact, I buy a lot of items over there (I also go to Target and other retailers, but only when I'm near one). My local store is a 24/7 Supercenter (they're the only store carrying grocery items that stays open all the time (except for late Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), and they seem to do a great job over there.

I'm sure there are folks from the company that have made terrible decisions, but some folks act like it's Wal-Mart alone.

[Chris Wood]

I'm not a fan of Walmart myself. Target all the way.

[Malex]

My mother is a sales coordinator at Wal-Mart. The store itself is clean and such, but they really do not pay their employees well. My mother has been their for ten years, but first year part-time employees at the local Safeway get paid more. The pay is horrible and every day I hear another story about an irritible customer demanding something that goes against policy but complain to her supervisor as if she did something wrong. I could mention about the coworkers but people are different. What doesn't help is that I won a scholarship from the Walton Foundation so I am a semi-celebrity. I can't go into the store with my mother any more.

[Frank Castle]

I go to Target because Wal-Mart blows.

[purplehairedwonder]

I prefer Target, but I don't dislike Wal-Mart. My sister worked there for a year and she liked it fine. Ours recently upgraded into a super-center, so my mother does a lot of grocery shopping there. It's a bit of a maze to navigate, but with cheap prices, its alright. I personally don't go there a lot, but I get things there every now and then.

[FireStarterLE]

when it's the last place i want to go, i'll go to WM. Otherwise it's Target or online for me.

For one there are always alot of people there and most of them stay in your way and impede your progress to hurry out of there. Another thing, they never have what i'm looking for

[randomguy]

Has anyone seen that documentary "Wal-Mart:The High Cost of Low Prices"?I caught it back in November. It has some fairly biting and well-done criticism, but the movie also wastes quite a bit of time on dead ends. For instance, quite a bit of time is given over to trying to convince the audience that Wal-Mart suffers from deeply entrenched racism at the corporate level, which doesn't really hold up as an argument.

It has its moments, and if the subject matter interests you as it did me, go for it. It's not a transcendentally good political/activist documentary, though.

Anyhow... um, Wal-Mart. Frankly, being in Wal-Mart really, really depresses me, so I'd steer clear of the store even if I were totally cool with their policies. Yes, they have really cheap prices, but the monotony of the place really freaks me, and there's something creepy about being in there. It's like the building swallows the soul of everyone inside. I'd much prefer to shop at places where I can actually have a decent time. That, and I could never, ever find the movies, books, and CDs that I would want to buy at Wal-Mart, and I can get much higher quality groceries and clothes elsewhere.

More to the point, though, Wal-Mart in my mind sort of stands for one of the things that most annoys me, and that's the increasing homogenization of America, and I avoid them for that reason as well. They have the tendency to drive out smaller, locally-owned businesses that are part of the community, and I'd rather spend an extra few bucks and support the little guy.

Not trying to sound elitist here, but that's my perspective.

[Bubblegum Girl]

It's ok. I used to go there alot only because I was young and I always wanted to go shopping with my mom. But now that I have my own car, I spend more of my shopping time in bookstores than in retail stores.

Yes, they have really cheap prices, but the monotony of the place really freaks me, and there's something creepy about being in there. It's like the building swallows the soul of everyone inside.

Have you seen the South park episode "Something Wall-Mart this Way Comes? It was so funny on how they showed Wal-Mart(Though in the cartoon they spelled it with 2 "L"s) was corrupting everyone and destroying the small businesses like some evil force. :D

They have the tendency to drive out smaller, locally-owned businesses that are part of the community, and I'd rather spend an extra few bucks and support the little guy.


That's why big cities areas like New York don't have Wal-marts. That what I was told.

[EinBebop]

The thing that burns me most about Wal-Mart is the music editting. Not that the language is any worse that the DVDs they sell, but I don't see them editting those.

I mean, if they would at least MARK them as editted. I bought 'Best of Creed' from them recently, got home and heard, "Don't have to settle no (beat, beat) score," and was pretty annoyed.

Besides that, while individual locations vary, Wal-mart more than any other place seems to attract the dregs of humanity. You know-- the people who can relate to the guests on the Jerry Springer Show. I just keep my eyes down and try to get in and out as quickly as possible.

[Shnay]

Awhile back, there was a long struggle between Wal-Mart and some very motivated local citizens that arose when Wal-Mart announced plans to build a store in my area. The people objected to a number of Wal-Mart's labor policies, and after a long period of protesting, handing out pamphlets, and contacting the media, Wal-Mart said forget it and cancelled the plans. I don't shop at Wal-Mart because I share similar objections (though past purchases of Nike shoes alone make me hypocritical when it comes to purchasing ethics).

