[ChemistCat]

An interesting economic approach to the problem. I happen to know firsthand that Wal-Mart and Sam's, also, are driving employees to ruin their health trying to do the impossible--each employee having to do the work several used to do in each department. Moving elsewhere is impossible right now because the other stores are going out of business fast, or barely hanging on. You can see the desperate loss leaders, the higher prices elsewhere. When people pay $3.29/gallon for milk at Albertson's, they remember that the next time they're in Wal-mart and see it's $2.50 there.

Reminds me of a gas station pricing its gasoline super-low long enough to ruin a competitor. Everybody flocks in and buys even if they know it means that a neighbor is going to lose his business, because, hey, it's cheaper. And that's what people are going to do.

It's the American way, of course. Wal-mart will win the day. I just hope nobody is expecting Wal-mart to STAY the cheapest when it's the only store left in town.

[Jeff Chandler]

When shopping at Walmart it's important not to allow your bare skin to touch ANYTHING.

[ambrose]

Remember what Blockbastard Video did? They drove all the small chains and mom and pops out of biz, then promptly jacked up their rental prices.

[Timesink]

Now she makes one trip a week, to the Wal-Mart Supercenter, which opened five years ago a mile and a half down the road and across Interstate 64 from Kroger.

I do the same thing, except I have to drive TWENTY miles out of town because that's the nearest Supercenter. The prices are THAT GOOD. (They have broken ground for a Supercenter only a five-minute drive from my front door, to replace the nearby regular Wal-Mart.)

By the way, I've seen other people make claims of Wal-Mart engaging in predatory pricing practices only to jack up prices once they've "put everyone else out of business", but: 1) I've never seen anyone actually be able to document the claim; 2) Prices always "go up" because of inflation over time, both at Wal-Mart and all other stores; 3) Predatory pricing is illegal; 4) Predatory pricing is largely a mythical conspiracy theory; 5) Every Wal-Mart I've ever seen built has led to dozens of other businesses opening up around them, not resulting in an entire town shutting down.

[Jumper]

I came back to the US in August 2003 for the first time in four years. You can imagine my surprise when I inquired as to what had happened to all the Buy American Banners at the doorways - and nobody in Customer Service or Management could ever remember a time when Walmart touted "Buy American" products.... Needless to state, at the Hope Mills, North Carolina Walmart they did not have a single American made alarm clock in the store - after an extensive search by meself and several employees. This is your typical Walmart, one that baited "American products" and quickly sold out to imports once the competition was finished.

[Timesink]

"We did an employee survey, and the number of us on Paxil, Prozac, blood pressure medicines, you name it, has gone sky high. We're killing ourselves for this company."

"Gone sky high" compared to when? Correlation != causation anyway.

Also, do Wal-Mart employees not have to work hard?

[Timesink]

bump for bump lists

[adam_az]

"No one can say these retail workers are making too much money," Stern said. "At the same time, these companies are operating on an uneven playing field in terms of labor costs, and that can't continue."

Well, no one other than consumers who vote with their pocketbook. Oh right, the consumer. Forgot about them, huh?

[razorbak]

What is forgotten in the bash Wal-Mart debates are all of the small stores put out of business by the Kroger, Publix, Safeway, etc. chain stores. I remember when the hours for stores was 8 or 9 to 5 during the week and maybe til noon on Saturdays. You paid pretty much retail on everything. Good riddance. And America doesn't owe the Unions the exorbitant salaries they demand. If Wal-Mart hadn't filled the vacumn for volume discount sales someone else would have. The money I save by going to Wal-Mart can go toward my other bills and my kids. If Wal-Mart hikes up their prices to K-Mart levels, someone, someday will undercut them. It's called free enterprise.

[grania]

It's the American way, of course. Wal-mart will win the day. I just hope nobody is expecting Wal-mart to STAY the cheapest when it's the only store left in town.

I just don't get the appeal of the WalMart "Superstores". I went in the new one closest to here soon after it opened. Why would anyone want to buy personal items they'll be wearing when the person in front of them is piling stuff like onions on the checkout counter?

Isn't there the danger of bugs and other stuff getting on other merchandise in the store, from the fresh foods? Yuck.

[G.Mason]

"I happen to know firsthand that Wal-Mart and Sam's, also, are driving employees to ruin their health trying to do the impossible--each employee having to do the work several used to do in each department."

