Wal-Mart: Good or Evil?

[EnzJon]

I searched and couldn't find anything like this...

Many people disagree about whether Wal-Mart is a "good" or "bad" store. I personally think that it's bad. You don't need all of those things in one place; it puts the everyday stores out of business. Sometimes the local hardware store or fruit market has better things to choose from than a "superstore". What does everyone else think?

[James Cizuz]

Wal-mart has been known to use labor camps in different countries to get stuff for cheaper. When you pay someone 1$ a day or less(not joking) you can make huge profits off the suffering of others.

Other then that they pay the people who work in stores bare minimum for the work they do. Which results in bad service. They do not hire people who know the field, I HATE going in the electronics section and asking a question. It becomes a scene of them trying to find a simple answer like, what is the clock speed of this ram? Whats it rated 3200 4200 or 5300? Holy crap, thats why I never shop there.

I'd rather pay more just knowing some 7 year old did not make it, and get good service myself.

I live in Canada so it's not bad with other races. It's not that bad of service, unless you are looking for something specific. I laughed when I went into the electronics department a few days ago and was just looking for a wire. They had a few WII controllers in, which I also needed asked to get a controller behind the glass for the WII she asks me "Whats a WII?" "uhm it's a gaming console from nintendo" then I get something I had to laugh at her for "Whats nintendo" 2 miniutes later I explained and showed her what I wanted. She was about 65 working in the electronics department, no offense but the last year you would of had MILLIONS of questions on nintendo, and the WII how could you not know? Even if you just started... omfg does she have grandkids? Or watch tv?

[VampyreLord]

I've just had to delete half the posts here...

Seriously guys, you know the score. Don't post one liners.

[*kaname*]

Walmart and the Walmart-effect is a "two-edged sword". If I remember correctly, the poverty-rate in the neighborhood of the Walmart-superstore grows. But the wealth in the more distant places around the Walmart-store increases. So finally you've got two circles around the store - a poor one and a rich one.
But please correct me ^^.

I don't like it. It reminds me of legalized exploitation.

[Liete87]

Wal-Mart is a blessing to all americans. Labor unions may cry and moan, but all there whining doesn't change the fact that Wal-Mart is the best and by far the cheapest place to get all your day to day goods. Without it you would have to go to 4 or 5 different stores just to get the things you probably pick up in one trip to walmart.

Maybe they do use slave labor and pay chinese a penny an hour, but its still beneficial to the american econemy as it allows even the poorest people to get day to day goods at exceptionally low prices.

[malfuncti0n]

Walmart lasts and prospers because it gives the majority of people what they want, cheap prices and a wide selection. It runs its competators out of buisness for the same such reasones, it is social darwinism in full effect if you ask me. The strong last the weak die, thats buisness people. Competition is a nessecity.

Regardless of all that, personally i do not go to walmart as it is always to overcrowded for my taste and i hate just having to find parking alone there.

[Sushi]

wal-mart offers cheap goods to consumers in America, but those cheap goods are the cause of much distress in other countries (say China). Everything in wal-mart comes from China, and the Chinese are paid little for their efforts. The Wal-mart company will do whatever it takes to get cheap goods. There was a report on the news recently of a wal-mart factory in China being inspected. Inside the factory the found poor conditions for workers, and even children laboring.

As for it's effect on local buisiness, if a wal-mart moves in, theres not much you can do. If a hardware shop sells a shovel for 20 dollars, and a wal-mart sells it for 10, even a devoted customer will leave the local hardware shop to get the cheaper product. It's just how buisiness works.

[Sub.Shinigami]

how can a super huge store that contains products of cheap value and every day necesities possibly bad. It's great. Yes, now you know, go, go, go shop shop shop shopshopshoshsophsposhopsh.


you know you want to!

[KingKong]

Didn't you see Southpark?! :biggrinlo

It's quite simple: the retailer (Wal-Mart) has more and more power.
One effect is that they oblige suppliers to conform to certain standards, eg placing mini tags (miniature RFID chips) on every product.
A very bad effect is for instance that farmers, ie the people who actually grow the food we eat, get less money for their products. Their bargaining power is very little compared to a the massive organisation.

Cheap isn't always good.

For instance, buy the cheapest bananas, the cheapest coffee or the cheapest chocolate and you can be certain somebody in the chain is duped. Most likely a field worker with a family of his own.

[granamonkey]

Maybe they do use slave labor and pay chinese a penny an hour, but its still beneficial to the american econemy as it allows even the poorest people to get day to day goods at exceptionally low prices.

way to only think about America. Make the American poor people be able to afford stuff at the expense of another poor person in another country? That doesn't seem right.


I think that its "bad". I don't like the store, I don't like what they have (even the food), and they do use pretty bad ways to get their goods. I like supporting my local shops, they're much cooler and nicer than Wal-mart stores.

[DarkSlayer]

While Wal-mart may be convenient, it drives other local Mom and Pop stores out of business, and it forces other distributers/providers to conform to their prices (As stated above). They also pay their workers less than they should, and they borrow money from towns to put up their stores, but when the time comes to repay that loan, they pack up and leave an empty building with an empty lot and unpaid bills.

A few of my friends work for Wal-mart and the complaining never ends when I talk to them...and I've seen a few of them at work...they've got incredible people skills, but since work pressures them so much and they get treated so poorly, they treat the customers like dirt out of frustration.

Wal-mart needs to ease up on their providers and pay their employees more.

My name is Byakuya87 and I approve this ad. :lol

[Ichigo7130]

walmart is a good stor efor low-income familys in the "middle class" , however i personally think by them paying less / using poor"er" countrys to make their items is lame and lazy this is also what is bringing americas economy down we don't export enough good things " made in USA."

thxs for listening =]

[Manchester Black]

WalMart is good in my opinion. Especially with gas prices as high as they are (there's a connection I promise). WalMart sells products at cheaper prices, for the same quality as other stores. That's not being mean and horrible, that's democracy. It only makes sense to shop at a place like that.

I know some people that work at WalMart and they do complain about it a lot. Not to sound harsh or anything, but that's not really my problem. Workers might have it tought there, but they choose to work there. For consumers, WalMart is a plus, plain and simple. Now anyway about the gas.....If I have a list of unrelated things I need to go out and buy, I don't feel like taking and entire day off having to drive to and from five different stores, when I can just go to WalMart in one trip and save the time and gas.

A few complaints I do have about WalMart:
- It's very crowded all the time, and I dislike crowded places.
- They have twenty registers, but only about three are ever open, causing large lines....why have all those registers if they're just going to sit there?
- The slowest workers are always working the express registers.

[Evanesque]

I remember watching a Pen & Teller Bullsh*t episode regarding this topic.

I haven't yet found a credible reason for Walmart being bad.
Every organisation has competition - big or small. We can't point a finger at one particular successful business just because others can't profit.

If Walmart can find a way to provide cheap products, then so can these businesses. They have to step up if they want to remain in the field. As far I know, Walmart is a blessing for middle or lower class families. It gives them an opportunity to shop like every other well-off person.

Don't start about third world countries being paid less. I come from a third world country, ie, Bangladesh and what my people receive from foreign countries is actually a lot more than our own f*cked up government can offer to them.

These people working in factories, come from various sectors of the country, most possessing no reading/writing skills, received very little or no education, whatsoever. If it wasn't for Walmart and other businesses investing in our countries, these people would've simply starved on the streets along with their families. It gives them a chance to work and stand on their own feet to support their families, also greatly reduces risks of them turning to criminality. It saves them from begging as well.

