Your stand on Walmart

Petrie. · **Reply #20 on:** May 24, 2009, 07:19:11 PM

Austin I don't get your point. Other big box retailers like Best Buy, Target, Big Lots, all do the same thing...offering stuff for far less than smaller stores often can. Same business practice as WalMart and their employee payments are probably minimum wage, just like WalMart. All big box places play the same game in hopes of attracting your business, that is why if you're going to go after one, you need to go after the big box store mentality. WalMart is the biggest target, but they aren't the only guilty party in this game.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #21 on:** May 24, 2009, 07:25:14 PM

There are a lot of not-so-nice things that 99% of big businesses do, but Target doesn't intentionally move into a town to shut down everything else there and crush small businesses. Walmart plays dirty and that's why I can't stand them. It's true that Walmart and other large businesses do a lot of the same nasty things such as cut wages and pay their employees next to nothing, but Walmart plays things differently and much more dirty than other large businesses. How about encouraging their employees to "use their taxpayers dollars" to get health insurance instead of providing them with it like they're LEGALLY required to do.

Jasper · **Reply #22 on:** May 24, 2009, 08:36:46 PM

Quote from: landbeforetimelover,May 24 2009 on 04:45 PM

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Uhhh.....Guys chill, before this gets a little out of hand.

My anger isn't directed at any member here, but at Walmart. We're just engaging in the discussion of our opinions and trying to support them with facts. It's healthy. I haven't talked about Walmart for quite some time.

I know just want to make sure everyone doesn't cross the line here. I'd hate to see this thread closed.

Noname · **Reply #23 on:** May 24, 2009, 10:15:11 PM

I don't really like Wal-Mart, but acknowledge its power; it employs over 2 million people, is expanding to other countries, has over $400 billion in revenue (this may have changed since last I checked), and easily blows its nearest competition out of the water.

The main problems with its low prices are that they exploit their workers, and encourage very low wages for workers abroad who contract with it to make their goods.

They also offer so low wages and so few benefits that their workers put a burden on the U.S. welfare system...

Nick22 · **Reply #24 on:** May 24, 2009, 10:19:55 PM

My opinion of Walmart is quite low, regarding its empolyee practices and tactics and its refusal to allows its workers to unionize.. with that said, we go there a lot for video games and food.. I wish we wouldn't..

Noname · **Reply #25 on:** May 24, 2009, 10:20:28 PM

Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #26 on:** May 25, 2009, 01:05:49 AM

Quote from: Noname,May 24 2009 on 08:20 PM

Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?

I just watched it on Google Video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925

And even with what I knew, the video will definitely make a change, even if it's a small one, on what you think of Wal*Mart after watching it.

Tomorrow, I'll tell you guys a little secret of mine with Wal*Mart. One I've never told anyone before, and no one knows about.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #27 on:** May 25, 2009, 01:23:26 AM

Quote

Tomorrow, I'll tell you guys a little secret of mine with Wal*Mart. One I've never told anyone before, and no one knows about.

I bet I know it. I'm a master at the dark arts of deceptive business practices. I suspect Walmart of doing a few things, but I haven't seen any solid evidence of it. They hide their trails well. But I'm pretty sure they're involved in this activity. I'd rather not talk of it though. You can get in big trouble for this stuff.

The Dark Patriot · **Reply #28 on:** May 25, 2009, 04:22:47 AM

I don't think that much of Walmart myself...Then again, I work at a competitor. I have friends that work there, and they seem to like it better than their experiences at the Superstore...Not sure why from what I hear from others. Personally, I won't work there or shop there - Superstore's a little bit closer for me(If I was permitted, I can walk there, though I wouldn't want to walk back with my purchases), plus higher end wages and it being a union shop(for the work part). Even with union dues, I generally don't lose more than ~$50 a check in deductions (average for me = $450ish per check with two 25 hour weeks per check).

