Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

At this other forum I go to, everyone is always saying that Walmart is evil. Here is an article about it. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
I haven't had time to read all of the article yet, but I was wondering what you guys think. I go to Walmart all the time because there is one like five minutes from my house. I'll vote once I have the chance to read the whole article.

Wal-Mart is so thoroughly capitalistic, it is the embodiment of everything American economics is about. That is why it is evil. How's that for irony?

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There's a Wal mart two minutes away from my house. It is quite conveinient, so I say Wal mart is good. I heard that they named a city USA so they could put made in USA on one of their products.

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Urban legend.

For those of you who think Wal-Mart is all roses and sunshine and whistling yellow smiley-faces, try Wikipedia.

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Yeah, I've worked at 4 Wal-Marts in my life.

And I really didn't like it any tme. They fired me from the last one. I'll show you profanity, motherf...nevermind.

I like how this is a black and white issue, much like the "Bush: Good or Bad?" thread.

The color gray exists, people. Chew on that for a while.

Oh, and I don't really like Wal-Mart, but I'm far from believing it was founded by Satan.

Ever heard of a joke, dude?

Walmart IS evil, BTW, if you talk to people who used to work there, or people who were denied jobs because of disability. Or, in my friend's case, fired because they put her in the gardening dept. where she couldn't work due to allergies, and instead of reassigning her, they let her go.

I'll admit that I'm a hypocrite; when I live in TN, I shop there because it's close to where I work, and it has the cheapest gas in town. But with where I live in Richmond, Target and K-Mart are much closer (not that they're much better), so I go to those places.

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Teh Devil, Sam Walton, whatever.

I guess after reading some stuff, I'll have to say that Walmart is evil. But I'm still going to shop there.

Yeah, I guess he could be Satan. look at the resemblance.

Wal-Mart....I refuse to shop there, and I'll pay an extra dollar for something, just as long as some slave-driving manager doesn't get it. DEATH TO WALMART!!! But not to the hardworking old people and foreigners that work there...just the admin.

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Well, I shop there, just because it's usually cheaper than the other places in town. I don't buy into the "WAL-MART KILLED THE SMALL BUSINESS!" thing. Wal-Mart was a small business when it started, and they made some good decisions, which, along with some "dirty" tactics that led them to be where they are today. There are a couple of small shops in town that have actually benefited from WalMart. They have done it by offering things WalMart doesn't and by offering better things than walmart.
A lot of the things you hear about WalMart are not true. They don't force you to work off the clock, you're not forced to kill mice with hammers, women are not paid less than men, they don't pay minimun wage, and they actually have better benefits that most companies (the pay kinda stinks, although, in this area, it's usually dollars more per hour than the other jobs).

With that said, YES, THEY ARE EVIL! We're talking "bowels of Hades" quality evil. They purposely understaff the stores, they usually hire the most immature butt-kissers for management, and they really don't have respect for the religion or personal lives of their employees. Almost anything that is done is done to suck up to district and regional supervisors, so that store management qualifies for their bonuses.

I've worked in the retail stuff, and I've worked "behind the scenes", with set-up and repack crews. I know a lot of what's going on. If you want to know anything, just ask me. I'll either give you the info or put you in contact with someone who can...

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

Walmart Movie

Walmart is bad for all buisness; small, big, whatever. They press for their suppliers for cheaper prices than it gives other competitors. And they go through so much inventory that they get it. It is impossible for anyone to compete. My Brother-in-law owns a small candy supply company. He can actually get his Hershy's Chocolate cheaper at Sam's Club than direct from Hershy. Tell me thats not messed up. My Wifes dad had to close down his photography shop he ran for 35 years because people wouldn't pay an extra buck for prints that were twice the quality that you can get at Walmart. The funny thing is, is that you really don't save all that much. Sure they got cheap stuff, but My wife and I shop at a Neighborhood market here and their produce is almost always just as cheap if not cheaper than Walmart, and Walmarts produce is always CRAP!

Walmart is an awful coorporation and you should avoid shopping there at all costs...(great pun eh?)

