well some people that sell produce buy from brokers. All flea markets are different and you have to go super early because as soon as they sell out they leave.

you can also grow really nice produce easy with intensive gardening, raised beds. Even the smallest space.

incase any of us lose sight of the real *cost* of shopping at wal-mart.

my daughter and her husband both work there. they are encouraged to apply for food stamps and aid.

i found them an apartment with the full knowledge that I may have to subsidize their rent sometimes because the hours they get can be so erratic.

also, my son in law was hurt but wouldn't report it because employee's are on a *point* system. He would have been docked a very large amount of points because on the job injuries there are ALWAYS considered the fault of the employee.

the good news is that reality has spurned them both to get back into college. Praise Sam Walton.

superfemme,

that's about the only success story coming out of wal-mart that i've ever heard! yay for those two!

oh and tell your son-in-law that it only takes 3 people to file a class-action lawsuit--he should EASILY be able to find 2 other injured workers.

It's a good question. Consumers are getting both needs and wants met. They get a product at a price they can afford. And WalMart continual tries to lower the price. Fine. The reality is that lower cost has to come out of somewhere.

My understanding is (and based on the article I referenced in the OP) it has to do with what WalMart is doing to manufacturers of products. Basically, they are forcing them to create them and sell them at below cost if they want to reach the audience that WalMart has built. Yes, they are aggressively competitive but at what cost in the long run?

This kind of behaviour has, IMO, a ripple effect that is felt. The 13,500 workers likely lost decent jobs and if they work at WalMart they are at a far lower pay scale than before. We are creating an environment where, to get lower costs, we are going to abuse workers and pay them at a substandard level.

Part of it, certainly, is due to the over-drive consumerism that exists here. But part of it is because of the nature of WalMart. And yes, others do it -- after seeing what WalMart was doing and seeing that no one stopped them (attempts by various gov'ts ended up being settled out of court with a few tossed). This study, done in 2004, details some of the hidden costs of WalMart. I suspect that we're paying more for WalMart than we realize.

Now, do I recognize that some good can come from them? Yes. There is always the possibility. I also don't think they are the only ones. Many people hire those with various disabilities and various age ranges. To be honest, and perhaps it's a sign of the difference between Can and the US, I don't see how WalMart is viewed as better at this than other organizations. I also wonder how much of the hiring choice (as in who and what type of person is hired) is more of a regional effect rather than a corporate wide policy or attitude.

Walmart, to me, is the Microsoft of goods and services.

Available for rent on Netflix
 

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price(2005) NR

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes aim at the corporate giant that's come to symbolize big business in America -- Wal-Mart -- blasting the box-store Goliath for allegedly paying substandard wages, skimping on employee benefits and gutting communities. This hard-hitting, emotional documentary profiles the struggle of everyday folks from around the country who've committed themselves to fighting the mega-retailer.

Genre:
Social & Cultural Documentaries, Indie Documentaries

This movie is:
Inspiring, Dark, Controversial, Cerebral

Format:
DVD and streaming

For whomever it was that asked, I blame Walmart for killing small business because when a Walmart comes to town the small businesses simply cannot compete with Walmart's super cheap prices. The documentary also explains why so many of their products are so inexpensive as well. That happens when you basically employ the poor for practically nothing, and resell for a profit. If I'm buying a t-shirt from Walmart for $4.50, imagine what it cost them to make and import this t-shirt and still most likely make a huge profit on it!! There's NO WAY that small business can compete, thusly many, many small town America down towns are dying or are gone. The same thing happens to grocery stores when the super Walmarts move in. In addition many towns helped subsidize Walmart (as if they need(ed) financial assistance) to move into their towns, only to realize that it practically kills the town. Watch the documentary and decide for yourself.

So far - none of our small stores aka locally owned stores have closed. Not a one. Not yet at least, and they've been here five years. Many people left P&C when Wal-mart came in (customers, not employees - and it's a super Wal-mart I should add I suppose) because, well, P&C is pretty expensive. I paid $10 for a jar of some spice or another that my mother asked for :| She about killed me, and said she could have gone without it *shrug*

Though I hear that Wal-mart's produce isn't the best .. Hm. I don't do the grocery shopping so I'm not sure.