One of the prime things that I note, from what I hear, is the time that they leave some things on the shelves - Take their French bread, for example. Our district specialist (I work in the bakery department) took a trip through the local Walmart and discovered that they dated theirs for three days, and their baguettes for five days (maybe the numbers are reversed, but it's something like that). This is for a product that sits in an open paper bag...that sort of thing should not be on the shelf for more than a day, else it ends up rock hard (I'm a closer, so I see this quite often). For us, anything in an open/perforated bag (mainly our baguettes and crusty breads) is thrown out at the end of the day. Most of our baked product is dated for two days, with a few exceptions for some of the specialty breads. I end up scanning out ~$150 of stuff every night I work...

Petrie. · **Reply #29 on:** May 25, 2009, 08:00:33 AM

Austin, Target does not give their minimum wage part timers health benefits...I can guarantee you that, and they'll have to do the same that WalMart employees do...some sort of taxpayer insurance program. Walmart is dirty, I'll agree with you, but all big box places do the same thing. What you want to see is less big-box and more small-town stores, but even Mom'n'Pop can't probably afford to pay more than minimum wage with no benefits. Retail is not something you can work in and expect big bucks and the world handed to you.

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Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?

Yes I have watched this. True, competition is brutal to those who cannot match WalMart's price for the same good. If possible they should offer something Walmart won't sell or cannot sell. You don't have to be in direct competition with Wally World.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #30 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:52:28 AM

Okay guys, time for you to know.

Now, some of you may or may not know the fact that many Walmart facilities are in the process of going green. Basically, selling energy efficient and more all natural products. Now, while I am all for going green, one thing is that they forgot to grasp the whole situation of doing so in the end. You see, Walmart also decided to disconnect themselves to coal and other greenhouse gas facilities that help power them.

This became a serious problem not long after it was decided. Because of the lack of more natural facilities that can power a place (i.e. wind, solar and water) that many Walmart superstores are built at, we have to cut down on one important thing that will be needed when summer hits. That one thing is simple Air Conditioning.

The end result? Many people suffering from dehydration and heat stroke when they are inside a Walmart superstore. A serious health risk that won't help us at all.

Look, I'm all for going green. I love the idea, but you shouldn't go to such a grand scale if you don't have the means and resources to do so. Start small and go to a certain part when you have the means and resources. That should be the main plan.

Now, what does this thing of going green have to do with me? Well, here's the deal...

For the longest time of my career at Walmart, my mind has been producing a plan of a way to take over and make the place better for everyone. I am not even thinking over how to make it all happen. My mind seems to produce the idea completely naturally as I look at certain people and things.

I have already selected who can help me and ways to make it all happen to the point that I can launch it any day now. So, why don't I do so? Here's the issue at hand...

While my mind has already selected who would be able to help make this goal possible, it has also pointed out who would not support me and make the plan fail in the end. I have found that they can be swayed to one side by the way you talk or who talks to them.

Now, since I don't have such experience in the way of how to talk to such people, I have to settle on the WHO more. Some of the people my mind has selected are of the "higher ups" in the store I work. So they'd be able to talk to those people in my place.

One of the people my mind has selected to help me is my store's current Store Manager. My bald-headed, African American friend of a Store Manager is actually a good guy in all this. He is not for all you see in that video. He hates the idea of people not getting proper benefits, Walmart Superstores shutting down other places, and a number of other things that all of us are hating about Walmart. However, since he has no power in certain areas, he can't do anything about it, unless things are presented properly.

The plan is to fix all of the problems in Walmart and bring back it's good name that it once had. Walmart once meant something good for everyone, and it still can. It is not completely evil, just certain people that run it are.

The plan can work, but everything in the plan isn't ready yet. Unless everything is planned and done exactly right and at the right time, it will all come crashing down.

I'll only share this, perfecting the going green thing will be able to sky rocket the plan and make it succeed in the end.

That's all I have to say on the matter.

So, I'll see ya later!