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you guys gotta recall something, wal-mart used to be a small shop somewhere in the US a few ten of years ago. and they got big by being the best. as humans u think that anything run by a man who is richer than you, or smarter is evil. thats why everyone thinks bill gates is evil, but u know what? he's the richest man in the world, and u know what hes doing with 99% percent of his money? giving it to charity. wal-mart is a great superstore that benfits the community, saves us all a little money, and opens up jobs for people. those idiots up there in canada who made a force to bring down the recently opend Wal-Mart in there community. u guys really need to watch southpark, even though its all freakin funny and everything, theres a strong political point in it. like in the Wal-mart one, they find out that the source of wal-marts eleged 'Evil' is the customers who shop there. then they burn down the wal-mart and go to the local store, and eventually, it grows to be as big as wal-mart, and they end up burning it down again. also that 'Harbucks' coffee one, starbucks coffee became a huge corperation by being the best, because they were once a little coffee shop in a small town in the US, all in all, wal-mart isnt evil, just a huge corperation who cares about the community. and neither is bill gates, or starbucks, or gene hackman, but thats ur opinion.

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The reason Walmart is bad, is not because they have a bijillion dollars, its because they are not ethical, and are interrested in making money at the communities expense, and their employees expense.

As far as helping the community, that is dead wrong. They monopolize a community by offering products at prices that other buisnesses cannot compete with. This is not fair. They also employ the bottom of the barrell as far as the majority of their work force goes (the unskilled workers), where as small stores look for quality kids and students to fill their needs. Walmart has brainwashed you if you actually think they give a hootn' holler about you or your community, its all marketing.

Did you know they will not price match their own stores...??

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"Not fair"... HAHAHA Survival of the fittest, my friend. Right or wrong, that's what it is, pure and simple. Life IS NOT fair. I'm not going to debate whether or not it should be, cus I don't know..

"Bottom of the barrel"- I take offense to that. I'm far from bottom of the barrel. Of course, I don't work there anymore, either. When I was an undergrad, I worked at Wal-Mart with plenty of undergrads (most of my shift was college students). My stint with Store Planning gave me a wider variety of people to work with (and supervise). There weren't many college students, because there aren't many college students in this area, and I didn't work with a lot of high school students because the nature of our work required that the workers be over 18 (OSHA laws about power equipment)

As for not giving to community, have you ever heard of the WalMart Foundation? Howsabouts Children's Miracle Network? Howsabouts all the other charities WalMart gives to? The last store I worked in gave away about $50,000 to various community charities last year. Granted, they did about $60 million in sales last year, so 50 grand isn't too much. But with their operating expenses (budgeting for remodel ate up a huge chunk) and such, 50 grand was better than nothing.

When it comes to price matching, you're right. They don't match their own stores. Each store prices their stuff more or less individually, based on their competition in that area. If Store A matched Store B's prices, they would, in effect, be competing with all the stores in Store B's area, as well as directly competing with Store B.. That doesn't make a lot of sense. I know a lot of people are upset about WalMart "selectively" matching prices, but price matching isn't mandated by law, and a lot of the "mom and pop" stores that are supposedly being run out of business by WalMart don't do it (and didn't do it before WalMart, either)..
Some stores actually benefit from WalMart. There is a clothing and shoe store where I buy most of my clothes that praises WalMart. His competition chose not to compete, and folded, leaving him as the only store that sold quality clothing and provided one-on-one service in the area. His prices are a bit higher than I would find in a mall, but with gas prices, I still end up spending less (because driving to the mall is a 2 hour drive).

Ok, so this post wasn't to say that WalMart is the greatest company on earth. I still hate them, but you should get your facts right... WalMart is capitalism, survival of the fittest. That's not good, it's not bad, either.. It just is.

Cheesy attempt at humor: Are the WalMart stores that are about to open in China going to sell cheaply made American products?

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

I honestly don't know what to think.
I do think that Sam would be disgusted.

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Don't you just love these friggn' long posts?



Actually, I have my facts quite correct. I am a vendor for a company, and I have the misfortune of visiting two Walmarts every morning, so I do have quite a bit of info on how they do "buisness". Survival of the fittest is hardly what this is about. The American way is that anyone can, with hard work and determination, make a buisness work. Well, Wallyworld uses its massive buying power as leverage to pressure distributers for lower prices. This should be against the law. However, nothing gets done about it because all the city sees is the tax dollars from the "supercenter". And all the while smaller stores are continually pushed out of buisness. I know life isn't fair, but their comes a time when you draw the line. 50,000 bucks is pennys to Walmart. They use silly little charity program to put on a friendly front, while they gut a community from the inside out.