[solarflere]

The store itself is clean and such, but they really do not pay their employees well. That is one of the reason no one wants in in the NY.

More to the point, though, Wal-Mart in my mind sort of stands for one of the things that most annoys me, and that's the increasing homogenization of America, and I avoid them for that reason as well. They have the tendency to drive out smaller, locally-owned businesses that are part of the community, and I'd rather spend an extra few bucks and support the little guy.
The major reason why no one wants in here.


That's why big cities areas like New York don't have Wal-marts. That what I was told. You are absolutely correct.
Has anyone seen this production of Jib Jab called Big Box Mart?
http://jibjab.com/Movies/MoviePlayer.aspx?contentid=122&adp=1
Its a parody of what Wall-Mart and other big discount stores do to the U.S.
its qite interasting and funny, take alook.

[Strollymonster]

Awhile back, there was a long struggle between Wal-Mart and some very motivated local citizens that arose when Wal-Mart announced plans to build a store in my area. The people objected to a number of Wal-Mart's labor policies, and after a long period of protesting, handing out pamphlets, and contacting the media, Wal-Mart said forget it and cancelled the plans. I don't shop at Wal-Mart because I share similar objections (though past purchases of Nike shoes alone make me hypocritical when it comes to purchasing ethics).

We have a similar situation right now. We've had a Wal-Mart for over twenty years, but they've been planning for the last few about building a Super Wal-Mart somewhere in town and selling the old location.

Mostly, it's gone nowhere because they can't agree on where to put the new place.

Anyways, I'm a college student with a minimum-wage job...I can get groceries from the bargain-basement of Aldi's, but most of my other goods end up coming from Wal-Mart. I don't particularly like the place, but I can't really afford much better...

[Chad Bonin]

Ah, Wal-Mart. I've had three in my town within 15 years. First, there was the original. I vaguely remember from my childhood it being around. Then around 1994, they destroyed it... and rebuilt one, with the parking lot for the new one being the location of the old one. And now, that one closed down and a Super Wal-Mart opened down the street.

Disclaimer: I am an employee of Target, but I honestly don't feel that affects my opinion.

Before Target was in town, I went to Wal-Mart all the time. After it opened, I slowly morphed into a Target shopper (it's only been around five years). Eventually, I got a job at Target. The only time I go to Wal-Mart is when Target doesn't have something, or Target's closed, or I'm with friends. It's called "Going to Wally-World", because Wal-Mart, half the time, seems to be in it's own world of letting customers get away with crap since nobody's ever in the store. How bad is it though that just last night, I was in Wal-Mart near campus at 12:00... and ran into two other Target employees?

[Ajax]

Ah yes....Wal-Mart, Gods gift to Mexicans.

Since I live in a border town, Wal-Mart is like Camelot. We have a super one, and a regular one on each side of town.
Funny that everyone likes Target cause in my town its nothing compared to Wal-mart. Target doesn't sell food (for like gorcery shopping) and anything Target sells you can find it cheaper in Wal-Mart. Thats how it is in El Paso.

[silverwings]

Hate Wal-mart with a passion (and it's buy-in-bulk partner, Sam's Club), both because I can't stand their business ethics or how trashy the few stores near me are.

Plus, the stuff I like to buy (video games, anime, and manga) are sold MSRP or not at all. For the 'discount' stores, we shop Target and BJs. Though if Costco ever came down here, we'd jump ship both for Costco. I love Costco. :anime:

[Kevin the Geek]

I think that Wal-Mart is an okay store.

They have a few good qualities, such as:

1. My dad lost his job three years ago, and has now got a new job, thanks to Wal-Mart. (In other words, he now works at Wal-Mart)

2. They sell various kinds of merchandise (Groceries,
movies, clothes, etc.) in one store so you don't have to go to another store to get what you need.

3. Their root beer (Sam's Choice root beer) is delicious! :D

[Deadman]

i cant really say cuz i dont normally go to walmart.

