Wal-Mart War Room

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Yes the statement was stereotypical, but not prejudice.

the statement is prejudicial, as it assumes none but 'the rich' live in Hawaii Kai , ( or that they don't drive to other areas) and as a group, you presuppose they like to do one thing. whereas they reside in all residential neighborhoods of Oahu. It kinda doesn't make sense, cuz, well, errybody likes ta save money... I mean who doesn't? Anyway, doesn't matter. Don't mind me... it's all just wordplay...
semantics...mere semantics.

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Here's another Forbes article directed at potential WM suppliers. This is the side of the WM picture that consumers never think about because they are focused on those lowlow prices.

What happens if a lot of suppliers refuse to sell to WM? Won't the shoppers' selection then be reduced until all that's left is junk from China and India? If they are good businesspeople, suppliers can only sell their goods for a certain price (usually breakeven plus a little profit) or they price themselves out of business. What good does WM's selling a bazillion units of something at $20 do for the manufacturer of the product if it cost that manufacturer $25 to make the product?

The way WM strikes deals with its suppliers requires that every year they are in a business relationship, the supplier is compelled to lower the price of goods to WM even more, so WM can continue to advertise low prices. The supplier is getting squeezed in between the consumer wanting cheap prices and the need to stay in business. If you go walking down the aisles at any WM, notice the products on the shelves and pick up a few and see which company is supplying that bottle. My bet is that as time goes on, all those "brand name" favorites that you love will disappear faster than the Amazon rainforest when the hole in the ozone layer increases.

Companies with established brand names don't need a WM to push their products because they can stand on their own and make more money. The products you're seeing are either made overseas or are "niche" products that haven't yet gained enough marketshare to say "No thanks" to WM. a good example of this is notice that some labels of dishwashing detergent are in Spanish? I can see that that makes sense in maybe Puerto Rico, but most people in this country don't speak Spanish.

Miulang

More here: http://www.forbes.com/home_asia/glob.../1018/026.html

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Here's another Forbes article directed at potential WM suppliers. This is the side of the WM picture that consumers never think about because they are focused on those lowlow prices.
Miulang

More here: http://www.forbes.com/home_asia/glob.../1018/026.html

I LUV it!
"So, to avoid being Wal-Marted,"
"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated." The Borg is unstoppable. The Borg plays hardball. Wal-Mart is the Borg of business today"

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Would you have minded if I had said Walmart wants to build in Malibu or Beverly Hills, California, because even the rich like to shop there?

What is the difference whether it be Kahala or Hawaii Kai, it is a richer area that other parts of Oahu, that is a fact and has nothing to do with being prejudice.

Anyways I apologize for offending anyone based on my comments.

Kalihi Boy

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Would you have minded if I had said Walmart wants to build in Malibu or Beverly Hills, California, because even the rich like to shop there?

What is the difference whether it be Kahala or Hawaii Kai, it is a richer area that other parts of Oahu, that is a fact and has nothing to do with being prejudice.

Anyways I apologize for offending anyone based on my comments.

Kalihi Boy

just like to raise a dialiogue to explore why we have some conceptions..
the more we discuss and even debate, the stronger our convictions, or we learn of possibly more expansive ways of thinking or viewing some subjects.

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Would you have minded if I had said Walmart wants to build in Malibu or Beverly Hills, California, because even the rich like to shop there?

What is the difference whether it be Kahala or Hawaii Kai, it is a richer area that other parts of Oahu, that is a fact and has nothing to do with being prejudice.

Anyways I apologize for offending anyone based on my comments.

Kalihi Boy

Geography really doesn't come into play too much here (unless where WM wants to play is in your sandbox). What matters is the arrogance of a company that has no respect for the land, no respect for its employees or its suppliers. Eventually they will run out of places to expand in the US (or be run out of town, in the process), so guess where their tentacles will reach out to? The rest of the world. That's where the US arrogance becomes very evident. WM and most other multinationals rarely take into account the issues that might result from their moving into "foreign" territory.

Miulang

[Albert]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

I think I'll make my first visit to the new Wal-Mart today.

Pray for us sinners, etc. .....

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Here's a very nice, long puff piece about WM that was published in a public relations newsletter. Even though it states that things are turning around and workers' conditions are improving, I'm sorry, but I'm from Missouri.

Until I stop seeing articles about the lack of respect for the past (the iwi at Keeaumoku, the pre-Hispanic altar at Teotihuacan), the lawsuits alleging unfair employment practices (working off the books, lower levels of promotions for women and minorities), strategies by management to stifle unionization, merciless contracts with manufacturers, blah blah blah, I will not be convinced that this particular cheetah has changed its spots.

More here: http://www.prsa.org/_Publications/ma....asp??ident=s1

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

So today's WM news (the only thing on the newswires, anyway) is about the fact that Jon Stewart's new book "America" (on the NYT Best Seller List) has been banned from WM bookshelves because of a fake photo of the Supreme Court judges with their "naughty bits" showing on a page buried somewhere in the book.

That news, in itself is not what's particularly peculiar (except for the fact that WM is now taking on the role of censor) is that they are still offering the book on the Walmart.com website! Their justification: "The shoppers at WM.com are different from the ones who shop in the stores."