I recognize that there are some quality people that do work at Walmart, but you have to admit, that a lot of them are people who can't get a job somewhere else... probably due to tatoos up and down their arms and a face full of metal. This may not be the case where you live, but it sure is where I live. And like I said this is only the case with the unskilled guys (stockers and such).

As far as the price matching goes, heres the way I see it. Price matching is a gimmick for large companies to get as many shoppers in their store as possible. Many of them will offer common, inexpensive products at a price below their cost, cause they know that if they can lure people in with cheap prices, they will pick up the rest of their stuff there too. So are they concerned with giving you good deal? NO! They just want you to go to their store. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if Walton Fortune could be split six ways, and every person with a take is still on the top ten richest people in the world, Walmart is not concerned about giving you the lowest price possible. Anywho, back to the price match, I could understand not wanting to compete with other stores, exept that they are owned by the same people! Its not like they are locally owned and opperated like a restraunt franchise or something like that. X amout of dollars spent at either store goes to corporate (taxes my differ a tiny bit, negligable differences there though). It is not based on competition with each other, it is based on getting the most money out of YOU!. Of course Mom and Pop stores never price match, they aren't in buisness to get rid of their competition (unlike Walyworld), they are in buisness to make a living. They are a part of the community, they are your friend, or family member. Just like any other small company in the area, trying to make a living. Some do well, others survive, others fail. But this is usually due to inability, rather than impossibility.

I am glad that your friend has made it and profited from a Walmart... he can count himself in the vast minority.

I personaly do not think that Walmart thrives on capitalism, my opinion is that they thrive on a pressured monopoly. I wonder what would happen if people stopped shopping where they could save a buck, and started shopping where they got good quality, and personal service... I bet it would make a bigger difference than you would guess.

btw, the Walmart in China joke was very funny, Ill have to remember it.

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oi, this is why i hate liberals, your all so focussed on the bad things in the corperation! look at what is good! if walmart didnt donate 50 grand to a charity for curing cancer, a little boy in iowa would be dead right now! so bassically if u think that because they are just trying to give a nicer look to themselves, they arent, they do provide alot great things to people. but i rest, i only go to walmart for the electronics department, and some times Toys,(i usually go for those joystick system things). but everyone should be reading Michale Savages books, once again, i say we are living in a world run by liberals. and liberals, i hate, you liberal

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HAHAHA!!! That was great... I'm the most conservative person alive! I listen to Savage (I assume that when you wrote Michale Savage you meant Michael Savage) on my way home every day! I have no problem with corperations, and although I do not affiliate myself with any party, I definatly agree with the repubs more than the mentally ill democrats. Walmart is not a person, it is the great ***** of Babylon. You didn't even attempt to address the issues that I brought up. Walmart does not care, they give tolken payments to charities. You can not chose to accept this, that is your right, but you will be wrong.

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Yes, it is pennies to WalMart, but they gave SOMETHING! A lot of companies don't even do that much, and the $50,000 doesn't count funds raised from the Golf Scramble, Relay for Life, the funding drive for the Senior Citizen center, etc, etc. That 50 grand was just out of the store's profit sharing pool..

Unless you work third shift, WalMart won't hire you with any piercings other than ears, and forget about most visible tattoos. The dress code forbids facial piercings, most visible tattoos, and a lot of other fun stuff..

That is VERY true.. You are, like, 1300% correct there. The same can be said for pretty much ever SALE that has ever existed, though (save "Clearance" sales)..

One REALLY good way to make a living is to out do your competition. If you outdo them enough, they lose, you win.. It's just a good business idea. Maximize your profit. Keep your shareholders (or employees or family members, or whatever rich)
That's just life.. And it is not impossible to compete and survive.. You just have to be good at what you do.. Offer something WalMart doesn't, and you're set. It's not as hard as anti-WalMart people would have you believe.