[Mr. Pedro]

Besides that, while individual locations vary, Wal-mart more than any other place seems to attract the dregs of humanity. You know-- the people who can relate to the guests on the Jerry Springer Show. I just keep my eyes down and try to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Sadder still, I've actually been hit on by some of those toothless dregs of humanity. :(

[The_NewCatwoman]

Sadder still, I've actually been hit on by some of those toothless dregs of humanity. :(

Cause you're so cute. :D *points to Mr. Pedro's avatar*

I didn't want to but I'll bite on the Wal-Mart question. I hate them with a passion. Living in Detroit we're as (or even moreso) entrenched in labor politics as any Middle Western city so their issues with labor really bite at me. While I am also quite aware of the damage Labor Unions can do when they grow out of control (50s Teamsters anyone? Or even to some extent the UAW now) I also recognize the enormous impact they can have at making sure a man has a decent wage. While I don't believe it's up to the government or corporations to hold our hands, if wages were what they should be then they wouldn't have to. Henry Ford gave men a $5 a day working wage in the 1930s not because he was generous but because he wanted to assure that his workers could spend their dollars wisely, that included buying Ford cars which were of course at that time the superior automobiles. You put your work into your job, you're proud of it and you support your fellow worker by buying your product, not roll into the parking lot in a Chrysler. That would mean you have no faith in your job and it's contribution to your community or yourself, and why the hell would you want to work for something you can't even feel pride about?

Everything about Wal-Mart essentially screams the opposite, now I'm no socialist but I do believe in decency and graciousness where your workers are concerned. And Wal-Mart jumps through all kinds of hoops to avoid even the most moderate concessions.

So no, I don't shop there personally but my mother does, it's not my money and it won't be. I understand her personal reasons for going there but I just hate the idea that any kind of thought for your fellow man can be exchanged for poorly made, artificially processed pants and a package of tube socks. You get what you're willing to pay for, cheap satiations that will be have to be replaced with something even cheaper.

*grumbles and wonders what happened to the days of reputations actually being linked to a product's reliability and ability to last under the strain of usage*

tNC

[Wanted]

Yeah, I shop at Wal-Mart... it's got what I want, and it's sort of a traditional thing. My parents shopped there and my mother worked there for a time, so I'm not against it at all. For me, it's trips to Wal-Mart that build memories (yes, for me, even the most little things are never forgotten). But, Wal-Mart for me really changed in 2003, when I started to shop there even more often (Kroger was down the street, but Wal-Mart had upgraded to Supercenter status). We shopped there for the basics (food and drink), and later, when I started my DVD collection, Wal-Mart was there to help me on my way. Though I haven't purchased a DVD from Wal-Mart in a while (this Piscataway one stopped stocking Hanna-Barbera collections, among other things), I still go there to stock up on lunch items and other foods and drink.

And, yes, when Target opens in March, you'll likely still find me at Wal-Mart (even though Target will be [is] closer to my house) for the sole reason of tradition.

Has anyone seen this production of Jib Jab called Big Box Mart?
http://jibjab.com/Movies/MoviePlayer.aspx?contentid=122&adp=1
Its a parody of what Wall-Mart and other big discount stores do to the U.S.
its qite interasting and funny, take alook.Yeah, I watched it in December... didn't laugh too much, though.

[solarflere]

Yeah, I watched it in December... didn't laugh too much, though.To each is own I guess. I found it very funny, like most JibJab productions.
Shows a lot of irony for an everyday bargain we see in the stores. There is a price to pay for outsourcing.

[Ninja Murasaki]

It's good. I go there about once a month along with Sam's Club. Their prices are usually the best on most things. I got the Dragonball Z TV Games there for $7.00 on clearance. They can get pretty packed with people though, and the parking lot full. My Walmart use to have a McDonalds years ago, but the McDonalds inside closed down while I was eating there. They literally said "leave in five minutes, we are closing" and they were taking the sign down. A Radio Grill opened up in it's place but was never quite as good as McDonalds. It resided there for at least five years. A few months ago they remodled the whole store and it looks great. We have a Subway now, complete with a new fountain drink machine. The bathrooms were redone too, which was something that definitly needed to be done.
You never know if they will have you're DVD or video game, and the music editing is anoying. I think they put something about it on the sticker with a barcode on it on the front of the CD. I see the word edited on it at least at my store. Walmart is a pretty good store.

I've had so many K-Marts close around here it's not even funny. My last two close ones are gone, Big K and Super K. One of the only ones left within a resonable range recently remodled and became a Sears/K-Mart and lost it's Little Ceasar's.

One of my Targets recently remodled and gained a Pizza Hut express. That's great. Target's atmosphere may be preferable to some people. It's nice inside and less packed but they don't have any music. It's so quite in there.

