is walmart evil?

[MoodyBlues]

Is this based of off articles or personal experience?

It's based on both articles I've read and on the plethora of lawsuits, some individual and some class action, filed against Walmart in recent history.

 

[unnamedny]

They are not evil at all. They give jobs to so many people and they run their business like any other retailer.
Article istotal bull.... Replace Walmart with Microsoft, Apple, Google any other big name and it makes just another corporation hate article.

Who's evil in this case? Our government who allow all this. Change the laws and start charging higher taxes on foreign goods. Would it fix the issue? not sure.

So many people still do not realize that most articles on internet are just written to make money. Let me break it down for you to prove it's full of crap.

1.$4000 spend? is it good or bad no explanation.
2. Revenue is not profit, its total of what company made from selling things. Subtract all salaries actual product cost etc. you are going to end up with much smaller number. Again its written to draw your attention to the big number.
3.GPD indicates health of country's economy, since its US company it helps US economy.
4 and 5. Choose other store, overwise is sounds like, "walmart is evil because we shop there"
6. so they did....
7. not sure why is it a bad thing.
8. and if you line up all their superstores you can have 20 superstore rings around Earth. Thats complete irrelevant.
9.again, how is it a nad thing.
10.just because you go out of business and blame some corporation for it, does not make it their fault.
11.So does Google Apple and Microsoft ceo compairing to their employees.
12.Time to fix our health care and not the Walmart.
13.Blame the government for allowing it.
14. so as Mobil gas station...
15. And its all Walmarts fault?
16. Mobile providers spend millions to make sure they keep FCC away from them.
17.So they do, good for them. It makes us evil for shopping at Walmart.
18. Bill Gates had $60 billions, walmart members roughly have $20 billions each. So Mr. Gates alone makes 15% of the poorest.

 

[A.Nonymous]

Where I live, Whole Foods charges much more for the same items found at Smith's and Harmons. I can count on spending 20.00 more for groceries at WF compared to Smiths and Harmons.

Wally Mart is not evil. They are simply a a large concern doing what it is supposed to do: earn a profit.

I recall a local Mom and Pop store quite angry that a Wally Mart was soon to arrive. They were upset because they could no longer charge the high prices they were charging.

I am a consumer and if I have a chance to save money, I'll take it, thank you very much. Some so called Mom and Pop Stores would object if ANY completion arrives to disrupt their cash flow.

This reminds me of a Simpson's episode where they go to a Whole Foods. They pay like $800 for something like half a dozen items and then the times rot and turn black while Homer is complaining about the price.

It's based on both articles I've read and on the plethora of lawsuits, some individual and some class action, filed against Walmart in recent history.

If you're a company the size of Wal-mart you're going to get sued by somebody somewhere. And there probably are managers at some stores who treat their employees like crap.

 

[ParishL31]

I totally forgot about this aspect of it, but Walmart is a great place for people with mental and physical disabilities to work. Does that job end up being a greeter 99.9% of the time? Yeah, but the cold truth is many people with disabilities cannot perform the tasks required for many jobs. But a job is a job, and they get the same pay scale and bonuses and work their way up the same as other employees with similar time invested in the company.

The computer system literally locks you out of the system and does not allow you to work when you get close to 6 hours without taking a 30 minute lunch. If you're not a manager, you often get hounded by management to take breaks and lunches. I've been "disciplined" for not taking long enough breaks and lunches when I wanted to just grind out a project and finish it up. One thing Walmart doesn't mess around with is regulations.

 

[olbriar]

I can take or leave Walmart. I never buy groceries there. Nope.. But things will even out for Walmart and the smaller markets. As the cost of energy rises... and it will... they will find it more difficult to buy and ship world wide. The local manufacturer and grower will have their time in the sun once again. .02

 

[saptech]

They just want to take over the world, Pinky!

 

[ocnbrze]

ok so i just remembered that penn and teller and their show "BS" did an episode about walmart.

i found this on youtube(now, this is not safe for work, so i'm gonna hide it)

Spoiler

there is also nudity towards the end so i will just post a link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W92gM_NMAbk

i love their show. if you get a chance to watch the series i suggest you watch it. i do not always agree with what they say, but they are so entertaining that i can't help but watch and laugh!!!!

