Move over Enron, Walmart is the new punching bag ... The headline from a Christian Science Monitor article. It seems that taking pot shots at WalMart for being big, or succussful, or too profitable, or just plain .... good at what they do ...... IS NOW A NATIONAL PASTIME.
Why is that? They employ millions of people who choose to work part time or off hours for their families. They buy billions of goods from countries that are fevereshly scrambling to get on the capitalism bandwagon. They sell at such low prices I would make the case that they, more than Alan Greenspan, have held down American inflation to 2 and 3% levels. They just won't take "price increase" for an answer. They believe in empowerment and innovation.
Go ahead tell me what's so wrong with this perennial American Dream creating company?
Fast Company Magazine relates the story, based on a Music Trades article, of WalMart's announcement that they would be selling inexpensive guitars. An instrument retailer said "After seeing an $89 guitar in WalMart, if they walk into your store and see a guitar for $500, their immediate reaction is, "" this guy's ripping me off.""
So, the overpriced guy, is complaining that the big mean WalMart monster is going to take away his $400 mamouth profit that he was screwing the buyer out of for years?
1 comment:
Yes, but theyhave lowr prices for many things, that does not mean the independent retailer is screwing people over or over charging. Similar items are of lesser quality. GT and Schwinn bikes used to be in independent stores. They were bought out, made with cheap components given model names of old bikes and sold cheaper in the retail stores than they were sold to dealers. The reason, the cheap parts. Which is fine if you are looking for an inexpensive bike. But it is not the same bike, just the same brand.
Wal-Mart sells clothes, independent retailers sell clothes for a lot more. The quality is significantly better and sold to the dealers at higher costs. (Although there are not similar brands at both independent dealers and Wal-Mart, like bike stores.
I shop both places, Wal-Mart and speciality stores. Depends what I am shopping for and how it will be used. I love Wal-Mart, I love quality mom and pop shops. I like to support both. But I wanted to give a little of my thoughts. THe guy selling a guitar at $500 is not making an unfair $400 profit, he is probably selling a higher quality guitar than that of Wal-Mart and cost him more than what Wal-Mart sells them for. Are you really going to tell me that the cost for the Wal-Mart guitar and a Statocaster are the same?
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