Wal-Mart: Helpful or Harmful?

[LA Bruin]

There may well be a lot of people mixed on the idea of Wal-Mart, because to be sure it employs a LOT of people, but at the same time, many have said that Wal-Mart has some of the worst hiring practices in the nation. But there are other things that bother me too, and I wanted to express that.

Wal-Mart claims to have the lowest prices...how many of you know how they do that? Wal-Mart actually has certain employees of their store go to competitors with a special instrument which can record the bar codes of their competitors and feed it back to them so they can know the exact price of your product...so they can cut their price to match or undercut you by a few cents. I mean, seriously, if you are telling me that your box of cereal is lowest because it is 3 cents less...that isn't saying so much. But many other businesses say that what Wal-Mart is doing isn't illegal... but is highly immoral.

Second, I believe that a lower prices means nothing if you have nobody in teh store that is competent about the product. How many of you went to Wal-Mart and asked about a product to one of the employees, only to get a blank look. Those people are not qualified to give you HONEST information about the product you want to buy... and heaven forbid you are in the electronics section.

Case in point: One Christmas I was looking for some video games for my nephew. I went to GameStop and saw the game and wanted to buy it. I went to Wal-Mart, which was right across the way, and saw the game...only 5 cents cheaper.

To me that is an insult to imply that I should buy a game from Wal-Mart for $45.90 if the same game is at GameStop for $45.95. That extra nickel guarantees that if I talk to somebody about that game, they will be more qualified than ANYBODY at Wal-Mart...and I can get in and out faster too. Don't be fooled about that commercial that says all their lanes are open during Christmas season.

Somebody once called Wal-Mart the necessary evil, and I tend to agree. We spend millions and millions of dollars on them, and nearly every penny is shot out of the community, while we ignore local businesses who are our neighbors. It's ok to shop there when you can, but when you make it your only "stop and shop", you are destroying local business...because trust me, Wal-Mart could care less about them...and your community.

I just feel that this is blind capitalism, where they imply that they help you save money... but ask yourself where that money goes after it hits their cash register. If $100,000,000 goes through each Wal-Mart during Christmas, how does YOUR community benefit? In almost every case, it does not. Helpful? In an ironic way, I guess, because of the convenience...harmful? In so many ways, yes.

How do YOU feel about it?

[LA Bruin]

Let me add on another example. If I am looking for a computer, I can go to Wal-Mart and find several for abuot $400-$500, or in that ball park. They guarantee the lowest prices, but if I wanted to talk to someone about any of those computers, I would be out of luck. If I am about to make a heavy purchase, I expect somebody to help me make the best decision BEFORE I spend my money...right?

If I go to Staples, or Best Buy, there are guys there that will talk to you about any questions you have, and give you options. Remember, this is a big investment if you are looking to spend a few hundred dollars. Why buy a product from a store where nobody knows anything about it?

A week or so ago we went to Best Buy and one of the guys there spent at least 20 minutes talking to us about our questions. I promise you, if I am looking at buying a computer, it will be with a business who knows the product, even if it is $50 or $100 more than Wal-Mart.

You just cannot substitute experience and knowledge for a slim price cut. Wal-Mart sneaks around their competitors to find their price, and cuts it just low enough to guarantee the lowest price. Is it really worth buying a computer for $399 at Wal-Mart if nobody can tell you anything about it, or is it worth it to pay $450 at a more reliable electronics store?

To be sure, it's your money, but I figure you wanted to be treated like a valued customer, not some cheap fling to get your money. But trust me, there are many, many other examples. And for every example, there is a local business suffering because we turn our backs to them just to go to Wal-Mart....

[Country Boy]

Wal-Mart has put many Mom and pop merchants out of business. They support mexicans, n--ggrs and trash!!!

[LA Bruin]

It really takes a moron to say something like that, and likely a coward to make such a racist statement. Yes, Wal-Mart has put out a lot of local businesses, but racist crap you are spewing is a lot of garbage...kinda like the person who made that statement. The United States of America is made of all races... and the moment you get one jerk that thinks one race is superior, we show our weak link. I believe billion dollar businesses like Wal-Mart do not genuinely care about local communities, but I do not and will NEVER believe in racist statements like that. The sad thing about this is that is takes a pure coward to put up a statement like that, and hide like a rat behind the sewers. Maybe...the trash is YOU, Mr. "Country Boy".