 

[breadnatty08]

DC is slated to get our first Wal-Mart (I think plans are for 3 eventually). I'm pretty mixed on my opinion about it. Two great things: it'll bring loads of jobs to the city (though not really to the poorest/most unemployed areas) and it'll allow more low income folk to purchase goods at a low cost. However, one big issue: where they're slated to be is ALREADY a traffic nightmare and it'll obviously compound that considerably.
Personally, I won't and don't shop at Wal-Mart. But, for people like my folks who live in rural Indiana, it's the only game in town. Seriously, they have one other grocery store that is just awful, it's terrible.

 

[El Presidente]

I'm not disputing the numbers, but if you could buy from independent stores for the same price, would you? (not trying to be argumentative, just hypothetical) of course I would, hense why I said "if I could afford to" and also how we are "indirectly forced to buy at supermarkets" because they know they can play on the fact that we (generalising) can't afford NOT to shop there.

I would and I don't think it's that much more expensive either.

A pound of mince at one of the butchers in town is

 

[AntimonyER]

DC is slated to get our first Wal-Mart (I think plans are for 3 eventually). I'm pretty mixed on my opinion about it. Two great things: it'll bring loads of jobs to the city (though not really to the poorest/most unemployed areas) and it'll allow more low income folk to purchase goods at a low cost. However, one big issue: where they're slated to be is ALREADY a traffic nightmare and it'll obviously compound that considerably.
Personally, I won't and don't shop at Wal-Mart. But, for people like my folks who live in rural Indiana, it's the only game in town. Seriously, they have one other grocery store that is just awful, it's terrible.

Yeah that is pretty much my situation as well. Another reason why the Walmart is so crazy in my town.

 

[breadnatty08]

Yeah that is pretty much my situation as well. Another reason why the Walmart is so crazy in my town.

Ah, basically every big box store is crazy in DC. Seriously, I go to the Whole Foods by my work most days and it's usually crazy. My wife hates going there (and our neighborhood Target) as it gives her heartburn.
I'm well versed in the "get out of my way or I'll mow you down" mentality.

 

[AntimonyER]

My secret is to go Saturday mornings prior to 9am. Is very quiet and shelves are stocked.

 

[A.Nonymous]

I can take or leave Walmart. I never buy groceries there. Nope.. But things will even out for Walmart and the smaller markets. As the cost of energy rises... and it will... they will find it more difficult to buy and ship world wide. The local manufacturer and grower will have their time in the sun once again. .02

I dunno. Currently there are a ton of things that it is way, way cheaper to grow elsewhere and ship in than it is to bring in the resources to grow locally. Land is at a premium in a lot of places and setting aside just the land to grow stuff gets expensive.

 

[pbf98]

ok so i just remembered that penn and teller and their show "BS" did an episode about walmart.

i found this on youtube(now, this is not safe for work, so i'm gonna hide it)

Spoiler

there is also nudity towards the end so i will just post a link
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - Wal-Mart Hatred - YouTube

i love their show. if you get a chance to watch the series i suggest you watch it. i do not always agree with what they say, but they are so entertaining that i can't help but watch and laugh!!!!

I love their show! I am trying to get all their seasons, would be great if they came back to the show! haha

Back on topic.. I too am one that sees walmart for being something good. I looked at that list, and some of those "bad" things can be attributed to more than just walmart but you don't see anyone pointing them out.
Did you see this
"#7 Today, Wal-Mart has more than 2 million employees."
They are sure its minimum wage work, actually in my area the grocery store in my town pays less then the walmart and the owner gets bad reviews by his employees constantly. I know a full time employee at that grocery store that gets 9.25 an hour with little benefits. Big companies are the only "evil" ones out there
To go along with the 2million employees did you also see that it said walmart is the top employer in 25 states? Chances are that if walmart wasn't there providing jobs for all those people, some of them wouldn't have a job at all.

So do I think walmart is evil? .. No

 

[Lemon Slowhand]

Years ago, I bought my Sony Bravia HDTV via web from wally....
no problems since.

So, i went to the local big city here (60 miles away) and
checked out the big box stores for a Nexus7.

Best Buy did not even handle Nexus7 Google stuff.
Mark them off the list !

Then i checked the others, Target, Kohls etc....
natta.......

THEN I went to Wally and Wally had it !

Of course I had to pay the big city sales tax with it.
Price was fair... $249 for: Nexus7, WiFi only, 32GB.
I CAN'T COMPLAIN.

Wally has been good to me. :smokingsomb:

 

[argedion]

Wally is pure EVIL to bad its the only place in town to go.

