Here's why you can't buy the News Journal at Wal-Mart

[Robbien]

. . .

The store ordered us off their property, told us to come pick up our newspaper racks and clear out.

So we did.

. . .

Some managers at Wal-Mart didn't appreciate a column Mark O'Brien wrote last month about the downside of the cheap prices that Sam Walton's empire has brought to America. We all pay a little less, and sometimes a lot less, at the grocery store and department store because of Mr. Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart.

. . .

"I like Wal-Mart prices the same as the next shopper, but there's a downside, too. Many Wal-Mart employees lack the fringe benefits and insurance that makes the difference between existence and a good quality of life. Yet, we customers pay a surcharge from a different pocket — subsidizing health care for Wal-Mart employees who can't afford it."

Mark then described how Friedman's book pointed out that more than 10,000 children of Wal-Mart employees are in a Georgia health-care program, which costs the state's taxpayers nearly $10 million a year. Mark also pointed out that a New York Times report found that 31 percent of the patients at a North Carolina hospital were Wal-Mart employees on Medicaid.


Read on . . .

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/OPINION/507240314/1020

[madeline_con]

1. Gee, don't let Wal-Mart shoppers see THAT!

wow, it's a pretty scathing review, I had no idea it was that bad!!!

We discussed NOT buying school supplies there just today, as per the teacher bycott.

[ngGale]

2. We have a new Super Wal-Mart ...

and just tonight my daughter called and told how much money she saved. But, felt guilty about going there ...we are in NC so I just sent her the Medicaid stats. Really, there is nothing here anymore except Wal-Mart. The first one dried up every business we had, I told her what choice do we have, that's the way they work.

[Born Free]

3. "How Costco became the anti Walmart"

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0721costco-ON.html

original :

Steven Greenhouse
New York Times
Jul. 21, 2005 08:23 AM



I recommend everyone read this article, it shows that we consumers have two choices for about the same costs:

1. Wal-Mart : anti-union low wages and benifits to it's employees
2. Costco : union friendly, resonable wages and benifits



This is a pro- Costco article, very good , every union worker should speak with his/her wallet, the only language these guys understand. The article shows there is hope in America for union workers, if we speak with our wallets.


on edit:

"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. "

******

"Sinegal begs to differ. He rejects Wall Street's assumption that to succeed in discount retailing, companies must pay poorly and skimp on benefits, or must ratchet up prices to meet Wall Street's profit demands.

Good wages and benefits are why Costco has extremely low rates of turnover and theft by employees, he said. And Costco's customers, who are more affluent than other warehouse store shoppers, stay loyal because they like the fact that that low prices do not come at the workers' expense. "This is not altruistic," he said. "This is good business."

He also dismisses calls to increase Costco's product markups. Sinegal, who has been in the retailing business for more than a half-century, said that heeding Wall Street's advice to raise some prices would bring Costco's downfall."

*****

"They could probably get more money for a lot of items they sell," said Ed Weller, a retailing analyst at ThinkEquity.

But Sinegal warned that if Costco increased markups to 16 percent or 18 percent, the company might slip down a dangerous slope and lose discipline in minimizing costs and prices.

Sinegal, whose father was a coal miner and steelworker, gave a simple explanation. "On Wall Street, they're in the business of making money between now and next Thursday," he said. "I don't say that with any bitterness, but we can't take that view. We want to build a company that will still be here 50 and 60 years from now."

[Zhade]

4. That's it. Time to get a Costco membership.

I've been putting it off for too long!

[Joy Anne]

5. personally,

I won't buy a "membership" in a store.

[BiggJawn]

7. Still no choice.

Wally-Worlds pop up like thistles on the landscape.
It's 140 miles round-trip to my "closest" Costco.

Fortunately I have a Meijer's in town, but you have to examine your register tape because they like to "goof" and pad prices on some items. I don't like that. I think that's every bit as dihonest as Walton's kids fucking their help.

I know a guy who used to work for Wally-World. he says "When Mr. Sam was alive, it was a decent place to work, but once the KIDS took over..."

[Mr. Peanut]

6. Costco Better

Costco is a better choice, especially for self-employed workers.

[FourStarDemocrat]

8. Dumb move on Walmart's part to censor the pensacola news journal

It will only increase attention to their horrible worker practices. Thank goodness we've not yet had Walmart in my region, and hopefully never will.

[DuaneBidoux]

9. What can we do to make sure this gets picked up nationwide?