America is going to HAVE to boycott Wal-Mart...Or else...

Came across this interesting article which raises some good points. A LOT of good points. Despite the apparent legal sanctity with which Wal-Mart has built a vast empire, it is literally killing American jobs and manufacturing:

EDIT: Well I can't source the link, because ATS automated link police terminated it, but if you search for the term:
"Is Wal-Mart Destroying America? 20 Facts About Wal-Mart That Will Absolutely Shock You"

You will find it.

EDIT 2:
here is one link on the story:
world.hawaiinewsdaily.com...

Here are some highlights from the article:

Unfortunately, the vast wealth that Wal-Mart is sucking out of our communities is not put back into our communities. The profits are funneled out to Wal-Mart executives and shareholders. We may enjoy the low prices, but very little of the money that we give to Wal-Mart gets recycled in our local areas.

We are losing millions of good jobs that cannot be replaced. If you can believe it, the United States has actually lost an average of about 50,000 manufacturing jobs a month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Last year, the U.S. trade deficit with China was the biggest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world, and Wal-Mart played a huge role in that.

In fact, Wal-Mart has actually been forcing some U.S. manufacturers to pack up and move overseas.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the article for lots more.

We have GOT to end this huge trade deficit with China. No question about it. It'd be one thing if Wal-Mart were offering mostly good paying jobs to American communities, but the fact is a lot of people who work at Wal-Mart are on welfare:

In the old days, you could actually support a family selling electronics or running a general store. But you can't support a family working at Wal-Mart. The vast majority of the jobs that Wal-Mart creates are very low paying. Large numbers of Wal-Mart employees are actually on welfare, and this is part of the reason why we have seen such an explosion in the number of the working poor in America.

Now I'm all for capitalism, but when a country like China uses their slave labor from billions of Chinese to undercut prices to the point of killing American labor and manufacturing, then it most indeed IS time for WAR! Economic war. NO more shopping at Wal-Mart for me. The end. Bye bye Wal-Mart. And any other retailers who are on the Chinese product train too. At some point you just have to pull the plug when it gets so far out of hand that the effects are too great to overlook.

EARN my business, Mr. Merchant. SHOW me a sign out front that says:
"We only deal in American made goods. And any profits this company makes are mostly put into employee wages, reinvestment, or are spent back into the local community. Our books are open to the public, and posted on our website. Support America."

Spread this far and wide. Please.

Any big corporation for that matter, walmart, target, best buy ect....

reply to post by Infi8nity


I agree completely. Large corporations are terrible for us. The problem is, we are so accustomed to "low prices" that even if we could bring back the small stores no one would buy anything because the prices would be higher.

Economies of scale not only increase supply and demand, but they also increase problems associated with the businesses as well. Just look at Detroit. As vehicle manufacturing scaled up, it was driven overseas in the name of increased profits and labor savings. Now it's a mess. Soon enough, our entire nation will be the same way.

Just the icing on the cake for me. I absolutely loathe having to go to Wal-Mart. From the people outside that seem to have lost all ability to navigate the parking lot, to the people (shoppers) inside...

Oh, and this:

#11 The CEO of Wal-Mart makes more in a single hour than a full-time Wal-Mart associate makes in an entire year.

Walmart is the doorway of the legal takeover of America by China. Small town killer.

Des

Got into a discussion yesterday about everybody being sold out of air conditioners. The shelves are empty and the fall goods are being pulled out when it's 100 plus here in Michigan and worse in many other places. Why no airconditioners because they are made in China!! 2 months of summer left and not an ac unit within 100 miles.

Now if they were made inthe USA Wal Marts local guy would call call purchasing and request more that guy would call the main office and request more the main office guy would call his supplier and request more this all would have happened weeks ago when the heat hit. The factories in the USA would have gotten the order within a week and AMERICANS would be working overtime and making lots of extra money to fill the orders. Instead i have to rent cabins to tourist without AC in July so they are cancelling.

I lose money and so does the rest of AMERICA.