If you speak about the working conditions of these factories, blame the country itself rather than the one investing. If you say third world people are being slaved away in factories, paid less, have work overload, etc, then go blast the owner of the factory. These problems are caused to our people, within our country, by our own people. Corruption is quite widespread there. Truth is the factory manager would be taking the greater share in the deal and paying his employees less.

In our country, really poor people have no power to say anything against such acts because they appreciate the little they can get. It's better than nothing, and they know if they lose this job, it's going to be damn hard to get another one since he has poor qualifications. He can't afford to sit at home or rest. Many of them even voluntarily choose to work without holidays in bid to receive a little extra income.

That's pretty much what I wanted to get across regarding my country associated with this and similar issues.

I'd like to read a proper and strong reason on why Walmart and similar businesses are bad :)

[VampyreLord]

how can a super huge store that contains products of cheap value and every day necesities possibly bad. It's great. Yes, now you know, go, go, go shop shop shop shopshopshoshsophsposhopsh.


you know you want to!

The high cost of low price, my friend.

Workers at Wal-mart stores and factories are paid next to nothing and are cruelly exploited. Wal-Mart drives rival small businesses out, creating inner city ghost towns, and it's lax environmental policy has damaged water supplies in several locations with nitrogen fertiliser.

[Manchester Black]

The high cost of low price, my friend.

Workers at Wal-mart stores and factories are paid next to nothing and are cruelly exploited. Wal-Mart drives rival small businesses out, creating inner city ghost towns, and it's lax environmental policy has damaged water supplies in several locations with nitrogen fertiliser.

I do agree that the workers there are treated like crap. But I live in a town and we have a WalMart. It hasn't been turned into a ghost town at all. In fact the WalMart turned the small town it used to be into a pretty busy place. WalMart usually brings a shopping center with it, which brings other businesses and food places, etc.

I did not know about the environmental thing though. That's not good. WalMart has it's pros and cons I guess.

[Guy]

I'm ambivalent about Wal-Mart. Most of the time, though, I honestly don't care about Wal-Mart. I do, however, think Wal-Mart sometimes receive way too much bashing in the media.

Don't get me started on the cheap labor. Yeah, the employers are quite jerks to treat their workers that way. I don't approve of their method, however, fact remains that these employees work for walmart on their own volition. As for driving out local stores, that's how economy works; people lose their businesses. I know it sounds cruel, but that's just how things work, just like death is a part of life.

Oh, a lot of the things Wal Mart is being accused of happens in other stores as well. Don't tell me other big stores like Target or Kmart don't do the same thing.... I bet even some of your local stores mistreat employees. That doesn't make Wal mart any more just, but it's something to think about.

PS: I don't support Walmart; I don't even shop there (there's a Target that's really close to my house... so). I'm merely stating that Walmart is being bashed too much these days.

[Graffik]

Wal-mart isn't exactly something I support. Despite the fact that I can get things pretty cheap there, it has the worst health-care policies for it's workers. I can work anywhere else even for a dude living in the sewers and get better health-benefits. There's been a whole lot of documentaries following Wal-mart's extortion of it's full-time employee's. There's been ridiculous amounts of employee's who work over-time with no pay. All this bolstered by the fact there is no worker's union, and you got a close to slave work shop in the USA. [And we complain about China??? Fail].

However, the corporation has picked up efforts on environmental influence. Replacing some light bulbs for more energy and heat 'friendly' counterparts. But then again, it can just be an attempt on cutting costs.

[TuRm0iL]

Considering that Walmart couldn't exist without the consumers, we are all to blame for it becoming a big box shopping center.
Its like at the end of the SouthPark episode where they destroy walmart, they all go shop at Toms cornerstore, it gets bigger, than next scene they are burning it too to the ground.
Than they move onto the next store...
You see where i am going with this.

As for how they treat their workers, yea they treat some of em like crap, but u get good and bad workplaces all over the place.

[Manchester Black]

I think the way WalMart treats it's workers stands out and is so widely known simply because the store itself is so widely known, and in the media a good bit these days. I'm sure there are plenty of places out there that treat their workers like crap, but no one really ever hears about it because they're smaller businesses.

[Viva_ Shira]

Walmart is like one of my favorite places to shop for video games. Since their prices are like atleasst $5 cheaper or so. Saves alot more money then Gamestop or EB Games 100% TAX!

But besides the games, it lacks certain things for my needs. So it's not really the best after all.

[Manchester Black]

Wal-Mart is definately not my go to place for clothes that's for sure. I think their products are generally very good though. So it seems like the only problem everyone has is how they treat their employees, which as long as you don't work there, isn't a problem I guess.

[FullMetal Rebel]

I personally don't like WalMart. I'll go to a WalGreens or Target if I need to go to a store with everything in it. Ill go to a grocery store for food.

Walmart is too crowded for my liking, and the disgusting bright blue theme to it, ughh. I prefer Target's dark red coziness myself. WalMart is the world's largest merchant, its got that going for it at least.

[SpongebobSquarepants]

Let me tell you why Wal Mart is evil.

I bought an xm radio from them thinking, "HOW COOL!" and then after taking it home and calling the xm guy, i found out i didn't have a piece from it that walmart musta lost when they used it as a display xm radio(and had already activated it, which i had to deactivate for them and reactivate for me) so i go back in there about oh... 25 minutes ago to talk to the customer service manager. "Oh, we don't have the part. You can replace it with another if you want." So I walk back, can't find another. The CSM says to me, "ok, you'll just have to take a refund" so i figure, fine, i'll just get one at best buy later. and when the ****ers try to give me a refund, the ******* serial number doesn't ******* match on the reciept as to what the radio was. So after standing there about to ******* blow up in the middle of walmart, saying that I just bought the damn radio TWENTY FOUR HOURS PRIOR!, they tell me there is nothing they can do so i calmy(with a curled up fist that now has nail marks in it. not sure how since my finger nails are all but nonexistant) left the store.

I WILL be calling their regional manager about this.

To sum it all up, walmart is evil and i REFUSE to shop there again.

[FullMetal Rebel]

Let me tell you why Wal Mart is evil.

I bought an xm radio from them thinking, "HOW COOL!" and then after taking it home and calling the xm guy, i found out i didn't have a piece from it that walmart musta lost when they used it as a display xm radio(and had already activated it, which i had to deactivate for them and reactivate for me) so i go back in there about oh... 25 minutes ago to talk to the customer service manager. "Oh, we don't have the part. You can replace it with another if you want." So I walk back, can't find another. The CSM says to me, "ok, you'll just have to take a refund" so i figure, fine, i'll just get one at best buy later. and when the ****ers try to give me a refund, the ******* serial number doesn't ******* match on the reciept as to what the radio was. So after standing there about to ******* blow up in the middle of walmart, saying that I just bought the damn radio TWENTY FOUR HOURS PRIOR!, they tell me there is nothing they can do so i calmy(with a curled up fist that now has nail marks in it. not sure how since my finger nails are all but nonexistant) left the store.

I WILL be calling their regional manager about this.

To sum it all up, walmart is evil and i REFUSE to shop there again.
My mom had a similar story about some grapes. One of the reasons why Walmart sucks. Horrible customer service.

[yunnie]

Let me tell you why Wal Mart is evil.