Oooooh...could it be that there are closet WM shoppers who would never be caught dead walking through the portals of a store but who might, (gasp!) still want to take advantage of the lowlow WM prices via the Internet? Or is WM not wanting to completely cut off that portion of their customer base who might still like to read a liberal (albeit slightly off-color) parody or two?

Hmmmm...

Miulang

More here: http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/nationa...art041021.html

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

That news, in itself is not what's particularly peculiar (except for the fact that WM is now taking on the role of censor) is that they are still offering the book on the Walmart.com website! Their justification: "The shoppers at WM.com are different from the ones who shop in the stores."


Miulang

funny observation.
They also could be implying a slanted predjudicial viewpoint:
Those that shop online are sophisticated intelligent adults that have a decent computer, fast connection, are computer (and otherwise) literate and can handle notty bits in a book that they already paid for, a book containing pics that they, by then, are viewing in their own home.
And the proletariat that walkthru our store are the type that would scream bloddy murder and say they are offended by opening a book themselves and seeing this pic in a store, so now they will sue!

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

funny observation.
They also could be implying a slanted predjudicial viewpoint:
Those that shop online are sophisticated intelligent adults that have a decent computer, fast connection, are computer (and otherwise) literate and can handle notty bits in a book that they already paid for, a book containing pics that they, by then, are viewing in their own home.
And the proletariat that walkthru our store are the type that would scream bloddy murder and say they are offended by opening a book themselves and seeing this pic in a store, so now they will sue!

Yeah, Kimo. So that mean's it's OK for us to shop at walmart.com, right?

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

Yeah, Kimo. So that mean's it's OK for us to shop at walmart.com, right?

Miulang

online, not even that. regardless of the implied compliment to our intelligence level.
and most definitely NOT in person.
Why!?
cuz:
1. I would be em bare assed to.
2. It is an unpleasant experience.
3. I don't really need to save money to that degree.
4. If I were seen there, It might be when I forgot that I am wearing my "WalMart $ux" t shirt.
5. gimme time. I can think of more.

[Miulang]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

online, not even that. regardless of the implied compliment to our intelligence level.
and most definitely NOT in person.
Why!?
cuz:
1. I would be em bare assed to.
2. It is an unpleasant experience.
3. I don't really need to save money to that degree.
4. If I were seen there, It might be when I forgot that I am wearing my "WalMart $ux" t shirt.
5. gimme time. I can think of more.

I knew I could get that out of you!

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

PBS Hawaii channel 10 show last nite;

based from Jefferson Wisconsin wherein they review the debacle of walmart coming into that town and they cover some evidence;
each sprawlmart that enters a town on average causes TWO grocery stores in that town to close.

many wage earners working for walmart are required to supplement their income with foodstamps (to even afford groceries at the very place they are employed!) as well as require other govnmt assisstance.

With all the concessions, tax breaks etc. handed to walmart by each state city and county they enter, along with the assistance local state and federal governments hand their low wage earning employees, it is estimated approx. 2.5 million a year is the cost to the government to have each walmart in the town.
Old longstanding beautiful historic buidildings are torn down, replaced with parking lots.
Many old established businesses shut down; customers flock to walmart to buy the same thing cheaper but that's just part of it; To stay in business manufacturers alter their sales and distibution format and are forced by walmart to implement parameters on their business to the extent this is a standard example; a jefferson Wisconsin shoe store was told by Converse their buyer must now purchase $3000.00 of shoes per month or they will no longer sell to that retailer. This breaks the retailers back and along with many other factors, effected by the introduction of walmart to town, they go under.
Just as in Honolulu; many want the convenience and low prices of the Big Box stores, but when we invite this behemoth to town to satisfy our addiction to consumerism, we lose something else that is far more important; a quality of life and a character of the community.

So we saw on the show last nite; a beautiful old town with fabulous architecture, slowly die. Crumble to dust. Old buildings previously the backbone and center of activity of a town, piece by piece get bulldozed and the remaining storefronts shuttered up, with all the small businesses gone. It's a sad shallow hollow empty shell of a ghost town devoid of life and sipirit just as is the heart of the giant walmart.

Now, it's not so much as a simplistic "we hate walmart" that is the view as much as the widespread easy mental and economic control they have effected on the populace. monster companies like walmart have created other tiny minimonsters, zombies... plodding to the stores on a religious basis regardless of any other evidence or information there is out there to enlighten these minions and show them there it a "better way".
Picture the Eloi silently mindlessly obediently walking toward the huge structure as the sound of the wailing siren beckons them in the Rod Taylor movie; "Time Machine".
They (walmart) have taught (brainwashed) the proletariat with the funny cute family style ads on the telly, that walmart is everyone's friend. So, the masses flock to walmart with blinders on. It becomes an internal conviction as strong as a religious choice or a political affiliation.

more:
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/talkback.html

funny stuff here!
http://www.phonelosers.org/wal-mart/

[kimo55]

Re: Wal-Mart War Room

analysis of WalMart impact. published by Congress


http://edworkforce.house.gov/democra...MARTREPORT.pdf