Solid Snake Hates: Walmart

Cpayne -- Just to clarify, you'd be fine if Wal-Mart bought the E-Cow (plus some, but in that area) lot and put up a Wal-Mart?

The intangible effect Walmart has is the one that really bothers me.

Cities and towns lose their culture and feel when a corporate store takes over the local market. The small mom and pop places go out of business, taking away years of tradition from the place.

Its sad IMO to lose that. I love mom and pop places, so for that reason I really dont like Walmart. Thats why I dont feel bad spending the extra buck going to independently owned stores.

I dont buy the whole jobs argument though. Financially speaking they have the right to do whatever they want. Plus their services are convenient for all. As long as there isnt some sort of hike in Walmart prices after small businesses are run out of town. Predatory pricing is effed up.

The intangible effect Walmart has is the one that really bothers me.

Cities and towns lose their culture and feel when a corporate store takes over the local market. The small mom and pop places go out of business, taking away years of tradition from the place.

Its sad IMO to lose that. I love mom and pop places, so for that reason I really dont like Walmart. Thats why I dont feel bad spending the extra buck going to independently owned stores.

I dont buy the whole jobs argument though. Financially speaking they have the right to do whatever they want. Plus their services are convenient for all. As long as there isnt some sort of hike in Walmart prices after small businesses are run out of town. Predatory pricing is effed up.

Great post. I feel the exact same way. I hate Walmart on so many levels.

Cpayne -- Just to clarify, you'd be fine if Wal-Mart bought the E-Cow (plus some, but in that area) lot and put up a Wal-Mart?

Sure, why not? It's not my land, so I have no say in it.

You guys are too emotional to cut it in the business world. Fearing change. Getting attached to communities, cultures, mom & pop stores, blah blah blah.

It's business. A lower price fills a big consumer need. Walmart does things a lot more efficiently. That simple.

They can treat their employees like dirt because their employees are cashiers, stockroom workers and greeters, they're easily replaced. You don't exactly need a Harvard degree to get a job at Wal-Mart. They give people jobs, they give people lower prices, and they don't focus on service.

Who the hell needs good customer service when shopping for a T-shirt or a frozen pizza, anyway?

You guys are too emotional to cut it in the business world. Fearing change. Getting attached to communities, cultures, mom & pop stores, blah blah blah.

It's business. A lower price fills a big consumer need. Walmart does things a lot more efficiently. That simple.

They can treat their employees like dirt because their employees are cashiers, stockroom workers and greeters, they're easily replaced. You don't exactly need a Harvard degree to get a job at Wal-Mart. They give people jobs, they give people lower prices, and they don't focus on service.

Who the hell needs good customer service when shopping for a T-shirt or a frozen pizza, anyway?


Exactly I don't for those items but in other departments it is nice to have a friendly knowledgeable person to help you. Like in camping, electroincis, auto, home improvement, the garden shop, etc...

Maybe I worked in the hotel industry to long but I value good service above a cheap price. Good service/ advise can actually save you money. I love to have someone who is honestly steering me towards a good product that I won't have to replace in a couple years because I went with the weaker product cause I knew no better.

Exactly I don't for those items but in other departments it is nice to have a friendly knowledgeable person to help you. Like in camping, electroincis, auto, home improvement, the garden shop, etc...

Maybe I worked in the hotel industry to long but I value good service above a cheap price. Good service/ advise can actually save you money. I love to have someone who is honestly steering me towards a good product that I won't have to replace in a couple years because I went with the weaker product cause I knew no better.

Heck that's what you get here from all your friendly neighborhood WP'ers!

Heck that's what you get here from all your friendly neighborhood WP'ers!

I like Schneed and i generally agree with him, but i feel like if WM treated the workers better they would attract better workers.

But he is right, you dont need people skills or anything to work there. And he's right about the business world too. But in a sense, that is wrong, because many people like myself take pride in tradition and family businesses and the like, are part of our lives.

Case in point, Walmart is selling cars in Texas. True story. My family, as some of you know, have operated a car dealership for close to 30 years. It's gave us everything we have. If Walmart started selling cars here, we would be out of business in no time...

I like Schneed and i generally agree with him, but i feel like if WM treated the workers better they would attract better workers.

But he is right, you dont need people skills or anything to work there. And he's right about the business world too. But in a sense, that is wrong, because many people like myself take pride in tradition and family businesses and the like, are part of our lives.

Case in point, Walmart is selling cars in Texas. True story. My family, as some of you know, have operated a car dealership for close to 30 years. It's gave us everything we have. If Walmart started selling cars here, we would be out of business in no time...

They have a word for that Carmax.

They have a word for that Carmax.

It would be funny if they really are the same company. Thing is, they rip people off just as bad.

Dealerships as a whole are shady, but Carmax straight up robs fools. My friend Evan bought a car out of the valley trader last year, and was stuck with his old one, so feeling that he had nothing to lose, sold it to carmax because he wanted the cash.

It was a 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup. They gave him only 1,200 dollars for it. It had a Kelly Blue Book value of almost 8500 at "Fair" condition....Heck "Poor" was almost 5,000.

Guarantee you they took that same pickup and put it out on the lot for probably 12,000.