2008 Fortune 500: Wal-Mart’s No. 1

I highly disagree with the comment about making the Waltons the royal family. That is the day that the world will end, or I will move from the country.

i think we should make the Waltons the royal family of the United States

the government would do well to emulate wal marts methodes of doing bussiness.

Thank-goodness Wal-Mart has been fiscally responsible so that thousands of individuals are not worried about losing their jobs and consumers can purchase items at a reasonable cost. This is a win-win situation where the governmnent will not be asked to bail out a large corporation due to poor money management practices.

People in America need to realize jus what got America in this shape…”cheap” yes so-call cheap items from a foreign land.

quote*Wal-Mart firmly believes in local procurement. We recognize that by purchasing quality products, we can generate more job opportunities, support local manufacturing and boost economic development. Over 95% of the merchandise in our stores in China is sourced locally. We have established partnerships with nearly 20,000 suppliers in China. *end quote!

Now! if there be 182 country’s making items for the world to buy and they have only 5% of the pie in China…duh! This company makes the nice people of China support their currency(yuan) by keeping it in their country working for the people there…. but with the “yuan” going up in value and the US dollar going down…all the foreign items that the American consumer buys thinking it is cheap has went up in price.

People…its all about the currency and to keep a currency strong you got to keep it floating around the country you live in so it can work for you. For the past 12 years all them US dollars are being shipped overseas to a foreign bank and with the American worker not making anything for the foreigner to buy the “we the people” have to turn to the “second” largest employer in America(Uncle Sam) to sell “we the people” debt in order to get all them dollars back!

50 years ago a foreigner would had given their left nut for a US dollar or a Hershey’s chocolate bar and today the same foreigner has got Uncle Sam and the American consumer by both all the while Hershey is moving the chocolate factory to Mexico. Wake up! America and think “MADE IN AMERICA.”

stop complaining about Wal-Mart and get over it. there not doing anything wrong

i think walmart is amazing

I also enjoy working for this company.Not only do we have unbeatable prices, softlines also help you enjoy your shopping experience.

yes exprience can not be conveyed, Wal-mart has tried it out

I work for wal mart. How funny that it’s number one in the fortune 500 news. And we get paid so little and can’t even get a profit check because we are 4 % under profit. And for price changes that’s a joke I noticed in my own dept. that things got marked up and then put on sale for the regular price. They need to start thinking of there emploees like sam walton once did he was for his employees and families now since he is gone it’s all about the money.

get a real job.

Wonder were all the jobs are? Ask Wal-Mart, the company that has shipped all manufacturing to China. If all Wal Marts closed tomarrow I would rechoice. I believe that they has caused part of this financial meltdown.

I LOVE WORKING FOR THIS GREAT COMPANY. BENEFITS ARE GREAT.

Try to find something not made in China next time you shop anywhere, it is an epidemic, not just at Wal-Mart.

Wal-mart is not this devil people like to create. Yes, they do outsource to other countries, which does hurt the local workers, but they do not use slave labor. They have very strict requirements and investigations into companies before and while they use them. Also, Wal-mart does offer 401k, medical and dental, and have PTO. You do have to work there for a while before it kicks in, but that is normal for most companies. The benefits package I received there working as a temporary worker during college, was better than what I have received at many other companies after I obtained my degree.

At least know the facts before you talk.

Wal-mart employees receive health insurance, dental insurance, 401k benefits and paid time off (the amount based on length of service). How do I know? I work there. I’ve worked there 5 years and make more than my father who has worked for a Ford dealership for 20 years.

Our community suffered a devastating flood last year, and we donated over $10,000 of merchandise to the Red Cross within the first 6 hours. DONATED. As in took it off the shelf and gave it to them for free, instead of hoarding it for the paying customers. We took food and water to the police who had to set up a temporary headquarters at the high school because the police station was under water. Not because we were asked, but because it was right. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I know for a fact it was $10,000 because I was the one who took inventory of the donations and totaled up the final cost of the first wave.

Is Walmart perfect? Nope. Even I won’t say that. Heaven knows they anger me. But at least get some of the facts straight.

People should be more worried about the spelling, punctuation and grammar used on this blog than Wal-Mart’s success. It is rather sad that the English language proficiency is not on par with the intense emotions conveyed in the posts.

Forget about what others are doing and concentrate on doing what is best for yourself and your family. If that includes Wal-Mart then so be it. If not, you are free to shop anywhere you like. Success

people need to understand this is a bitter-sweet company. on one hand, wal-mart indeed provides low prices on most common products. i know this because i used to shop there when i was in the army. it also provide access to goods for families who live on minimum wage/low income. some families would not survive without walmart. on the flip side, walmart reported almost $300 BILLION in store sales last year! thats a 1/3 of a TRILLION dollars!! surely they can afford better incentives for their employees like, health care, dental, 401k, PTO, etc…also they should give back to the communities that they are in! walmart is so bad for small businesses. if i owned a shop and sold ceral for $6 and walmart next store to me sells it for $4.5, where will everyone shop? what happens to my family? how will i take care of them? and how is walmart selling things so cheap? they outsource to other foriegn countries that will have slave labor factories, that make like a penny a day just so corporations can provide you and I low prices! WE ALL are to blame for that!!! i do not shop at walmart because i can afford not to (thank you Jesus!). but then again prices are rising, wages are stagnet, and homes are being lost…the point is, walmart should give back tremendously to the factories that provide their goods, their employees, and the small communities that get destoryed by walmart. theyll still have a huge profit if that is done and everyone would be happy!

Try to find something not made in china next time you go into a walmart…

Clearly, Wal-Mart has the lowest prices in groceries, other foods, paints, hardware, sporting goods products and some other.

Has anyone ever stopped to think about the products that save you so much money, I have not found them at wal-mart! Everything I have purchased at wal-mart is worn out or broken with in 2 to 3 months of purchase. I save more money paying a little more for a quality product, buy once save a lot buy it over and over again it gets pretty damn expensive.

Wal-Mart has raised the price of Kodak all in one printer ink from Kodak suggested retail price of 22.99 to 29.98, with the price of Kodak on the package. As if Wal-Mart needed the extra money. Last month I paid @ Wal-Mart the Kodak suggested retail price.
Why is the goverment letting them get away with this kind of pratice to the public. It is hard enough for consumers to get by on every day needs and now Wal-Mart getting away with this. I wish ecveryone would boycott the store for one 24 hour period.

Have any of you ever read the price comparisons that journalists and other such diggers occasionally post about Wal-Mart’s prices versus their competitors? They really aren’t any cheaper if you compare exact items that typical consumers would buy. You only save money if you are willing to by a non-brand-name item that is “equivalent” (meaning, a lower quality foreign-made copy). I do most of my shopping at CostCo, Target, Sear’s and a few local specialty stores and I can almost always find a better deal.

Most of you guys have it all wrong, check out the documentary on walmart. Its called “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price” that will show you what kind of company Walmart really is and how they are raking in more dough than all the oil companies

In a capitalist society the profits obviously have to be the number one consideration, but does they have to be the sole consideration? When do we shift our focus to realize that these are real human beings that are being walked on and manipulated for the sake of the almighty dollar? There are so many opinions from so many different angles. Its not just Walmart that so many have a problem with, its the majority of low end jobs nowadays. Since Walmart is ranked as the number one Fortune company, since its so universal and since its such an easy target (pun intended), I feel it somehow becomes the unofficial representative of all similar entities. Anyhow…
My brother made 7.70 an hour (which was 15 cents above the store average for his position). Management would give him three weeks at 40 hours and then cut his hours down for a single week to just under 40 hours. They did this for months on end so that he would never qualify for any of the benefits because he would work 158 hours every four weeks instead of 160. This equals no health, no vacation, no PTO, no love. He worked outside 40 hours a week in weather that is sometimes 70 to 80 degrees below the freezing point but received no hazard pay (for those non-northern folks, 80 below freezing equals frostbite within 10 minutes if not properly bundled, don’t you know). This is completely unacceptable, no matter what set of beliefs you follow,

this is to bill from ottawa Canada. Candles dont last forever and if you are basing wal-mart off of the fact that your candle burned then i would have to say your wrong. when people look at the situation of wal-mart they expect an over-an-beyond outcome. wal-mart is nothing but a store with low prices, nothing but a store. its not an angel people.

Everything i buy from wal-mart has to be replaced. I bought a candle and after i used it it was gone! The same thing happened with hotdogs and a case of coke. Why can’t these things last like they did in the old days?

