Korean Job Discussion Forums

[igotthisguitar]

More Turning Away From Wal-Mart
By MARCUS KABEL, AP Business Writer

BERRYVILLE, Ark. - Nancy McShane used to spend $600 to $700 a month at Wal-Mart on everything from groceries to oil changes. Then in March she abruptly switched to other discount stores, upset over what her turkey-farming relatives saw as undue price pressure from the world's largest retailer.

McShane, a Springfield, Mo., housewife with children aged 11 and 12, is among what organized critics claim is a growing number of Americans turning against Wal-Mart amid allegations from unions and others that the company is bad for workers, the environment and communities.

"We cut off Wal-Mart cold turkey. Now I'm preaching it to other people," McShane said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051201/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_opinion;_ylt=AuJggicpLftk_nQLgEqqXggEtbAF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Bulsajo]

$600-$700 per month? At Walmart?
Shouldn't the title of that article have been "idiot works hard to become non-idiot"?
She seems to have gone from a "Walmart is the greatest store ever invented" stance to a "Walmart is the devil" one.

[canuckistan]

I've never liked those big box McStores. I know it's hard to compete with those prices, but when they move into a town they tend to mow down the mom-and-pop places that give a town its unique character/sense of community where the staff remember your name when you come in.

[hadeshorn]

Download the movie.

Walmart, the high cost of the low price.

Its a huge eye opener and very well put together.

www.walmartmovie.com

[Bulsajo]

I'm not doubting the insidiousness of Wal-Mart but this woman doesn't strike me as the best spokeperson, she doesn't seem to be running on an even keel.
If you want to pick apart Wal-Mart the OP has a pretty lame article.
That's all I'm saying.
I mean she was spending $600-$700 a month for chrissakes!
At Walmart!
Helloooo, McFly!

[Octavius Hite]

Radio-Canada did a big expose on Wal-Mart and child labour this week. It turns out that despite a coporate policy against child labour it is still happening, yet another reason to stay away from the b*stards!

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/11/30/walmartbangladesh051130.html

[bucheon bum]

on the flip-side, at least half of my employer's business comes from Wal-Mart. I'd wager close to 10% of the employees strictly focus on Wal-mart (10 or so workers). And we're just one small vendor.

[wannago]

[Tiger Beer]

Honestly speaking.. this has NOTHING to do with Wal-Mart being evil.

This MOM and POP store argument doesn't even make sense. Its the Federal government that zones everything to shit. Commercial residences over there, houses over here.. drive from one place to the other, etc., etc.

When people have to get in a car to drive somewhere, of course they are going to drive to a location (like a big store) and walk around properly.

Now if everything wasn't zoned to hell in places like American cities.. and people were allowed to have key kiosks, hot dog stands, corner outlets for basic things in suburban residential areas.. things would be a lot different. The laws aren't conducive to small businesses in the US.. the government discourages them strongly in fact. Look at health insurance being once again connected to large employee-based employers once again.

Look at Asian cities.. all kinds of people open up all kinds of businesses. In American cities.. everything is zoned to hell, store fronts are expensive with a 1000 codes.. zoned to specific areas raising the rents higher, etc., etc.

[bucheon bum]

I get what you're saying TB, but the USA is still a lot easier to start a company than nearly anywhere else in the world. Perhaps not in retail , but the USA is definitly one of the more liberal, open economies in the world for small business and entrepeneurs.

[hack]

I had never been to a Wal-Mart until last summer vacation. I live in Vancouver when I go back and the city is proud of the fact that it has managed to keep Wal-Mart out although there are stores in a few of the burbs like Surrey but no self respecting Vancouverite would be caught dead in Surrey. So when I went to a casino in the US not far from Seattle, I drove by a Wal-Mart on the same road.. After a few good rolls on the craps table, I thought, what the hell, I��m going to treat myself to some kind of electronics goody in Wal-Mart.
WHAT A FREAK SHOW!! I think I was the only adult in there who weighed less than 300 lbs. It was full of Washington state rednecks and a lot of people with a few missing teeth (folks from the UK would feel right at home). I swear I was almost run over a few times by people in those seniors�� scooters-except they weren��t seniors, but people in their 30s and 40s who were too damm fat to walk. I saw one boy who couldn��t have been more than 10 who had to weigh close to 300 lbs. It was like all the grossly obese people in Western Washington had made this their place to shop. And the most crowded part of the store? –the MacDonald��s in the back where it was bumper to bumper scooters lining up for their super sized platters.
I felt so conspicuous because I can barely tip 200 lbs soaking wet. The only normal weight people in there were the employees. I don��t know if this is typical of all Wal-Mart��s but if it is a store where American fatties feel at home, no wonder they are so popular.
I bought a 10 lb bag of M&Ms and left.

[RokofKangnam]

I know that store ! It's real close to BC and gets the majority of its' customers from Canadians crossing the border to buy things cheaper (something about cheese tax ???).

Really depends on the neighborhood. Some Wal Marts are downright scary (like the one above), and others are just a little better.

Wal-Mart isn't run by the devil, but pretty darn close.

[igotthisguitar]

Frankly i've in the past only rarely supported WAL-MART with my patronage. Having recently heard that employees in the retail chain's photo-shop area are now being encouraged to report any pictures of pot plants, smoking paraphenelia etc to their supervisors i'll in the future be doubly sure not to enter their hallowed enterprise.

Woe upon ye dirty little weasel snitches

[EFLtrainer]

[Bulsajo]

Sometimes I shop at Wal-Mart. There very few small speciality stores for me to support in my urban corner of Canada these days, the major exception to this being a couple of small independent music stores run by people who actually know what music is.
Wal-Mart is only one of many devils I dance with, and they're not even number 1 on my "I hate you, you big corporate bastards!" list.
That honour is reserved for Rogers cable/internet/phone, AKA 'Those who shall be first against the wall when the revolution comes, brothers!'
Next would be my bank.
When was the last time anyone was able to bank with a "mom n' pop" bank?
I have no idea, so I don't know if things were better in 'the good old days'.

So yeah, sometimes it's Wal-Mart, and if not Wal-Mart then it's Zellers, the Bay, Giant Tiger, Sears, Home Depot, Staples Business Depot, Toy R' Us, Future Shop/Best Buy, etc.
But spending 600-700 dollars a month at Wal-mart? Do even Scientologists or Moonies give that much to the church each month?
I'd have a hard time spending 600-700 a month anywhere!

Korea was pretty cool for all of its hole-in-the-wall, mom n' pop stores, restaurants etc. and they were even more impressive when you bear in mind that it's also the home of chaebol giants.