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Walmart: Good or Bad for the economy?

What is your general feeling on this establishment? Especislly when it comes to the economy.
I don't think any company taking up too much of the market shares is ever a good thing. They stifle competition

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Generally good. A lower price is asked for the goods that they elect to sell which helps folks have more money to spend elsewhere. It is interesting that many of the same folks complain about the high cost of X (medical care?) also complain that Walmart has lower prices which hurts competition.
Are you suggesting walmart expand into medicine. Drop the kids off for a check up while mom does the grocery shopping and dad gets new tires put on the minivan [emoji6]

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What is your general feeling on this establishment? Especislly when it comes to the economy.

I think that Bezos looked at what we allowed Walmart to get away with and decided that he would pattern Amazon after that.....total domination, scorched Earth....figuring that he would be allowed as well.

I hope he is wrong, it is time to break up Amazon now.
 
Because the same trade deals like NAFTA which devastated American industry and small business were the ones that created the big box monopolies.

In case you have not noticed, there has been a tremendous wealth transfer in this country from the working class to the upper classes, this wealth transfer was accomplished via the trade agreements which facilitated the globalization which is causing an ever lower standard of living in the US.

I think that you may be confusing median standard of living with median income or net worth. The standard of livng in the US is high.
 
No, an economy is not a zero sum game. In a sound economy all groups can benefit at the same time.

Mom and Pop ekeing out a pitiful living in a tiny shop may sound romantic but it is to everyones' benefit that those days are gone.

I make no apology for having bought some socks in a (Quebec) Walmart some 10 days ago.

Bull Sh^t! That is a propaganda campaign orchestrated by Wall St. to cover their criminal acts against the working class.
Anyone who believes everyone can benefit at the same time is an idiot and deserves to be exploited. Any mathematician will tell you that at any given point in time there is only so much money and in order for the rich to get more than they deserve, the poor must get less.

The rich have made out like bandits for the past 20 years while our country has been undermined. Our industrial base destroyed, entire States decimated, and the middle class turned into the struggling class. The rich do not care though, they own the politicians and they are going to get theirs before they complete the LBO on America and watch it slowly turn to Greece. You see, they are not Americans, they are "World Citizens" who are facilitating the downfall of the United States and ushering in Globalism.
 
I think that you may be confusing median standard of living with median income or net worth. The standard of livng in the US is high.

No, it really is not. People confuse owning cheap crap via debt with prosperity. We have created a system where people are basically wage slaves and most exist a few paychecks away from being on the streets.

Few people really own anything of value, and are in debt up to their ears. They confuse the drop in costs of technology with an increasing standard of living.

By rights, with the drops in the costs of technology and the increases in productivity of the average worker, the past 20 year should have been the most prosperous time ever for the working class, instead, we have the lowest home ownership and lowest savings rates we have had since after the great depression.

Instead the fruits of all this prosperity has gone to the top of the food chain while the working class has been screwed.

Unfortunately, I do not think enough people will wise up in time to prevent what is coming when automation puts half the working people out of work in 20 years or less.
 
True, but my intent was simply to get their sage advice and then pay the lowest price for a good product.

That is an example of an unsustainable business model. We all want the best price, but shopping on price alone has helped get us in the condition we are in. The brick & mortar store where you researched your purchase cannot compete with the likes of Walmart. Walmart “associates” are nowhere near as knowledgeable as the employees in the stand alone store. When something goes wrong with the product you purchased, your options are limited. Not to mention the check out procedure. Twenty check out aisles with three of them manned, really doesn’t get the job done.
 
Are you suggesting walmart expand into medicine. Drop the kids off for a check up while mom does the grocery shopping and dad gets new tires put on the minivan [emoji6]

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That is really not that far fetched!
 
Overall Walmart is great for the economy. It’s not Walmart’s fault there aren’t more hypermarket chains like it. The more competition the better, but that doesn’t mean Walmart is bad because it drives out small local businesses. Small local businesses merely have to learn to adapt to the market and lower the price of their goods. One of the biggest problem with small businesses is they are sole proprietorships, when the best chance for small businesses to grow is to involve more people like a general partnership etc. Asians are pretty good at this, which is why their supermarkets are growing and thriving.
 
That is an example of an unsustainable business model. We all want the best price, but shopping on price alone has helped get us in the condition we are in. The brick & mortar store where you researched your purchase cannot compete with the likes of Walmart. Walmart “associates” are nowhere near as knowledgeable as the employees in the stand alone store. When something goes wrong with the product you purchased, your options are limited. Not to mention the check out procedure. Twenty check out aisles with three of them manned, really doesn’t get the job done.

People need to realize that a economic model in which you get cheaper prices by putting your neighbors out of work will eventually mean you lose your job too.
 
People need to realize that a economic model in which you get cheaper prices by putting your neighbors out of work will eventually mean you lose your job too.

Reminds me of the old quote that goes something like: When they came for X, I said nothing, when they came for Y, I said nothing so on and so on, finally, when they came for me there was no one left to speak up!
 
That is an example of an unsustainable business model. We all want the best price, but shopping on price alone has helped get us in the condition we are in. The brick & mortar store where you researched your purchase cannot compete with the likes of Walmart. Walmart “associates” are nowhere near as knowledgeable as the employees in the stand alone store. When something goes wrong with the product you purchased, your options are limited. Not to mention the check out procedure. Twenty check out aisles with three of them manned, really doesn’t get the job done.

You are making a few bad assumptions here.

I am not shopping on price alone. I am shopping to find a better product among many similar products. I then buy the better product at a better price and that is rarely at Walmart.

Brick & mortar stores can compete if they have 1) what I want and 2) do not grossly overcharge for it and/or 3) if I need it sooner than it can be otherwise delivered. Many times Walmart does not even carry the type of product what I want and if they did it is in an inferior quality to what I want.

Brick & mortar stores and even online providers alike also depend on me having enough money to buy from them - Walmart is helpful in that regard because many of my basic needs can be met there at a reduced cost leaving me more to spend elsewhere.

Walmart "associates" are quite well trained as to what is where in the massive store which is more than I can say for many other big box stores. I did get mad when they removed all wasp spray from the "garden center" and were busy replacing it with Xmas doodads last week but the stocking "associate" told me there was some left in "camping" and even offered to walk with me there (in case I could not read?).

Self checkout is not that big of a deal for me, I view it much like pumping my own gas or picking out my own produce/lumber - I can do it just as well, if not better (I know what each item actually rang up as), and it keeps my quality up and my costs down. It is more frustrating to shop in cities (like Austin, TX) with goofy no free bags supplied rules.

Warranty issues are no better at most other stores, in fact, Amazon.com has been very cooperative in that regard even if the item was shipped direct from the supplier.
 
True, but my intent was simply to get their sage advice and then pay the lowest price for a good product.

I refer you back to your post. What assumption is to be made here?
 
I refer you back to your post. What assumption is to be made here?

That a good price for a good product (based on knowledgable help) was being sought - not simply buying the least expensive product (regardless of quality) or even buying at Walmart at all.
 
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