It's not just Wal Mart

They say 2015 there will be a new boom in manufacturing in the USA. They better pick up the pace

ANd didn't they get an exemption from Obamacare? so the employer parts don't apply to them.

Walmart exists and is successful explicitly because their prices are so low. How do they do that? Well, you gotta sell products that are made overseas because you cannot sell an American made product at that price. Why? Because an American costs 100x per hour to make the same product. So they want to make $25 an hr AND use that money to buy the $6 t-shirt. You simply can't. I hope everone sees why.

I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart almost a year ago.

Their prices are getting higher and the quality esp produce is horrible. The majority of employees are rude, lazy and unfriendly for the most part. If you ask them anything it's an inconvenience to them. I am not saying all Wal-Mart employees are like this but the majority of all three where I live are exactly like this and the three previously where I lived as well. It was a nightmare to go in there. I have since decided to shop at 3 different stores. It takes a little more time but the deals are good and the people are FRIENDLY!

Wal Mart doesn't have deals anymore and nothing is even made in the USA like they state. It's all crap product made overseas in sweat shops more than likely. Their profits are insane!

#11 The CEO of Wal-Mart makes more in a single hour than a full-time Wal-Mart associate makes in an entire year.

Roughly $13,000+ and hour!

#12 Tens of thousands of Wal-Mart employees and their children are enrolled in Medicaid and are dependent on the government for healthcare

With Wal-Marts profits they should have EXCELLENT health care for their employees but they don't so many are on govt assistance. I know an entire family who works for Wal Mart and because of the wages they are all on govt assistance.

#13 Between 2001 and 2007, the value of products that Wal-Mart imported from China grew from $9 billion to $27 billion

Insane!! I'm tired of seeing "Made in China" on things. It always breaks! i have bought two toasters and a microwave from Wal-Mart, all Made in China, and every single one broke in less than a month and they wouldn't let me return it either.

I use to love Wal Mart because they had everything, then I saw how they treated their employees and how the quality of goods went to crap as did their attitude.

Here is a nice link with a nifty little picture graph explaining everything in this article. It's pretty interesting.
The Weight of Walmart


I miss the good days when their were mom and pop stores. I remember Benjamin Franklin, loved that store. Wal Mart came into town and within a year Benjamin Franklins closed. Wal Mart is EVERYWHERE. I can go in any direction and find a Wal Mart within 20mins. The city I moved from fought Wal Mart for years because they were trying to build a Super Wal Mart in their area and the town didn't want it. They didn't want small businesses to suffer. So you know what Wal Mart did? They built it by the highway right at the city line!

The masses will never boycott Wal Mart they just don't care. It's like many other things in this country that people should care about and take steps to do something about, they don't care! If it doesn't directly affect them they don't care. What people don't realize is that it DOES affect them!

I use to be a huge Wal Mart person then I realized how bad they really were and have stopped shopping there.

Yeah thats why I hate how readily available they are. Even the smallest of cities get a Walmart. Its a big thing. Big as in keeping competition from sprouting up that can't compete with distribution centers.

Walmart was a good idea, I think they just went a tad overboard with it.

I do not shop at Wallmart. Many people I know do not shop there. As much as I HATE wallmart, I do not think you can blame that one place alone for driving out all business. There are many people who do NOT shop there.

In smaller towns I can see this being a problem where there are no other choices, and it drives out small mom and pop, but in Cities, when you have choices, there are just so many BETTER places to shop, with better quality merchandise. Wallmart is not even the cheapest.

When I price compare online, they rarely come up as the cheapest option. People are brainwashed thinking it is so cheap there. They start that way then raise their prices, but people assume its the cheapest.

Originally posted by cconn487
Walmart was a good idea, I think they just went a tad overboard with it.

I'll vote for whoever in Congress introduces legislation to:

1) End the China trade deficit
2) Force all retailers in the USA to source at least 80% of their goods from USA manufacturers, in a ramp up, 5 year period. This would allow time for new manufacturing to sprout back up in America. This should extend to raw materials as well, where possible.