I think Wal-mart has steered away from its roots. Everything use to be made in America, but now everything is made in China. I think the sheer size and volume of goods Wal-mart puts out is hurting our economy more than we would like to admit. Mom and Pop shops or small businesses will become a thing of the past along with the american dream.

i work for walmart/asda our international division. clearly meeting the needs of the consumer by low prices is paying dividends and our loyal customer base increasein also with new consumers
(THH) Perth Scotland

Wal-Mart simply rocks!!!!Atleast they don’t rip people off!!!

I work at Wal-mart and shop there all the time, no other place can beat their prices

I Worked for Walmart and most products are NOT MADE IN AMERICA!!!they are slowly selling this country out…

There is more to life than saving money. Sometimes saving money takes second chair. If American-made were truly important, then wal-mart should take second chair. If you say you want American-made and still shop at wal-mart, you don’t truly want it, you want wal-mart. You are defeating yourself.

I beleive Walmart can sustain such profitable trend, by lowering prices so much… but the employees that work there have a lot to say about the management… People now days don’t care about who sells to them as long as it is cheap. But I do, and I hate shopping at WALMART because the employees are ignorant, can’t help with any questions, plus they are never around. In Miami, they don’t even speak English.. cheap articles, low quality, BAD service!

first off, i would like to say i like walmart. they have low prices, and great selections. to those of you who are complaining about low prices, your obviously living high and mighty. where as some of us in this country dont make 20 bucks an hour. walmart allows families to survive, not go broke every time they go grocery shopping to feed there family. walmart is life support for some families.
and for those of you who complain about making 20 bucks an hour and not get by, maybe you should learn how to budget your money. i dont even make 10 an hour and my family is doing just fine. many people in this country would die to make 20 an hour, some would even be happy with 10 an hour.
i agree with dennis from woodinville wa. how about school teachers, and the police officers, or anyone else who isnt paid enough for what they do. teachers arent paid enough, and their the ones who help us get to where we are. police officers keeping up towns. you know whatever your job your helping the community somehow. and walmart is doing a fine job. there doing the same as every other company.. trying to make money being competitive. they’re just doing a better job..

quit picking on walmart, they’re trying to clean up their acts. they’re viewed as the business leaders in todays market and for once they’re showing good leadership.They’re the only company i’ve seen thats made such a huge change from being anti-environment to pro-green. That shows that even bad companies can fix their problems and i’m sick of hearing all the anti-walmart lies, read your facts people.

I live in Grand Rapids, MI. To compare prices between Meijer stores and Walmart is laughable. I could probably afford NOTHING if I was forced to shop at Meijer. Regardless of every argument, Walmart has the best prices for our household. My husband and I probably make more than others, but that doesn’t mean we spend it stupidly. Every penny is accounted for in our household and we are able save, spend, and budget if we shop at Walmart. There are times when I do not like the clutter, style, or clientele, but when I stand in line and see other people like myself, we are able to look at each other and know that we are there because they have the lowest prices. It’s like a silent code of wisdom. Put it this way. I spend $120 every two weeks at walmart and sams club. I would barely get past produce with that money at meijer……

I have worked for Walmart and shop there. Never, have I seen any customer come in there at gunpoint. If you don’t like it, simply don’t shop there. I don’t think Sam Walton ever thought that what he started would grow into the machine it has. All in all, I think they are doing a good job managing this giant. How would you handle it ? Think about it and stop whining.

The idea that the employees cannot afford health care is not just a Wal-Mart problem. It is a nationwide problem.You are missing one huge point wall mart makes more profit the the big 3 or any other F 500 company thats just greed you see Costco pay for health care why because they care. That is one thing Wal-Mart does not do is Care!!If they would spend what they spend on keeping the Union out they could take care of there expendable employees.

Wal-Mart just like many other companies in the Fortune 500 are a true testament to our capitalist model. The constant pursuit to improve bottom line profit is the ONLY element that matters. If Wal-Mart imports Chinese made merchandise you only have to look at the nearest competitor to find the same product in their shelves. GM exports parts for vehicle assembly to Mexico and inturn Mexico exports a finished GM vehicle for sale in the US. Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and other Tech companies outsource their support and IT jobs to developing countries. These things are done because companies need to stay competitive, drive costs down and increase profit. In a sad sense, we the consumers hold some of the responsibility for this behavior. A constant pressure on companies to provide cheaply priced products, while urging the company to be profitable or else we will sale off our shares of stock in their company. Times have changed and the economic outlook along with it, it’s hard to admit that we are not as cost-efficient as Mexico, Brazil or Japan in assembling a vehicle, but isn’t that evidence of where we are heading. This is a global economy, Mexico cannot survive without assembling our vehicles, and third world countries cannot progress without some jobs being outsourced there. As the world economy grows, we need to find our niche and exploit it. As much as it hurts to admit it, we are only ONE-PIECE of a bigger puzzle.

last i checked, walmart has been paying its workers about 9 to 10 dollars an hour. this company has helped my family when we needed a break and needed a job bad since this country is going to its worst times. this company also treats its workers right and this is why they know how to run a good business. It’s not monopolizing retail industry. Being in business and running your company means being in a competition. Walmart found its secret to lower its prices, thats why its doing great. But no one should not hate on this company because it has helped struggling immigrant families who do not have any professional experiences work their butt off in this store just to make some money to support their family. This store is your American Dream that anyone can work for. I’m ashamed that some of you americans are putting this place down like its some SWAPMEET. Ever thought about low income workers who simply cant go to Safeway or otherplaces that has expensive products?? Or a struggling family just trying to survive in this country?? Shame on you America.

go walmart

They should start putting some of their wealth back in the united states!

I heard a rumor that WalMart has been bought by an overseas entity. Is this true? I hope not!

Walmart has lost the sense of family that it was once built around. Yes they employee a lot of individuals but they treat their employees like garbage.

As a tourist to the USA from NZ Walmart was a shoppers bonanza for me.We pay prices two to three times more here for about the same quality.
The staff were extremely helpful and the selection of goods was excellent.
Walmart would have to be one of your best tourist attractions.

It’s not Sam Walton Wal-Mart anymore! And they will tumbel because they forgot who got them there. ( The Assoicates )

. Wal-Mart is a company that runs itself by wealth and capital. Many decisions are not made with emotions, just good deals. When somebody is paid $9.00 an hour to scan items and push button and a cash stand, they are not being paid for their emotional appeal, instead they are being paid for their services. A cogent company should want to pay its employees as little as possible to perform the job at hand, and a cogent employee should want to be paid as much as they feel like they are worth. The employee is also expendable, just as a used car would be. If there are x amount of used cars then the supply curve will shift, if there are more cars than buyers, then you could offer less for that cars service. It basic economics and any company that wants to stay in business, understands this. Many of Wal-Marts jobs are relatively unskilled; therefore they can use unskilled labor which they will pay less for. It is useless for people to worry about wages being “controlled” by Wal-Mart. Nominal wages on an economy-wide basis will always shift towards the level of full-employment. The market will automatically will work to bring wages back to this level.
The idea that the employees cannot afford health care is not just a Wal-Mart problem. It is a nationwide problem. Millions of people in this country, whether they work at Wal-Mart or not, are costing tax payers money in public support programs. Why is it that only Wal-Mart is being blamed for this? Health-care has been a fringe benefit of employees for years but just recently people have started to think that the employer should be giving them health care just like they should be giving them food or clothes. Wal-Mart is a company that has succeeded in a capitalist country where anybody can succeed with hard work and a passion to succeed. “The American Dream” is that exact thing and Wal-Mart has perfected this dream to fit its company.

Walmart is a God sent corporation. I’m a single mom of two and even though my salary is not great, we live a very comfortable life. Thanks to Walmart and its unique products and low prices.
Oh and you cant find customer service that even comes close to theirs.

The gigger they get, the more corrupt they become, in my humble opinion. And the same goes for the US Government. The POLICE of the WORLD!!!!

Please Please Please go back to American made..somehow..PLEASE…

Driving down wages, benefits, and American standard of living. “Low prices” will never come close to offsetting the negitive effect on employees nationwide.

Bigger is not better. I buy a few things at Wal-Mart but I only shop there about once a month if that and that is because the next closes thing to my house is also a over pricing Kroger. I like to buy American made goods and products and you can barley find that at Wal-Mart and it is really bringing our economy down, and yes you can still find American made products these days for example I have a American made car and it is the best car I have ever owned. I have never or would never work for Wal-Mart so I cant comment on that but I do have friends and family who have been employed by them before and only stayed the longest a month for the simple fact that they all said they were unfair and very misjudging. I do not think they should be No.1. They have a lot of business but that is because they open up stores in towns that don’t have a lot of stores that offer them the things people think they are getting better prices for when really they are just getting bad products.

