# My Issue With "Walmart"



## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

RawLee said:


> I dont care if others want to live in suburbai. Just leave your car at homekay: I dont want to see and smell and hear it in my street.:banana:



What are you gonna do about it, especially to those city dwellers who own cars. Hehehe.:nuts: By the way when I visited the cities in Germany all I can smell was car fumes. I don't know about other countries and their regulations regarding car exhaust at least in the United States we have yearly smog check before we can get our cars registered, if it fails it is not legally allowed to be driven on US roads without proper documentation and without passing the smog test.


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## Zach759 (May 20, 2010)

This is stupid......just sayin

Somehow, I guess, this thread has made to be about suburbs Vs city...
Its all in a persons opinion...no argument...

And i have never seen any actual statistics or data regarding large supermarkets such as wal mart putting others out of business.


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

jbkayaker12 said:


> What are you gonna do about it, especially to those city dwellers who own cars. Hehehe.:nuts: By the way when I visited the cities in Germany all I can smell was car fumes. I don't know about other countries and their regulations regarding car exhaust at least in the United States we have yearly smog check before we can get our cars registered, if it fails it is not legally allowed to be driven on US roads without proper documentation and without passing the smog test.


This is what is done about it:










This sign means you cant go faster than 10kms/h, and pedestrians have de facto priority anywhere on the road.


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## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

^^^^You do not make sense at all!!! hno: Pedestrians whether in the city or the suburbs should be given right of way especially in crosswalks. By the way, in the suburbs children play in the front yard, back yard and parks. If they happen to be be on the streets, drivers keep an eye on them and slow down all the time. In the United States, speed limits in school zones and everywhere else should be obeyed or risk the consequence.


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## Piltup Man (May 21, 2010)

I hear that speed limits are very low in the USA, generally speaking.


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## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

Piltup Man said:


> I hear that speed limits are very low in the USA, generally speaking.


This thread has been hijacked and should stick to the original post. I really don't care much whether people think the speed limit in the US is slow or too fast on the roadways. Back to the topic.


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## spongeg (May 1, 2006)

Zach759 said:


> This is stupid......just sayin
> 
> Somehow, I guess, this thread has made to be about suburbs Vs city...
> Its all in a persons opinion...no argument...
> ...


they put smaller businesses out of business or make it harder for small business - walmart has the power to make deals with suppliers so that walmart can get special models or packages - ie they often get special etxra DVD deals on movies... buy this movie get the special 2nd disc only at walmart - target gets those kind of deals too though

they can also make deals to become the only distributor of such and such but home depot does that too - they can approach a manufacturer and make a deal that they are the only retailer to carry a certain product or brand

and if you own a store and go to the manufacturer and say you want to carry whatever it is and they say they only deal with walmart... and they can't deal with you - that can hurt a smaller business in that it just can't offer what customers might want

I've never noticed businesses go under but i live in a city and its apparently bad in smaller towns when walmart moves in

all large chains have the power to really make exclusive deals for products and in the long run it can affect other businesses not able to get stock but than it also forces them to change their offerings which can be win win too


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

Their pressure to be cheap also results in poor quality and offshoring, initially for them and then for anyone who wants to compete on price for certain product types. This is true of much of the big box retail world, but walmart is the worst. 

BTW, an article recently, I forget where (WSJ?), talked about stagnant sales recently for walmart. But they said "basic" clothing was doing ok. Specifically socks and "plus size apparel."


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## Zach759 (May 20, 2010)

like said no statistics. Never really seen a store go under due to a wal-mart move in.

I've always seen the same products at wal mart as in any other stores.Wal mart is only cheaper in some ways...say their generic brand, but every store has its own generic brand.
The small stores make business by selling specialty items, if they sell what wal mart is selling than odds are it is going to be the same price, but they have the convience factor.

And - I really like Wal mart.... & Sams Club. Target is just plain expensive.


