I am curious: Who here doesn't use Wal-mart? Why??

[sylvie]

The jobs they generate are low paying. With the exception of the manager and maybe a few other people, workers qualify for food stamps and other social services.

Perhaps our Walmart is the exception, but they start the general unskilled worker at $10.14 per hour. There are very affordable health benefits and other perks. They pay more than any other employer in the town, presumably to keep from being unionized in a town with many displaced factory union workers.

I think it is sad that $10 an hour is considered a good wage. You can't support a family on that.

So true hikerchick! But contrasted to the minimum wage that the other jobs pay, this has its appeal.

 

[hikerchick]

Perhaps our Walmart is the exception, but they start the general unskilled worker at $10.14 per hour. There are very affordable health benefits and other perks. They pay more than any other employer in the town, presumably to keep from being unionized in a town with many displaced factory union workers.

I think it is sad that $10 an hour is considered a good wage. You can't support a family on that.

So true hikerchick! But contrasted to the minimum wage that the other jobs pay, this has its appeal.

I agree. But what a world it would be if everyone could make a living wage. I guess I am a dreamer.

 

[modern_pioneer]

Actually wifezilla it is not a wash.

Wal-Mart has put so many really large manufacturers out of business it is not even close to funny. They start a contract for the manufacturer to produce on a massive scale - the firm invests big on capital outlay to ramp up to meet Wal-Mart style demands. Then Wal-Mart demands that they shave off prices. They will push them, now in debt, to move their manufacturing overseas to lower costs. If they refuse Wal_Mart pulls the contract and the firm, with no outlet for their goods, sinks. Frequently, a Wal-Mart subsidiary then buys the remains and profits.


It is written down as standard business practice. They train people to do this.

Very well said!!!

Considering a section of conversation with wally world employee a topic of to put forward and of loss is when I stood up and walked out.

Considering the stressful demands of production as a manufacturer, with my items dealing with Artisan Metal Shop, I have found ways to increase productions to meet wallys demands. The fact the I would have to put forward nearly a quarter million dollars, bothered me. It wouldn't bother me if I had support or some kind of purchases to back the number, even if by half.

When the conversation of goods being lost or stolen, and or seasonal items being returned and they demanded to be given credit within 10 business days, I knew I would have to stick my neck out further than I was willing to. As far as lost or stolen items, they would only pay for items that were scanned at point of payment. If it wasn't scanned, they won't pay for it. So in other words if I sent them 10,000 items, and only 8,500 were paid for, the 1,500 items missing that I paid to make, sent, and they signed for at point of delivery. I would have to take on those losses directly, which to the benefit of wally, it just makes good business sense, but not if your the supplier.

Their point of security, they spending millions in their own stores is their point when I asked why suppliers had to eat the cost of lost/stolen goods.

So I clearly understood that if I wanted to play ball with wally, it would be only under their rules and conditions. Under those terms, I found it to risky to due business with them, considering my own goals of where I want/taking my company too.

I also won't play ball with lowes either, their rules, though slightly different, aren't in the best interest of my company.

However, setting up whole sale accounts nation wide has been wonderful. I have several farm supply stores that carry my stuff on a regular bases. The largest supplier out of those is a chain in NC that have 14 stores right now and growing. I have over 20 other whole sale accounts with private owners of other stores. With on-line sales going up every month, I am pleased with my gut feeling of not doing business with them.

I am in business to make a profit, and though it has been a hard road sometimes, I haven't made a loss yet. I have understood that I have to keep investing back into my company in order to keep changing and adding new product lines. I would rather invest in my own company than to except losses because something was lost or didn't go to point of payment.

 

[okiegirl1]

honestly, I've found WM to be higher on several items. The dollar stores are great places for trash bags, pens, toilet paper, etc.

I usually go to WM to do the price match thing. Several stores will have way lower prices (keep in mind those stores are also big and at least 20 miles away) so, I go and do the price match to get everyone elses sales.

WM is higher on so many items.

 

[SKR8PN]

I go there when I need pickles. I like their dill pickles.

Javamama.....here is a story I had read quite awhile back about WalMart's pickles. You may find it interesting.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Wally is the only place I can find organic produce in the winter. Our poor farmer's market pretty much shuts down during the winter, no greens, brocolli or any other cold weather crop. Pitiful really.

I refuse to buy their meats though Just try to find a non-injected turkey or chicken. Nope... I prefer a local grocery meats. They'll grind up a roast for ground beef for free, and the prices are better. No, it's not grassfed, but it's not injected with CO2 & "flavor solution" either.

Employees (checkers mainly, but some management as well) have bad attitudes, the stores are always crowded with typically 3-4 checkout lanes open. The self-checkout lanes are hardly ever working.

I avoid the whole shopping center where wally is, unless I need produce or if I hear about an outrageous sale on something I wouldn't mind buying from there. I always check the canning section, especially at the end of the season.

I have personally seen grocery stores go out of business due to wally's expanding to Super-wallys.

Oh, and hikerchick, I supported my family on $7/hour for many years, with no govt assistance. Yes, it can be done. Is it easy? Nope, but doable.

 

[hikerchick]

I accidentally posted a reply for another thread in this thread. I am clearly losing my mind.

$7 an hour won't even pay rent. I make 5 times that and I struggle. I don't know how people do that unless they live with someone else.

 

[okiegirl1]

I accidentally posted a reply for another thread in this thread. I am clearly losing my mind.

$7 an hour won't even pay rent. I make 5 times that and I struggle. I don't know how people do that unless they live with someone else.

you make 5 times $7 an hour? that's $35 an hour? and you struggle? sorry, but it sounds like you just need to learn where to cut back. I'm sorry, but if you can't make it on $35 an hour, you need to take a course on budgetting.

 

[me&thegals]

I have personally seen grocery stores go out of business due to wally's expanding to Super-wallys.

It's depressing. My old favorite locally owned store went down the tubes when WM expanded to Super Wal-Mart in my area. Their inventory went down, they couldn't stock nearly as much and I regretfully left their store for Wal-Mart. Mostly I try to get to a larger city 45 min away and do stock-up trips and during the summer I can avoid most grocery shopping at all, but Wal-Mart is pretty convenient when I need something fast and cheap.

Hikerchick--Yikes! I can't even fathom $35/hour. I guess where a person lives makes a big difference. My husband and I each working 2 jobs doesn't even approach that level of income.

Around here, $10/hour isn't considered great but kind of standard for entry jobs, at least the last time I checked. I would guess (just guessing) that a LOT of people in my area only earn about $15/hour if they're in mid-level jobs, not fast-food employees but not CEOs either.

In fact, I'm pretty sure the physicians at the clinic I work for are only making around $100,000, although I'm sure the 2-3 specialists we have are earning significantly more. Seriously, in the employee parking lot you would not be able to tell which cars were owned by staff and which by the docs.

 

[hikerchick]

I accidentally posted a reply for another thread in this thread. I am clearly losing my mind.

$7 an hour won't even pay rent. I make 5 times that and I struggle. I don't know how people do that unless they live with someone else.

you make 5 times $7 an hour? that's $35 an hour? and you struggle? sorry, but it sounds like you just need to learn where to cut back. I'm sorry, but if you can't make it on $35 an hour, you need to take a course on budgetting.

You have no idea what my expenses are. It's not good to judge people.