Big Bad Walmart… well… that’s a personal choice… good or bad. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs… and my thoughts expressed here are not intended to be imposed upon you. Like everything else… it is what it is… take it or leave it. I see lots of people bashing Walmart, and to each his own. Walmart had a better way to do business within the free enterprise system and grew to be the worlds largest retailer in the span of a relatively short time (verses companies that have been around for 80-100 years). They developed a business strategy that obliviously supplied a service and pricing policy that was extremely well accepted by, and beneficial to the populous at large. People made Wal-mart the largest retailer in the world by choice, the choice being, by shopping there. This type of growth always brings about change. Companies or business concepts that fall short on delivering what the buying public wants will generally loose business or go out of business. So there’s always going to be a downside to the positive. I’m sure that the stage coach lines that gave up business to the trains felt that trains were bad. Eventually anything to do with horse & wagons went out of business due to trains and trucks. Trains lost out to busses and big trucks…. busses lost out to cars…ships lost out to planes… etc,etc. So there’s always the greater good that results in the lesser bad. Lots of people no doubt lost their jobs… lives were changed as progress marched on. Remember, it’s the peoples choice. Walmart didn’t get to be the largest retailer because people were made to shop there. Walmart simply offered, and continues to offer good service, great value, and great convenience… all at one convenient location or right to your door. Companies that fall short of what Walmart is offering… can not or choose not to compete in business (give the majority of the buying public want they want)… well… they will either loose business or go out of business. It’s called free enterprise and it’s what makes and keeps other companies honest and competitive as progress and business evolves. Why would anyone choose to spend more money for the same item some where else? Some because of concept of loyalty to small business. Some like over the top service, and don’t mind paying extra for it in an upscale store. Some like the idea or concept of shopping at socially elevated elite store for designer brand names. Some just like old favorite places to shop and don’t worry about prices. As the economy continues to get worse… and whether you believe it or not… the poor are getting poorer, and the middle income class are heading to the ranks of the poor as more and more choices are made to “do without” what they once enjoyed. Luxury spending is disappearing and what was once everyday purchases are quickly becoming harder choices. So if you are being spared the economic stress, you may be able to continue to spend more money then you need to by shopping at small businesses, socially elite stores, and designer brands…and you can afford to, and be entitled to, spend your money anyway you like. I find myself, as obliviously millions of other Walmart shoppers do, thankful for Wal-Mart's pricing policies of bring me the lowest prices available. Good service, perhaps not great service, value for my money, and convenience of shopping all at one location.
So what prompted all this? Years of talking and complaining about Walmart… and all the negative effects. Like I said… I’m sure the horse & wagon teamsters, and their family and friends, felt the same way about trains and trucks. Just as in modern times, Video Rental stores that were once on every corner gave way to Net-Flix and on demand movies. All things improve and change. Everyone wins big as a whole. Old technology and old business practices give way to the new, modern, and most beneficial service, goods, and value… which is ultimately decided by the buying public… who supports Walmart with their shopping dollars.
Recently witnessed a opposition to Walmart by someone that has a great aversion to Wal-Mart's existence. An employee of a well know vacuum company wrote the following comment as they bashed Walmart.
Excerpt: As their perfect example…
Perfect example. XXXXX sells a "Steam-It" floor cleaner. It retails for $179.99 on the XXXXX Website and in our stores... XXXXX did a one-time buy for Walmart and they offered it for $149.99... Walmart couldn't sell it for $149 and lowered the price to $119... which we are then forced to match in order to make sales... I was making about $20 off of it that way... They undersell and DESTROY brands and the value in the product.
Their job is a commissioned salesperson… the cleaner they sell is priced at $179. They normally would make $80 commission on your hard earned money for being the middleman. The company worked a deal with Walmart to sell their floor cleaner in Walmart stores for $149 ($30 less then the floor cleaner store). Walmart put the floor cleaner on sale for $119… an extremely great savings to consumers. The floor cleaner company store dropped their price to $119 to match Wal-marts price ( otherwise they wouldn’t sell anything… go figure!) … and the sales person complained about the fact that their commission was cut from $80 to only $20 for each floor cleaner they sell. Yall decide for yourself. The population as a whole are going to shop at Walmart… and the sales person is not going to get an extra $60 in commission for simply being the middle man. So why do arguments condemning Walmart for keeping other companies honest (pricing policies) seem to have any validity at all… and more over, why do they expect others to support their reasoning when millions already express their beliefs by spend their hard earned dollars at Walmart where they continually get more value for their money? Well… you judge for yourself.
Another argument: Sale prices at other stores… namely grocery items. Yep… I use to work at a grocery store, a major chain, and their pricing policy was to offer some great sale prices on limited items, good sale prices on other items… and it projects great price image. And if you did all your shopping there for all your grocery needs, as most people do, you are going to pay more in the end for your total grocery bill despite the savings on the sale items. Ahhh… only going there for great sale items? Hope you were going by there anyway, cause if it’s a special trip or out of the way… the cost of gasoline to get there will usually exceed the savings. Remedy… Wal-Mart's price matching policy… so why go anywhere else?
So for me, and millions of others… thank goodness for Walmart. And if you have extra money to freely spend more than you need to… for whatever reason… the more power to you. That’s why it’s America… freedom of choice. Just don’t try to convince me that your way of thinking is absolutely right for all… especially when the opposite is so blatantly oblivious.
