Movie: Wal-Mart: The high cost of low prices

[notstock71]

Has anyone else seen this movie? I saw it the other night. It goes into some very specific details on how much damage Wal-Mart is doing on the economy. It goes from the low wages for employees and Wal-Marts encouragement of the employees to go on state aid to the sweat shops they buy goods from. I was in shock about the violent crimes at their stores and them acknowledging the problem but not wanting to spend money to prevent it. Their CEO made 27 million in 2005. Wal-Mart set up an employee assistance fund for when bad things happen to an employee such as a house fire. Employees (already strapped for income) donated 5 million to it, the company gave $6000. There is a big part on the effects on small towns, running the mom and pop stores out of business. Other topics are abusing tax incentives, fines for multiple counts of water pollution and their efforts to identify and fire the employees who want to unionize. I could go on all day about this movie but I HIGHLY recommend watching it, I just ordered it from Amazon, $12.97.

[Ponch ®]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vioWgolslm0

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vz3_YSiAu8s

EDIT: Find part 3 on your own as it's ?not work safe". - Troy

[chargerboy69]

I could go on all day about this movie but I HIGHLY recommend watching it, I just ordered it from Amazon, $12.97.

What? Walmart did not have it in stock?

I have learned long ago that topics like this will get locked. So I will be good, and not say anything to start the locking process. Even though I feel like taking your statement above and tear it apart line by line.

Watch the link Ponch posted above. This is the side you have not seen.

[notstock71]

Just to clarify this, I am not bashing Wal-Mart. I saw the clips posted. I just said it was interesting to watch, it makes you think. You could make this same movie about any corporation. I'm not out to start an argument so please don't take my post above as anything more than what it says.

[RD]

very interesting...  penn and teller are funnier than shiet

[my73charger]

In before the...   

[Charger_Fan]

Does the movie show clips of Hillary when she was on their board of investors?

There, in befo' da  

[Ponch ®]

EDIT: Find part 3 on your own as it's ?not work safe". - Troy

My bad, Chief. 

[dkn1997]

EDIT: Find part 3 on your own as it's ?not work safe". - Troy

My bad, Chief. 

I would not want to watch that with kids around either.  a ton of curses.  it could prompt a lot of questions by a 7 year old who's in the room doing homework, don't ask me how I know. lol

[AKcharger]

Walmart is the destroyer of worlds...Hitler would be proud!

[moparjohn]

I don't shop there, there a lot more to life than the lowest price and the bottom line. And besides NO ONE should make 27 mill a year, NO ONE!!

[Shakey]

I don't shop there, there a lot more to life than the lowest price and the bottom line. And besides NO ONE should make 27 mill a year, NO ONE!!

And besides NO ONE should make 27 mill a year, NO ONE!!

Why not?

Whew - I'm sure glad I got to post before th locks were put on this one - it's off the hook!   

[hemihead]

I don't see any difference between Walmart and any other corporation or business in America . Look inside yourselves and you see the same thing ... GREED . Everybody wants to rake in all the profit and pay the laborer minimum wage, no benefits , and work them to death . Some people have to work so much that they have no life . So Walmart isn't the only one guilty .

[leeandgrant]

4all of you that do not shop at the economy destroying Wal-mart, thank you for being part of America that has a backbone. The only way to send Wal-mart a message is to simply not shop at their stores. Remember this also includes Sam's Club. For those of you that make the argument that Wal-mart is the only place that has what I need. First of all, IS IT A NEED OR A WANT.  Secondly, Wal-mart is not the only place that has what you want. Check other stores, shop on-line or simply try to live without it. 

I have heard comments saying that it is just another corporation running wild with corporate greed. Yes, it is true about the corporate greed. But you and I as Americans need to band together and let them that we are getting sick of it. CEO makes $27,000,000 but does everything he can to avoid offering health insurance to their employees. Make them or persuade them that their only option is to apply for state fund health care. And we all know how that is funded.....

Another thing, Sam Walton founded the company on low prices and giving small AMERICAN BUSINESS a place to sell their product. I think Mr. Walton is rolling over in his grave seeing what his heirs are doing. You look at product labels and find the country where the product was made. I would almost guess that less than 20% say MADE IN THE USA. Now you point back to corporate greed, for other companies to compete with Wal marts prices other retailers must also buy foreign made products to compete. More US jobs lost. A condensed story I read about a nasty thing Wal-mart did. A paper converting company was bidding on a run of those plain school folders that you buy your kids for school for 19 cents that have no graphics just one monotone color. They did all they could to get the lowest bid in. They did. Wal-mart granted them the contract. This company put off all other work to run this huge batch. They completed the work and shipped out the product. Wal-mart refused the whole order. Why? The tint of the color was just a skosh off. Instead of working it out and reducing the price or just flat out accepting the order,(like a bunch of elementary kids are going to give a S@%T that the tint is off!!!!!) they almost sent a company out of business.

SO, I will stop ranting , but if we as Americans keep laying over to corporate America we will all be working for minimum wage and have no health care and working until we are dead.  PLEASE STOP HAVING THE ATTITUDE THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO


OH, IN B4 THE 

[hemihead]

Don't buy at Walmart but run to the Rice dealer and buy the newest Jap car on the market . Makes sense to me .
And lots of CEO's make $27 mil or more a year and offer no benefits or wouldn't if they could get away with it . So why not boycott all those companies also ? The only people that lose by boycotting a product is the Blue collar worker .You know they always cut from the bottom first .  So let's all be Americans with backbone  and put more ( poor ) people out of work .
Would you accept  , if say , your Charger paint or interior color was " a skosh " off ?
If we want to improve anything , we can all stop being so greedy . Someday we will wonder why or kids or grandkids are pushing brooms with a college degree. That will be because everyone wants to keep everything for themselves.

[leeandgrant]

Hemihead,
I do boycott a lot of companies for practices that they continue to do that i feel do not benefit the American economy or the American worker.
Your comment about buying rice burners, have a yard full of dodges and one pos Pontiac.
Secondly, you did not get the point on the school folders.
Thirdly, I am a college graduate banging on rail cars because Wal- mart has sent many good paying jobs out of my area. Not complaing about my job either. I work for a company that still values its employees with a good wage, free healthcare, a pension, 401k and good vacation.
My point on boycotting Wal-mart is the simple fact that most of the merchandise contained in the walls of Wal-mart are made in China, Tialand, Malaysia, Mexico or any other developing country that has no safety guidelines or good working conditions and sends manufacturing jobs over seas. But there are some people that think Wal-mart is the next best thing since sliced bread.

[JoeyGowdy]

Yes, it shows up ever-so-often on the History Channel and the Documentary Channel 

[derailed]

Don't buy at Walmart but run to the Rice dealer and buy the newest Jap car on the market . .

Buy a Toyota at the rice dealer or a GM at the taco dealer, seems either way your gonna get heartburn. Either way I agree wal mart sucks.

[hemihead]

lee and grant
I understand how you feel but by boycotting one company doesn't change the facts. The only people it hurts is the blue collar guy making minimum wage. The people in that company that make $50 or $60k or more  a year sitting behind a desk buying this stuff from foreign countries will still have their nice job , homes , cars, toys ( Chargers ) , and families . You can buy all the new Dodges and Pontiacs you want but look at where most of the parts are bought from. Same places . So shouldn't we be boycotting the new Challenger also ? Most people here hate labor unions but at least with the labor unions America had a middle class .And that middle class bought alot of goods to keep the economy going .  But the white collar people wanted a bigger piece of the pie . I live near Pittsburgh and we had all the good paying jobs eliminated because greedy corporate owners wanted labor unions out and labor to work for 1950's wages . And that was in the early 80's BEFORE Walmart .What the answer is , I don't know . Maybe when this country fails and we are all ( including the rich ) are slave labor for the Chinese we will figure out that soetimes you don't have to have it all . This isn't all Walmart's fault . People need not look any further than themselves .

[Shakey]

Hemihead,
I do boycott a lot of companies for practices that they continue to do that i feel do not benefit the American economy or the American worker.
Your comment about buying rice burners, have a yard full of dodges and one pos Pontiac.
Secondly, you did not get the point on the school folders.
Thirdly, I am a college graduate banging on rail cars because Wal- mart has sent many good paying jobs out of my area. Not complaing about my job either. I work for a company that still values its employees with a good wage, free healthcare, a pension, 401k and good vacation.
My point on boycotting Wal-mart is the simple fact that most of the merchandise contained in the walls of Wal-mart are made in China, Tialand, Malaysia, Mexico or any other developing country that has no safety guidelines or good working conditions and sends manufacturing jobs over seas. But there are some people that think Wal-mart is the next best thing since sliced bread.

What kind of computer are you using to post on this site?  Do you know where it was made?   

Who says it's up to the employer to provide health care for his thousands of employees who are, at least from what I have seen, obese smokers who take their lunch break at the McDonalds within the store.   