There is one small thing I appreciate. An item that costs, say, $4.38 there will have its price elevated to $4.99 at Target. The practice of prices ending in 99 is a pet peeve of mine for 60 years. The psychology is that you perceive a significant savings compared to a price of $5.00. An insult for certain, but even worse is that it has been marked higher From 4.38 to $4.99), not a reduction of a cent (from $5)!

I want those hating on Exxon Mobil to look up the definitions of “profit” and “profit margin.” Then look up what the profit margin has been for Exxon Mobil for the past several years. You’d see that it’s about the same. What does that mean? …People are simply buying more gas. If you want to lower prices, get rid of the outrageous tax.

I would have to agree that Wal-Mart is # 1. After working at Wal-Mart HO for 12 years I was hooked. Lately being able to visit a local Wal-Mart Store 4 days a week and watching price increases day to day on consumer product, I have to shop at other stores to meet my budget. I do understand how and why the increases do occur, but the amount of each increase in a hard pill to swallow. Bananas for instance from 59 cents per pound to 64 cents per pound. Breakfast bars up from $1.66 to $1.80 per 8 pack. While WM is trying to draw the customer by lowering pricing in the apparel areas the consumer product for day to day living continue to rise at local Wal-Mart stores. One product which is store brand at WM is $3.73 but at local Neighborhood Mkt is $4.59 This is WM own product. Explain the difference of a couple of miles location of stores. Wal-Mart will loose customers if not very cost efficient.

I’ve worked at Wal-mart for 6 years, and it has its ups and downs, just like every other company on the face of the planet. Guess what, folks: The people who run these major corporations are human. They screw up, just like the rest of us. God knows I’d like a bigger paycheck, but after 6 years, I have been promoted to an hourly supervisor, and am currently making more money than my father, who has worked for a local Ford dealership for 19 years. I’ve received several bonuses, each a minimum of $400, with one reaching $1200. My father, for all his hardwork and dedication, was given a $1.00/hour pay cut. I’m treated fairly and with respect, and I can honestly say that my store is one huge family. If anyone is having problems, be it work-related or personal, we’re all there ready to lend a helping hand. I have insurance: health, dental, cancer, accident, and a whole host of other benefits. My dad has no insurance because they won’t cover my mom. But I work for the “evil” company, just because my paycheck says Wal-mart.

In our town, we have nearly every major competitor you could think of, except for Target (and we’re expecting one of those, soon!), and while shopping around, Wal-mart is consistently lower in price than the other big box stores in our town. Is it cheaper on everything? No, but it is cheaper on enough items to make a difference in my checkbook. And the things that aren’t cheaper, Wal-mart is happy to price-match.

Also, as others have pointed out, the whole “Made in China/Mexico/wherever” issue is NOT isolated to just Wal-mart, and to think otherwise is ridiculous. It’s hard to find American-made product ANYWHERE these days.

So, does Wal-mart have room for improvement? Sure it does! Just like *every* other company. But is it as evil as everyone else makes it out to be? No, I don’t think so. There’s always worse out there. Trust me.

Here is the problem with WalMart…nothing.
EVERY American wants to make $30-$40/hr, who wouldn’t. Problem is, when you are a factory worker making $30/hr it drives up the cost of whatever your factory produces.
WalMart, in its support of ‘Buy American’ has purchased items from American companies. WalMart, being the quintessential retail giant that it is, uses it’s leverage to squeeze its vendors, just like ANYBODY and EVERYBODY in the supply/demand chain does.
Problem is, when this factory worker gets another year under their belt, they want to get a raise. $30/hr is not good enough anymore, they need $32/hr. The factory is compelled to make cuts, but can’t do it in labor because the factory worker certainly isn’t goint to take a pay cut. The factory worker would rather lose their job than take a pay cut. You have unions pushing for higher and higher pay scales for what? There was a time and place in this country when a union was needed, prior to government mandates on worker safety and minimum wages. Todays unions only hurt the economy and cause an increase in costs for domestic materials. Proof in point, the UAW’s strike with American Axle. That is why WalMart does not allow unionization of its employees.
It’s hard for anyone to look at themselves and find anything wrong. Fact of the matter is, it’s the American public pushing for higher wages and lower costs of goods that has forced companies to outsource to foreign countries.
I cant find the relation as to why anyone is “disgusted” to find the amount of ‘Made in China’ items at their local WalMart. Does WalMart purchase their items differently than ANY OTHER retailer in the US? If Brand X makes their product in China, whether you buy it from WalMart or Target or any other retailer, Brand X will say ‘Made in China’. It’s called a Global Economy for a reason.

I’ve read many of the posts, and I have to agree that Wal-Mart is No. 1 because it gave consumers what they wanted, low prices and one-stop shopping. I also have to agree that Wal-Mart succeeded in lowering prices by buying more items from what were once considered third world countries…China, India, Mexico, etc. And, I would agree that our government, through tax policies and incentives, helped businesses buy more from China and other places, and move jobs “off-shore”. So it is not totally Wal-Mart to be blamed.

However, what Wal-Mart can be blamed for is misleading the public. For years, they advertised, “low prices…always”. At first it may have been true, but over the years, it has been embedded in the consumers mindset, and now they believe Wal-Mart has low prices, without question, even though that is no longer Wal-Marts’ sales pitch. My example of that is from my own shopping experiences. I rarely buy groceries from Wal_Mart, but I did often buy household cleaning products. Using a dishwashing detergent as an example, I had been in the local grocery store and looked at detergent, and thought to myself, it’s probably cheaper at Wal-Mart. Was I wrong, it was $6.58 in Wal-Mart, at the local grocery store, exact same item and size was $4.59, and it was not a sale price. Granted most differences are not this big, but it points out that Wal-Mart is not the cheapest.

My other issue is with cheaper products as compared to what is available at other retailers for a similar price, and Wal-Mart is one of the biggest offenders of this. I was recently shopping for a new printer, and had decided on an HP all-in-one printer. I decided on the model, and began price shopping. I was puzzled that I could not find the same model # in Wal-Mart that I was seeing in other stores, but I could find one that looked the same. After finally being able to look at one of Wal-Marts out of the box, I knew why it was a different model #…it was made of what appeared to be cheaper materials, and was missing some key features that the regular model product had at other retailers. What I found was you saved $5 and got an inferior product, so I bought mine from an office supply store where I actually ended up saving $35 over Wal-Marts price with a mail-in rebate. Upon doing more internet research I found is many of Wal-Marts electronic products are cheaper, because they negotiate with manufacturers to get a lower price, and as a result the products have fewer features, and cheaper materials to get the price down.

Products made in China are a completely separate topic, but I’ve become much more aware and read the labels as to where things are made. I find that it is rarely more than a 5% price difference to “Buy American”.

Finally, to the point about driving an American car mentioned in earlier comments. Since my first car when I was 16, I have driven nothing but General Motors cars/trucks, six new ones and a few as second cars, for the past 28 years, and all but one built in the USA…the one being built in Canada. Many of these cars were from the period where everyone bad-mouthed American-built quality, but I would rate the ones I have owned as the best cars on the road. My comparisons are based on family and friends who have owned Hondas and Toyotas for years, and have issues with interior parts coming loose, costly engine repairs and early rust-out, but consumer magazines say they are better than American cars, so it must be so.

The American public needs to wake up! Don’t believe everything you read or hear! Take some initiative and find these things out on your own, don’t let business and the press make your decisions for you.

And the link to the video for this article on CNN/AOL. The sad thing is that she lost her short term memory. As I recall, after winning the case the first time and winning the appeal from the Shanks, WalMart only dropped the suit after it aired on CNN. The Shanks get to “keep” the money. But, they don’t really keep it, it went into a trus fund to pay the nursing home that is taking care of Mrs. Shank.
The video is really sad…

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/wal-mart-sues-disabled-woman/46662405

If there’s anyone we should be hating on – it’s Exxon Mobil.

Torrance Williams in Atlanta, GA:

Its people like you who care more about money than what goes on behind closed doors at Wal-Mart and the associates who are treated badly. You disgust me along with everybody like you. We can change Wal-Mart but you have to CARE enough to do it.

