Topic: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils? (Read 8918 times)

grantis · « **on:** February 21, 2008, 05:47:42 PM »

OK, so I personally have been a subscriber to the theory that walmart is better simply because the prices are generally lower. And I'm a really really cheap person Laughing

BUT:

I just bought an "Open-box" space heater from walmart with NO price discount (It's only $15 to begin with, but I should get at least $1 off right?!?!). They assured me that the heater is fine and everything is in the box. I said "fine" and left the store with it.

The friggin thing reeks of onions. It's obviously been sitting in someone's home for a month and then returned to the store, in poor condition. Now I don't want to drive all the way back to the store because I'll waste more money in gas just getting there to whine about it. This kind of thing would never happen at Target. WOULD IT?

Now I'm hungry. I want a Fajita.

Jessica A. Engle · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2008, 06:23:34 PM »

I have worked at both of these retail establishments, so I feel I can comment on your circumstance with a certain amount of authority.

Walmart and Target are becoming more alike as time passes. As Target gets bigger and bigger, they have adopted practices with the same kind of micro-management philosophy that Wal-Mart subscribes to.

While Target may have marginally better product at a marginally more expensive cost, the employee base is essentially the same as what fuels Wal-Mart; folks who generally don't care if they drop a TV from a 10 foot ladder and send it out onto the sales floor (which I admit, in a sleep-deprived stupor, I have done).

The reason I dropped the TV was because it was too heavy and large for me to lift on my own and carry down a 10 foot ladder. But as there wasn't enough staff to have two people in the stockroom that night, I had to do it. When the work doesn't get done, guess who's fault it is? Not the person who short-staffed the store. Mine.

Had I taken the time to open the box, take out the TV, and see if it would power up, and if not fill out a damage report, I would not have finished my batches to pull to the salesfloor. And if the batches are not completed on time, again, guess who takes the blame.

Point I'm trying to make is..... you sacrifice quality when quantity is your goal. When an employee gets bushwhacked for not meeting "the numbers" there is a really strange, kind of shameful lack of motivation to do a *good* job. You just... do the job. I hated myself when I worked at Target because they made me into a person who didn't(or couldn't) do a good job. So I quit. My coworkers were so happy for me the day I turned in my two weeks! They hated their work too, because they could have done better, but weren't allowed to. Most of my coworkers were in their 60s (believe it or not).

I don't shop at Wal-Mart anymore. They despise their employees. Target may not be quite as bad, but the more I watch the more they begin to look the same to me....

Jessica
(No, I'm not bitter.)

Barry Hufker · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2008, 06:49:24 PM »

You really shouldn't shop at Wal-mart. They are very unfair to their employees. The company actively breaks up any kind of union activity, doesn't provide health care and is the main reason why there is lead in toys from China. Wal-mart is large enough to dictate what it will pay toy companies. So to keep costs low, the toy companies farm the work out to China, who to keep prices low cheapens their production methods.

Wal-mart is a company which should not receive your money no matter how cheap you are as you are buying at a low price on the backs of people who are being exploited.

studiojimi · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2008, 06:50:48 PM »

http://indexed.blogspot.com/2008/02/alanis-kind-of-irony.htm l

grantis · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:01:28 PM »

Barry,

Now that is new information. That kinda ticks me off.

Can I still buy Mexican Fenders? Smile

studiojimi · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:07:31 PM »

grant richard wrote on Thu, 21 February 2008 16:01

Barry,

Now that is new information. That kinda ticks me off.

Can I still buy Mexican Fenders? Smile

only stratocasters index.php/fa/7740/0/

compasspnt · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:27:26 PM »

In many, many places, WM is the only game in town.

grantis · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2008, 07:30:54 PM »

'tis true, i've been to many of those towns. i think part of my favoritism of WM up until this point has been partly due to nostalgia.

i'm not a big strat guy. i love my tele's though!

Barry Hufker · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2008, 08:26:55 PM »

I guess you can buy Mexican fenders... do you own a Mexican car??

Wal-mart is the only game in town because it runs mom-and-pop stores out of business, thereby killing off the local merchant and sense of community. It adds nothing of value to the communities around them. It is essentially the same strategy practiced by Guitar Center, although that is on a much smaller scale and as far as I know does not have any anti-labor activities.

While this has not been proved by objective science, I am of the firm belief that entering a Wal-mart actually lowers your I.Q. The longer and more frequent the visits, the lower the intelligence quotient.

Barry Hufker · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2008, 08:31:57 PM »

Jimi,

Is this a Blumlein or M/S pair?

index.php/fa/7741/0/

ssltech · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2008, 10:27:04 PM »

Blumlein...

Or two out of three SoundField Axes...

Or an AMS/Neve logo...

Keef

rphilbeck · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2008, 11:01:49 PM »

get your facts straight. They do offer health care.

Barry Hufker · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2008, 11:50:25 PM »

I *have* my facts straight. My wording was wrong. They *do* offer health care, but the policy is such that they might as well not. Please see the information below. It is directly from http://www.walmartwatch.com

index.php/fa/7745/0/

grantis · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2008, 01:35:55 AM »

wow. that's unbelievable.

i just remembered something....

a friend of mine is joining some of his neighborhood friends in a battle against WM. the company is trying to build a new location near the (rather affluent) neighborhood, and they fear their property values will actually decrease.

having never been a homeowner, i guess i don't get why the value would decrease just because there's a new WM about a quarter mile away. any ideas?

John Ivan · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2008, 02:02:58 AM »

RPhilbeck wrote on Thu, 21 February 2008 23:01

get your facts straight. They do offer health care.

Yeah burriee!! Git yer faks strate!! Walmet is good fer merca.. It aint not bad cus yer a libril and aint not got no understandin bout bisnis!! ya dam libril!!

Isn't THAT what you were really trying to say?? Smart guy??

Yikes..

Ivan..................

R/E/P Community

Author Topic: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils? (Read 8918 times)

grantis

Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

Jessica A. Engle

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

Barry Hufker

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

studiojimi

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

grantis

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

studiojimi

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

compasspnt

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

grantis

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

Barry Hufker

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

Barry Hufker

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

ssltech

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

rphilbeck

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

Barry Hufker

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

grantis

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?

John Ivan

Re: Walmart or Target....the lesser of two evils?