I bought an xm radio from them thinking, "HOW COOL!" and then after taking it home and calling the xm guy, i found out i didn't have a piece from it that walmart musta lost when they used it as a display xm radio(and had already activated it, which i had to deactivate for them and reactivate for me) so i go back in there about oh... 25 minutes ago to talk to the customer service manager. "Oh, we don't have the part. You can replace it with another if you want." So I walk back, can't find another. The CSM says to me, "ok, you'll just have to take a refund" so i figure, fine, i'll just get one at best buy later. and when the ****ers try to give me a refund, the ******* serial number doesn't ******* match on the reciept as to what the radio was. So after standing there about to ******* blow up in the middle of walmart, saying that I just bought the damn radio TWENTY FOUR HOURS PRIOR!, they tell me there is nothing they can do so i calmy(with a curled up fist that now has nail marks in it. not sure how since my finger nails are all but nonexistant) left the store.

I WILL be calling their regional manager about this.

To sum it all up, walmart is evil and i REFUSE to shop there again.


How does this prove that there evil? Sure, there SERVICE is bad, very bad, Walmart is a business, thats all they are. Walmart isn't comprised of robots, but humans. From each rank from, lowest employee to the ceo, they are humans and have their bad days, and some are asshole, we, simply, cannot do anything about that, as we aren't responsible for their behaviors. They sell products. Also, We need to define "bad" and "good" what is bad, there not killing people, and there not giving away things as well. They have poor working conditions for their products? As long as they're aren't doing anything wrong in the country they're doing it in, we can't do anything about it.

[Graffik]

Let me tell you why Wal Mart is evil.

I bought an xm radio from them thinking, "HOW COOL!" and then after taking it home and calling the xm guy, i found out i didn't have a piece from it that walmart musta lost when they used it as a display xm radio(and had already activated it, which i had to deactivate for them and reactivate for me) so i go back in there about oh... 25 minutes ago to talk to the customer service manager. "Oh, we don't have the part. You can replace it with another if you want." So I walk back, can't find another. The CSM says to me, "ok, you'll just have to take a refund" so i figure, fine, i'll just get one at best buy later. and when the ****ers try to give me a refund, the ******* serial number doesn't ******* match on the reciept as to what the radio was. So after standing there about to ******* blow up in the middle of walmart, saying that I just bought the damn radio TWENTY FOUR HOURS PRIOR!, they tell me there is nothing they can do so i calmy(with a curled up fist that now has nail marks in it. not sure how since my finger nails are all but nonexistant) left the store.

I WILL be calling their regional manager about this.

To sum it all up, walmart is evil and i REFUSE to shop there again.

Proof they have bad customer service + Proof they pay employee's close to nothing = Evil [and I mean evil] Corporation.

That shit happens with walmart. I wouldn't be surprised if one of their poorly paid employee's had something to do with it. Getting anything at Wal-mart is a no-no for me, because you just can't trust the quality and condition of shit they sell there, [cost of low cost].

I'm skeptical about the regional manager doing anything, since if they f**** up the serial numbers, I doubt they'll have another way of getting you a refund. Honestly though, I found more reason not to shop there.

Corporate bastards.

[Manchester Black]

My mom had a similar story about some grapes. One of the reasons why Walmart sucks. Horrible customer service.

Lmao. Sorry it just seems hard to relate a story about grapes to a story about an XM radio. Made me chuckle.

Wal-Mart does have horrible customer service. But really what's the motivation for the employees if they get paid so poorly. Casanova, I would just go back and take another XM radio. Wal-Mart may have bad customer service, but they're also rather easy to steal from :rolleye09.

Overall I really don't think there's anything anyone can do about the bad Wal-Mart brings along with it's good. They have a good, wide, cheap selection of products. So what if they have poor customer service, or if they're overcrowded, or if there are other problems like those that people are willing to deal with to get the pros that Wal-Mart has to offer.

[Chi]

My feelings on this topic are somewhat mixed.

Yeah they're a major corporation that sell goods at ridiculously low prices compared to some places. And it's presence in any town would mean the decline of local business. But at the same time it employs more people then the local business' would employ had the town been left alone. And they don't get paid next to nothing in a survey taken a couple years back, Walmart employees where paid an average of 4-6 dollars an hour more then the minimum wage. Plus you count the fact that most walmarts in any town has a regional distribution warehouse that employs hundreds up hundreds of people around the clock so as to keep the wheels turning. So walmart in a way is better then the local business for the cheep goods they provide and helping keeping the Unemployment rate down. Even if they were being paid next too nothing, some money is still better then no money.

In the other hand i don't like their approach to the global environment and their tyranical business practices. But all in all i cannot see them as being evil or good. They do good things but so to do they have their flaws.

[toxxin]

I have nothing against Walmart. I think its great, whats wrong with everyday low prices? And really, if they treat their employees like crap (which I've personally never witnessed) then they have the freewill to quit and go somewhere else, or do something better.

[VampyreLord]

I have nothing against Walmart. I think its great, whats wrong with everyday low prices? And really, if they treat their employees like crap (which I've personally never witnessed) then they have the freewill to quit and go somewhere else, or do something better.

Sorry, but that's complete BS.

Wal Mart are notorious for treating their workers like crap, and their workers are often only nominally "free" to quit and get another job. Why? Because Wal Mart workers are often very poor, so cannot risk leaving their job and not immediately finding another one. Equally, they are usually unskilled and untrained, making them unable to find better work. Since they are completely expendable, Wal Mart has a corporate policy of brutally exploiting such vulnerable individuals.

Prices are low because the people who make and sell Wal Mart's goods are paid low wages. Brutally low wages. Shopping at Wal Mart means leaving your conscience at the door for the sake of your wallet.

[toxxin]

Aside from the "complete BS" comment on my own opinion where I didn't state any facts that could even be concidered "BS", i will say this...

Unless Walmart pays their employees much higher than min wage (which I actually am uncertain of, but I doubt), changing jobs wouldn't be the hugest issue, unlike already being set in an actual career where a jobchange would be life altering. Nevertheless, some people think this is untrue, which is fine. Now, if it WERE untrue, and I'm not saying it isn't....why would people continue to apply and get jobs there if this is such a notorious issue?

Furthermore, as for leaving my conscience at the door for the sake of my own wallet...who doesn't? This could lead to another HUGE debate on other, similar topics such as "do you pirate software" or "don't you download illegal music". The majority of people pirate software without losing sleep at night. Again, I don't want to open any doors to stupid arguements so I'll try to keep on point here. You'd be very unrealistic to say that you would spend more money at another corporation that charges wayyyyyy more because you think its ethical on some level.

[VampyreLord]

Aside from the "complete BS" comment on my own opinion where I didn't state any facts that could even be concidered "BS", i will say this...

Unless Walmart pays their employees much higher than min wage (which I actually am uncertain of, but I doubt), changing jobs wouldn't be the hugest issue, unlike already being set in an actual career where a jobchange would be life altering. Nevertheless, some people think this is untrue, which is fine. Now, if it WERE untrue, and I'm not saying it isn't....why would people continue to apply and get jobs there if this is such a notorious issue?

Interesting point, but consider: You have little or no savings, a child/children, and the rent is due in a week. Are you in a position to pick and choose where you work? Wal Mart workers are paid something like $7 an hour - fine if they are teenagers or college students, not if they have a family to care for. The very essence of the poverty trap is powerlessness.

