The Campaign Against Wal-Mart (NY Times Technology page)

[Ernesto]

CRITICISM of Wal-Mart may have reached a tipping point, Liza Featherstone writes in Salon.com this week.
Many analysts attribute Wal-Mart's anemic share price "to what they call 'headline risk,' which is Wall Street-speak for bad press," she writes. "That lagging stock price may become a critical pressure point for activists pressuring Wal-Mart to change its ways."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/06/technology/06online.html?ei=5090&en=dba3123ce1584fa6&ex=1280980800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1123299321-B8vmhhm2s57AVNFxLRu0pg

[JDPriestly]

1. Wal-Mart's market share

depends on paying buying cheap, grabbing a reliable profit -- at the cost of its employees and those of the manufacturers from whom it buys its stock. Wal-Mart is the enemy of the middle class as it leads America down a slippery spiral to a society in which the vast majority of people are enslaved to subsistence wages, no health care, no dental care, ignorance and functional illiteracy due to poor schools, long workdays, run down, impoverished communities, crowded housing, and on and on. Does this sound like the subcontinent of Africa, rural China, the slums of Calcutta? It' just a matter of time unless we turn it around.

If the middle class is to survive, we have to establish and enforce labor and environmental standards as well as building codes, raise the minimum wage, enthusiastically support teachers, nurses and other public servants and throw out the Grover Norquists and their economic philosophy.

[Alcibiades]

3. It sounds like Arkansas

to me. I've always said Arkansas was like a little slice of the third world right here at home. So it's not the continent of Africa, the subcontinent of India or rural China, it's modeled on a good old southern state.

[UpInArms]

12. Perhaps we should "borrow" a Norquist line and give it a little

twist:

I won't be happy until Wal-Mart is small enough to put in a bathtub and drown it.

[Alcibiades]

2. Wal-Mart laughs...

... at the puny mortals who "criticize" it. "I care not what you say," Wal-Mart says, belching forth air-conditioned air from its automatic doors "but what you do, and so long as people shop at Wal-Mart, you can think what you like."

I was in Wal-Mart the other day (I live across the street from one, so it's mighty convenient--yes, i spend far more at the COSTCO across town) and I saw they had one-subject, spiral-bound notebooks for ten cents each. TEN CENTS. That's cheaper than they were when I was a child in the 1970's.

Maybe something will happen to make Wal-Mart go the way of Woolworth's, Kresge and (soon) K-Mart. Until that time, however, cheap, mainly Chinese-made goods bought at Wal-mart are the only things keeping the standard of living of middle-class Americans from falling. Perhaps something can be done politically to get the unions in and the exploited immigrant labor out. I hope so. Sadly, however, so long as things look bleak for middle America (and things look bleak for a long ways out) Wal-Mart is here to stay.

[AndyTiedye]

5. That Something Might be Costco

Maybe something will happen to make Wal-Mart go the way of Woolworth's, Kresge and (soon) K-Mart.

Walmart sells cheap stuff cheap, and treats employees and suppliers like dirt.
They support the increasingly-unpopular regime because it is keeping their labor costs down.
Their earnings are in the toilet, because people are boycotting them.

Costco sells good stuff cheap, and treats employees and suppliers well.
They are a blue company.
Their earnings are up.

[CityDem]

8. I love shopping at Costco

Unfortunately, they don't have a broad enough product offering. Also, there are times when I just don't need a 3 gallon container of mustard or two 5 gallon container of cranberry juice. I only go to Costco when I need bulk. I don't shop at Walmart -- not one in our area.

[JDPriestly]

17. For groceries, Trader Joe's is great.

They treat their employees well.

[TheDebbieDee]

18. Costco has great fresh produce....and their pizzas are the bomb!

[JDPriestly]

16. Fill your prescriptions at Costco. Compare prices and

you will see why.

[MichiganVote]

14. Not for me. Walmart does more to lower American wages

and income than any other retail outfit. 10 cent notebooks are nothing compared to the millions of dollars Walmart encourges its workers to take from the middle class in Medicaid health insurance.

Never shop at Walmart. They eat their own.

[AndyTiedye]

4. They Always Avoid Using the "B" Word -- Too Scary

The notion that consumers might actually boycott a
company like Walmart because they don't like they way it does business
is terrifying to the robber barons.

BOYCOTT WALMART

[cascadiance]

10. A toast to that notion! Boycott China-Mart!

http://www.cafepress.com/chinamart

[Ian David]

6. The right-wing has reasons to boycott Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a porn-monger!

Buy Blue:Wal-Mart and Netflix
(Wal-Mart is using Netflix to sell gay and lesbian "pornography.")
http://www.buyblue.org/archives/2005/05/walmart_and_net.html


Religious Right Discovers Investment Activism

<snip>

For example Wal-Mart became a subject of its ire in 2002, although not necessarily for the anti-union activities that progressives might oppose: Ally was appalled to find displays of Cosmopolitan and Glamour, which he said are the “most blatantly aggressive soft core pornographic magazines in America” and create “a moral slippery slope … the initiation to hard core pornography, child molestation, bestiality and worse.” An August 2002 press release was titled "Timothy Plan Mutual Fund Group Denounces Wal-Mart for "Promotion of Pornography.'"

More:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12527

Related thread:
the religiously insane's brokers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4268798





Target Corporation
Rating: Dark Red - 17 %
BuyBlue.org's Position:

Target currently has a 17% BuyBlue rating due to political contributions for the 2003-2004 election cycle. Target executives contributed solely to Republican candidates and Target's Chairman and CEO contributed fairly heavily. Target also has a Political Action Committee which contributed very heavily in the 2003-2004 election cycle weighing in at $173,240 (21.00% D, 78.00% R).

<snip>

Total Spent: $212,440.00
17.13% to Democratic Party candidates
82.06% to Republican Party candidates
0% to Other candidates

More:
http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=55


Also:

HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/32688...

July 16, 2005, 6:15PM

Is being generous good for business?
Costco CEO profits as he offers top pay, benefits
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
New York Times

ISSAQUAH, WASH. - Jim Sinegal, the chief executive of Costco Wholesale, the nation's fifth-largest retailer, crows about Costco's private-label pinpoint cotton dress shirts.

"Look, these are just $12.99," he said while lifting a crisp blue button-down inside Costco's cavernous warehouse store here in the company's hometown. "At Nordstrom or Macy's, this is a $45, $50 shirt."

Combining high quality with stunningly low prices, the shirts appeal to upscale customers and epitomize why some retail analysts say Sinegal just might be America's shrewdest merchant since Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart.

But not everyone is happy with Costco's business strategy. Some Wall Street analysts assert that Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well.

More:
http://www.buyblue.org/archives/2005/07/costco_v_walmar...


Also:

January 11, 2005
Costco: Company for the People

There is an excellent article in the Seattle Weekly from the December 15th to 21st issue that you may have missed.

On our Blue Christmas list (returning in less than a week) we had listed Walmart/Sam's as Red and Costco as Blue based strictly on political donations. For most people this didn't come as a real shock. However, this article further expands on that showing that Costco's business practices are very blue as well. Costco values the people that work for them and they value the customer.

According to the article "Costco's average U.S. hourly wage of approximately $16 an hour is widely considered to be the best in the retail business. And its approach to health care, as noted in a report at the time by the financial research and investment firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., "has been to provide employees with the best plan at the least expense to the employee."

There have literally been volumes written about how poorly employees that work for Wal-Mart are treated in regards to health care and their wages. A quick google search will turn up scores of articles by major news sources.

These principles carry over to dealing with customers as well: "The financial guys noted another sin: Costco also treats its customers too well. Its bargain prices are legendary and, at the time analysts were tsk tsking, Costco was planning to add staff at checkouts in order to shorten lines."

I'm sure that those of you that have been in a Wal-Mart at any time of the day (even 2 am on a Monday) know that they have just enough staff at the checkout lines to ensure you wait for 30 minutes or more when checking out. They don't care if you wait, they know you'll keep coming back for the prices. To them you aren't a customer, you are a walking wallet.

I guess Wal-Mart feels that because it offers low prices that should carry over to how they compensate their hourly workers and how they treat their customers. Wall Street usually seems to agree with that way of doing business. This in large part is the reason all of us are working so hard on this web site and idea. We want to show people that the days are numbered for the Wal-Mart's of the world and that more companies need to realize that the business practices and principles used by Costco are not only the right thing to do but profitable.

More:
http://www.buyblue.org/archives/2005/01/costco_company_...





Costco Wholesale Corporation
Rating: Dark Blue - 99 %
BuyBlue.org's Position:

Costco Wholesale currently has a 99% BuyBlue rating due to political contributions for the 2003-2004 election cycle. Costco executives contributed heavily to Democratic candidates for Congress and some in high-profile Senate races including Barack Obama and Tom Daschle, and many Democratic candidates for President.

Furthermore, according to the Seattle Weekly (December 15-21) Costco also treats their employees extremely well. "Costco's average U.S. hourly wage of approximately $16 an hour is widely considered to be the best in the retail business. And its approach to health care, as noted in a report at the time by the financial research and investment firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., "has been to provide employees with the best plan at the least expense to the employee."

Costco is leading the way by showing that you can make progressive values profitable in business.