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

I'm not going to look up statistics for you. But it's certainly an obvious point to anyone with a business, economics, or city planning background (who's being honest). The pattern of walmart moving in and causing many closures is typical. Some say bordering on universal. It's also part of walmart's business plan.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

Zach759 said:


> like said no statistics. Never really seen a store go under due to a wal-mart move in.
> 
> I've always seen the same products at wal mart as in any other stores.Wal mart is only cheaper in some ways...say their generic brand, but every store has its own generic brand.
> The small stores make business by selling specialty items, if they sell what wal mart is selling than odds are it is going to be the same price, but they have the convience factor.
> ...


Target is expensive in the USA...?

Fark... here in Australia it's dirt cheap. Maybe that's because we've been spared the wrath of Walmart thus far.


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## pesto (Jun 29, 2009)

Target is more expensive than Walmart but in general has higher quality clothing and other items. They are hardly "expensive" in an absolute sense.


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## weava (Sep 8, 2007)

Zach759 said:


> Target is just plain expensive.


their prices are nearly identical, but target is way less white trash


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## Dahlis (Aug 29, 2008)

pesto said:


> Target is more expensive than Walmart but in general has higher quality clothing and other items. They are hardly "expensive" in an absolute sense.


Who in their right mind would buy clothes in a supermarket anyway?


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

And who would buy the "special" versions of the brands walmart sells, like cheapified Levis?


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## pesto (Jun 29, 2009)

Well, you can argue about quality but you can't argue about success. Walmart sells about $1/2 trillion per year and Target is number 2. 

I'm not sure about their clothing revenues but I'm going to guess they're higher than Balmain and Balenciaga combined.


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

Higher than two companies I've never heard of? Impressive! Just being a smartass of course. 

Yes, a lot of people will buy the worst crap imaginable if they think they're getting a deal. Middle America loves America except when it comes to offshoring their retail dollars and so on.


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## pesto (Jun 29, 2009)

mhays said:


> Higher than two companies I've never heard of? Impressive! Just being a smartass of course.
> 
> Yes, a lot of people will buy the worst crap imaginable if they think they're getting a deal. Middle America loves America except when it comes to offshoring their retail dollars and so on.


Me, a smartass? Well, could be. 

But the only point was that Walmart (and Target) are not aiming at the luxury market so it doesn't make much sense to criticize them for quality unless you mean even at their price level they have bad qualilty. In any event, their marketing teams will determine what works and will adjust.


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

I meant that I was being a smartass. 

From what I understand, walmart's quality is bad even at their prices. Poor materials, poorly put together, and not similar to what's typical for the same brands at other stores. And mostly shipped from low quality foreign sweatshops.


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## pesto (Jun 29, 2009)

From my quick observations, I can't disagree. Target is better. But there are all kinds of markets out there and maybe they can money near the bottom. Depends on how well you judge the consumer.


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## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

I shop at Walmart, Target, Kmart the rest of the big box retailers. I don't shop at Walmart all the time simply because it has lower prices. I go to all the other stores with the same frequency as I do at Walmart. I buy products that area made in the USA as much as products that are manufactured elsewhere. I don't mind having a Walmart nearby.


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## Rev Stickleback (Jun 23, 2009)

Zach759 said:


> This is stupid......just sayin
> 
> Somehow, I guess, this thread has made to be about suburbs Vs city...
> Its all in a persons opinion...no argument...
> ...


I would guess it's more the impact of large out-of-town outlets on city centres. Just as markets get a collective benefit from customers browsing stall-to-stall, the passing trade is an important part of a city centre shop's custom. As more go out of town to shop, their business descreases.


Low quality clothing isn't a huge issue for a lot of people. Some people just would rather buy three £5 shirts rather than one £15 one. The £15 one might be better made and last longer, but they'd have to wear the £15 one three times as often.

People just have a crowbar of separation between they stuf they have for when they want to look good, and stuff they wear most of the time, which only has to look reasonable.


