Wal Mart

[Guynemer]

There's always murder-for-hire.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Walmart is dirty, cramped, and crowded. The employees all seem like they have had the life sucked from them. It's a very depressing place to shop for low-quality products just to save a buck or two. I hate going to Walmart.

Sams Club, oddly enough, is quite different, and I always enjoy shopping there.

The WalMart I shop at in Shawnee, Kansas is bright, clean, and fairly open (comparable to Target, as opposed to KMart).

Maybe it's just the WalMart in your area.

[The Mad Monk]

The Homogenization of America was well along long before WalMart appeared on the scene.

[Guynemer]

And they're just making it worse, aren't they?

Not to mention their appalling labor practices...

[Japher]

Appalling? Harass the women and make the old drooling dudes hang out front... and get the ****** pumping slurpees

[Kuciwalker]

What's wrong with homogenization?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Theben
And alter the images of CDs when they dont like what they see.

That's crazy! It sounds like it would be against the law somehow...I mean, if I were an artist whose music was being sold in Walmart I wouldn't be too happy about them altering my CD art.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by DanS
I don't know why. I've never worked in a union shop and don't consider myself any worse off for that fact. Union shops can have bad relations with their workers just as much as can non-union shops. Likewise with good employee relations.

That's a fair, realistic and balanced assessment. Wal-mart, on the other hand, flatly refuse to deal with unions whatever their reputation- and have been known to close stores that unionise.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Dis
Let's talk about Target instead. I prefer Target over walmart.

I believe WalMart is currently targetting Target for a corporate takeover.

Ironic isn't it...just the other day I was saying there's way too much competition in America and we should instead be building up our cartels.

[mrmitchell]

You guys must live in a hellhole or something. Wal Mart is always clean and uncrowded here.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
We get it back when we clock out for the day. It's a defense against rude customers.

Sprayber thinks back to the day when everyone thought they were the only customer in the store.

What department do you work in DD? I'm a vetern of Sporting Goods, Garden Center and Toys.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
You guys must live in a hellhole or something. Wal Mart is always clean and uncrowded here.

Case in point. Jonesboro AR has two walmarts. The older one is overcrowed, loud, and usualy the aisles are full of employees with stock being shelved during the day hours. The newer one has an almost sleepy atmosphere. It's cleaner, quiter and the people there are generally were more helpfull.

[mrmitchell]

Smiley

In the last thread you asked how much of an impact Wal Mart had on the Arkansas economy...thanks to walmartfacts.com, here are the numbers:

[q=http://www.walmartfacts.com/community/article.aspx?id=143]
In Arkansas, the total number of Wal-Mart associates is 45,654 (as of July 2005).
The average wage for regular full-time hourly associates in Arkansas is $9.18 per hour (Wal-Mart Discount Stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets). Additionally, associates are eligible for performance-based bonuses.
In recent years, Wal-Mart has contributed four percent of an associate's eligible pay to their combined Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan.
Suppliers
In 2004, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. spent $6,701,157,890 for merchandise and services with 1,864 suppliers in the state of Arkansas. As a result of Wal-Mart's relationship with these suppliers, Wal-Mart supports 67,363 supplier jobs in the state of Arkansas.
Supplier figures provided by Dun & Bradstreet

Taxes and Fees
Wal-Mart collected on behalf of the state of Arkansas more than $363 million in sales taxes in 2004.
Wal-Mart paid more than $86.5 million in state and local taxes in the state of Arkansas in 2004.
Community Involvement
In 2004, Wal-Mart Stores and SAM'S CLUB gave $21,803,941 to local causes and organizations in the communities they serve in the state of Arkansas. In addition, many charities and organizations received in-kind donations and additional funds raised through stores, CLUBS and distribution centers in the amount of $2,774,235, for a grand total of $24,578,176 contributed through Wal-Mart's presence across the state.
Examples of some of the efforts in Arkansas that our company made in 2004 to reach out to the community include:
Safe Neighborhood Heroes Grants: $203,100
Literacy Grants: $146,500
Community Scholarships: $170,971
Teacher of the Year Grants: $113,000
Arkansas' 2004 Teacher of the Year is Shannon King from Flippin Elementary School in Flippin.[/q]

Arkansas facts
[q=Wikipedia - Arkansas]
The state's total gross state product for 2003 was $76 billion.
[/q]

Therefore - "$6,701,157,890" is approximately 11% of $76 billion, so I'm not an economist, but that seems to say 11% of Arkansas's products are bought by Wal Mart.

Arkansas jobs
[q=Bureau of Labor Statistics website]
Preliminary jobs number for June 2005: 1,171,800[/q]

"45,654" assosciates employed directly by Wal Mart = approx 3.9%

"67,363" employees of suppliers = approx 5.7%

Wal Mart assosciates plus supplier employees = 113,017 = approx 9.6%

Is this helpful? I think the numbers (9-11% or so) are similar for sales tax collections.

[Kuciwalker]

Jesus Christ... Walmart is one-tenth of your economy?

[mrmitchell]

Jesus Christ... Walmart is one-tenth of your economy?

How much is it with the federal government and northern Virginia?