[Ren]

I live near Colorado Springs, which has 5 Wal-Marts and two Sam's Clubs, despite not being that big of a town. I shop there mainly out of convenience, but whenever I use the self-checkout and that annoying computer voice thanks me for shopping at Wal-Mart I tend to reply with some smart comment about it not being my first choice. I certainly don't go to them if I want things like Clothes, DVDs and CDs. I will check them for things like groceries.

One of my co-workers has a 2nd job at a Wal-Mart, and he seems to like it, but he's far too optimistic to be believed on most aspects of life, and another of my co-workers recently quit her 2nd job at Wal-Mart since they wouldn't let her work fewer hours.

Even though the town I live in is rather small, they've decided to put in a new Wal-mart just up the street from our neighborhood. They seem to have forgotten that the newest store they just opened is only about a 5 minute drive away...

I don't know much about their ethics, but I do know that I'm tired of them building on any empty land they have around town.

[Juu-kuchi]

I despise Wal-Mart. I try not to buy things from there unless I really have to, but for the most part I steer clear of it.

Just seeing the kinds of people throughout my Super Wal-Mart scares me a bit. Then of course, there's the whole 'destroy small businesses' issue that may rise up once in a while.

[Chris Wood]

Just seeing the kinds of people throughout my Super Wal-Mart scares me a bit.

Yeah. Remember that scene in Constantine when Keanu has to travel to hell to save the girl's sister (er, or something), and it's a barren, boiling wasteland crawling with grotesque demons? That's a little like how I feel on the rare occasion I have to enter a Walmart.

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0360486/th-CN-FX-047.jpg

[Catlover]

I don't really like Wal-Mart. Not because of labor policies or what not. It's just, mine is scary. The place gets a little better when the students come back only because some decent looking gals shop there. Though, after they settle, (as EinBebop put it) the dregs of humanity appear. My parents hate shopping there too, but they get deluded by the "cheap" prices.

I'm ticked off at them for raising the price on Pocky. They started selling chocolate & strawberry pocky last spring. An okay price too, only $.69 a box. Much cheaper than the local anime store. Though, they kept raising the price. Now it's $.97 a box. If I wanted to pay that, I would go down to the anime shop and get a better selection. Needless to say, I haven't bought anything from them since.

Their anime selection is okay. When they have something, it's cheaper than Best Buy. Though what ticks me off, is that some title are gone in a matter of days, while others will set on the shelf for half a year.

I used to buy Newtype when they had it (as a sort of "penalty" for draging me in there), however, they never had it every month. Three copies would just appear randomly.

I HATE Wal-Mart! If I am forced to enter that horrid place, I try to always avoid looking at people, wait till the cost is clear to go down the asiles, and only get what I came for and leave.

The checkouts are never open either. Whenever I go in, only three checkouts are open, with people (the ones I end up trying to avoid) lined up for a mile.

Ugh...I hate that store....

[mookie75]

I've always preferred Target, but I may be biased since I used to work there in college.

To be honest, I don't spend a whole lot of time in either nowadays. Most of the frivolous things I buy are electronics based (games, dvds, etc) and I've never really liked buying those items at places like Wal-Mart and Target.

My brother and I do get our cases of pop (or soda, whichever you prefer) from Wal-Mart since they have a better price than the grocery store. :anime:


The whole "destroys small businesses" angle doesn't mean much to me though. When I go back to the rural setting in which I grew up, I encounter many many people that are willing to drive an hour or more to shop at Wal-Mart as opposed to going to the local store downtown. Stores like Wal-Mart don't even have to invade your town for them to have an impact on it. If there's one in the region many will travel the distance to shop there. At this point it's inevitable that some small businesses will go down because of it, but I doubt that boycotting would have an impact on that trend since there's far too many consumers who wouldn't be willing to do it. Sure, some store constructions may be halted here and there, but just because you stopped one in your town doesn't mean they won't move two towns over and build one there.

It's like a monster from a horror movie! It can't be stopped! Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh! :p

[One Radical Dude]

I don't totally believe in the "Wal-Mart destroys small businesses" angle (since my local store opened a big-boxed version last year, new businesses have appeared in the area near the store, a lot of them we never had before). I do believe they force some businesses change some strategies to make themselves improve.