And a random tidbit I found interesting, when price comparing - in the orange box there's the unit price, say the bottle of shampoo is $1 per ounce for instance, so if you're trying to compare two different sizes and trying to see which one is cheaper per unit measure, that will tell you.

I thought that was cool. Just my .02

We do grow our own produce ... we enjoy it so much in fact, our plans include a 6 acre farm in the near future. (God willing and God speed, yanno?)

Employee treatment from an employee's viewpoint...
 

Mare and I were actually on our way to Walmarta yesterday, and I brought up this topic. Basically, She felt the same way I do about it - Mom and Pop stores are great when you're in a pinch, but they are way too expensive. In the Walmarta by Her job, they employ a severely disabled man who sits at the door and marks the receipts as you exit. Thinking about it - where else would this man have an opportunity to be employed?

It's a double edged sword topic - on one hand, you know Walmarta makes enough money to extend benefits to their employees. Most retail stores do, but they don't want it to inflate overhead and cut into profit. (CEOs need that damn Bentley and the Olympic sized pools, yanno).... Again, most retail stores do this, including the one Mare works for. She gets benefits because She is management, but She is constantly reminded to watch employee hours because if they go over, they'll be eligible for bennies. Does it suck? Yes. But on the other hand, Walmarta makes employment a reality for those who would not otherwise have an opportunity.

In this economy ... it's all about what you don't spend.

*shrug*

Good point. I think that sums up the dilemma for most. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Rufus

I respect the principle of folks not shopping at Walmart because of their employee practices but my bottom line comes down to what we can afford.

It looks something like this:

Wal-Mart:
Cheapest roll of paper towels .77
Real butter 1.77
Cheapest loaf of bread .77
Tampons 3.97
Bag of frozen chicken tenderloins 6.44
=13.72


"Regular" Grocery Store:
Cheapest roll of paper towels 1.14
Real butter 2.97
Cheapest loaf of bread .99
Tampons 5.40
Bag of frozen chicken tenderloins 8.99
=19.49


That difference is about $6. Or 2.5 gallons of gas. Or 1/4 of our water bill. Or an extra carton of eggs, gallon of milk, and loaf of bread one week. Or a dollar movie and coke for each of us.

Medusa
(penny pincher)

My wonderful butch does the shopping in our house. She is a coupon-clipper and sales-watcher, which saves us a lot of money every week. I'm talking, sometimes as much as $60 or $70. She will go to the grocery store for some items, Wal Mart for others, and then we do some bulk shopping at BJ's. I'm nothing but grateful for the time she puts into this. We are not wealthy, but her efforts save us enough to be able to handle a bill, deal with an unexpected emergency, or go away for a night. That improves the quality of our lives, together. To be honest, I'm sure there is much more to the controversy than I have been interested in finding out about. I don't begrudge anyone their point of view, and I would bet that I'd agree with them if I took the time to understand. But, honestly, I have many issues that are near and dear to me. Many important causes, including some that affect my children. I choose not to take it all on, and I really feel like I have to apologize because I know how it feels, when something is that important to me, and someone doesn't "get it."

My daughter tried to kill herself yesterday at school, but was fortunately stopped. I only found out because her best friend told his Dad who called us.... Anywhosit. Wal-mart health insurance will provide for her hospitalization, and regular visits to the therapist for unlimited sessions at $20 a visit. My insurance isn't half that good.....

Wow. I'm glad that the insurance he has will cover it and, more importantly, that someone stopped your daughter from doing harm. I'll have her in my thoughts and prayers tonight in hopes that the road ahead will lead to something more positive.

Thank you Linus. We will take all the prayers we can get. (f) I'm still shaking from the shock. I wouldn't be a teenager again for anything!

***yes I realize adults harm themselves...please be kind

walmart is a mess
 

:twitch:i cant stand walmart :twitch:ive gone there 3 times since july i go only if i have too:twitch: