Wal-Mart Says It Will "Help" Small Business Competition: WTF?

[Tool Fan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/business/05walmart.ht...

"Wal-Mart Stores, whose all-in-one retailing model has forced scores of competitors to close their doors over the last 40 years, is turning to an unusual business plan: helping its rivals.

The giant discount retailer, under increasing assault by critics, announced a wide-ranging effort yesterday to support small businesses near its new urban stores, including the hardware stores, dress shops and bakeries with which it competes.

Wal-Mart said it would offer those businesses financial grants, training on how to survive with Wal-Mart in town and even free advertising within a Wal-Mart store.

Wal-Mart acknowledged the program was not entirely altruistic. The company is trying to open 50 stores in urban neighborhoods in the next two years, and the aid to small businesses could help build support in cities like Los Angeles and New York where it has met strong resistance."



I find this hysterical....

[tatertop]

1. Agreed, that is hysterical

[rfranklin]

2. The same way they "help" their employees and suppliers...

by raping and killing them.

[Webster Green]

3. Thought it was from the Onion...

Totally absurd.

[Tool Fan]

6. It sounds like a joke....

:rofl:

[jeff30997]

4. Wal-Mart Helping Small Business Competition...

Is like a hyena helping a dying antelope.

[baldguy]

5. Do thay have that many openings for greeters & cashiers?

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Any rattlesnake speaks with a fored tongue

!!

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Goes along with "Hi, I'm from the IRS and I'm here to help you."

[msgadget]

9. Not entirely altruistic

Talk about your understatements! *50* stores in two years! Based on the clip below, do you think this will make it easier to enter areas? They've done the GOP thing and repainted the major issues and they're choosing blighted areas...

>
The Wal-Mart jobs and opportunity zones are to be set up in 10 metropolitan areas where the chain wants to build stores. Wal-Mart said it would choose sites traditionally overlooked by retailers — urban neighborhoods with high unemployment, contaminated land and old shopping centers in need of revitalization. The new stores are expected to create at least 15,000 jobs.

The first zone will be the West Side of Chicago, where Mr. Scott announced the program yesterday. The company would not say what other cities it was considering.

In the zones, the company will identify local businesses to spotlight in newspaper advertisements and to feature on Wal-Mart's in-store radio network, which plays throughout the day. (Mr. Scott said "it would not be healthy" to leave out competitors.)

Wal-Mart will hold seminars to coach the businesses on how to compete with the giant discount stores — by, for example, intensifying customer service, for which Wal-Mart often receives low marks. An annual report on trends in Wal-Mart's business will be distributed exclusively to those companies.

At the same time, Wal-Mart will invest $500,000 in local chambers of commerce, to be used for small-business Web sites and business improvement seminars. "This is a commitment to reach beyond our stores," Mr. Scott said.

[The2ndWheel]

10. I think they just enjoy

buying up smaller companies. If they help create more, they get to do what they love; crush the competition into absolute submission.