I am glad that your friend has made it and profited from a Walmart... he can count himself in the vast minority.

Yeah, it would make a big difference, but who's gonna spend more of their hard earned money than they have to? I mean, if I can save 15-20% of my grocery budget buying the same things at WalMart that I would buy at the corner market, I'm going to. My money wasn't easy to come by...
As for Monopoly, I think that it is the inevitable result of capitalism.. The cream rises to the top and swallows up everything in its way. What happens afterwards is the scary part. After WalMart eliminates EVERYTHING not WalMart, are they gonna charge incredibly high prices because they can? I hope not..

Like I've said. I'm not a big fan of WalMart or other "Big Box" stores, but from a rationally thinking economic (well, thinking about MY economics, meaning my checking account) standpoint, I continue to shop there. I gotta squeeze every penny I can (I don't worry about having enough money to pay bills or anything, but perhaps I'm living beyond my means a bit..).

Glad you liked it. My supervisor in Store Planning said that to me.. He was one of those starched shirts from Arkansas.. He wasn't really wanting to expand too far internationally, but I guess that goes without saying.

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

If that happens, the federal government will come a knocking with a nice Anti-Trust suit. If that happens, expect Wal-Mart to be ravaged like AT&T was back in the 1980's.

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Yep.. Tha Man always be tryin' to playa hate. LOL [/ghetto capitalist]
Yeah, I expect that the government will stop WalMart from being the MONSTER people make it out to be. How that's gonna happen, though, is anyone's guess.. It'll either be through Anti-Trust suits, or a certain President declaring war on Arkansas.

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

Money to charity, It is better than nothing, but I really do think that they do not do it for the cause, they have really struggled with a self issue thing for a few years now. Anyway, when It comes down to it, I can't say for sure what ther true intent was, but thats what I think anyway.

As far as the peircings and such go, that is not the way the walmarts here are run. Like I said, Im in there daily. But the most extreem guys are the grave... so that makes some sense.



But lets say the way you out-did your competition is by unethically getting your product at a discounted price... that is what I mean. I have no problem with getting ahead by being smart and working hard, it's the ethics of how you do it that need to be addressed.



Exactly, we roll over and conceed the victory to walmart and specialize in exotic toenail clippers. Seriously, the only thing that you can offer these days that is not offered by big-box stores is quality, and people aren't interested in that these days, rather they want it at Walmart prices, which isn't possible much of the time. Like I said in my first post, my Father-in-law owned a photography store for 35 years, and offered very good prices and unmatched quality and service. He finally took on a second job to try and save his buisness, but it finally came down to the people he had given that great service, quality, and value quit coming cause they could get their photo prints for a buck cheaper at walmart... It just isn't right, imo.

I am a student, I also work two jobs, and have a wife and son. My wife doesn't work outside the home, and believe me, things are tight, but I take pride in that my hard earned dollars go toward buisnesses that I can support with a peace of mind. We still go to big box stores for lots of stuff, but mostly because there are no longer small buisnesses that offer the same stuff. We shop for our grocerys at an Associated Food Store, who incidently has mostly as good if not better prices than the walmart produce. I guess it is just how you look at it.

I can admit though that you have some good points, all Im trying to say is that Walmart is not a good thing for communities, and my hope is, is that they get called on the carpet for some of their unethical buisness and start playing nice.

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Well as of now there is only one true monopoly, that is the De Beers Diamond company. De Beers controls 96% percent of the worlds diamond sale. That figure makes Wal-Mart look like a lemonade stand.

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Unless you look at money brought in... De Beers might start looking into offering "sam's choice" cubic zarconiums befor too long yeah, I have no idea how to spell cubic zarconium...

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Yeah but Diamond have a better shelf-life than Cubic Zirconiums

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Here's something I don't understand about Wal-mart: I know they want to have the cheapest prices on everything, but why do they sell video games for $49.84? Do you really think anyone's going to care about saving 15 cents on a fifty dollar game?

Just an example of an item that is not at an every day low price

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Watch it. I mean it.

Protesting against something that goes against your personal beliefs doesn't make you an idiot.

And even if you think someone is an idiot, don't use that word. Especially not in a context where it could insult someone from a particular country.

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