Sounds like you should be after the Government to step in and set some ground rules.   

[hemihead]

 I guess you own your own business or are white collar . I guess everyone should be working 14 hour days , 7 days a week for 0.10 a day like in 1917 just so the employer can think he's a king . What ever happened to civic responsibility ? Or is it now a Business standard to take all they can get from a community and never give anything back ?
Do you really think all blue collar people are that way ? Have you seen the fat white collar slobs behind their desks at work with their guts so big they can't reach the phone to use it ?
As far as the Government is concerned , why not have them step in ? They tell me how to do everything else with my life . Why stop with big business ?

[Shakey]

I guess you own your own business or are white collar . I guess everyone should be working 14 hour days , 7 days a week for 0.10 a day like in 1917 just so the employer can think he's a king . What ever happened to civic responsibility ? Or is it now a Business standard to take all they can get from a community and never give anything back ?
Do you really think all blue collar people are that way ? Have you seen the fat white collar slobs behind their desks at work with their guts so big they can't reach the phone to use it ?
As far as the Government is concerned , why not have them step in ? They tell me how to do everything else with my life . Why stop with big business ?

I'm gonna guess you're referring to my post so I'll reply:

Your country, like mine, offers endless opportunities to each and every one of it's citizens. 

Some choose to go to school, get an education and decide on a career.  Once the career gets started, your success depends on your efforts.

Others choose to drop out of school, take any job they can get as long as it doesn't require any effort or thought and cruise through life hoping someone will look after them.  Human nature, the path of least resistance.

The choice is yours.

[hemihead]

Same old answers but no answer about the greed of some .

[Ponch ®]

Same old answers but no answer about the greed of some .

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right; greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words — will save...the malfunctioning corporation called the USA."

[Shakey]

Same old answers but no answer about the greed of some .

On the contrary, same old whining from the lazy folks who expect the ambitious to carry the dead weight.   

[SeattleCharger]

27,000 million is a christmas bonus for a lot of CEO's in america,   maybe ad that to 100,000 million,      the walmart CEO
   is sacrificing, like his low-wage/no benifits/ no union  store workers,    hats off to him for setting an example   

[Guns N Rotors]

CEO's don't bother me.

CEO's don't tell me what kind of toilet I must have or how many bullets my gun
may or may not have, or what kind of light bulb I have to screw in my lamp.

Nope, I really don't have any problems with CEO's.

[Silver R/T]

I dont see why people complain but yet most of them go there every night to shop. Guess what if you dont like it, stop going there. I never shop there and tell all of my family and friends not to. Ill buy stuff off of ebay before I go to wally's

[resq302]

Honestly, is there any difference between Target, Wal-mart, or any other large department store?  Granted, the stuff I have gotten from Wal-mart that is their stuff absolutely sucks in quality and breaks almost instantaneously the second time I use it.  There is some generic stuff that they sell that is significatnly cheaper than what the mom and pop stores offer, such as Krylon paint.  I can get it almost $3 cheaper at Wal-mart compared to the local hardware store.  You also have to consider the fact that with my family, money is tight right now with having a one year old, so I have to cut costs somewhere.  Do I still prefer to deal with the local hardware stores?  Absolutely!  They know what they are talking about and if they do not have it, they will search the item down for you and get it.

I don't know if anyone else has heard this story or not but here it goes.... Wal-mart was trying to get the lawnmower company Snapper to sell their products in Wal-mart.  Wal-mart wanted it to be a cheaper price so they told Snapper to make a cheaper product which meant they would have to make a whole new model specific for Wal-mart.  Pretty much the head person of Snapper told Wal-mart in the meeting while he walked out was that Snapper's name is known for QUALITY and their long lasting landscape equipment.  If Wal-mart wanted an inferior product, then you will NEVER see a Snapper being sold in Wal-mart.  Wal-marts suggestion was for Snapper to sell it under a different name.  For the most part, I have found that if you buy cheap, that is exactly what you get.... a cheaply made product that will last.  I can relate to the Snapper discussion as my first lawnmower I had when I first started out about 20 years ago doing lawn mowing, was a USED Snapper.  It was a 3.5 HP Briggs and Stratton engine and it never needed and fixng aside from regular tune ups like we do on our own cars.  I had that mower for another 10 years before I decided to buy a new one for $400 only because I wanted to upgrade to a stronger motor, now a 5 HP.  I sold the used Snapper to a friend of mine for $100 and to this day it is still running strong.  Mind you this is probably a 30 year old if not older walk behind push mower.  Needless to say, I am sold on the Snapper name.