Hey carmenincali, Sam Walton has passed away and is no longer the cause of Wal-Mart’s unethical practices. In fact, when Sam Walton owned Wal-Mart from the beginning, he had a motto that said something like “The American Dream, everything here made in America.” It’s the siblings that inherited the store after his death and the multiple people that have began to run the stores that has caused it to turn into the retail monster that it is.

While products like clothes and glassware, to name a couple, are lesser quality than you would find at Target or Sears the name brand items, such as health & beauty aids, CDs & software, and sporting goods, are the exact same and costs MUCH less.

I will go to Wal-Mart to buy a few things, but I can’t stay in the store longer than 15 minutes or I’ll get severely depressed. Everyone in the store(meaning employees and customers) seems so sad and when I go there and see them, I get very sad also and have to leave!

let me tell u why walmart does so well….they build stores in little one-horse towns like mine in nc when no one else will–sure they have got the market cornered–no one else to compete!!!!

There is no stability in pricing and thats frustrating to a consumer. This is the only store that I have ssen markup products week to week at 30%, 40%, 50%…rather than 5%, 10%, 15%. No longer do you receive a quality product at a reasonable price. I am spending my $$ elsewhere.

The merchandise at Wal-Mart is not the same quality you find at “normal” retailers. For ANY and ALL electronics or applicances, don’t waste your money at Wal-Mart; pay the few extra bucks to get better quality elsewhere. Their garden department prices are higher than the “do-it-yourself” giants. You have to pay close attention to what you’re buying at Wal-Mart in terms of price and quality. If you don’t, you’re wasting your money on junk or paying too much.

I am surprised to not see Cox Enterprises, Time Warner, Comcast. Why would these major companies not be on Fortune 500 list?

the reason why Walmart is #1 is because cheaper substitutes sell in a recessionary economy. It’s been that way for a while. I don’t enjoy shopping at Walmart, it’s too obvious that the Waltons are not generous in pay. Going to that store is like a voluntary trip to hell. I’d rather be at Target. You can clearly see in customer service who’s being treated better. They retain good employees adn the entire experience is much more tolerable at Target. Walmart has committed labor abuses. I don’t care that they import things from China, it’s disgusting these retailers are monopolizing the market with cheap goods from China as our only option. I prefer less with higher quality. It’s very easy to go to Mexico and buy a lot of cheap krap if i wanted to clutter my house with a lot of krap. I’m not leaving my concience. Sam Walton is taking advantage of a country that suffers from Human Rights violations. I can’t believe we’re supposed to support him. I’ll pass.

I disagree that the items from Walmart are the same as those you buy elsewhere. We purchased the Hungry Hippos game for our daughter there, and it broke after a short time. We purchased the game again, this time at Toys R Us, and it was constructed differently and noticably sturdier. It has held up for quite some time.

I’d rather pay three fifty a gallon and drive for an hour than shop at a union busting, anti labor,Chinese crap selling store like” WE Want it All Mart” They under price all their merchandise until they put the other businesses in town into bankruptcy and then mark everything back up even higher then it was before,and that’s a fact.

Thanks to Wal Mart, we now have $4.00 per gallon gasoline. HOW??? They forced suppliers, by demanding lower prices, to move manufacturing jobs to China. Now China is buying up barrels of oil at $113 a barrel forcing gasoline prices up. Oh yes,forgot to mention, we are now importing gasoline from China.

I’ll never get laid off working for Walmart and I love showing customers special deals and saving them money on frozen food items.

When it comes to social compliance Wal Mart has double standards. I have been a vendor for them in the past and I know what they pay to factories in the third world countries like India and Pakistan. The charitable work they do is nothing more than part of their advertising campaign ….. and the naive American public is not aware of thir hypocricy.

Oh one more thing “walmart is un-american”???

Who here drives an american made car?

Answer that.

Eight years of seniority and a supervisor and you only make $20/hr? The typical house in my city is $300k. A $20/hr job just doesn’t cut it. Where can you live on $10/hr or less that the starting employees get? The street? Share a trailer? Is this the future you want for our children?

Against all the critics and the media reports and all the haters in general..The greatest company of all time just continues to grow stronger while the rest just watch in envy..Keep it up Walmart..we buy your stock and love u.

I noticed one entry aways down saying that they were gay and are treated as equals with everyone else working at Wal-Mart.
While I myself am not gay I can back up what this person says.
I work in a Wal_mart distribution center in Tennesse and there are quite a few openly gay people who work there as assosiates and in the last 7 years I know of 2 openly gay managers working there who had been promoted from first line assosciates.
As far as Wal-Mart as a whole goes,it has it’s good points and definately has it’s bad ones but is no worse than some other places I have worked in the past. As far pay goes I make a bit more than the average factory type job for my area but I do realize that store workers are not payed as well as the DC workers.

Before you praise or bash WalMart, let me provide some personal insight from my own observations. WalMart is probably one of the best retailers on the planet. They have retailing efficiency down to a science. I can’t fault them for that. What I do fault them for is using their size and power to bully their vendors to lower the cost of the products they supply to WalMart. In the town I live in here in Kentucky, I’ve already seen one WalMart vendor fall prey to WalMart’s tactics in the last year. One of our area’s largest companies produced blue jeans for WalMart. To continue to eek out some type of profit, this company closed down at least four local plants employing I would estimate over 1,000 workers so that they could move their operations to Mexico. Granted, part of that decision lies with the company owners. But there is little doubt that the other part is due to WalMart’s continual demand for lower and lower vendor prices. Remember when WalMart started years ago and had all those “Buy American” and “XXX American jobs created by WalMart” signs? When’s the last time you saw those? Sam Walton may have cared about U.S. workers but it is quite obvious that his heirs don’t. That’s why in the current list of American’s wealthiest people, four of the top eight have the last name Walton. And just so you know the facts, each is listed as having $19 billion in their bank accounts. Think about that…$19 billion. What exactly does anyone need that much money for? Greed is the only thing I can think of. And guess where that collective $76 billion came from??? It’s essentially the difference between the wages American workers would have made vs. what someone in Mexico or China is currently making. And if you don’t believe me, go to any WalMart and pick up 20-30 items at random and see where they’re made? I did one day and it was disgusting. I’m sure WalMart treats most of their employees great. Who wouldn’t? They’re the ones that keep the money train a rollin. But for every one WalMart employee being taken care of by WalMart, how many Americans do you think were put out of job to pay for them? There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Wal-mart sucks the life out of the compition, selling cheap poorly made items and un-healthy foods, imports 90% its items from CHINA and pays its workers substandard wages. I’ll pay more and shop elswhere.

Walmart is a business. They are not the evil empire that they are made out to be. Like all companies employing thousands of people mistakes happen and bad choices are made. That is why we have system controls in business and government and that is why Walmart is not running around recklessly.

Seeing the last fourteen or so in a row (with one exception) comments praising Wal-Mart . . . coincidence? Probably not. Looks like the word got out to the employees to hurry and post something positive. Typical cult manipulation. I’d like to know if there might be some government assistance available to deprogram not only the members of the FLDS, but Wal-Mart “Associates?” Please get help – we still love you.

Made in China is everywhere not just Wal-mart. Target, Sears, Kohls, Macy, Mom and Pop stores, Thrift shops Yard Sales etc…..Hmmmmmmmmmm if you want American make your self but I bet something you use to make it with is Made in China. Grow your own food and I bet something you use such a shovel or rake etc….. is made in China. I love shopping at Wal-mart.

I worked for a Grocery chain that is big in the midwest. I worked there for 3 years before I was eligible for the benefits, including paid vacation and paid holidays. I was classified as a part time employee and worked 40 hours a week with no benefits while there. I worked at Walmart for six months while in school and although I didn’t get vacations or holidays, I was not scheduled to work the full time hours without the benefits. I started at more than minimum wage and they treated me as good as any other retail place.

If you want to blame someone for companies moving out of the US and taking jobs with them, look to Washington. The tax system run by professional politicians that continue to use it to stay in power is the real culprit! Tax legislation puts American companies at a disadvantage in the market, both domestically and internationally. If a company can’t make a profit, it cannot stay in business very long. If America continues to let politicians play the “class” card”, every 4 years we are doomed as a nation. Think about it, what have all their promises brought us, only more and more outrageous schemes (e.g. bridges to nowhere). If you want a good education on the US tax system and see how it was started by Washington and reeled in by the American citizen in the early years, and also see the real numbers in dollar signs read Boortz’s “Fair Tax” book.

