What is everyone's opinion on Wal-Mart?

Question

good thing, or bad thing?

I did not know about a China connection when I posted this question. I just meant about cornering the market on EVERYTHING and putting smaller businesses out of business. and not providing benefits to employees.

Answer 1

I dont really care for Walmart; i've been in a Walmart once or twice for towels or a rug; bought a tv there once for 60 bucks. but i don't particularly care to shop there as i find the quality of most of the merchandise is cheap and poorly made. the prices seem fair, but even with the cost being so low, i dont find that it's worth the money for something thats going to fall apart in a few months. I'd prefer Target over walmart, though walmart has far cheaper prices than Target.

Addressing your additional comments: As for Walmart as a company, thats just how big corporations run. They often find ways around things, cheat their employees out of much needed health care and pay them very low salaries; while they gross several million quarterly; billions annually;
in any business, big or small, you cannot have the total revenue of what you pay out in labour (salary or benefits) annually to employess across board greater than your annual revenue, or even half that. As there's so much more involved to maintaining a business then just labour costs.
Yet, at the same time since without employees to sell, and maintain the productivity of each store in such a large company, it would only be fair to pay them a decent living and provide some form of affordable healthcare to each.
The problem with Walmart is their average payrate per employee was either on the line or slighly above the minium wage rate, per state; they did offer in some cases healthcare to employees, BUT: having a good portion of their employees on a P/T status at like $5.50-7.00 hourly, working 20-25hrs weekly, their employees couldnt afford to accept the company's benefits plan as the cost is taken out of the bi-weekly pay. If an employee is only grossing let's say $300 weekly, they are well under meeting the standards of the cost of living (in their area) therefore to have any extra pay taken out for compenstaion of benefits isnt a possibility, financially.

Most larger corporations keep a good portion of their employees at a P/T status, and those that do offer benefits to P/T employees find a way around meeting the legal contractual obligations by stating that the qualifications for meeting the requirements of the benefits plans (as per emplyoyment status: P/T F/T and hours worked per week, and per pay period, even down to the filing of necessary paperwork) was not met by the employee, therefore the elegibility of the employee to qualify for the benefits progaram is nullified.
But this is how these major corporations make money, and can boast $50 billion in revenue annually; while maintaining labour costs (employee pay-out, quaterly, annually) low and at 10-30%). It is wrong, and technically illegal, (as per dictim of state law in some areas) but then, that's the pupose of having instituted company policies that are 'on the line' leagally.
It's very wrong, but they all do it. Target, Walmart, K-mart etc... they all do this. But then i suppose keeping their marketing techniques and P/R work at a maximum, the focal point of the public is the on the projected image of the company and the merchandise thereof, not on the issues of the legal obligations of the company where it concerns employee payout (labour and benefits).
I mean honestly.... if you are shopping in Walmart or Target... are you really thinking "how much do these employees make, and are they receiving benefits?" or are you thinking of the TV and newspaper advertisments that you've seen that inform you of what they have to offer as per product and price?

Answer 2

No. They will never have world domination cuz of people like me who don't like their store. I really don't like going into a Wal-mart. Has nothing to do with globalization, the wages they pay or the small businesses that get hurt. I just walk into one of their stores and can't wait to leave. BAD shopping experience.

Answer 3

Decent thing.
I think they could have more respect for the employees, and give them something more to live on, benefits or something. I have a lot of respect for people who work there. They are walked all over.

I worked there when I was younger, and I was convinced I needed to work a 10 hour day without any type of a break. I worked int he photolab. I started to feel faint at one point b/c I hadnt eaten. They went and bought me a 25 cent pop from the machine and made me keep going. The manager was so tricky that she wrote a note saying that I had forgotten to swipe out for lunch, so that she wouldn't get in trouble. It was my fault for not knowing better, and not knowing that I could stand up for myself.

Now I know, and I feel bad for everyone that works there and is currently/has been taken advantage of.

Answer 4

Wal-Mart is good since it provides an incredible number of jobs, and it sells necessities for low prices which makes it incredible affordable for the middle of America.

Answer 5

Good and improving every day.
I have heard that top business houses bend backwards to put their item in Wal-mart as it has a bigger market.

Answer 6

I despise them. I worked for the home office in Bentonville in the International Merchandising Division in purchasing. After that, I was a vendor for a software company and spent a lot of time in the stores. Being at the home office and in the stores (often in the back rooms where you learn a lot) changed my opinion forever.

Answer 7

I try to avoid them at all costs. Main reason is that corporate execs sent a letter to store-level managers urging them to refrain from hiring people "who look like they may have health problems, especially those who may be obese." This was one of their many efforts to avoid providing health care for their employees, which in this case, amounted to nothing less than discriminatory hiring practices. (Urging managers to avoid hiring people based on how they "look" is discrimination, plain and simple). For that reason, I avoid wal-mart at all costs and cannot remember the last time I bought something from them.

Answer 8

Wal-mart is leading the way to world peace. China isn't going to bomb it's biggest customer and US isn't going to bomb it's biggest supplier. Wal-mart and other business is leading the way to true international cooperation. We need more Wal-marts in Iran, Sudan, Israel, etc.

Answer 9

Wal Mart in Puerto Rico, I could find everything in one place , instead on going around,prices good.

Answer 10

Wal-Mart not a bad store: they are a retail giant here in Chicago.