[TheBattman]

But there is one problem - while FORD has had a drastic dip in sales (more significant than other auto manufactureres), auto buyers generally have quite a few choices.

But with WalMart - many of the "choices" in many communities have been snuffed out by WalMart.

The "big box" store mentality has become the foundation of retail in many places.... thus there are quite limites alternatives. I tried for about a year to eliminate, or come as close as I could, WalMart from my shopping. I still found that every so often, I wound up at WalMart anyway - because they were the only place I could find what I needed/when I needed it.

I have basically given up - although I do go to other retailers if at all possible - and even will sometimes spend a small bit more for a product to not go to WalMart. But we just haven't been able to completely give them up. With two small children - and a reduces income - we just don't have much choice.

[traditional1]

"many of the "choices" in many communities have been snuffed out by WalMart"

I am not one of the "anti-Walmart" "anti-big business" crowd, but I do the same thing as you.

I buy at the local hardware store, local lumber company, etc., wherever possible, but it's not always possible. I try to buy locally, from locals, and avoid the Big Box places, too, but some items aren't always available that way.

So, we're stuck with trying to minimize frequenting merchants/corporations with an agenda or who support agenda's I don't approve of.

I believe a lot of folks do that, and it adds up.

[eraser2005]

But there is one problem - while FORD has had a drastic dip in sales (more significant than other auto manufactureres),

The first part of that statement is true, but not the second. Heck, Nissan has seen a bigger drop in sales. But the important factor to look at is truck sales v. car sales. Ford's truck sales are off, but they're actually off less than the industry as a whole year-to-date. Their car sales are up, and I believe that they are actually up more than the industry as a whole year-to-date.

So what's the problem? Some 70% of their sales were trucks, more than the industry average. In other words, its not that the products have done that poorly compared to their direct competition. Its that the products being offered weren't the right products.