Furthermore, as for leaving my conscience at the door for the sake of my own wallet...who doesn't? This could lead to another HUGE debate on other, similar topics such as "do you pirate software" or "don't you download illegal music". The majority of people pirate software without losing sleep at night. Again, I don't want to open any doors to stupid arguements so I'll try to keep on point here. You'd be very unrealistic to say that you would spend more money at another corporation that charges wayyyyyy more because you think its ethical on some level.

Another good point, but again, consider the difference: Pirating songs and films and software means you are "stealing" (it's different but let's not argue that now, like you say it's a whole new debate) from Hollywood Studios, Software Giants (like Adobe or Microsoft who enjoy monopolies in their areas) Pop Stars and Movie Stars, i.e people who are vastly rich already. No harm done, really. Of course pirating from small companies or minor artists isn't so easily defensible, or ethical.

Yet when you buy from Wal Mart, you are supporting a corporation which actively has a policy of worker exploitation and driving out small businesses. All that matters for them is profit for the guys at the top. Nothing else. An ethical boycott of Wal Mart would bring such facts into light and would be a warning for all big retailers to stop treating their workers like crap, and thus, helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

On a side note, I don't think there are any "ethical" corporations, it's just that some are worse than others. Frankly, I think the phrase "corporate ethics" is an oxymoron.

[toxxin]

Interesting point, but consider: You have little or no savings, a child/children, and the rent is due in a week. Are you in a position to pick and choose where you work? Wal Mart workers are paid something like $7 an hour - fine if they are teenagers or college students, not if they have a family to care for. The very essence of the poverty trap is powerlessness.

I'm not sure what minimum wage is in the USA, but lets just agree to min wage or close to. First off, if they pay that low, its the employees fault for staying in such an environment and not caring enough for themselves to find a job that will actually support a family. Don't get me wrong, I understand what your saying and all, but by that statement the same could be said about working for McDonalds.

In conclusion, I disagree with the worker exploitation, but you may have something with the monopoly on smaller businesses. Still, this does not make Walmart by anymeans evil. The business world is a tough one and no one expects Walmart to back off and give the other guys a chance. Business is money, and naturally any business will try to make as much as they can. Now this may not be "ethical" as we can both agree on, but by that standard no business is ethical. If the small companies could make as much as Walmart does, they too would be all for profit. Its business.

[TuRm0iL]

EVIL!!!!!

all they do is buy expand an put small family owned shops out of business for good
not to mention their health plan is a piece of crap

I disagree.
Just because they are able to produce more product at lower prices than family owned businesses are does not mean they are TRYING to put these shops out of business; they are just doing business in their own way.
Smaller businesses fall because the consumer leaves them for big box stores, where the prices are cheaper. Even if walmart was to be destroyed or put out of business, one of those smaller family owned businesses would succeed further than the rest of them, and eventually become another walmart, killing off other smaller businesses. This is the way of business. You might argue that a family owned business might have better moral judgement than walmart, but money and power corrupts eventually, and you're average family business will start doing whatever it can to succeed.

As for their health plans and treatment of employees, obviously since they still have enough people to staff ALL of their locations, it's not as bad as some people say. As toxxin has already stated, these people are free to find new jobs.

[Manchester Black]

Interesting point, but consider: You have little or no savings, a child/children, and the rent is due in a week. Are you in a position to pick and choose where you work? Wal Mart workers are paid something like $7 an hour - fine if they are teenagers or college students, not if they have a family to care for. The very essence of the poverty trap is powerlessness.

No offense, but anyone who has put themselves in a position where they have a family to care for and work for minimum wage at Wal-Mart, has dug themselves into their own hole and should have thought of the consequences of their actions a little earlier in life.

Wal-Mart's pros outweigh the cons, I think. Sure maybe they don't pay/treat their employees well, but the employees don't have to work there. And if they're in some position where they can't quit and right away get another job, then while working at Wal-Mart they can look for a job, and quit once they've found one. Driving other smaller businesses out is nothing intentional either. That's just how things go in the business world. Wal-Mart sells the same things as everyone else, but at lower prices, and for consumers (especially for those impoverished ones you talk about) that's a good thing because it saves them money.

[VampyreLord]

Ok, Turmoil, your point about the fact that Wal Mart is able to fill all their stores does not prove that it treats them well. It simply proves that there are enough people who have to choose between eviction and being treated like crap.

No offense, but anyone who has put themselves in a position where they have a family to care for and work for minimum wage at Wal-Mart, has dug themselves into their own hole and should have thought of the consequences of their actions a little earlier in life.

Easy for you to say. Very easy in fact. If I'm wrong I hope you will forgive me, but I imagine that, like me, you have had a fairly comfortable and easy life to date - and equally it is very unfair to blame people for their poverty (as indeed poverty is inherited and self perpetuating) or their decision to have kids, which was likely years in the past when the parents had no ambitions to end up working in Wal Mart. Whilst I agree it is unwise to have children if you are living in grinding poverty, no one should have to live in grinding poverty, and no one should be forced not to have children because of it.

Not to mention of course that even if it *is* a poor family's fault for having too many kids, it is neither constructive nor moral to use this as an excuse to justify their suffering now. It's not as though wanting kids (or indeed having them by accident and being unable to afford an abortion) is such a terrible sin.

Wal-Mart's pros outweigh the cons, I think. Sure maybe they don't pay/treat their employees well, but the employees don't have to work there. And if they're in some position where they can't quit and right away get another job, then while working at Wal-Mart they can look for a job, and quit once they've found one. Driving other smaller businesses out is nothing intentional either. That's just how things go in the business world. Wal-Mart sells the same things as everyone else, but at lower prices, and for consumers (especially for those impoverished ones you talk about) that's a good thing because it saves them money.

Ah yes. Cheap goods for poor families is a plus. However, remember that Wal Mart stores have a habit of killing the local economy (no joke), which means that although goods are cheaper, many of the locals may end up worse off as all the local businesses close because they can't compete and a spiral of decline hits all the other businesses who did not need to compete (they provided different services, but all their customers are unemployed), and so the impoverished locals are forced to shop at Wal Mart because there is nowhere else to shop, and because even if there were, they couldn't afford them. And each time they go there they feed the parasite which leeches money from the local community and creams it off to businessmen on Wall Street.

I would also like to point out that if you had seen the documentary "Wal Mart: The high cost of low price", you would know that it is in fact Wal Mart policy to crush local competition.

And finally, as to looking for another job whilst working at Wal Mart, there is some truth in that, but remember:

a) Since Wal Mart workers are paid so very little, they may have to work lots more hours per week than the rest of us to pay the bills (50-80, perhaps). If you are working this hard, will you have the time or energy to search for other work, especially if you have a family to look after?
b) Also remember that Wal Mart has a policy of forcing workers to work unpaid overtime (they owe an estimated $1bn in unpaid wages, I believe) through various means (setting them long chores when they only have an hour or so left, and expecting them to finish them before they leave), exploiting the fact that their workers cannot risk saying "no", and getting fired.
c) Remember also that to secure better jobs Wal Mart workers chiefly need skills training - something they won't have time to undertake at Wal Mart (see point a)), and they won't be able to afford (if they are even allowed) to take time off to undergo skills training to allow them to find better work.

The key point is that poverty is self perpetuating and the impoverished who work for Wal Mart are usually powerless and vulnerable, which is exactly why Wal Mart hires them.