[solarflere]

I don't totally believe in the "Wal-Mart destroys small businesses" angle (since my local store opened a big-boxed version last year, new businesses have appeared in the area near the store, a lot of them we never had before). I do believe they force some businesses change some strategies to make themselves improve.Small businesses can not compete with Wall-Mart because they can not have their prises so low, simply because small businesses order less quantity, and the more quantity you order, the cheaper you get it for. Wall-Mart has a place to store its overstocked items in warehouses, they can run sales and stuff. Small Business can not do any of that stuff. Therefore any small business located near a big discout store, can not sell the same merchandice as that store because they can not compete by price. Thus, the Small business is being driven out of business or from that location. And the more discount stores open up, the less places a small business can survive.

[sun]

Ethically, there are problems, too many to mention, I acknowledge them. They are real, they have indeed taken sales away from certain stores. Some have closed because of Wal-Mart, others, have had to change their business practices, or whatever. ....The arguement that Wall Mart clothes are made by cheap labor from other countries, well that is ture, but so are the clothes at Target, and almost all the the stores,,The textile industry in the U.S.A. has been ruined by competition from other countries with cheap labor.. ...The stuff at Target, is made in the same places as the stuff at Wall-Mart. ...Lots of people shop at Wall-Mart. Not just the so called "dredges" I go there sometimes...The stuff there is 25% cheaper in many cases, sometimes even bigger discounts., .. Yes, people on a limited budget shop there, so do people who want to save 25%. So there is good and bad, OK...Shop where you want, if you go there when everyone goes there, it will be crowded and difficult, unless it is extremely well managed..Otherwise, go there when most people don't shop. It will be no bettter or worse than any store. ...No one makes anyone go there...People choose..Their stuff is the same stuff as in other stores..it is just cheaper. Yes there are problems with them, and, so are there problems with many other retail stores..Walgreens, now a national chain, has destroyed the local, neighborhood drug store... ..Ethically, maybe, but people in glass houses should not throw stones. ..Other retail stores, have lots of the same issues. ..There is not enough space here to talk about Sears, K Mart, Wallgreens, Macy's, and so on., I could tell you things about Sears you would not believe.. ...So, at the top of this section of this post.. I said, ;Shop where ever you want, it is up to you, Buy your stuff ,its your money...No one makes anyone shop anywhere.. It is 7:36 am in my area, , now, If I go to Wal-Mart shopping will be easy...talk to you soon. Stuart

[Natey]

more on my opion i LOVE Wal-Mart. I have even slept there. Though the store i go to was ranked in the top 3 Wal-marts in the district in prices but 1st in satisfaction. People are complaining that Wal-Mart won't let people say "Merry Christmas" well my dad told all his employees and asst's and his to co's to say say Merry Christmas. The longest I have had to wait in line at my wal mart is about 3 persons. The average is one. And the self checkouts are really cool. People may go to target because its nicer. And why its nicer is because it is not as crowded which makes it tough for Wal-Mart because there is constantly crap on the floor. THen that cause unfair suing. I personally dont shop at shoes or clothes at wal-mart cuz they aint the best. Put aside that fact would i want to go to targer for a bad of skittles or Wal-mart. Wal-mart. Low Prices. I have seen other Wal-mart. I know their not as good as mine. But the media just bashes Wal-Mart. THey tell lies about Wal-Mart. Which morph the peoples mind into believing that. K-mart was just something that failed. and Target is were people want to go if you like it nicer and less crowded. I see your opion. But shopping at Wal-Mart has saved us literally thousands of dollars. And Pay. My dad gets 200,000 dollars a year including bonuses. Just about all the stuff you here about not caring about employees is a lie. If you ever came to sioux falls South Dakota and went to the Wal-marts. You would see it not just work its sometimes fun. Since i am the managers son i can work there. I see what they do and what they have to go through. The parties where the east side wal-mart plays the West side walmart in a baseball game. THere is just so much respect for each other. And the most people respect the Wal-Marts in our town too. To me Wal-Marts my second home. Its a tough job have to get all the stuff of semis. But when you get it done you feel good. Wal-Mart is critized way too much. There is positives about Wally World.