[hemihead]

I buy America whenever possible . You will never see me drive a foreign built or designed car nor rave about how great they are . One thing that you wrote caught my eye resq302 . When you said " when you buy cheap  - that's what you get ... " The same can be said about employing people . You hear many employers complain about the quality of their employees . But look what they pay them . Sure they could kill themselves for the company but what is their reward ? A $0.10 raise an hour after a year that won't cover the cost of living . Pride in their work ? They can get that in a hobby at home . And pride doesn't feed , clothe , or keep a family healthy . I guess it is easy when you run a company and have money and benefits and a cozy life , to treat people with a lack of respect and look at them like livestock . Walmart does this I've heard but like I said , they aren't the only ones .

[resq302]

For instance, take Mike from B/E & A Body..... his prices may be higher than other repro places but his quality and detail that go into the parts justify the extra cost.  At least it does for me.  I would gladly spend a few extra dollars to know that the part will be correct and last versus throwing away a $50 lawnmower every year because something stupid breaks on it that can not be repaired or replaced.

Just my 

[TK73]

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."

- Mark Twain

[Charger_Fan]

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."

- Mark Twain

I thought Troy wrote that. 

[TK73]

"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."

- Mark Twain

I thought Troy wrote that. 

If he did he's WAY older than we thought...

[jlb1pi]

Hey everybody

...for those who might be interested,
here's the link for the Amazon page selling the DVD...not so much to push the sales of it,
but to "push" the 3rd Review of it (about 1/2 way down the page) by "Schtinky-Schtinky". or
some such name...It--for the most part--pretty much reflects my views on the Wal-Mart issue:

http://www.amazon.com/Wal-Mart-High-Cost-Low-Price/dp/B000BTH4K4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1203237173&sr=8-1

[I would have just copied and pasted his review statement, but didn't want to get into copyright enfringement,
or other litigation issues...I need all my money for restoring the Charger!]



~Jer~

[jlb1pi]

....AND, the link for The Man Who Said No To Walmart....Snapper Lawnmower's refusal story:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

Good reading!
~Jer~

[Charged]

I shop at Wal-Mart and always will.

[TK73]

I shop at Wal-Mart and always will.

Aren't you from Kentucky?

[dkn1997]

I really have no opinion on walmart one way or the other. but I can totally buy the logic of NOT buying a lawnmower at that store.  it's the kind of thing that you really do need someone who knows the product after the sale.  I'm ok with cars, but have never been good with mowers and I would need a place who could service it and repair it when necessary.  At least lowes, sears, home depot will attempt to fix it for you if it breaks

[Troy]

So, what's the consensus on buying Mopar brand filters and fluids at Wal-Mart? They're much cheaper than the dealer so is Wal-Mart strong-arming the manufacturer to get a rock bottom price or are the dealers screwing the customers with a abnormally high markup? This is a case of an identical product so the whole "Chinese junk" argument doesn't apply.

Personally, I avoid Wal-Mart but only because there are other stores that are more convenient to me with similar prices. When I lived in Utah it was the only place within 45 minutes to buy most things so that's where I shopped. In a resort town comprised of ski resorts, restaurants, and souvenir shops just about the only non-seasonal jobs with benefits were at Wal-Mart. The cost of living was extremely high and most seasonal jobs didn't pay much so there weren't too many Wal-Mart haters.

Troy

[resq302]

Troy, I agree that Wal-Mart does have some items that are not Chinese Junk. They do sell items such as Scotch Painters Tape (the blue one) and spray paint by Krylon.  They also sell Motorcraft oil, Castrol GTX oil, and lots of other name stuff that is cheaper but you have to know your prices.  Again, you have to know what you are buying before you buy it.  I bought a shelfing unit that collapsed the night I put it up.  The metal was too thin and gave way.  They said it would hold 300 lbs, I don't think we had 100 lbs on it.

Do they have name brand products?  Yes.  I am not arguing that.  But they do also sell a bunch of CRAP!

[dkn1997]

So, what's the consensus on buying Mopar brand filters and fluids at Wal-Mart? They're much cheaper than the dealer so is Wal-Mart strong-arming the manufacturer to get a rock bottom price or are the dealers screwing the customers with a abnormally high markup? This is a case of an identical product so the whole "Chinese junk" argument doesn't apply.