[toxxin]

I would also like to point out that if you had seen the documentary "Wal Mart: The high cost of low price", you would know that it is in fact Wal Mart policy to crush local competition.


First of all, this is ANY company's policy dealing with selling goods. All companies want you to shop at their stores, which is why they want to eliminate competition by trying to offer lower prices or other various services than other companies, its how the business world is ran.

Secondly, you finally have dug up some real actual valid points (stated in your A thru C examples) pertaining to the subject of the debate. I've found your point "C" to be the best so far, and have to agree with you fully on that one. Points A and B are also great, but here in Canada I understand that there are stricter laws pertaining to such issues. Anything past 40 hours a week is overtime, no matter what, and they cannot force you to work more than that, whether they pay OT or not. And, if by some Canadian loophole they ARE getting around that (which is possible), perhaps that leads to an even higher evil of our government system. At any rate, good job on points A thru C. Finally some harder evidence pointing to an "evil" corp. As fun as it is to debate with you, I would have to agree with you on those notes in particular. =]

[Manchester Black]

Easy for you to say. Very easy in fact. If I'm wrong I hope you will forgive me, but I imagine that, like me, you have had a fairly comfortable and easy life to date - and equally it is very unfair to blame people for their poverty (as indeed poverty is inherited and self perpetuating) or their decision to have kids, which was likely years in the past when the parents had no ambitions to end up working in Wal Mart. Whilst I agree it is unwise to have children if you are living in grinding poverty, no one should have to live in grinding poverty, and no one should be forced not to have children because of it.

There are plenty of well off (and some extremely well off) people who have come from impoverished conditions in their youth. The difference between them, and the ones who end up at Wal-Mart however, is that they don't accept their lifestyle as permanent and work extremely hard to better their lives (student loans for college is one example).


Ah yes. Cheap goods for poor families is a plus. However, remember that Wal Mart stores have a habit of killing the local economy (no joke), which means that although goods are cheaper, many of the locals may end up worse off as all the local businesses close because they can't compete and a spiral of decline hits all the other businesses who did not need to compete (they provided different services, but all their customers are unemployed), and so the impoverished locals are forced to shop at Wal Mart because there is nowhere else to shop, and because even if there were, they couldn't afford them. And each time they go there they feed the parasite which leeches money from the local community and creams it off to businessmen on Wall Street.

It cracks me up how people make it sound like whenever a Wal-Mart moves into an area, everything in its radius is just crushed and goes out of business. Wal-Mart doesn't have some death touch on the towns it moves to. In fact I've been witness to quite the contrary on every occasion I've seen a Wal-Mart move in somewhere. In my experiences, all Wal-Mart has done is bring in MORE businesses, and the local ones get even busier due to the overflow of the new places.

a) Since Wal Mart workers are paid so very little, they may have to work lots more hours per week than the rest of us to pay the bills (50-80, perhaps). If you are working this hard, will you have the time or energy to search for other work, especially if you have a family to look after?

It takes all of what...five minutes to run into a place and grab an application on the way to work? And then maybe fifteen to fill it out when you get home. Then another five to drop it off in the morning on your way to work again. Wow. Then all you have to do is wait for a reply. Do this at three or four businesses and I think your odds of getting hired somewhere are pretty decent. Points b and c are null, because after some simple time management, the person wouldn't be working at Wal-Mart and wouldn't have to worry about them.

Here's another thought; If a person is willing to work for minimum wage so they can get by, then why even apply at Wal-Mart in the first place? There are plenty of other places that provide better work environments, but pay the same.

[VampyreLord]

@toxxin: thanks man :)

There are plenty of well off (and some extremely well off) people who have come from impoverished conditions in their youth. The difference between them, and the ones who end up at Wal-Mart however, is that they don't accept their lifestyle as permanent and work extremely hard to better their lives (student loans for college is one example).

Others are not lucky enough to have the oppourtunity, have family concerns, serious medical expenses (the cause of over 50% of bankruptcies is medical bills, chiefly amongst people to poor to afford insurance in our ridiculous healthcare system) etc, and despite their efforts remain in poverty. Not everyone can get a student loan.

It cracks me up how people make it sound like whenever a Wal-Mart moves into an area, everything in its radius is just crushed and goes out of business. Wal-Mart doesn't have some death touch on the towns it moves to. In fact I've been witness to quite the contrary on every occasion I've seen a Wal-Mart move in somewhere. In my experiences, all Wal-Mart has done is bring in MORE businesses, and the local ones get even busier due to the overflow of the new places.

Complete fiction. The decline of the American town centre dates back to the 60's. A big megamarket appears on the outskirts of town, and all the businesses in the town centre go bust within a few years. Usually smaller towns and cities like Des Moines are worst hit by this.

I am also delighted that your experience of Wal Marts has been a positive one. However, anecdotal evidence has the slight drawback of proving nothing at all.

It takes all of what...five minutes to run into a place and grab an application on the way to work? And then maybe fifteen to fill it out when you get home. Then another five to drop it off in the morning on your way to work again. Wow. Then all you have to do is wait for a reply. Do this at three or four businesses and I think your odds of getting hired somewhere are pretty decent.

I don't know, I've never applied for a job that way. Regardless, you won't get a better job without the necessary skills or training.

Points b and c are null, because after some simple time management, the person wouldn't be working at Wal-Mart and wouldn't have to worry about them.

Sorry, but this is ridiculous. Care to explain how this "time management" works? Magically creating extra hours in the day? If you are working a 60 hour job with a family and kids to look after, you cannot find time to undergo skills training, end of story.

Here's another thought; If a person is willing to work for minimum wage so they can get by, then why even apply at Wal-Mart in the first place? There are plenty of other places that provide better work environments, but pay the same.

Have you been reading my arguments with your eyes closed? Once again, you act as though these people have a choice. If you are out of money and the rent is due, you will take the first job you get. The poor have no power.

PS. Sorry if this sounds angry or rude by the way. I don't mean it, I'm just debating :)

[Kurosaki Isshin]

Walmart Good or Evil

Hmmm i personally say that Walmart is good. I was an employee of Walmart for 2 years and never had a problem with the company. Now Walmart does have its problems it does put out small businesses and even larger ones like Kroger's. The problem with saying they are evil is that they really are not evil. They give use the same products as other grocery stores plus more and all the prices are cheaper. Before i worked for Walmart i worked for Kroger's, at Kroger's your starting pay is $6.00 an hour Walmarts starting wage is $7.50 an hour, but since i had a year working at Kroger's when i started at Walmart i was making $9.50 an hour. So unless your an idiot i can't see why walmart is evil.

[Manchester Black]

Vampyrelord: I know you aren't trying to be offensive or rude. It's just a good debate, that's all =]. And so it continues.

Others are not lucky enough to have the oppourtunity, have family concerns, serious medical expenses (the cause of over 50% of bankruptcies is medical bills, chiefly amongst people to poor to afford insurance in our ridiculous healthcare system) etc, and despite their efforts remain in poverty. Not everyone can get a student loan.

It's just my personal belief that everyone can make their way in life somehow if they are willing to buckle down and work hard. The government has plenty of programs and what not to get poor students through college.

Complete fiction. The decline of the American town centre dates back to the 60's. A big megamarket appears on the outskirts of town, and all the businesses in the town centre go bust within a few years. Usually smaller towns and cities like Des Moines are worst hit by this.

I am also delighted that your experience of Wal Marts has been a positive one. However, anecdotal evidence has the slight drawback of proving nothing at all.

