Sam Walton's kids are getting ready to screw up bigtime (WalMart)

[Thtwudbeme]

They are planning on buying the Tommy Hilfiger line, and going upscale:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20050928/bs_bw/nf200509280997db016

Right when their customers are barely able to afford Suave Shampoo, they are going to ask them to spend MORE on clothing.

Their greed is going to bite them in the ass, and I personally cannot wait to see it.

[stevedeshazer]

1. Invest in Dollar Tree

That's where we're headed.

[shaniqua6392]

2. Funny!! That is where I do most of my shopping.

The one by my house is so crowded every day now, I know people are having a hard time.

[stevedeshazer]

15. LOL!

My mom loves it, I drive her there every week (she's 78 y-o).

She joked that at this rate, it'll be the Two Dollar Tree pretty soon.

:)

[brentspeak]

6. And dog food stocks

Alpo and Gaines Burger are set to become the food staple for the 21st century.

[Neocondriac]

3. remember

In many communities where the have killed off key competitors there are no other places to shop. They won't go upscale , but prices are going up for sure.

[valerief]

China will buy their stuff. China has all the money in the world.

[raggedcompany]

4. Well..the kids that are left, that is.. n/t

[Gloria]

5. I'm a regular at Big Lots....I check it out and pounce on imported

pasta, certain veggies, the Prince of Peace Green Tea (cheap!)

Love it for the cheesy garden dingies, too....

[japple]

10. Big Lots is one of my favorites, too

in addition to thrift stores, consignment shops, yard sales and flea markets. I hardly ever buy new clothes anymore except for underwear and socks, and some of the items in my closet are very nice, well made clothing that originally sold for mucho bucks.

[Hello_Kitty]

11. Love Big Lots!

I haunt the place. And the one I go to has a consignment shop next door, where I get really cool clothes, accessories, and furnishings for peanuts. I am SO not feeding the beast of consumerism anymore!

[Spike from MN]

27. Good for you!

I've never been one to feed the beast of consumerism. I buy stuff if/when I really NEED it and other than that, I'm just not into the whole consumer thing. I'm probably a marketing person's worst nightmare. ;)

[Hello_Kitty]

29. I used to be it and I'm still paying the price

But I'm paring down my credit card debt slowly but surely and giving a lot more thought to my behavior and values. I fulfill my shopping jones these days mostly at second-hand stores and yard sales. It feels good to give "new life" to an item that would only end up in landfill and my bank account and conscience are much better for it.

[Spike from MN]

32. Good work! Keep it up!

It was relatively easy for me because I grew up poor so I never had the "consumer bug" in me. It was always about what we needed. What we WANTED never really entered the picture.

Sounds like you're definitely doing your part. You're changing your behavior. Bravo! That's not an easy thing to do! And you're discovering the values of second-hand stuff and garage sales in the process. Good going! Giving things a new life and keeping them out of a landfill can be rewards in and of themselves. Kudos to you!

[notadmblnd]

12. I'm a fan of BIG LOTS too

lots of good stuff there. The local flea market is another favorite of mine.

[youthere]

22. Prince of Peace Green Tea is the best...

I'm drinking a cup right now. 99 cents...can't beat that.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Just a different label, otherwise it still crappy stuff made in china

by slave labor. I doubt they can charge much more for it than the other junk they sell in there. Anyway, once those brands are available at walmart, nobody will want them anymore.

[tuvor]

8. Haven't they already tested these waters?

In Canada, anyway, they're the exclusive sellers of some British designer label.

Besides, isn't it correct that Mr. Hilfiger just sources out the cheapest labour to slap his logo on? Or am I mistaken?

[notadmblnd]

9. more than likely.....

people will stop buying Tommy gear.. no young person wants to be seen wearing clothes exclusive to wal mart.

[HockeyMom]

13. Speaking of WalMart

Suffolk County, NY just passed a law saying that ALL full time retail employees MUST be paid health benefits. WalMart promptly issued a statement saying that because of this, they are going to have to raise their prices. Poor babies.

My daughter works for a large supermarket chain which pays PART TIME (20+ hours) employees health benefits. But then, they are also UNIONIZED. Their hourly rate is also higher than WalMart too. This supermarket chain isn't hurting. In fact, they keep opening more and more stores.

[hopein08]

14. Poor Tommy Hilfiger...

things are really going downhill for the aging hippie. His reality show was rather dumb and I do believe it failed and now his clothing line is in such disarray that he's thinking about working for Wal-Mart. Sheesh, some people have no luck.

Who'd have thought that Tommy Hilfiger could take the vaunted place :sarcasm: of Kathy Lee Gifford and compete with Kathy Ireland instead of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

Anyway, I hate the Tommy label, I think it's kind of tacky so I'll be happy to continue to steer clear. Is K-Mart better than Wal-Mart?

[ClintonTyree]

16. His stuff always has been crap..........

expensive crap, but crap just the same. Now it will be cheaper crap. I just can't imagine "Joe Sixpack" wearing a TH polo shirt with TH pleated slacks. "Joe" wants his favorite NASCAR driver's image on all his clothing and TH doesn't do that. Yet.

[zoeb]

17. It was a good idea before the gas prices went up

the oil companies have taken nearly $50 billion out of this economy so far this year. You can bet Wal-Mart and others aren't going to meet their earnings with this kinda money being sucked from disposable income regardless of the quality of the product.

[spuddonna]

18. Did anyone recently get an application for a walmart credit card?

I shredded it, but was wondering if it was 'going around the junk mail circuit'...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. That's Strange

What killed Halston is when he started selling his haute couture at Penneys...

The people who wear Tommy for the status it provides won't wear it if it can be purchased from Wal-Mart...

[pansypoo53219]

20. whatever

for some reason i detest tommy hilfuckfiger, so if they both crash, i will be pleased.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. Six Of One... Half Dozen Of Another

Tommy, Nautica, Polo, Clairborne, etcetera...

[youthere]

23. ..that's great news!

now we'll be able to recognize all the little fundie families because of the TOMMY label.

[Melynn]

25. Ha, ha, ha

That's funny. :rofl:

The Wal-Mart kids have screwed up the company for years. This is just the latest disaster.

[drduffy]

24. Suave shampoo....

I buy Suave cause it's cheap and works but I won't buy it at Walmart.
but when there ain't no more diesel to drive their trucks, walmart will become extinct. and good riddance.

[tuvor]

26. And who'll fill the void?

All department stores rely on fuel for their trucks.

[jmowreader]

28. I doubt the price will go up

Most of Hilfiger's stuff is pretty damn ordinary--he buys generic-looking clothes, slaps the vaunted Hilfiger label on them, and cranks the price up into the stratosphere.

Hilfiger's t-shirts? Made in Fayetteville by MJ Soffe. I know the guy who runs the decoration shop out there. He buys the same boring-ass M388 t-shirt every other "designer" buys, has the Hilfiger logo printed onto it, and sells the shit out of them.

[JanMichael]

30. I can't wait until China pulls their plug.

Which I imagine will happen someday.

Then? KerPLUNK!

[SaveElmer]

31. They're trying to hold off Target...

Who has been steadily encroaching on their market share. Target targets a slightly more upscale customer base.

Hilfiger are idiots if they agree to it. Wal Mart Sux in my opinion. It will bring down the reputation of Hilfiger rather than elevate WalMart!