I shop at Walmart because they save me money!!!

I would like to see full time Walmart employee’s get health insurance paid for by the employer rather than the employee. If target can do it, so can Walmart.

I began working for Walmart 5 yrs. ago after spending most of my career in Customer Service for 2 major companies. Although I made alot of money at my previous jobs, I was also quite stressed and decided to try something different. I went with Walmart because I’ve always worked for major companies.

Walamrt associates are made up of 4 main groups. Retired folks who need to keep busy but can’t work alot of hours without screwing up their Social Security, working moms that tend to work part time, people like me who just ” had enough ” with the Post Office, UPS, or some other major player and the last group, the people who have no other skills and can barely figure out how to stock a shelf without supervision.
Like any other business, those who have a brain and a work ethic will move up in Walmart and be compensated financially. Those who can’t do anything else are the biggest complainers of how the place sucks and how they’re underpaid…
While I’ve bumped into my share of idiot bosses, they have been thankfully few and far between. Most members of upper management worked their way up and are really great at remembering how it felt to be low man on the totem pole.
That being said, Target is quiet and spacious. I like to shop there as well. But they don’t have the selection which is why the store seems so “clean “.
As far as products from China and other parts of the world…that is unfortunately universal. The coffeepot you buy in Walmart is the same in Target and the same in Macy’s. The issue of buying American is something I believe in with all my heart..which is why the problem is POLITICAL , not RETAIL.
The simple answer is not in choosing between a Target or a Walmart but in choosing NOT to buy products made in CHINA ! And thats what I do now. Whenever possible I buy USA..but failing that I simply do not buy from China or MEXICO at all. It’s not as difficult as you may think once yo start looking at labels. In fact after all the toxins from China, and the fact that all of our money is going to them I read labels on EVERYTHING..most people probably aren’t aware that frozen broccoli is all from Mexico..or that Tropicana and Minute Maid orange Juice are now buying oranges from Brazil and Argentina..only Florida Natural is still using American oranges. Or that Mott’s and Juicy Juice are buying apples from China ( I shudder to think of all the little kids drinking Chinese filthy toxins ). Everyone should get a copy of ” How Americans Can Buy American ”
So stop venting as anti-walmart and start realizing that the foreign goods problem isn’t just in Walmart…it’s in our food chain as well.

I live in victor Valley, CA. We have 1 Super Target and 2 more on the way. We have three other Target stores, 3 Lowes, 3 Home depots, all the big store there are. Only two Wal-Mart stores, no super centers. Everytime it is proposed to build one, the Wal-Mart bashers come out of their holes in the ground by the thousands.
THIS IS AMERICA. What is good for one should be good for the other. Any big box retail store in America buys most of their goods frome CHINA. Lets treat everyone equal.

After working for them for seven years I can tell you this one of those things that drive their profits is under paying employees!
I also work as a hourly superviser but $12.30 in its number #3 store world wide and where do get off on the fib of 15 bucks on insurence being great! Thats joke to becuase use that crap at a $1000.00 deductable per family member on select charges. Yet in this area the reason I work for them is it is still one of the better paying jobs.

I deliver Wal-marts I mispicked a case and my name goes on “honest vendor mistakes”.Is there anything by the register saying “honest cashier mistakes”?
I would love to see their executive locked outside for 30 minutes in 26 degree weather trying to deliver as I was.That’s how we are treated!

i worked for walmart and was unfairly fired, but thats not walmarts fault, that was the poor manager that was over the store. walmart treated us well and was fun to work there. even today i think i would love to go back,

I liked Walmart when they bought American made products and really helped the overall economy. Once they set their priorities to low price leader and enough American workers lost their jobs, it’s the only place many people can afford to shop. That’s one way to lead, but it’s short term thinking. Soon even Walmart will be too expensive for many Americans.

Walmart is a store that gets everything it makes from China where they rip off every sucessful product in the United States. Walmart is supporting sending manufactoring jobs to China which causes high unemployment here and hurting the economy.

I worked at wal-mart for ten years. I don’t know what wal-mart some of the people that love wal-mart works at .But the one who husband makes 20.00 hr is in calf. Try making 7.00 hr , that is the avg. pay at the store i work at and then they don’t what u to have 40hrs week .they cut u to 36 hrs. All they want working for them are part-times. They could care less for the people that works and for the people that shop there. As long as they are taking your money

It seems to be a right of passage anymore for everyone seems to have worked for WM at one point or another. I shop at Brookshires and DGeneral for ordinary items. I grow my own food generally and reuse. WM refused returned bags for recycle from me the door greeter put them in the trash!! I asked him why and he said ” he doesn’t recycle” WM or I can but he doesn’t. How rude! I prefer the check your self out cashier if shopping at WM as I do not have to deal with people who do not like their low pay more work job.

They don’t care about the people of the U.S. They support China and not the U.S. companies so therefore we end up with dangerous pet food and dangerous child toys.

I currently work at walmart, ive worked there for nearly 2-3 years. You have your ups an downs…. But what jobs doesnt. I feel that walmart should be #1 because lets face it, its a very big company, who does have alot to offer. There are no other retail companies out there that can compare to walmart prices.

I think Wal-Mart is great! I have worked there for two years and have no plans on going anywhere else. I am 24 and have benefits and they actually care about my needs as a mother. They do so much for our community.

After working at walmart for over 2 years, I had to have surgery. I was one of the top cashiers but when i wanted to come back they wouldn’t have me, also for supporting fundraisers the walmart I worked at stopped fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network even while I was a Miracle Child for CMN and working there. And then when I was to come back they said no, then seeing me in the hospital sucked up with flowers and asked me to come back a few months later which I turned down due to the treatment I had received by management at Wal-Mart. They want you then they drop you, not my kind of store.

Wal-Mart became what it is because the public wanted what it offered. It was just a matter of supplying the demand of the marketplace. Same for McDonalds, not fine dining, but it meets a demand that was all ready there but not served well enough. The folks who shop at Neiman-Marcus are happy with that company.

There is nothing to stop anyone from competeing with Wal-Mart on any level. Not patents, no trade secrets, just dedication to the customer’s needs, not the needs of the union local officers who need the dues to attend the annual convention in Las Vegas.

Well I see people that are praising Wal-Mart, and they are wrong. So your husband or dad makes 20 bucks an hour after 17 years AWESOME! The CEO is raking in over 400 dollars an hour. Wal-Mart is just one of the companies that is creating a tremendous divide between the wealthy and the poor. It’s more important to do what you love and make little money, than do something you despise for unlimited money. And I can assure you that nobody working at Wal-Mart would rather be there than somewhere else, except for the ones at the top.

Wal Mart, I can understand clearly why they top the Fortune 500 list. On a daily basis we purchase items from a to z to keep our households running smoothly. However, why is it WE the consumers suffer the consequences by having to pay Exxon and Cheveron (among other petrol companies) the high gasoline prices to drive to Wal Mart, Target or Sears. And now trucking companies have to pay the high prices which means WE the consumers again are the ones who suffer??
If gasoline companies like Cheveron and Exxon had such a great year…why is it we continue to suffer while the suits reap the benefits??
We are like puppies chasing our tails…only we are the ones getting dizzy while the big conglomerates sit back and laugh at how asinine we look. When is this going to end??

For a 71yr old “Senior” on fixed income WalMart is a must–stores are clean and well organized–employees are very helpful and cheerful–couldn’t make it if had to shop at regular supermkts all the time–and to those who have negative comments about WalMart–JUST WAIT–YOUR TIME WILL COME AND YOU WILL MORE THAN APPRECIATE WALMART—

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. Someday Americans must realize that what is good for corporate America is not always good for Americans. Keep jobs in the U.S. and support companies that pay their employees a decent wage with benefits. Outsourcing jobs equates to outsourcing the basis for the American economy.

WalMart is everyone’s best friend. I’ve worked at corporate, shopped there for years and own their stock. Yes they are tough to do business with as a vendor but the savings are always passed on the consumer

IF WAL-MART IS TOP OF THE CHAIN .WHY IS THAT STORE #3225 IN ROWLETT.I”VE BEEN AN EMPLOYER FOR 7 YEARS. AND HAVE RECEIVE JUST 1 BONUS. WE THE EMPLOYES OF WAL-MART RUN THE STORE.WE FILL THE SHELVES.AND MAKE THE MONEY FOR THE COMPANY.BUT MANAGER GET THE BONUS WE DON’T.I THINK IT A REPOFF!!!PLEASE ANSWER BACK.

