[newcthem]

This story is really on the money. Our firm builds food packaging equipment. A number of our customers have been "fortunate" enough to win WAlMart contracts for their products. I would say that approximately one in three survive.

For many small producers, WalMart's volume allows them to dictate price, delivery, payment terms, and product returns and they do it to the point of destroying their vendors. When this happens, they just move along to the next domestic vendor or failing to find one, they head for China.

While there is nothing illegal or immoral about the quest for minimum price nor maximum profitability, most businesspeople believe that allowing both your customers and your vendors to stay in business is critical for your long term viability. WalMart obviously doesn't share the philosophy.

[mad_as_he$$]

The road is littered with Wal Mart causalities. Just read the Rubbermaid story and it will make you think very hard about doing business with them. They have killed more businesses than Jimmy Carter.