Extreme? Maybe. But tough times call for tough measures. And our situation is not getting any better.

We are going to have to become better shoppers who have researched their local businesses to find out who is doing what. Stars for people bringing information into this thread on local retailers who appear to fit the bill.

reply to post by TrueAmerican

2) Force all retailers in the USA to source at least 80% of their goods from USA manufacturers, in a ramp up, 5 year period. This would allow time for new manufacturing to sprout back up in America. This should extend to raw materials as well, where possible

I like the idea at a high level, but this would put a lot of retailers out of business and people out of jobs. For example, most apparel is sourced overseas and many retailers simply could not survive such a transition.

I'm more a fan of providing incentives (taxes, etc) to retailers who source domestically,

Originally posted by Mapkar
reply to post by Infi8nity

 

I agree completely. Large corporations are terrible for us. The problem is, we are so accustomed to "low prices" that even if we could bring back the small stores no one would buy anything because the prices would be higher.

Economies of scale not only increase supply and demand, but they also increase problems associated with the businesses as well. Just look at Detroit. As vehicle manufacturing scaled up, it was driven overseas in the name of increased profits and labor savings. Now it's a mess. Soon enough, our entire nation will be the same way.

If you are aware then YOU should not buy from these store, your only feeding the beast. As for prices, its a load of #. wal-mart prices are uselessly only cents cheaper. Sure it does add up but do you really need 20 Tupperware bowls? When i was a kid my mom used to shop at walmart, she is a hair stylist raising 2 kids. I remember her buying stuff just because the prices wear low not because we needed them. I am not saying this is what all people do but for the most part...
You suggesting that people will not buy that new gadget because its not $7 dollars off? Its not like walmart knocks 50+ dollars off of items. Its convenient to shop at a store witch is CLOSE to you and can fulfill most of your needs.
Walmart will not be stopped any time soon but thats not excuse to shop their when family owned business are dieing. Cant afford to shop any where but walmart? YEAH RIGHT!!! Buy used, most of the time its %50+ off original price and you do not contribute to the production of more stuff witch is going to end up in a land field.

Originally posted by Zarniwoop
reply to post by TrueAmerican

 

2) Force all retailers in the USA to source at least 80% of their goods from USA manufacturers, in a ramp up, 5 year period. This would allow time for new manufacturing to sprout back up in America. This should extend to raw materials as well, where possible

I like the idea at a high level, but this would put a lot of retailers out of business and people out of jobs. For example, most apparel is sourced overseas and many retailers simply could not survive such a transition.

I'm more a fan of providing incentives (taxes, etc) to retailers who source domestically,

In the long run it would create a hell of allot more jobs.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


The 6 children who inherited the Walmart fortune from their father own more wealth then the bottom 30% of Americans - that's 90 million people.

All of these stores sell pretty much the exact same products. I would say Wal Mart's prices 8 out of 10 times are lower for the same product. I remember back in the 1990s the Wal Mart stores had a whole section of the floor dedicated to USA made products. The only store at the time that even did that. But nobody was buying.

reply to post by Infi8nity

In the long run it would create a hell of allot more jobs.

Don't hold your breath.

In this economy, the prospect of potentially more jobs way down the road at the expense of massive job loss in the near term would not be seen as a a good campaign promise from a politician who actually wants to be elected.

As a union man SAG/AFTRA/IATSE I would rather pay more for an American made goods even if not union made than shop WalMart and buy foreign products.

I avoid all big box stores to Buy American.

reply to post by olaru12


wal-mart employs a-lot more then one thinks.
not just in stores, but the many distribution centers. they hire outside trucking companies to haul their freight.
i'am a driver who hauls freight all the time for wal-mart. at least one load a week. sometimes two or three.
i work for a company who employs more than 10,000 drivers. think about how many people wal-mart indirectly employs. not just company drivers either, but independent owner operators.

keep bashing capitalism and you will get what you wish for.... misery