[sun]

You can argue with ethics, and as the previous post says, and as the previous post says, some stores are very well run..Who will determine Wall Mart's long range prospects,
..You will, and everyone out there will..I will retell a story about a company that was highly ethical, high quality, and exceptionally innovative..They made video tape, in fact, they invented it. Along with masking tape, audio tape, scotch tape, all kinds of stuff,,,3M (previously called Minnosota, Mining and Manufacturing...
..Well their tape was better than the other video tape makers, but they charged a doller more...$3.00 at the time, as opposed to $2.00 for the imported stuff.
..It was made in the U.S.A, by our workers, with good benefits, under decent conditions, at decent pay.
...They, 3M, could not compete with those tapes being imported because the consumer, decided that they would like to save a doller on the cheaper tape.. So they announced, 8 or 9 years ago, when tape was in, they were going out of the video tape business. At the time, a minimum of people lost thier jobs, but many were transferred..Later they had to restructure and fire 4000 people for the same reasons stated...costs were too high.
...So now, tape is out, and computer disks are in..3M was in the disk business too..I don't know how their disk business is doing, they sold it off..I don't buy disks, I buy tape...
...But, the consumer will decide, not me..Sometimes I go to Wall Mart, sometimes I go to Walgreens, I do not go to Sears ever...
..One consumer will not bring down a company..Many will
..As far as not liking a Company"s ethics go...well don't buy Kraft Foods, or Post Tosties,or any Post Cereal or product.....
or Oreo Cookies, or anything Nabisco, or Kool Aid..You might not like the ethics of the owner of that company..While Kraft makes the best cheese, and Mayonaise, and other stuff, and I like the cookies.....An outfit named Altera owns all of the above comapanies..Yes, even Kool Aid..
.. Oh, You haven't heard of Altera, ok,,they changed their name....They used to be known as Phillip Morris, they also made another product,,cigarettes...There is scientific evidence that that those things, cigarettes, have litterally killed more people than almost any other American product. Maybe some relative, or older friend may have gotten some illness due to smoking.... Altera has been sued and lost in court, denied it altered the cigarettes to addict people, then took that back, and admitted that they did alter the cigarettes to addict people....Paid millions in fines and so on, but for some reason they are doing ok...Many people still smoke, and I guess, many people buy Oreo Cookies.. Their stock is now at an all time high, or close to it..If ethics determined how a company does, well they would be gone,,,but they don't seem to be..they are making a lot of money.
...They still sell a lot of cigarettes over seas, lots of people around the world smoke, and buy thier brands..even though long range effects of smoking are well...lets say not heathy.. Wall Mart is no more than a small pimple on the huge elephant, that is harmless...If you do not like them,,don't go there..But many do, and probably will continue to do so..But don't eat Oreo Cookies..............then you really get into ethics...Stuart

[Chris Wood]

more on my opion i LOVE Wal-Mart. I have even slept there.

I saw that on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

[Scythemantis]

Buisiness is buisiness, I don't believe in "evil" corporations...only greedy individuals within corporations, which exist REGARDLESS of a company's size. In my opinion, fear of big buisiness is completely infantile. South Park got it right in the "harbucks" episode: they get where they are by being the best, and if they're not there, people would just gang up on the next largest buisiness anyway...where is the "line" even supposed to be?

[Beyond Batman]

At Wal Mart, you get what you pay for. Low priced goods, with low quality service. So long as I walk into WM not expecting the best service nor helpful employees, I don't really have any complaints. A shop with the intention of helping myself. Rarely do I ever ask for help from WM employees because most of the time they are as clueless as I am.

For the most part, WM is never my first choice when it comes to shopping experiences, for the following reasons:

-The store always seems filthy. I feel like I need to take a shower everytime I've walked through WM.
-Employees are never friendly or helpful. And on top of that, it seems English is challenging for a lot of them.
-Many times the customers are just as bad as the employees. Rude and obnoxious.
-Always crowded filed with obnoxious customers. Even at 1:30AM.

[Elven Moon]

Some Wal-Marts are OK. Others look seriously dirty and ill-kept. Sometimes you can meet the creepiest looking characters there. I shop at Target, thanks.

[solarflere]

Thats because Target, unlike any other discount store (I took acounting class, my Professor used it as an example.) combines low prised goods as other discount stores, and great suctomer service as other big retail stores. That is why its very succesful. They are alowed to be in NYC and Wall-Mart is not.

[The Wolverine]

Heh, the last Target I went to had extremely crappy customer service, compared to the Wal-Mart I go to all the time.

For music (AND excellent customer service) I prefer Wal-Mart over Target.