Malte279 · **Reply #31 on:** May 25, 2009, 12:31:03 PM

I don't want to enter too much into this debate as we don't have wallmart over here (though some of our small prize stors have a serious scandal going about spying into their employees private lives etc.). But as for this:

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The end result? Many people suffering from dehydration and heat stroke when they are inside a Walmart superstore. A serious health risk that won't help us at all.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but did not mankind last for quite a while until at last air conditioning was invented?
Air conditioners are one of the worst existing producers of greenhouse gases and moreover one we are least dependent of.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #32 on:** May 25, 2009, 12:44:21 PM

I agree with Malte. Air conditioning, as much as I do like it, is not a vital part of our life. There are alternate means of cooling down.

Jasper · **Reply #33 on:** May 25, 2009, 01:14:34 PM

Despite I like going to Wal-Mart there is one that has serious problems. It's kind of hard to explain it, but all I can tell you that my brother worked their and even though he has since gotten a new job he doesn't go there at all.

Noname · **Reply #34 on:** May 25, 2009, 02:11:19 PM

While air conditioning is indeed artificial and can pollute, it must be noted that the conditions inside some of these stores are also unnaturally hot; they are basically gigantic boxes which aren't that well ventilated, and there are bright lights on all the time.

Now, I know that Germany isn't exactly a hot country... but some parts of the US certainly are, especially the South (and Hawaii.) I can see why air conditioning would be a good thing in Georgia, Texas, or Florida.

Malte279 · **Reply #35 on:** May 25, 2009, 02:51:55 PM

And still Georgia, Texas, or Florida and even countries which are significantly hotter than any spot in the US (some of which do not show a significant number of airconditioned facilities themselves) were settled well before anyone ever thought of such a thing as airconditioning. There are certainly hotter places than Germany but we fave frequently temperatures well over 30? C (86? Fahrenheit) over long periods during the summer months. In 2003 we even had temperatures about 40? C (104? Fahrenheit). Average temperatures are increasing all around the world and one of the many factors to contribute to this are airconditioners and the excessive amount of greenhouse gasses they produce. Including openable skylights into the roof of large store buildings and windows along the walls along with moderate ventilation to allow the exchange of air without the excessive output of full scale airconditioning are steps that might help to prevent much larger places in the world to develop conditions in which people feel they would be much more comfortable with airconditioners (with a significant portion of those places which are hot now becoming uninhabitable altogether).

DarkHououmon · **Reply #36 on:** May 25, 2009, 02:56:44 PM

A change in how the buildings are made could help reduce the amount of heat. I have heard of an idea this one guy had that involved creating buildings with organic roofs covered in grass. Naturally, areas covered in plants are cooler than urban areas. So a building with a grassy roof will be cooler than a traditional skyscraper.

Here's a clip about it: http://science.discovery.com/video/ecopoli...leId=3242231001

Noname · **Reply #37 on:** May 25, 2009, 04:01:32 PM

The big-box stores (like Wal-Mart) make the heat problem worse rather than better. Yes, people live in the Sahara and in tropical lands, of course... but, they generally don't have to put up with working in a place which makes the heat worse, and they don't have to work under constantly-shining lights. Wal-Marts aren't really ventilated well...

I know that Wal-Mart tried to gain a foothold in Germany and South Korea, but both ventures have failed. Still, they will likely keep expanding until... well, I don't know until when.

Malte279 · **Reply #38 on:** May 25, 2009, 04:29:06 PM

Quote

I have heard of an idea this one guy had that involved creating buildings with organic roofs covered in grass. Naturally, areas covered in plants are cooler than urban areas. So a building with a grassy roof will be cooler than a traditional skyscraper.

And it works

There are such stores over here which use earth and grass as a cover for their roofs and it makes a good isolation material protecting the interior of the store from too much heat from direct solar radiation in the summer while preventing the warmth from heating from escaping easily through the roof in winter. Souterrain rooms (such as the one I live in) are based on a similar principle (with the difference of the isolation based on surrounding earth being along the walls rather than on the roof).

DarkHououmon · **Reply #39 on:** May 25, 2009, 04:33:46 PM

I've also heard about refrigerators that use sound to cool items. Not sure if it'll become a big thing or not, but it won't create nearly as much pollution as traditional refrigerators and would last longer, from what I heard. This new refrigeration method could also be used to replace traditional air conditioning as well. I like the idea, although it may be costly at first.