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

Well I've defended big box retail on principal, but I will admit I think walmart stores blow. Paradoxically, despite the size of your typical walmart store, I have walked out of one for the third time straight without finding what I needed just the other day. They seem have a terrible selection of merchandise, IMO.

I needed to buy some cheap khaki colored slacks for a part time job. Okay..so does walmart have any, at all? Nope. They had some grayish men's dress pants that had a stupid looking waist, and that's it. I want to buy some asian style noodles in the grocery section. Do they have some? Yet again, not really. 

Now, if I wanted to buy a 5 gallon tub of nacho cheese, some red XXXL t-shirts to start a new street gang, and a $29 DVD player, man, wally world would be my go-to place.

These stores are huge, what gives? A nicer mainstream grocery retailer like a Safeway or Krogers that is a third the size has better food selection, and a discount/middling place like Kohls or Bealls has more clothing. And, like most people in the year 2010, I buy electronics and things like that online almost exclusively. If it doesn't have to be tried on or it won't go bad, as I always say.

I do shop at big box stores a lot, but there's just not good reason to go to the wm, and the fact that there isn't one close to me just compounds this decision.


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## weava (Sep 8, 2007)

zaphod said:


> Well I've defended big box retail on principal, but I will admit I think walmart stores blow. Paradoxically, despite the size of your typical walmart store, I have walked out of one for the third time straight without finding what I needed just the other day. They seem have a terrible selection of merchandise, IMO.
> 
> I needed to buy some cheap khaki colored slacks for a part time job. Okay..so does walmart have any, at all? Nope. They had some grayish men's dress pants that had a stupid looking waist, and that's it. I want to buy some asian style noodles in the grocery section. Do they have some? Yet again, not really.
> 
> ...


Who goes to walmart for clothing?? That was your first mistake. Also walmart doesn't sell 5 gallons of nacho cheese, maybe sams clubs would. There selection is just as good if not better than my local grocery store and walmarts prices are way better so I almost only shop at walmart for everyday items(toothpaste, extension cords, razors, etc) and food
I'm anti walmart for the way they treat their employees (worked at two different supercenters as summer jobs) and their suppliers(yet I still shop there since its cheaper), but you can't expect a store that thrives on high volume goods to have a specific type of dress sock. Thats why specialty stores like radio shack or exist.


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## hammersklavier (Jan 29, 2010)

Suburbanist said:


> ^^ Robert Moses is a personal hero of mine, the way he just trolled over any backward opposition to progress in NYC is remarkable! He shielded his avant-grade plans from political rife of the corrupt local administration of NYC and, borrowing money from the private market, build an amazing set of infrastructure works that is the backbone of NY's road transportation.


Except one...and she is _my_ personal hero.


weava said:


> Who goes to walmart for clothing?? That was your first mistake. Also walmart doesn't sell 5 gallons of nacho cheese, maybe sams clubs would. There selection is just as good if not better than my local grocery store and walmarts prices are way better so I almost only shop at walmart for everyday items(toothpaste, extension cords, razors, etc) and food
> I'm anti walmart for the way they treat their employees (worked at two different supercenters as summer jobs) and their suppliers(yet I still shop there since its cheaper), but you can't expect a store that thrives on high volume goods to have a specific type of dress sock. Thats why specialty stores like radio shack or exist.


Well Walmart has some pretty awesome T-shirts sometimes. I dunno--I usually don't go there by choice anymore, since I kinda prefer Target as my hypermarket, and Burlington Coat Factory, as my discount department store, of choice.

Still, Walmart's H Street proposal is pretty nice and I would like to see something like that become a new urban paradigm.

(This bad boy.)


>


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## wecantski (Feb 16, 2009)

i think some of their efforts to scale down for inner city lots arent too bad.as a previous poster alluded to many of the big box chains in the UK manage it quite successfully. I listened to an interesting podcast on this topic by JH Kunstler


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