 

[huh]

 

[lunatic59]

I "had" to stop at a Walmart today (first time since 2009), and I can honestly say, in the torturous 15 minutes I was there, I saw 85% of this. There was an aura of something (besides the body odor) and certainly hope I don't have to experience that for another 4 years ... at least.

 

[zuben el genub]

I won't shop there - they abused tropical fish when Wally world first opened.

Most of the complaints I have seen are from more rural areas and concern fabric.
Some places you cannot shop for fabric on demand. There might have been a few small general stores or a small fabric shop that served the sewing community. Wally world moved in, undercut prices on fabric, forced those independents to close.
Then Wally World decided that fabric wasn't profitable enough for them, and closed the departments. Some of the people that were most upset had to drive over 50 miles or more to shop. There were pages of complaints.

Complaints have slowed now. You can purchase online and get it delivered. If Walmart doesn't like it, too bad. The customers decided that Walmart could go you know where and shopped elsewhere.

Walmart also has nothing I want. Amazon does far better. As for groceries - King Soopers has more generics and lower prices on those generics.

I don't like those "greeters" either. I can't show you a receipt as I didn't buy anything dammit!

 

[A.Nonymous]

I won't shop there - they abused tropical fish when Wally world first opened.

Most of the complaints I have seen are from more rural areas and concern fabric.
Some places you cannot shop for fabric on demand. There might have been a few small general stores or a small fabric shop that served the sewing community. Wally world moved in, undercut prices on fabric, forced those independents to close.
Then Wally World decided that fabric wasn't profitable enough for them, and closed the departments. Some of the people that were most upset had to drive over 50 miles or more to shop. There were pages of complaints.

Complaints have slowed now. You can purchase online and get it delivered. If Walmart doesn't like it, too bad. The customers decided that Walmart could go you know where and shopped elsewhere.

Walmart also has nothing I want. Amazon does far better. As for groceries - King Soopers has more generics and lower prices on those generics.

I don't like those "greeters" either. I can't show you a receipt as I didn't buy anything dammit!

It's interesting that you mentioned Amazon as they do the exact same things the original article talks about Wal-mart doing. They've been accused of treating their employees the same way (low wages, no benefits) and they have also been accused of driving small businesses out of business. They also rake in a crap ton of money and sell a bunch of stuff that was made in China.

 

[Rxpert83]

Yeah, but their CEO just dug a rocket engine out of the ocean

 

[Speed Daemon]

The most interesting about the article is than none of the 20 points even came close to answering the question that was asked in their banner line.

As the saying goes, if Wal-Mart didn't, someone else would. And in fact everyone is! Just about everything that most Americans do, from shopping habits to diet, epitomizes false economy with a vengeance.

 

[zuben el genub]

You can buy more variety at Amazon. If I want a special book on astronomy or geology, I can find it. If I want a used Nexus (I did buy the S) I can get that at Amazon. I can buy other unlocked phones (not TOL, but serviceable)
I just got a open box Zojirushi breadmaker. I can get telescope parts. Wally World just doesn't cut it.

Amazon does list the vendors that you can choose. In the case of camera equipment, Amazon will list Adorama or B&H. Both are extremely reputable and you have the choice.

Some of the stuff is from China - some of it is also a brand available locally, but not in the size or configuration you want, and the local store won't order it.

If this town doesn't carry it, I don't have much choice but drive over 50 miles to find a place that does carry what I want. Even then, I might be out of luck.

About pay scale, etc - It's more about convenience. Some are glad for the jobs.
But when where you live is nothing but sheep, you don't have a choice but to use Amazon or another like it.

The cities will also give Wally World a break - the cities want the jobs and the tax revenue which they hope will offset the break given to Wally World to move there.

Our DVD uses Ram disks. Do you think that they are available locally? You can order them, but why bother? Get the disks from Amazon itself on time with no hassles from the store about suppliers. Or the implication that you are not being cooperative by wanting something besides what they stock.

 

[A.Nonymous]

So what. Any online store is going to offer more variety than any brick and mortar. You simply can't physically put everything in a brick and mortar store.

As for the tax breaks cities offer them to Amazon as well. They also offer them to any number of other businesses that come to town.

 

[breadnatty08]

Don't forget about bulk ordering/sales.
The restaurant I work for has now grown into 3 stores (and soon more). We're able, now, to much better negotiate prices with our vendors. We can guarantee more purchasing and thus lower prices for raw goods. Same is with Wal-Mart and on a HUGE scale. For a mom and pop to sell a white t-shirt for the same price as Wal-Mart is impossible due to what the STORE pays for the shirt.