Next time you're in a bank, check out the teller stations. Seven stations and two tellers? So you stand in line, "because each employee having to do the work several used to do in each department".

How many full service gas stations do you now of? Our elderly mothers must pump gas?

Wal-Mart is doing nothing different than any other business that wish to remain in business.

We've all heard the tired old song, "There's trouble right here in River City"!

[PGalt]

How many businesses have gadfly, parasitic unions opened?

[Clemenza]

Mark my words: as Wal-Mart moves to the northeast and California, it has found that many prefer Target, due to its better merchandise and overall environment. I think Wal-Mart is here to say, but I have seen Target doing the right things as they enter my market, while Wal-Mart maintains the rural/folksy/southern approach that doesn't work well here.

Ambrose, as regards my former employer, Ballbuster Video, they should file chapter 11 or be sold off within the next few years. Video Rental outlets in general are going to the ashbin of retail history.

[jpsb]

Wal-mart will do to Krogers, etc, what Krogers did to mom and pop groceries stores years ago.

Wal-mart understands that it is crazy to pay it's employees a decent wage. The USA is becomming a thrid world nation and Wal-mart wants to be the food distribution center.

Yall who say Krogers should carry the finer stuff. Who can aford the "finer stuff" when we are all getting third world paycheck?

[carpio]

Walmart is pure American free enterprise in action. I love them for their success and wish some of my undereducated and unemployed relatives would find jobs there rather than holding out for a $30 an hour union job with 30 minute rest breaks every hour and ice water guaranteed to be served at precisely the exact right temperture.

Hooray for free enterprise and market pricing!!!!!!

[kancel]

>>"All we hear from management is 'Do more,' " said Kay Underwood, 49, a 29-year Kroger employee. "We did an employee survey, and the number of us on Paxil, Prozac, blood pressure medicines, you name it, has gone sky high. We're killing ourselves for this company."<<


Is she kidding. When I worked union grocery they used to prevent me from working. I was a bagger while in high school and worked nights. After 9pm or so the store would practically die- I'd do all my front end jobs and be bored stiff out of my mind for another hour or two. There were jobs to done still but baggers couldn't do them according to union rules because the bagger would be taking work away from a checker who made a higher hourly salary.

They deserve the bed they have made. Wal-Mart pays bagger salaries and miracle of miracles there are actually people willing to do those jobs at that wage- just as I would have.

Now their jobs are too stressful. Boo-fricken-hoo. Poor baby. Maybe if you would have accepted some help form lower wage workers instead greedily keeping them to yourselves you wouldn't be in this boat.

[sandydipper]

I like Wal-Mart it's one stop and it's always cheaper. Competition should model thier stores after the Wal-Mart success.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

At the Cross Lanes Kroger, striking UFCW workers say Wal-Mart's opening five years ago cost their store $100,000 in weekly receipts — between a third and a half of the store's income.

What what what? "Cost" Well I thought that money grew on trees to the UFCW? Where did this "store's income" verbage come from all of a sudden?

These people make me sick, they price themselves, and American workers in general, out of the competitive market place. Claim that they are helping "the working man" the whole time, and the only thing they seem to spread is bitterness, anger, and class envy. Terribly sorry, but if there is any justice in the world-no skill jobs like that would be making very little.

Course the word "justice" certainly has been perverted by the Hard Left over the past few generations, I doubt anybody knows the meaning of the word anymore. Thank goodness the Reverend Jackson is out here in SoCal to preach to us its meaning.

[hgro]

Spineless management and corrupt labor unions sink any enterprise.

[Xenalyte]

As long as the Wal-Mart stores in Houston stay filthy, loud and crowded, our local grocery stores don't have to worry about keeping MY business. Wal-Mart has disgusted me ever since my college roommate quit (rather than being fired) over being forced to accept a return of used unmentionables.

That amazingly unhygienic practice alone turned me off Wal-Mart for life.

Add to that the chain's surprising disregard for basic cleanliness - like mopping the floors regularly and cleaning the restrooms - and you have a satisfied Kroger shopper.

[Xenalyte]

When people pay $3.29/gallon for milk at Albertson's, they remember that the next time they're in Wal-mart and see it's $2.50 there.

True, but I'd rather pay more for milk that I can drink two weeks from now, as opposed to milk that expires before the weekend. Save money, lose time on the other end of drinkability.