Well maybe my experiences have just been exceptional. I've witnesses four areas (small towns) have a Wal-Mart move in, and they've all just grown in size. Even the local businesses. But since I have no way of proving the results of areas outside places I can travel and have been, I have to concede in this particular area.



I don't know, I've never applied for a job that way. Regardless, you won't get a better job without the necessary skills or training.

I never said they had to get a better PAYING job. I just said that they could apply for a job with a better work environment. Not a financial step up, but it'd be better than their current position at Wal-Mart. And yes it really only takes a few minutes to get an application at a restaurant or whatever.

Sorry, but this is ridiculous. Care to explain how this "time management" works? Magically creating extra hours in the day? If you are working a 60 hour job with a family and kids to look after, you cannot find time to undergo skills training, end of story.

The time management I'm talking about is how a person could very easily make time to get applications since it doesn't take long at all. I never said anything at all about skills training.

Have you been reading my arguments with your eyes closed? Once again, you act as though these people have a choice. If you are out of money and the rent is due, you will take the first job you get. The poor have no power.

No I haven't been reading with my eyes closed (that's not even really possible). Getting jobs that pay minimum wage is not difficult at all. Applying at a restaurant or video store or whatever is very easy, and no special skills are needed. So applying at a Wal-Mart, knowing they treat their employees horribly, is just silly. There are dozens of other places out there to get jobs that pay AT LEAST minimum wage. Anyone who works at Wal-Mart for anything other than a summer job as a teenager or and after retirement job as a senior citizen, simply made a poor choice in the job application process.

[sylvosdono]

wal-mart appeals to the greed people have... low prices are good for consumers so in the sense of purchasing goods they are good. but once you weigh the benefits you make from the sacrifices of other businesses i believe that you'll see that wal-mart has taken away more than an inanimate being should be able to.

[sinkinswimmer]

I'm going to have to say Wal-Mart is bad, especially if we're discussing the supercenters.

I don't shop there very often, and when I do, I usually only get a few things from one. I can never say that I find the service at Wal-Mart to be good or pleasant by any means. No one in the electronics department seems to know if they have anything in stock. Even if they check another store, they'll offer to call to make sure someone can find it. Honest to goodness we waited half an hour for someone to finally tell the CSR that they couldn't find what we were looking for, even though the computer said they had it.

Now, when it comes to the Neighborhood Market grocery stores, I find those a little less offensive. I generally get good service at the one I shop on occasion. But considering their prices aren't spectacular, I find that Food 4 Less usually has better prices. Sometimes Smith's and Albertson's are better competitors due to the sales they have.

I have a friend who formerly worked for Wal-Mart, and they don't exactly do their employees justice. He'll tell you that every one was under pressure to take half of their lunch breaks to eat, so that they could hurry up and get back to work for the other half. He's actually looking for a job here in town, and they called and offered him a position that he has absolutely no experience in (jewelry).

All in all, I think that when a store gets so big that they can't keep it organized. They struggle to find competent people for their openings, so they just take anyone who applies. So in my book, Wal-Mart is definitely bad.

[ZER(o)]

(Incoming: long-ass post)
I work for a Wal-Mart Supercenter. And although I can't say much for the foreign workers, I know Wal-Mart is nothing but good here in the U.S. It makes me feel kind of like a bad person, but I really don't even wonder about what's going on outside of the U.S. I decided long ago that I couldn't do anything to change it, and even if Wal-Mart didn't exist, it would still go on. As long as there's a large corporation, there will be foreign exploitation. But with that out of the way:

I once read on a website somewhere (well, sort of a 'blog'), about a guy who once saw this documentary, detailing about the corporate greed and wrongdoings of the world's largest retailer. He went to say that even though he hates Wal-Mart, he was practically rooting for it by the end of that film. Why is that? Well, other than the fact that the documentary was poorly written and presented, he came to a realization that made a lot of sense to me. People complain about Wal-Mart because it's "ugly." The reason most people are *****ing is because Wal-Mart gives bad atmosphere, and it's all about asthetics. The people who're moaning about the greed aren't the people who depend on Wal-Mart to save them money and improve their everyday lives. Sure, we could argue that Wal-Mart shuts down a lot of small-town businesses that provide an "at-home" feel to their town, but look at what's REALLY happened. Those little mom-and-pop family stores are family run. Although it's not exactly fair to say "well, they could've grown also, just like Wal-Mart did" because its pretty much impossible to compete (let's face it. Wal-Mart didn't have a Wal-Mart to compete with back in the day), those kinds of businesses don't really open up much opportunity for anyone else who's unemployed. Besides. I live in Northwest Arkansas, where Wal-Mart originated. So when I shop there, I AM supporting a local business, technically.

For example, the Supercenter I work at employs anywhere from 450-500 people at any given time across all three shifts. We have upwards of 90 departments to fill with employees. I forgot the exact number, but I'm pretty sure Wal-Mart employs over one million people worldwide. How many locally owned businesses can do that? Right now, Wal-Mart is my living. Sure, I could always get a better job than Wal-Mart. It's not that I aspire to be a manager or anything, so I'm not sticking up for Wal-Mart for their sake. I'm sticking up for Wal-Mart because I support myself through Wal-Mart. It's my source of income, and I live completely by myself and pay all of my own bills. And when some righteous "anti-corporate greed" crusader tells me that I'm better off without it, then I'll be quick to correct them. Because more than likely, they don't need Wal-Mart to survive. Many people do.

I could tell you about the benefits of advancing in Wal-Mart (even though I don't want to advance, personally. I don't really enjoy it enough to see myself working there until I retire, and it's not exactly prestigious, you know?), but I'll save that unless someone specifically asks. I'll wrap it up by saying that, in my opinion, Wal-Mart doesn't crush the small business because of greed, they crush the small business because they're anal about being the best at what they do, and keeping their gaurantee of "Always Low Prices." Wal-Mart DOES give a lot to small communities. I know, I work for a Wal-Mart, I see it happening all the time. The smaller places are ran out of business in the process, which is a shame, but overall, more people get more out of the deal.

[captainmawaluigi]

Here is why Wal-mart is not good.

-low prices at high costs
They pay cents to those in China, and then ship goods here. Wal-marts are thus taking away low wage/skill work, and dolling it out of the country. Thus, that min wage difference in $7 to the 45 cents payed to a china man, are going to the 1%-.001% of Americans. aka super rich

-treat workers poorly
Those who do apply at wal-mart, really have no skill. Thus, easy to exploit.
Sure they could walk out n get another low end paycheck, at the end of the day, someone must work there, and it wont be a good experience. Wal-mart was actually recently sued for that.

-Kill the city
Its no secret, Wal-marts move in, and lower prices and take a loss, in the hopes that competition around them cant keep up, and those collapse. Such as Farmer Jack. WM has a plan, which is to put a WM 3 miles from the major grocery chain in that city, and, it works.

-foreign cars?
People use to say, buy american cars to keep american jobs, and if you were running for office driving a non american car, then....u really had no chance. Well, that is weak. In fact, its UNamerican, to buy American Cars, simply because they are american.

However, foreign cars are now made in America, thus making jobs in America.

Walmart, is in America, yet it takes away American jobs, and thus raises the cost of living, cuz the economy gets weaker

[Manchester Black]

-low prices at high costs
They pay cents to those in China, and then ship goods here. Wal-marts are thus taking away low wage/skill work, and dolling it out of the country. Thus, that min wage difference in $7 to the 45 cents payed to a china man, are going to the 1%-.001% of Americans. aka super rich

Everyone acts like Wal Mart is the only corporation that does this. They aren't. This is being done, and has been done for a long time, all over the world by many businesses. It's not right, but that's how it is. Besides; Wal Mart brings low prices to citizens. What's there to complain about? You get good stuff, cheap. Oh no!

-treat workers poorly
Those who do apply at wal-mart, really have no skill. Thus, easy to exploit.
Sure they could walk out n get another low end paycheck, at the end of the day, someone must work there, and it wont be a good experience. Wal-mart was actually recently sued for that.

I've heard mixed stories on how they treat people. Obviously they don't treat workers too well, but I don't think it's as bad as a lot of people make it seem. I sure wouldn't want to work there, though. So if everyone knows that Wal Mart treats people like crap, then don't work there. Put them out of business. There are plenty of other places out there where it's easy to get a job.

-Kill the city
Its no secret, Wal-marts move in, and lower prices and take a loss, in the hopes that competition around them cant keep up, and those collapse. Such as Farmer Jack. WM has a plan, which is to put a WM 3 miles from the major grocery chain in that city, and, it works.

In every situation I've experienced, Wal Mart hasn't killed the area around it AT ALL. It's only brough in other stores, and brought in more consumers. If Wal Mart does kill local businesses however; that's democracy. There's nothing they can do about it, but compete back.

-foreign cars?
People use to say, buy american cars to keep american jobs, and if you were running for office driving a non american car, then....u really had no chance. Well, that is weak. In fact, its UNamerican, to buy American Cars, simply because they are american.

However, foreign cars are now made in America, thus making jobs in America.

Walmart, is in America, yet it takes away American jobs, and thus raises the cost of living, cuz the economy gets weaker

I'm not even sure I understand this whole analogy, or it's relevance.

[Dark Fire]

Manchester Black[/COLOR] (http://forums.bleachportal.net/member.php?u=50030)]Quote:
captainmawaluigi][/B]Originally Posted by captainmawaluigi http://forums.bleachportal.net/images/blackdesire/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.bleachportal.net/showthread.php?p=2784662#post2784662)
-Kill the city
Its no secret, Wal-marts move in, and lower prices and take a loss, in the hopes that competition around them cant keep up, and those collapse. Such as Farmer Jack. WM has a plan, which is to put a WM 3 miles from the major grocery chain in that city, and, it works.
In every situation I've experienced, Wal Mart hasn't killed the area around it AT ALL. It's only brough in other stores, and brought in more consumers. If Wal Mart does kill local businesses however; that's democracy. There's nothing they can do about it, but compete back.
Walmart is a large corporation which can absorb the cost of lowering prices by providing lesser quality products and pay lower wages to there employees, thus out pricing their competitors forcing them to go out of business. Also the fact that they branch into so many differ business markets such as pharmaceutical, vision, electronic and grocery, puts the company on the borderline of a monopoly. I am not trying to be rude but I have to call you out on this one, but democracy is not an economic structure I believe the word that you were looking for is capitalism which is the US's economic base, however the US is not a pure capitalistic structure, if it was we would have a unstable economy (or worse then it already is). America provides incentives to smaller business to prolong the state of economic competition, how ever it isn't nearly enough to out weigh the negative financial impact that Walmart and other large corporate store place on these small businesses.

and I believe the last part captainmawaluigi was talking about was that most if not all Walmart's products are outsourced products

[ladyrukia]

[QUOTE=In every situation I've experienced, Wal Mart hasn't killed the area around it AT ALL. It's only brough in other stores, and brought in more consumers. If Wal Mart does kill local businesses however; that's democracy. There's nothing they can do about it, but compete back.[/QUOTE]

How are the other shops gonna compete. for many of these shops they can't lower their prices anymore then they already are lowered. and yes walmart does have cheap stuff. and i not gonna deny that i never shopped there for clothes but don't ever for get the saying you get what you pay for. i say if you go to wal mart go only for the food and pantry and health and beauty essentials and edited cd's and games. not for clothes undergarments swimsuits or shoes. :winking56

[xiphosforr]

i think all super stores in general are a bad idea they use cheap labour to make sub standard products at cheaper prices, that puts the smaller shop out of business. Wal-mart has been known to use labour camps and exploit its workers with little pay.
Wal-mart in general is a bad idea its only help to society is crippling our local business's and selling us products made in labour camps-not good :(

[MooL]

Oh man, this is my favorite topic ever.

Wal-Mart is a blessing to all americans. Labor unions may cry and moan, but all there whining doesn't change the fact that Wal-Mart is the best and by far the cheapest place to get all your day to day goods. Without it you would have to go to 4 or 5 different stores just to get the things you probably pick up in one trip to walmart.

Maybe they do use slave labor and pay chinese a penny an hour, but its still beneficial to the american econemy as it allows even the poorest people to get day to day goods at exceptionally low prices.I hope everyone realizes that Wal-Mart's "Every day low prices" is really just a crock. It's all part of their retail scheme. And this is how they do it:

- They'll make a few of their items really cheap, not too cheap, but noticeably cheaper compared to other retail stores (i.e. Target, K-Mart).
- And then they'll jack up the prices on everything else.

Because in your head, everything in Wal-Mart is cheap. You've bought school supplies here before at a reasonable price so that lawn chair set is gonna be really cheap too, huh. No, sorry, it isn't. It's actually more expensive than a lawn and garden specialty store. That's the Wal-Mart effect. Studies have shown that people automatically think Wal-Mart has cheaper commodities just because of a few roll-back items.

As an American business, Wal-Mart is at the top of their game. They're a fortune 500 company. But even though they do so well in their own business, they're not really contributing to the American economy (you'd think otherwise, right?). This is because they are outsourcing their major labor to foreign countries (and treating them poorly to boot!), leaving no jobs for Americans (except sales employees, but that doesn't really break even), and then selling those products back to the American people. Contributing to the American economy would imply that Wal-Mart puts money in Americans' pockets so they can put it back into Wal-Mart, but no such thing is being done. This is an outsourcing negative to a T.

I haven't yet found a credible reason for Walmart being bad.

These people working in factories, come from various sectors of the country, most possessing no reading/writing skills, received very little or no education, whatsoever. If it wasn't for Walmart and other businesses investing in our countries, these people would've simply starved on the streets along with their families. It gives them a chance to work and stand on their own feet to support their families, also greatly reduces risks of them turning to criminality. It saves them from begging as well.

In our country, really poor people have no power to say anything against such acts because they appreciate the little they can get. It's better than nothing, and they know if they lose this job, it's going to be damn hard to get another one since he has poor qualifications. He can't afford to sit at home or rest. Many of them even voluntarily choose to work without holidays in bid to receive a little extra income.

I'd like to read a proper and strong reason on why Walmart and similar businesses are bad :)I think there's a huge difference in Wal-Mart contributing to a desolate country's economy by "giving poor people work" than just exploiting poor people. And exploiting them is just what companies like Wal-Mart are doing.

Big business like Wal-Mart know exactly where and how terrible poverty is, which is why they move all their factories there to take advantage of it. They'll pay them enough to keep the workers fed and alive, but barely (and as you said, it's better than begging, isn't it?). But that does not justify the immorality of it all. Sure, those people are working of their own volition--they'd have to! Wal-Mart is just taking advantage of that need.