More:
http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=17

Target is better than Wal-Mart, but COSTCO blows them both away
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1680605#1680977




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 19, 2005
http://www.netflix.com/PressRoom?id=5280

IR CONTACT: Deborah Crawford
Director of Investor Relations
408 317-3712


PR CONTACT: Ken Ross
VP, Corporate Communications
408 317-3931

Netflix Says Promotional Agreement With Walmart.com
Not Material to Company's Financial Performance
LOS GATOS, Calif., May 19, 2005 - In connection with today's joint promotional
announcement with Walmart.com, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) advised investors
that it believed the agreement would not materially impact the company's
current subscriber growth or financial performance and, as a result, the
company is not revising the guidance it provided on April 21, 2005.

Netflix remarked that teaming with Walmart.com strengthens the Company's
competitive position as the popularity of Walmart.com and the Web site's
traffic offer an opportunity for increased awareness and referrals to the
Netflix service.

Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy is expected to comment on today's announcement during
his presentation at the JP Morgan 33rd Annual Technology Conference in San
Francisco. As previously announced, Mr. McCarthy's presentation today at 9:45
a.m. Pacific Time, will be webcast live. The webcast will be available on the
investor relations portion of the company's website: http://ir.netflix.com.

About Netflix

Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world's largest online movie rental service,
providing more than three million subscribers access to over 40,000 DVD titles.
Under the company's most popular program, for $17.99 a month, Netflix
subscribers rent as many DVDs as they want and keep them as long as they want,
with three movies out at a time. There are no due dates, no late fees and no
shipping fees. DVDs are delivered for free by the USPS from regional shipping
centers located throughout the United States. Netflix can reach nearly 90
percent of its subscribers with generally one business-day delivery. Netflix
offers personalized movie recommendations to its members and has more than 500
million movie ratings. Netflix also allows members to share and recommend
movies to one another through its Friends™ feature. For more information, visit
www.netflix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the
impact of the Walmart.com - Netflix promotional agreement on Netflix's
financial performance and the opportunity for increased awareness and referrals
from such agreement. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to
differ, including, factors associated with the implementation and execution of
the promotional agreement, the willingness of existing Wal-Mart subscribers to
convert to the Netflix service; the limited number of existing Wal-Mart
subscribers; and the likelihood visitors to walmart.com will accept offers
promoting the Netflix service. A detailed discussion of other risks and
uncertainties that could impact Netflix's financial performance is included in
our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March
15, 2005. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.


###


<snip>

Suggestions Tell us how we can improve the website or our service.
http://www.netflix.com/ContactCustService?subject=Customer+Suggestion&type=101


<snip>

Management
Reed Hastings, Founder and CEO
Tom Dillon, Chief Operations Officer
Neil Hunt, Chief Product Officer
David Hyman, General Counsel
Leslie Kilgore, Chief Marketing Officer
Barry McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer
Patty McCord, Chief Talent Officer
Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer
http://www.netflix.com/PressRoom?id=1006&hnjr=3#rhastings

More:
http://www.buyblue.org/archives/2005/05/advertising_upd.html

[Zorra]

7. Yes, and a major importer of goods from Communist China also.

RWers seem to support totalitarianism no matter what form it takes.

[marbuc]

23. They wail about godless communists

being the scurge of the earth, but shut up awfully quickly when they realize they can get a package of 12 wife beaters for $2.99.

[mconvente]

9. fucking wall street motherfuckers

"But not everyone is happy with Costco's business strategy. Some Wall Street analysts assert that Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well."

Yeah, so paying benefits and solid wages to its workers is being "overly generous". Fucking assfucking motherfuckers. :puke:

[cascadiance]

11. I think these analysts have "overly generous" salaries for THEIR work

which is serving Corporate America rather than the average investor/citizen of this country!

[Alcibiades]

15. Outsource...

... the jobs of investment analysts and academic economists. Why not? they advise it for everyone else. I am absolutely certain that there are very smart folks in China or India who will do the work of these establishment elitists on Wall Street for far, far less.

[earth mom]

19. The workforce of the U.S.A. is screwed over BIG TIME so stock holders

can make their profits-or-ELSE! :sarcasm: :puke:

[marbuc]

24. Wall Street is all about quarterly earnings, not long term

sustainability. The concept of sustainable development, which Costco seems to be practicing, focuses on long term viability. Employee moral and working environment are widely seen as important factors toward this end.

[tsuki]

13. I cancelled NetFlix. eom

[Ian David]

20. Cool. did you tell them why? n/t

[tsuki]

22. Yep.

[prairierose]

21. I have been boycotting malwart for some time & I...

intend to continue that action.

[Omaha Steve]

25. Anti Wal-mart movie in November

My wife and I will be hosting a showing of the anti Wal-mart film. Here is some film info.

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

http://www.walmartmovie.com/teaser_wmp.php

We have been living Wal-mart free for about a year now.

Wal-mart always low wages, ALWAYS!