Walmart's Philosophy of Screwing Workers

[SteadyMercury]

The local stores didn't pay well in the 80s either. Minimum wage, no benefits, and crappy working conditions. Had to clock out for lunch but couldn't leave the store, couldn't clock in until the doors opened, and no advancement.

This is what baffles me, that people point out Walmart's wages as some evil deed when in reality the cherished mom & pop stores paid no better and usually have lesser benefits.

If you want to shop local to support your community fine, but don't pretend they are lowering wages versus the small scale local retailers they are replacing.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

The local stores didn't pay well in the 80s either. Minimum wage, no benefits, and crappy working conditions. Had to clock out for lunch but couldn't leave the store, couldn't clock in until the doors opened, and no advancement.

This is what baffles me, that people point out Walmart's wages as some evil deed when in reality the cherished mom & pop stores paid no better and usually have lesser benefits.

If you want to shop local to support your community fine, but don't pretend they are lowering wages versus the small scale local retailers they are replacing.

And don't forget that much of the local community works at Walmart so shopping there is supporting the local community, and that is not to mention the $100's of billions Walmart has saved Americans in lower prices that can then be spent elsewhere in the community to stimulate the local economy. Its a win win it seems.

 

[Jarhead]

I don't mind big box as an option, and I admit I occasionally am more or less "forced" toward them for certain things. I guess the historian in me, and my natural gravitation toward nostalgia, leads me to still be enthralled with areas that don't have them - or at least areas that keep them at an arm's length outside of town. Bardstown, Kentucky, one of my favorite American towns does this. It's cool just to go downtown and shop. Same with Winchester, Virginia's "Old Town."

We still have a local hardware store. We have a Home Depot about 4 towns from me and an Ace Hardaware one town from me. But I like the local hardware store. I walk in and say "Mike I need three 4 inch carriage bolts and corresponding nuts" and bingo.....I am done. None of that "you must buy a box of 100 and you can find them in aisle 35...a half mile down to the left"....

I like the local merchant....b ut even Mike's store is suffering becuase the community likes the lower prices and bigger selection of a Home Depot.

It is sad...but it is reality. The desire for "lower prices and convenience" is what drives the success of the mega companies...it is the conmsumer that dictates who survives and who fails.

Heck...home depot can slash their prices to 10 cents for a recrpricating saw just to corner the market...but oif the consumer doesnt bite, Home Depot will fail.

But you cant blame Home Depot for a business model that works....for it is the consumer that makes it work.

Most people I know would rather shop at local stores, but the fact is the prices are higher and for a lot of us on a tight budget, we have to shop where the prices are low.

There will always be a place for the small local store, but they will be operating in a niche market such as the handle and knob store and the marine hardware store in my town, a place where personal service is a part of the purchase.

But that is the point I am making.
The community can blame the mega stores all they want for "running out the local shops"......but the truth is, the community was the one who opted to swhop- at the mega stores.
Before the mega stores, the community was paying local store prices. The community opted to be able to stretch their dollar further at the xpense of the local stores.

All the mega stores did was present an option.

The consumer decided it wanted to stretch its dollar further.

That is the "greed" of the 99% dictating the success or failure of the 1%.

Ironic? Yes. But 100% accurate.

 

[Flopper]

We still have a local hardware store. We have a Home Depot about 4 towns from me and an Ace Hardaware one town from me. But I like the local hardware store. I walk in and say "Mike I need three 4 inch carriage bolts and corresponding nuts" and bingo.....I am done. None of that "you must buy a box of 100 and you can find them in aisle 35...a half mile down to the left"....

I like the local merchant....b ut even Mike's store is suffering becuase the community likes the lower prices and bigger selection of a Home Depot.

It is sad...but it is reality. The desire for "lower prices and convenience" is what drives the success of the mega companies...it is the conmsumer that dictates who survives and who fails.

Heck...home depot can slash their prices to 10 cents for a recrpricating saw just to corner the market...but oif the consumer doesnt bite, Home Depot will fail.

But you cant blame Home Depot for a business model that works....for it is the consumer that makes it work.

Most people I know would rather shop at local stores, but the fact is the prices are higher and for a lot of us on a tight budget, we have to shop where the prices are low.

There will always be a place for the small local store, but they will be operating in a niche market such as the handle and knob store and the marine hardware store in my town, a place where personal service is a part of the purchase.

But that is the point I am making.
The community can blame the mega stores all they want for "running out the local shops"......but the truth is, the community was the one who opted to swhop- at the mega stores.
Before the mega stores, the community was paying local store prices. The community opted to be able to stretch their dollar further at the xpense of the local stores.

All the mega stores did was present an option.

The consumer decided it wanted to stretch its dollar further.

That is the "greed" of the 99% dictating the success or failure of the 1%.

Ironic? Yes. But 100% accurate.

I see your point and I somewhat agree with you. However, remember Walmart typically locates their stores in areas that serve a number of communities. If one of the communities will not accept them, they try others until there're successful. Both the damage they do to local business and the low prices they bring to consumers is not limited to that one community but all communities in the region.

 

[depotoo]

Most people I know would rather shop at local stores, but the fact is the prices are higher and for a lot of us on a tight budget, we have to shop where the prices are low.

There will always be a place for the small local store, but they will be operating in a niche market such as the handle and knob store and the marine hardware store in my town, a place where personal service is a part of the purchase.

But that is the point I am making.
The community can blame the mega stores all they want for "running out the local shops"......but the truth is, the community was the one who opted to swhop- at the mega stores.
Before the mega stores, the community was paying local store prices. The community opted to be able to stretch their dollar further at the xpense of the local stores.

All the mega stores did was present an option.

The consumer decided it wanted to stretch its dollar further.

That is the "greed" of the 99% dictating the success or failure of the 1%.

Ironic? Yes. But 100% accurate.

I see your point and I somewhat agree with you. However, remember Walmart typically locates their stores in areas that serve a number of communities. If one of the communities will not accept them, they try others until there're successful. Both the damage they do to local business and the low prices they bring to consumers is not limited to that one community but all communities in the region.

if the communities truly didn't support them, then the mom and pops would stay in business, wouldn't they?

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

But that is the point I am making.
The community can blame the mega stores all they want for "running out the local shops"......but the truth is, the community was the one who opted to swhop- at the mega stores.
Before the mega stores, the community was paying local store prices. The community opted to be able to stretch their dollar further at the xpense of the local stores.

All the mega stores did was present an option.

The consumer decided it wanted to stretch its dollar further.

That is the "greed" of the 99% dictating the success or failure of the 1%.

Ironic? Yes. But 100% accurate.

I see your point and I somewhat agree with you. However, remember Walmart typically locates their stores in areas that serve a number of communities. If one of the communities will not accept them, they try others until there're successful. Both the damage they do to local business and the low prices they bring to consumers is not limited to that one community but all communities in the region.

if the communities truly didn't support them, then the mom and pops would stay in business, wouldn't they?

Walmart is actually a stimulus to local business. People save so much at Walmart they have more to spend at other businesses!