I have worked at WAL-MART for a year and a half now. Although I love the people I work with the company has it’s problems just like any other company. Management refuses to take any suggestion seriously. This year they made us work on Easter. Trying to keep up with K-Mart I guess. Wal-Mart does pay a good salary unless you are an assistant manager. They make their assistants work 70 and 80 hours a week. I’ve seen one assistant work close to 18 hours in one day. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate the company I just think it is not running the way Sam Walton would have wanted. Just wait until Thanksgiving when I bet we will be open again.

IF THEY HAVE SO MUCH WHY DO THEY PAY THE EMPLOYEES SOOOOO LITTLE AND THE INSURANCE IS LOUSY

I am a regular Walmart shopper. I find their prices to be much better then other supermarkets. I am constantly comparing prices and Walmart is consistently lower. I do not have a problem with customer service, it is fine. The employees are friendly and willing to help, you just need to ask. The store is clean and well stocked, unless you go during a very buy time. Then the shelves may be cleaned out and the place a bit messy, but the employees are constantly working on getting it back in order. I know they are very good to their employees, my aunt worked for them.
I have lived in various places & shopped at Walmart in all of them. If a store was understaffed or dirty the management had it turned around in a few months. They don’t let stores stay subpar. Sometimes they need to refigure their staffing for the area they serving. I am so happy my Walmart is close by. I count on them for their low prices & having a great variety. I rarely can’t find what I need.

I WOULD NOT set a foot into a Walmart, under any circumstances! They came into Austin, in an established neighborhood,with no freeways nearby & didn’t even bother to poll the surrounding neighborhood groups,or consider how crowded these streets already are. They THINK they OWN the world & it makes me sick.
Now, we are going to be stuck, (after fighting for over a year to keep them out,) for a super walmart, with a three story garage in the middle of a neighborhood, which will end up driving out of their homes, JUST to get away from that MONSTER! We should have AT LEAST been asked for a vote, but no.. under the guise of night, they started to build, as we tried like crazy, to make them just GO AWAY. It will make the traffic totally impossible, trying to get to an interstate, plus will in a flood, which happens often, will spill into our main drinking system.
Most of the people who live around here, in the neighborhood groups & many others, who will be greatly hurt, because of the traffic tie-up’s have vowed to NEVER set a foot into that store. Sam Walton would be turning over in his grave!
Also, SHAME on the City of Austin & the City Council for not stopping it, when there is ANOTHER one just 3 miles from this one. Who cares if it is going to look better? It is still a WALMART and the reason the prices on toys, etc. have gone down, is because they import so much from China (you know all toys with lead in them, from China?)
I have gone far enough to even tell friends to NEVER give me a gift from Walmart, because it will be tossed in the trash. I HATE that store and before this one, had only been in one, once before.
Walton wanted these put on the outskirts of towns, where there was not a place to shop & they seemed to be needed! This area DID NOT need this eye-sore in our nice middle class neighborhood!
Personally, (even though we are on a set income) I would go much farther, to buy anything, just to keep from shopping there. I HOPE IT GOES BROKE, from being so uncaring about the area’s where they “plop” their unwelcome stores! It has been a thorn in the flesh for so many of us, for so long now & cost a lot for lawyers, to help fight them. I totally expect our area to go from well maintained homes, to one’s that turn into rental’s, as people run to get away from the loud trucks, the bright lights, long hours & people who seem to camp out in their parking lots.
After living here forever, it is just sickening to have them here. It brings the neighborhood down to other stores that are trash, just as they are!
Really ticked off in Austin!

RW in Pittsburgh, PA should do his homework. Walmart makes any supplier we go through move to AR where our homeoffice is located. To trade with Walmart the company has to be able to move to AR or have a headquaters there. Walmart does not comtribute to the unemployeement of the United States in fact it hires thousands of people a day. Do your research before you make comments.

I work at walmart. In South TX. Walmart WAS a good place to work for,but NOW it has changed its policies and benefits so much!It froze our wadges and can’t earn anymore. NO more merits,no more nothing!But you sure get more work !Now they came out with the stupid score card crap that does not work at our store, maybe in another store in another state or a neighborhood store that is smaller than a Super Center!

I have seen people I know let their local businesses die because they would rather drive 30 miles to save .50 cents on an item. The local stores are not government subsidized like WalMart is, and they go out of business as a result. No body supports their local neighborhood or small town stores, and now they are all dead and dying. All that is left is the homogenized big box WalMart, with their second rate merchandise, and trucked in food that spoils the day after you bring it home. The American public deserves better.

I will drive out of my way and spend more to avoid buying anything from WalMart. If more people did so, less American’s would be out of work.

The bottom line is that every dollar we spend is a vote. I do not wish to vote away our jobs and local businesses. Neither should anyone else.

it is a great company full of good people. The unions hate it because it is very successful in taking care of its employees with out them. The employees are very aware that the money they would pay in dues would soon turn in to luxury cars for the union leaders.

FYI, to Jason in Fargo…
Target has changed its policy regarding bell ringers during the holiday season. There were bell ringers at the stores I shopped at last year.

The other companies have been doing it for years. Get a life and get over it.Walmart isn’t he only company that purchases good from over seas. Find a new wagon to jump on these wheels ar all worn down now

I’ve been in Wal-Mart once in the last year and spent a total of $6. I have no issue with folks who shop at Wal-Mart but I choose not to for various reasons… Believe it or not, there IS life WITHOUT Wal-Mart.

WalMart is a treasonist organization that preys on American greed by selling wares from our enemy (China).

If you don’t like Wal-Mart, stop buying from Wal-Mart.

The area in which I live Wal-Mart is as expensive as other stores. Therefore, I’m starting to shop at other stores.

I like Walmart and the prices are right, but the uniforms the employees wear are so unappealing. I think Polo shirts are unattractive in a dept. store. I would rather see something with pockets so they can ‘hide’ their glasses, pens, etc…
regards, Linda

There are some simple facts about Wal-Mart that some people miss because of thier view. So let me point a few out… First, Wal-Mart does indeed treat thier Management Staff with a great deal of respect and pays them well for a retail chain. But they do seem to treat their hourly employees like slaves. Second, all businesses are preditory, it’s the nature of of business. But Wal-Mart seems to take great pleasure in destroying the “Ma&Pa” stores of this country. The attitude of management towards thier employees and the way Wal-Mart conducts it’s business made up my mind a long time ago. I will gladly pay more for an item some place else before I will ever set one foot inside of a Wal-Mart, for any reason!

Wallmart stocks held 10 years; sold at a very poor return recently. This was a poor investement, on my part.

Walmart Stores do not care what they sell as long as it makes the largest profit. I will not go to WalMart until the stop supporting slave labor in 3rd world countries who use things in manufacturing that harm us. They obviously cut back on costs by understaffing; the stores are filthy,
the merchandise looks like it was thrown on the shelves and the lines are long. I would rather pay more for good merchandise. Anything we buy from this retailer is playing Russian Rulette. Eventually America’s Trailor Trash will figure out why their babies are getting sick or have birth defects.

Thank you Wal-Mart! As I retiree on a fixed-income, I depend upon you. The Wal-Mart haters can pay more for the same goods if they want to be stupid, but folks like me really appreciate the quality of life we can afford because of your low prices.

I’ve worked for Walmart for a year now, and I love it! They don’t treat us bad, the pay is good (I started with no experience, above minimum wage), and the benefits that the employees get rocks. My mom has been working for walmart for 21 years, and she’s doing great! Her alone, brings in almost $50,000 a year! I think Walmart is a very good place to work with and is not one of those MONOPOLY type company’s. It’s obviously the people that make it that company it is today, and put money in my hand and helps me save a lot of money.

Needed a second job as a single father to make ends meet. Went to Target. $6.40 an hour. Went to Sam’s Club. Started at $10.00 an hour. Enough of this minimum wage garbage.

I am a faithful shopper,Why go two or three stores .When Wal-Mart has it all.plus lower prices.When I retired from Winn-Dixie I moved my stock money to Wal-Mart…Still making money…THANK WAL-MART…

Nothing is perfect. Both my wife and I are Wal-Mart employees, she 27 years and I 1. Very hard to complain about the wages, benefits, etc. unless one has the need to find something to complain about. Same with our co-workers. No one makes us work there or shop there but when we retire soon, they will have made it easy for us. If you think it is so good elsewhere, you have two oceans, start swimming.

Walmart always has the best deals, it puts kmart to shame!