Because if they don't do dirty work for pennies, Wal-Mart will find someone who will. Oh, and big monopolies like Wal-Mart know that. Do you think they care? It's all about exploiting the poor and vulnerable to become rich and powerful. What's more evil than that?

[captainmawaluigi]

Well at the end of the day, you cant just label it evil or pure.

Do they have bad intentions?
Yes, but at the same time, most companies in America do. Sadly that is true. Its rare, but stores like Ikea, that are on the top 100 companies to work for, because of how they treat their employees, but also that they want diverse employees, and are willing to accept their quirks and differences instead of just fire people who think differently.

Wal mart is bad in a sense of how it treats its employees and America in general. That is a fact, hell their business model is to move into the neighborhood in a 3 mile radius from major food/department stores, lower prices for a while, have those stores collapse, and then raise up prices later. That is the wal mart effect on the city.

Wal mart is far from good, far from American, but yet at the same time it is American

[Darkwatch]

-opinion time-

Well, the fact is, I don't know how anyone can call anything "good" or "evil." These are extremely biased and unfounded observations (more like inferences, actually) that do nothing but pit people against each other. Plus, they're just idea's. Good and evil don't really exist. So I won't use that.

M'kay, so Wal-Mart. It's really quite simple: It's a huge store that spans across the globe. It benefits some, doesn't benefit others.

Economically, it is more like a monopoly since it is everywhere and it is basically unbeatable with its low prices (unless you shop at Woodmans).

So, I don't think Wal-Mart is evil or good. It just is. Quite simply.

[rxfreedom]

Yes people loss lots of jobs! when a wal-mart comes it take over small town like an evil force! But its one stop shoping easy come and easy go!

[Mana]

:/
i find walmart a load of crock. they move into a town or a neighboring town and slowly eat up local buisnesses who can't compete with the price cuts that a store like walmart can make. The main deference between a store like walmart and your local general store is that walmart has the backing of a chain and can order a larger quantity of stock to A. hold and B. sell at a depreciated value then your local business can. having worked at a small time general store and placed orders before i see how the system works to a store like walmarts advantage. It is cheaper to order a larger qauntity of items and them push them out for cheaper prices since they are in fact getting the bargain by the size of the shipment that they place. really its more the lament of a area of personalized home town stores being taken over by mass produced made in china materials.

[Character]

1. Wal Mart employs over 2 million. It's not going anywhere.
2. If it did, some other store (Target, Meijer, Kmart, etc.) would takes its place.
3. It makes goods cheaper. Upper middle class families maybe willing to "pay a little more" but I don't think poor and lower middle class are quite as prepared.
4. It employs 2 MILLION people. 2 MILLION people.

Is WalMart perfect? No. Is any corporation? No. WalMart just gets chastised because they make the most money. We live in a capitalist society where the only limit to corporate growth is through anti-trust laws. Darwinomics for good or bad.

And I'm a liberal.

[Do'Urden]

Wal*Mart sn't going anywhere. Is it an evil corporation? Honestly...loaded question, simply because all corporations are inherently "evil". The people in charge have money and power, and don't care about much else than gaining more of both. Now, on the other hand, Wal*Mart is good for America. Beyond the fact that it employs 2 million people directly it has also helped out in other aspects as well.

Consider this: Wal*Mart has revolutionized the logistics systems in this country. Before Wal*Mart when a gorcery store needed items they had to manually make lists, type up order forms, send out the order for, wait for confirmation, and then three days or so down the road thier product showed up. This process was slow and tedious, and was generally counter-productive. Now, along comes Wal*Mart with an idea, let's make a corporation-wide database of all good in all Wal*Mart stores across the world. Now, this sounds complicated and I assure you it is, but the simplistic break down is as follows. Your local Wal*Mart has a plethora of goods. Everything from tissue paper, to eggs, to video games. Now, how do you suppose they know when to re-order these items, and how much to order? Well, ten years ago they would have had some poor stock boy running around trying to figure all fo this out with a pencil and paper. These days it makes much more sense. Every item that comes off of a truck at Wal*Marts around the world are logged into a database, and then tracked. When the stock on these items gets low the computers send out a request for more of the item. if the databse notices a particular item is going out of stock often, it will actually order extra quantities of said item to be stored at the on-site warehouse. This prevents being completely OOS on a hot item. Now, by doing this Wal*Mart has set a new industry standard for the movement and tracking of goods. It saves time, money, and gets goods into the consumer hands.

Now, building upon this system, is the fact that Wal*Mart directly employs 2 million employees. Now that is a significant number! But imagine this...What about all of the construction contracts, and delivery contracts that this constanly expanding corporation opens up in small communities? Some say this is killing the mom and pop shops in rural communities and ruining livliehood, and while there is no denying that, all I can say is that with today's technology and the constant growth of America, theses shops would eventually be pushed out of business anyways. Some say that the devlopment of these rural areas is what kills these shops, that it is Stores like Wal*Marts fault that all of this is happening. Not so! Look at the inner city, places like New York, Boston, San Diego, and Miami...within these highly developed areas where would a Wal*Mart fit? These mom and pop shops thrive in these areas, because of thier convience. Now, in these rural areas, these small stores can not provide everything Wal*mart can, and that may be a disadvantage to smaller stores, but in today's world, what can you expect? Wal*Mart opens up jobs all across the board! Farming, Truck drivers, Truck Mechanics, Engineers, Architects, Contractorsk and the list goes on! So in these one or two business owners goin out of business hundreds of others prosper...How can this be held against Wal*Mart? It's merely the selfishness of the American people, to believe that these corporations are evil and unjust because they, not thier communities as some would say, suffer because of the new Wal*Mart down the road. When, in fact, they could probably get a job and make just as much money at the new Wal*Mart. The world is moving much too fast for us to get hung up on things like this today. It's a harsh truth, but still truth, you've got to go with the flow or drown. There really is no in-between anymore.

So in any case, Wal*Mart will continue to be villianized so long as it keeps expanding, yet it will continue to expand. Simply because Wal*Mart has perfected the art of delivering the goods its customers want. Which when it comes down to it...isn't that what a business is supposed to do?

[+mw.pmi]

Walmart: Good or Evil?

My Answer: "Hi! Welcome to Walmart. Get your sh*t and get out!"

Seriously though, Walmart has some great deals, and over here in Germany, I think they were either transitioned or bought up, and now REWE and REAL (pronounced, RAY-AL) are leading the way in non-expensive bargins at huge quanity. ;) So, Good or Evil. Depends on how you view that from a personal standpoint of view...when mirrored with your "pocketbook/wallet". ;)

[Бьякуя]

I had to write a freaking research paper on whether or not Wal-Mart is good or bad. Man it sucked. I wrote about it's effects on the environment and I must say Wal-Marts stores are bad for it. The run off water from the construction sites pollutes the streams that are around it. Perfectly nice places where people used to go for a picnic are used to build a new Wal-Mart. And I can go on forewhere. The funny thing was I turned out writing my research paper on all the "good" things Wal-Mart does for the environment. Hypocrite.

[RedApostasy]

Walmart is...iffy. On one hand it provides cheap products and a variety of them to areas that could otherwise have neither of the two. They do outsource however and thus put other companies out of business, in the long run Walmart is detrimental to the economy and overall product value. I've never so much as seen one here in NY, from what I understand the unions keep them out.