[Delthayre]

On a personal scale, I dislike Wal*Mart, and cavernous, cheap super-stores of like kind intensely. The architectural bankruptness, suffocating immensity, bustling consumerism, and general blandness of the stories is utter anethema to me. I have been known to become slightly physically ill in such massive capitalist edifices. I am unswayed by their much touted, although not entirely truthful, promises of inexpensiveness, I'm willing to pay more to feel like a human being. Yes, that makes me something of a backwards-looking romantic, but as long as I have specialized alternatives to Wal*Mart, I'm going to prefer those.

On a larger, and admittedly political, scale, I find their business practices somewhat objectionable. This largely stems from my mindset. I have no understanding or natural sympathy with the drive for profit. I would make a terrible businessman because once I could reliable bring in enough revenue to supply comfortable, but not luxuriant (relative to western standards) standards of living, I would be satisfied. I can't shake the, probably dangerously socialistic, notion that business serves best by providing employment and should focus its efforts accordingly. I just don't get the idea of going to whatever lengths possible to maximize profits at the top, or at least not the extent practiced by many businesses. Wal*Mart's agressive opposition to unions, use of cheap products produced by underpaid and overworked employees, potential threat to the working class, and miscellaneous dubious practices (such occasionally building stores in rather objectionable locations) drive me to reject it.

Wal*Mart is not indefensible, even from a progressive perspective (http://www.americanprogress.org/atf/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/WALMART_PROGRESSIVE.PDF) (praises are sung here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/27/AR2005112700687.html), criticism's issued here (http://yglesias.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/11/30/232658/32)), but I would preach general wariness from any perspective. Wal*Mart tends to provoke the ideological tribalism that is so symptomatic of contemporary debate and leaves us with absolute condemnations and prickly defenses of like character.

Business is business, I don't believe in "evil" corporations...only greedy individuals within corporations, which exist REGARDLESS of a company's size. In my opinion, fear of big buisiness is completely infantile. South Park got it right in the "Harbucks" episode: they get where they are by being the best, and if they're not there, people would just gang up on the next largest buisiness anyway...where is the "line" even supposed to be?

Well, evil is a pretty useless term in general. It's wonderful for rallying the troops and steadying the heart, but in practical or analytical terms, it's an impediment. The point isn't whether or business is good or evil, but whether or not it's beneficial or harmful to a given group.

Being, "the best," is a helplessly broad term too, unless we define what it is the best at and further what it is worthwhile to be the best at. Wal*Mart has been spectacularly good at expanding its revenues, geographical spread, and influence (which one could argue is pernicious), but its performance in providing good employment (quality and quantity), benefiting the economy (as in contributing to improvement at all economic levels), and benefiting the communities its stories serve is debateable on several levels.

And while being, "the best," could put a company in a position of national prominence, but eventually being the best becomes less important as the influence and resources of a given company become such that it can stay in the upper echelons through sheer bulk and power. Yes, such complacent businesses do tend to end up failing eventually, but that can take a long time and it does no one any good to be uncritical of them in the interim. "Harbucks" was illustrative of how misguided populist localism can be, but recall that in any satire the writer decides how things are going to play out and end, so the person observing said satire must always be wary of the author contriving an ideal situation that perfectly makes his point.

[Natey]

Heh, the last Target I went to had extremely crappy customer service, compared to the Wal-Mart I go to all the time.

For music (AND excellent customer service) I prefer Wal-Mart over Target. Exactly. Most of the things you say are to the extreme. Of all the wal-mart ive been to i have not seen the things you guys describe. AND i have been to alot of Wal-Marts. I Personally think its stupid to go to Targert and get a television same brand same size When Wal-Mart has it at a lower Price. Wal-Mart Rep is bad because people make it that way but their just lies.

[Catlover]

Exactly. Most of the things you say are to the extreme. Of all the wal-mart ive been to i have not seen the things you guys describe. AND i have been to alot of Wal-Marts. I Personally think its stupid to go to Targert and get a television same brand same size When Wal-Mart has it at a lower Price. Wal-Mart Rep is bad because people make it that way but their just lies.

While I can't speak for anyone but myself, I'm not making anything up about what I've said. I have a bad Wal-Mart.

I will say this, there is a Wal-Mart in the neighboring county that is very nice. Though, it's only been around for a year or so. It takes three to four for them to get messy.

[Wanted]

I will say this, there is a Wal-Mart in the neighboring county that is very nice. Though, it's only been around for a year or so. It takes three to four for them to get messy.Yeah, new/revamped Wal-Marts always tend to look better than the longer-standing ones. However, I won't go as far to say that I've ever seen a Wal-Mart messier than any K-Mart, because I haven't. K-Marts were always the dirtiest stores to shop in... and they way they just cleaned it for the Sears Essentials revamp has me wondering just how unkempt that place was.