Walmart is capitalism at its best. When you sell quality goods cheaper than anyone else, you deserve to be #1.

I hate wal mart period !

I shop at Wal-Mart for the same reason I bought foreign card for so many years — I work hard for my money and I have to get the best value for my dollar. I would love to shop at a small, local store, but I simply can’t afford it. And I also know that I can get virtually everything at Wal-Mart, and won’t have to stop at 6 different stores.

Wal-Mart should be awarderd top position in the list of Global Hypocrites. I have been their vendor and I know the way they abuse vendors from third world countries. On one hand they squeeze factories with tight prices forcing them to pay poor wages to labors and on the other hand they hold inspections to see if factories are in compliance to their social obligations. They are the biggest crooks but naive US consumers are not aware of this fact.

Hey, all this about how Wal-Mart treats its employees is garbage.. I worked at Wal-Mart for 13 years and was treated very well. I have my own Business now and I run it from some of the values I learned at Wal-Mart.
The way I see it the employees are not dediciated any more. It is very hard to find people who will even show up, much less do a days work now.
I know some people who make Sixteen Bucks an hr working in Wal-mart. I think that is plenty for an hours work.

Why can’t people appreciate WalMart
do they have any idea what they would be paying for items from small, inde-pendant stores. How many people are not on Welfare, Medicaid or Workmens
comp that would be coming out of our
pockets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

It’s a well known fact that Walmart pays better wages and provides better benefits than other retail stores, but because they are the biggest, everyone complains about them just like they complain about Exxon. Walmart could pay $20/hr and people would still whine.

Most of you who complain about the customer service are probably yourselves the special customers the employees don’t want to deal with. The self centered, impatient, I am the only person in the store and you are my personal assistant mentality. Cut these people a break. As a former employee and eventual manager for a few retail companies, customer expectations and attitudes can be unreal. Technology has made everyone expect instant results. Not saying all employees are perfect by any means. But look at your habits. Do you leave trash everywhere, do you make a mess of a product by ripping things open and then taking the good box while leaving the other behind? Or do you talk to them in a condesending way? I would give you horrible service too. You as a customer can say please, thank you and have patience as well. Wal-Mart is huge, they cannot be perfect in every phase of their business. Who is? But I can tell you this: As a single father living in a rural area, It is cheaper for me to leave town to shop at Wal-Mart even with the current gas prices because the mom and pop stores have such lopsided mark ups. And do you think Wal-Mart and other retailers would have to buy from China if things here in the US were balanced? Everyone has to keep up with the Jones’ so salaries here are way higher then other countries. Why buy something here in the US when you can get it cheaper elsewhere? I would LOVE TO BUY AMERICAN ALL THE TIME, but if we did, the cheap prices you see would be no more. American companies have to charge more to make up the salaries they pay their employees and all the other high expenses so everyone can have a SUV, flatscreen and other non essentials. Wal-Mart is just doing what any company wants to do, grow their business. They are no different then any other company. Well maybe they are, because they are not trying to take advantage of their consumers like Big Oil and who knows how many others out there. If Target was the biggest retailer, your would set your sights on them. Thank goodness there is still a company that wants to look out for the consumers and not take advantage of them.

We the people made walmart what they are today if you don’t like it there then don’t shop there no matter what.

I love Wal-Mart. My husband has worked for them for over 8 years and no one he knows makes anywhere minimum wage. He makes approx. $20.00 and hour and has over $10,000 in profit sharing and has not contributed a penny to it yet. (He’s only a supervisor) Also, he pays $15.00 every two weeks for family health insurance. Sounds like someone needs to quit bashing Wal-Mart and start doing their own research on one of the greatest companies in America.

Wakmart is a predatory company that’s forces suppliers to move U.S. jobs to China in able to supply Walmart’s never ending demands for lower prices from their suppliers. Go ahead, keep patronizing Walmart and wonder why you lose you job and your kids have a career working for McDonalds.

How come none of you WalMart haters are complaining about the low wages of school teachers or police officers? What have YOU done to improve the wages of those two typically underpaid groups?

Those of you who are bashing Wal-Mart about low pay, poor employee treatment, etc… Why don’t you do some REAL reasearch? Talk to “associates” who currently work there, not ones who have been terminated for lack of productivity or “poor customer service” or better yet not showing up to work at all! I have worked for Wal-Mart for 17 years. I make more money than all of my friends who have a college degree. Wal-Mart goes out of it’s way to treat it’s associates as well as it’s customers fairly. So maybe a few ‘Idiots who have worked for Wal-Mart have made poor decisions, that doesn’t mean that Wal-Mart did it.

Get your FACTS straight.

I LOVE WAL-MART

I don’t know what wal mart some of yall have been shopping at but the walmart i work is clean the ailes are wide and the company has started a new system that allows anyone to shop day or night without clutter. the new system has affected our work causing us to get our stock out slower so that the customer can shop at 3 am. as far working for them its a great company to work for its the people you have to work with and believe me its not just at walmart i have worked for several retail chains and have found the same problem people love drama in the work place that has nothing to do with the company itself my managers are great they have worked with me when i had schedule problems and when my father died. the long lines people complain about are mostly due to the fact people dont want to work and call in which means cashier have to pulled to other parts of the store in order to keep up with customer demand and also the pay i can promise you no other retail is gonna pay me over 10 dollars an hour to stock shelves if your on welfare thats your own fault i have 3 kids and im single and i dont need food stamps or medicaid. also when people complain how the customer service sucks and employees are rude should work in retail and deal with extremely rude customers we get cussed on everything from prices (which we have no control over) to the availabilty stuff we have no control over i absolutely hate holidays now because of the rude customers and i also refuse to be a cashier maybe all you rude customers should stop and think if you want to be treated nicely then treat us nicely we have the right to refuse service

I shop at Wal-Mart all the time and I love the store. Its’ a big money saver. I had seen a water bottle at Target for $2.49 and decided to wait on getting it. The next day I found it at Wal-Mart for $1.50. It was the exact same water bottle. Everyone who works at Wal-Mart has a choice and if they think its ok to work there, then I will continue to shop there and save my pennies. For those of you who talk down to everyone shopping at Wal-Mart then that’s your choice to be holier than thou.

I LOVE WAL-MART! THEY ARE THE REASON I DON’T HAVE TO WORK TODAY, I WORKED FOR WAL-MART FOR 10 YEARS, PURCHASED ALL THE STOCK I COULD AFFORD, AND TODAY, IN MY 60′S I GET TO REST ALITTLE EASIER THAN ALOT OF PEOPLE MY AGE. BY THE WAY, AS AN EMPLOYEE, I WAS TREATED VERY FAIR, DO YOUR WORK, THAT YOU ARE HIRED TODO, AND YOU WILL HAVE NO PROBLEMS.P.S. BETTER TO WORK FOR WAL-MART THAN LOWE’S

Everyone loves to deamonize Wal-Mart. What does Wal-Mart do better than anyone? LOWER PRICES. I would bet most every person who posted on here is also upset about gas prices yet they want to shop at a retailer with higher prices…

Wal-Mart reduces waste, packaging, and shipping costs. They do it so well that no other competitor is even close to their overall cost reductions in the supply chain.

Go complain about some other company that is mis-managed and raising prices. Wal-Mart is good for consumers.

I’m amazed at the number of WalMart haters out there. Just a guess that if you owned stock in the company you’d be ecstatic at the money they put in your pocket. Secondly, I’m all for a company that refuses to go union. Union demands are what have driven most of the US economy to other nations. They’re an outdated evil.
Finally, get over it. Capitalism is what has made this country so great. Those companies are truly dishonest (as so many of you claim WM is)are usually weeded out over time. Funny how WM is still around. Don’t hate the rich, grab your bootstraps and get to work instead of complaining on this blog.
Great job Wal Mart!!! My bank account appreciates the vacation I’m taking on your dime this summer (and so does my family)!

Agree with Patti, Okc, OK. Wal Mart’s target customer does not seem to expect or want service. I do. Target is much better at serving our needs than Wal Mart. Most of the Wal Marts I have seen, with some exception, are dirty, overwhelming in size and not well laid out for the shopping experience. Target is the opposite. Wal Mart may be ahead now, but unless they figure out how to serve folks who want a better experience, do not believe that they will stay there for long.