Personally, I avoid Wal-Mart but only because there are other stores that are more convenient to me with similar prices. When I lived in Utah it was the only place within 45 minutes to buy most things so that's where I shopped. In a resort town comprised of ski resorts, restaurants, and souvenir shops just about the only non-seasonal jobs with benefits were at Wal-Mart. The cost of living was extremely high and most seasonal jobs didn't pay much so there weren't too many Wal-Mart haters.

Troy

interesting situation with the filters/oil, etc.  Some of the guilt people feel buying from walmart is that they are helping put small businesses out of business.  But with Mopar brand items, you theoretically would be helping screw the dealer.....the same dealer who would sell your mothers shoes for a dime, lie to you, and rip you off in 2 seconds flat...so maybe not so much guilt there. but you would still have to feel like you were supporting a store that allegedly pays slave wages to people...although I thought that people had choices and if walmart paid that bad, people would find better paying work elsewhere.  but I have always had some skills, so I have never been a situation where walmart type work was all that was available to me. so easy for me to say I suppose.

[charger_mike75]

Maybe not everything at wal-mart is cheap junk, but you could fit all of the "made in u.s.a." items in a hand basket. I think every area is different when it comes to wal-mart as far as whether or not it's worth it to shop there or not. As far as buying castrol I could save the 50 cents in gas and buy it at the parts store and get a Wix filter as well. The wal-mart store in my neck of the woods is filled with more expensive chinese junk and even some of the name brand stuff is made in china. I don't buy anything but food from there, I just go next door for other stuff I need. If there was a K-mart I'd shop there instead. As far as the guy from snapper, I think he made a smart move. Personally I build up my own mowers from the ashes of others, gives me more money for the charger.   

[sick dawg]

Got me a cool t-shirt. Thanks guys!

[derailed]

  Nice

[Daytona Guy]

Don't buy at Walmart but run to the Rice dealer and buy the newest Jap car on the market . Makes sense to me .
And lots of CEO's make $27 mil or more a year and offer no benefits or wouldn't if they could get away with it . So why not boycott all those companies also ? The only people that lose by boycotting a product is the Blue collar worker .You know they always cut from the bottom first .  So let's all be Americans with backbone  and put more ( poor ) people out of work .
Would you accept  , if say , your Charger paint or interior color was " a skosh " off ?
If we want to improve anything , we can all stop being so greedy . Someday we will wonder why or kids or grandkids are pushing brooms with a college degree. That will be because everyone wants to keep everything for themselves.

Well said Hemihead - This "US American" who has "maps" "such as" ones sold in Walmart that employs "such as" friends of mine. This is America so I will be a "US American" and not like "such as the Iraq", who didn't let people have a Walmart until we freed them from the tyranny of Hussein. Now "The Iraq" can have "maps" because they need them according to Miss Teen USA South Carolina; they my even get a Walmart that will employ people so they can afford to buy maps "such as". 

Walmart does not hurt the economy. We are a free market system/economy – if the people buy it and work it then it succeeds. I know it hurts and sucks in some circumstances, but our cars are made my robots and the people in Detroit did not like it at first, but you have to stay competitive or you end up in a hard landing (Out of Business) instead of a soft one landing (Restructure) – you have to adapt.

I shop at Walmart because I am a "US American" and I stand for Freedom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII

[Daytona Guy]

Same old answers but no answer about the greed of some .

Got a question... How do we know what is greed?  - Is that not a "motive of the heart"? How can we know someone's motives? I know it is an easy word to throw around at "Corporate America" and very hard to pin down and define. Anyone can be accused of this whether it is corporate America or the young aggressive Insurance Salesman.

If someone is greedy – there is no stopping them unless they break the law, or the free market system turns on them and deems their product unnecessary.

Just like this criminal (Kevin Trudeau) who sells his snake oil book through infomercials. As long as there are people who will buy this guys book he will keep writing them. As much as I do not like it, he is free to document anything he wants and sell it is a resource and never be liable. Greed? Who knows. Mr. Kevin came up with this idea to make money while in prison in the 90's for credit card fraud.

[BrianShaughnessy]

....AND, the link for The Man Who Said No To Walmart....Snapper Lawnmower's refusal story:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

Good reading!
~Jer~

Excellent!   

If only the chiefs at Rubbermaid and other companies had balls like that.

Count me in as a Walmart hater.     Low prices for some crap end up costing the country more in the long run. 

I don't have a problem with the original version of Walmart as Sam Walton saw it...   but what it became since then is a different matter.

And I wish I could say I lived a walmart free lifestyle but I can't as we occassionally buy stuff at Sam's club - mostly staple food.