Posted on 12/01/2005 10:22:41 AM PST by lastmanstanding
BERRYVILLE, Ark. - Nancy McShane used to spend $600 to $700 a month at Wal-Mart on everything from groceries to oil changes. Then in March she abruptly switched to other discount stores, upset over what her turkey-farming relatives saw as undue price pressure from the world's largest retailer.
McShane, a Springfield, Mo., housewife with children aged 11 and 12, is among what organized critics claim is a growing number of Americans turning against Wal-Mart amid allegations from unions and others that the company is bad for workers, the environment and communities.
"We cut off Wal-Mart cold turkey. Now I'm preaching it to other people," McShane said.
But for James Butler, a chicken plant worker from Alpena, complaints that Wal-Mart is bad for America just don't add up — but the savings do.
"It doesn't change my mind. It's just a convenience. And anywhere else costs more," Butler said Wednesday night outside a Wal-Mart Supercenter where he had just purchased batteries.
According to a poll released Thursday by Wake Up Wal-Mart, an anti-Wal-Mart group launched this year by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, more Americans have an unfavorable view of Wal-Mart today than at the start of the year.
The poll showed that a majority, 58 percent, viewed Wal-Mart favorably, but the figure was down from 76 percent in January. Wake Up Wal-Mart said that was proof that its message against the company's low-price business model is hitting its intended target — the average Wal-Mart shopper.
"What this polling indicates is that Wal-Mart's reputation is in a tailspin," said Paul Blank, campaign director at Wake Up Wal-Mart.
Blank said changes in behavior would follow if consumer's opinions about Wal-Mart continue to fall.
Wal-Mart said the survey was questionable and argued that November sales and an onslaught of holiday shoppers the day after Thanksgiving showed it remained popular.
Figures released Thursday showed that sales at Wal-Mart stores open at least a year rose 3.8 percent in November when compared to November 2004 — matching analysts' expectations. Same-store sales are considered the best indicator of a retailer's health.
Retail analyst Don Gher said Wal-Mart's monthly sales growth did not suggest that shoppers were staying away amid a slew of attacks by groups alleging that Wal-Mart's low prices come at the cost of poor treatment for its workers, suppliers and communities.
"At this point the sales numbers wouldn't seem to indicate a backlash," said Gher of Coldstream Capital Management in Bellevue, Wash. The company has Wal-Mart stock as part of the roughly $900 million in assets it manages.
Consumers appear divided.
Steve and Sandy Larsen of Holiday Island, which is near Eureka Springs, said they liked Wal-Mart for the prices and the company's pledges to the local food kitchen and the Habitat for Humanity in Benton County, the retailer's home town.
"We work a lot in charity, and they are great," Steve Larsen said at the Berryville Supercenter. "They just keep giving."
But at Springfield, McShane said she changed stores after her relatives, who also raise produce, complained Wal-Mart exerts too much pressure on suppliers to cut their prices.
"That's too much power for one company to have," she said.
The Wake Up Wal-Mart figures came from two national telephone surveys of about 1,000 adults in January and November. The January 15-20 poll by Lake, Snell & Perry had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, and the November poll by Zogby had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
"In terms of overall favorability, in the span of about 11 months, Wal-Mart experienced a decline of 18 percentage points in the number of American adults who view the company favorably," Wake Up Wal-Mart said in a summary.
The number of people who said they viewed Wal-Mart very favorably or somewhat favorably fell 18 percentage points to 58 percent while the number who answered that their view was very or somewhat unfavorable increased by the same amount to 38 percent.
The group said attitudes were starting to change shopping practices. Asked how often they plan to shop at Wal-Mart in the next month, the number who said they would not go at all rose 8 percentage points to 28 percent. The largest group, those who planned to shop there once or twice, fell 7 points to 32 percent.
Wal-Mart said the November poll appeared to be times to take advantage of publicity around the release of a scathingly critical documentary, Robert Greenwald's "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices."
"It would be hard for anyone to believe that a poll paid for by the UFCW was more accurate than the fact that our estimated November store sales were up 4.3 percent and that 10 million people shopped at our stores during the first six hours of sales last Friday," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sarah Clark said.
She added: "A good poll would be to ask if working families enjoy the $2,300 in savings we provide per year."
Clark said Wal-Mart does its own internal tracking of consumer sentiment, but declined to release that data. She said the questions were not the same as Wake Up Wal-Mart's poll so they wouldn't be comparable.
Unions hate em??? good I will buy more there......
Other business cant compete???? well thats capitalism. There is no better system.
I buy there for the price. If the same goods are cheaper elsewhere...I will go there.
I'd comment in some detail but I've got to do some shopping ... at you-know-where.
BTW, is Hillary still on the Board of Directors?
It's the customers that put small-business out of business. Wal-mart doesn't force anyone to shop at their stores.
The liberal spin machine in action - watch it go!
Wal-Mart is one of the best things to ever happen to this country.
They're groceries blow. More expensive, not as fresh, meat is tough as boot leather. I do go to Walmarts for two items, though... Ranch Style Beans and Wolf Brand Chili that can't be bought here.
Their electronics are inferior. I pity anybody that doesn't shop around, research, and purchase elsewhere.
Clothes... egads.
Good for cheap socks I guess.
They honestly don't have anything in their store I'd buy accept very small items such as batteries, or something I need after midnight. I don't see how they stay open.
Wal Mart is not a monopoly. It does exactly what KMart, Target, Woolworth, etc. have been doing for decades. It just found a way to do it for less money.
Sorry. If you don't like it, let's elect some Marxists and replace the stars and stripes with a hammer and sickle.
You realize, of course, that Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are both owned by the same man --Sam Walton?
I wonder what those "Everyday Low Prices" would look like if we took China's MFN status away.
**They're building a new Super Walmart in my town and I can't wait for it to open in April.**
But sadly I am missing the old Walmarts where you didn't have to walk a mile to get from one end of the store to another. I wish they would keep both in an area.
Aurora Missouri is the last old style store nearby to me and they are building the supercenter as we speak.
To be honest though I find better bargains at Dollar General, Fred's, Family Dollar than Walmart. Walmart is starting to get underpriced.
Nuff said. Anybody that wishes to shop elsewhere, feel free. I am on my way to WalMart, in a little while. Spot needs some more Ol' Roys Dog Treats...
"You realize, of course, that Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are both owned by the same man --Sam Walton?"
Well, Old Sam Walton died a while back, but his family is still in the business.
I did take my lawn mower to them for repair and blade sharpening last year. Worst service ever! Took them over 2 weeks to let me know that the engine was shot and beyond repair. And that was after I stopped in 5 times asking about it.
I am a magician and do by some of my supplies at the Ace. They have a nice selection of rope that I pefer over Home Depot. They also have Harness rings, which Home Depot does not. I have fun at their bag sale too. And they always have a sale table with stuff I might need so i buy it.
Your hyperbole is ridiculous. Everything WalMart sells is not from china. The percentage is probably no different than any other major retailer and many small businesses.
the clothes I am currently wearing, the mop, sponges, and the cleaning supplies I have been using all day today are all American made - and I bought all in WalMart.
Which is different from the small business equivalent - momanpopoly.
Shhhhh. You're not supposed to utter the dreaded "C" word here.
/sarc
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