I'm not close-minded when it comes to shopping... I'll shop at nearly any store, if they have what I want at the prices I want. Though, there are just those stores that suck when it comes to pricing (the Musicland group comes to mind). Sure, when my Target opens, I'll utilize it to the fullest ability (DVD boxed sets at Target and Amazon, amenities at Wal-Mart). But, just to count any store out is completely out of the equation.

And, by the way, most of America doesn't hate Wal-Mart.

[Wanted]

That's what I'm here for.As far as not liking a Company"s ethics go...well don't buy Kraft Foods, or Post Tosties,or any Post Cereal or product.....
or Oreo Cookies, or anything Nabisco, or Kool Aid..You might not like the ethics of the owner of that company..While Kraft makes the best cheese, and Mayonaise, and other stuff, and I like the cookies.....An outfit named Altera owns all of the above comapanies..Yes, even Kool Aid..First of all, Kool-Aid isn't a company. It's a product made by Kraft.

And, most importantly, Altera (http://www.altera.com/) doesn't own a one of those brands. Allow me to explain further.
.. Oh, You haven't heard of Altera, ok,,they changed their name....They used to be known as Phillip Morris, they also made another product,,cigarettes...Altera has been sued and lost in court, denied it altered the cigarettes to addict people, then took that back, and admitted that they did alter the cigarettes to addict people....Paid millions in fines and so on, but for some reason they are doing ok...Many people still smoke, and I guess, many people buy Oreo Cookies.. Their stock is now at an all time high, or close to it..If ethics determined how a company does, well they would be gone,,,but they don't seem to be..they are making a lot of money.Philip Morris did not change its name to Altera, for one. Altera has been around since 1983, and is "the world's pioneer of system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions." They don't manufacture consumable goods. You are correct when you mention that Philip Morris owns Kraft and Post and et cetera, but Altera is in no way related to any of these products.

According to their End Markets (http://www.altera.com/end-markets/end-index.html) page, they manufacture automotive, military and aerospace, and medical technologies, among other things. And, in their About Us (http://www.altera.com/corporate/about_us/abt-index.html), there is no mention Phillip Morris.

I could have done this by way of PM, but no company should be misidentified like that. I just want everyone to know that Altera is Altera and Philip Morris is still Philip Morris.

[havokpryde]

...
Even if what you said is true, it carries the asumption that its impossible to support the good, or atleast relatively harmless foods that "Phillip Morris" makes, whilst boycotting the harmful cigarettes. Phillip Morris doesn't take sadistic joy in producing cigarettes, they are going to funnel profits earned from Kraft, to their cigarette division so it can continue killing people. The simple fact is that there is a demand, and where there is a demand a supply must emerge, legal or otherwise. I'd much rather have Phillip Morris providing them cigarettes than some Columbian drug cartel, wouldn't you. Besides any Engineer knows how silly your statement was. Altera is a well know company that makes Programmable Logic Boards for many a year, we use them like an artist uses paper.

Which bring us to the next point, Walmart is there and steadly rising because it fills a demand. For better or worse, America has become increasingly a disposable country. We don't want long lasting, we want cheap and easily replaceable. Instead of upgrading computers we trash em out and replace them. This carries on in much of modern life. So when people speak out grandious political retoric at Walmart, I must say nothing amuses me more. Do they think money flies down from the sky enabling Walmart to stay in business?

As one episode of South Park accurately had it, when the the kids tried to destroy Walmart by destroying its heart, it was really a mirror, reflecting them. Any rantings and ravings about Walmart should be directed at the American people who keep it in business.

And neither Target or Walmart has a consistent policy towards better customer service. Its just the store you go to, the locale, and the people you deal with. People are people in Target, or Walmart, and just like you they have off days.

Remember boys and girls, you can't spell business without sin. O, wait, that doesn't help me.

[Dudley]

WAL-MART IS EVIL!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLL!

Just kidding. Wal-Mart's awesome. It's the best store in my hometown in the States.^^

[zmanjz]

Well that's all interesting and stuff... But I don't think that an Off-topic reply justified a thread resurection... (and what's worse is that it was a "Same last user" resurection...)

and since this thread's life ended three months ago anyway... and it's aparently like Wal-Mart's 5 pound "Roll 'o' Ground Beef" in that it's not really fit for human consumption.

CLOSED