I love WalMart. It is superior to Target in every way. Need bullets, a hunting license, or a quality fishing pole? Go to WalMart, not Target. Ever compare the automotive sections? You can’t even buy motor oil for heavy duty pickups, let alone air filters, oil filters, or replacement headlights at Target. Only WalMart. And at Christmas, you can still find the good old Salvation Army Bell Ringers at WalMart, but Target told them to take a hike a few years ago.

I shop at Walmart, I have to stretch my dollar, and if I can’t do it anywhere but Walmart, so be it! I’m looking out for my family.

Their path to lower prices is not utopian – low employee wages, outrageous demands on suppliers, and aggressive strategy of building in small towns. However, they succeed in having the lowest prices. Welcome to the free market! If you don’t like Walmart, don’t shop there. If you don’t want to work for them, work somewhere else, or perhaps try to unionize Walmart. As for me, I do most of my grocery shopping there because of the lower prices on most products.

My town was ‘blessed’ with a Walmart about 8-9 years ago. I stopped shopping there 6 months after the ‘Grand Opening’. That was when they made more than half of the full-time workers part-time to save money on benefits.

“WALMART BUYS AND SELLS MORE AMERICAN PRODUCT THAN ANY COMPANY ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET”. Wow, not sure what Disney land you live in but that is pure and boldfaced lied and mistruth. As someone that works in the shipping lines of this company, I know first hand that over 85% of the products we receive and ship to stores are NOT NOT NOT US made. The vast majority originate in Asia. So, thats a joke Robert from Search Ar. At least live in reality when you defend our evil monster.

I was already a Wal-Mart boycotter – but this truly validated everything I had heard, read and told anyone who cared to listen:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

Please take the time to watch – then make your own assessment of whether or not you have the stomach to cross over the Wal-Mart threshold ever again. I’d rather buy my groceries at the local 7-11 than give those criminals a nickel of my money.

There will always be controversy around Wal-mart but the bottom line is they must be doing something right because many employees have 5+ yrs of seniority, there is no short falls of applicants wanting to work for them and the numbers show that people are lining up to shop their stores.

Congratulations to Wal-mart and all their employees for being named this years Fortune 500 number 1 company!

I’m so tired of hearing how terrible Wal-mart is. You can’t expect to get rich working a retail job. I know for a fact that the Wal-marts in my town pay more than other similar retail establishments such as Target and K-mart. If that’s not good enough for people, then they need to learn some kind of skill or trade that can get them the kind of money and career advancement they desire.

walmart and sams club treat there employees like they are there slaves,the ones who work the hardest are the ones who get treated worse.

I’m a new cashier at a local Wal-Mart in Florida, just one month in. It’s not a choice I made without some reservation, but it was a necessity with the state of the economy in Northwest Florida.

First, let me shatter the myth that Wal-Mart employees are ignorant, uneducated people without any career path to follow…I have a bachelors degree in print journalism and psychology. I was recently certified to teach English for the schools here, but there’s a hiring freeze until the state of Florida can deal with its crippling $2 billion budget deficit (thanks to hurricanes & greedy insurance companies). Many of my co-workers have Master’s degrees, were former professors or military officers. Others started with our store more than 10 years ago and shot up through the ranks quickly to take on management positions, pharmacy positions or corporate Wal-Mart jobs. Most tell me, “I never thought I’d be here more than 6 months, tops, but here I am 10,12 years later…”

At my most recent job, I was a director of corporate communications for a major FORTUNE 500 company in Tennessee. I made $110k per year. I also worked as an advertising and PR executive, making a little less.

Moving to Florida was the best thing I could do for my mental health, even though I’m making $9.00 per hour as a part-time cashier…I average 30 hours per week. I choose to pay for my own Blue Cross & Blue Shield health insurance policy, since Wal-Mart’s plan isn’t available to me for 365 days. I won’t work there that long, but even if I did, the plan is sub-par and very expensive. Moreso than what I pay for my own private coverage.

You may think I’m a Wal-Mart basher, but quite the contrary. I’ve found that, just like any other major corporate retail outfit, your experience (as an employee or a customer) depends VERY HIGHLY on the location you work for or shop at.

Our store has been here for 12 years. Since that time, Wal-Mart opened three other Super Centers within a 15 mile radius. Time and time again, customers tell me that they choose to shop at our store because of our attitude, service and personal attention.

Management at my store is very capable, committed to their employees, flexible & fair to everyone regardless of whether they work overnight stocking the dairy products, cashiering up front or picking up cigarrette butts in the parking lot.

Know what else? I’m gay. Store management and my co-workers know it and they all treat me with the utmost respect. I’m no different than anyone else. Not at all what you’d expect from Wal-Mart, built on conservative almost “evangelical” values, as some of you have posted.

My opinions of Wal-Mart were turned on their ear after I started working there. I guess the lesson I’m trying to convey here is that every company has its “bad apples,” bad policies and quality concerns. You just hear more about Wal-Mart’s troubles and supposedly substandard working conditions because the top dog is always the most visible. Target, K-Mart and all the others have a bunch of deamons, I assure you. You just don’t hear about them as much.

Isn’t it great that we live in a country where we can choose where we shop and where we work? If you don’t like Wal-Mart maybe you just need to exercise your right and stop your complaining. My son works at Wal-Mart and just happens to have a disability. Wal-Mart pays him a fair wage,various benefits and treats him with dignity. Thank you Wal-Mart!

NO ONE at Wal-Mart makes minimum wage. Period. So many people here spouting off without knowing anything. It is simply ignorant.

Nobody in my family has set foot inside a Mall-Wart in almost 5 years. Same goes for Scum’s Club. We’re very proud of that fact.

We shop at Costco, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and the local grocery chains. It’s a myth that Mall-Wart is so much cheaper than the other guys. My aunt is rich, yet so frugal they should appoint her Sec of Treasury for the U.S. She’ll tell you that Mall-Wart is no better than the other stores on most items.

Want a good place to shop? COSTCO! If you’re fortunate enough to have one nearby (ours opens this summer), shop there. They carry better quality items, are as well-priced as anything in Scum’s Club, and have an excellent return policy (lifetime for most itmes). They treat employees well. The average starting salary in 2005 was $10/hour. The average hourly salary for all employees is $17.41. Their CEO, Jim Sinegal, makes about $350,000/year. So much for corporate greed!!

And as for the idea that doing socially responsible business isn’t profitable? Costco has over 200 fewer stores than Scum’s Club yet makes almost twice as much profit as Scum’s each year.

Several people bad mouth WalMart but the figures show where the majority like to shop…..

You want to blame w-mart got giving you what you want. You want low prices, you got it. What you don’t get with low prices is customer service, quality and knowlege.You can’t get it all unless you pay. But its not W-mart fault totally. We also get the government we deserve.This problem started long ago with the International Monitary Fund loaning money to 3rd world countries and making demands on these countries for favors to corp. business. The reason they wanted to loan money is to control there economy. Now we don’t have it to loan and we no longer control. Wake up America. Corp America & the Bush’s have sold you to Walmart.

I encourage you all to do some research on Walmart – ??? is this the future of all big business??-not much competition and not much quality-
I am not a Walmart shopper- I go to rummage sales – I am concerned about the quality of all products sold – I think the consumers shoud educate themselves about the ecological price
of our consumer society. There is more to contemplate about this issue than saving a few bucks. Future generations are going to pay for our reckless consumer behavior. Walmart is the icon -the “seemingly” overabundance of cheap products. I would suggest you read the story of stuff website and then tell me what you think
http://www.storyofstuff.com

All the clothes in Wal-Mart are made overseas. I have not shopped there in years. With all they are importing they are not American any longer.

If you think about it, Walmart has a brilliant strategy. They create their own clients. The outsource all the products they sell from off shore, putting millions of Americans (and Canadians!) out of work. This creates a cash crunch with these families. Now, where do cash strapped people shop? hmm…

target workers are much more helpful and the stores are much cleaner than walmart.

I was a full-time employee of Wal-Mart Headquarters offices for 8 years… The job was a
good one, most of the people
were great to work with …
I get PO’d at all the snarking
about how bad Wal-Mart is …
But they are still the largest
and most widely shopped stores
in any area they occupy… And
the nay-sayers can shop elsewhere if they want to, but I wish they’d keep their sniping to something that deserves it …

Give me a break…

Wal-mart is no different than any other company. They hire people that treat you like crap, are lazy, and don’t care how things work. I have had this experience at Targets, Dollar Generals, Kmarts, Sears, JC Penny, Belk, Costco, Safeway, etc. Things aren’t better there than they are at Wal-mart, but the customer’s attitudes are just better and expect less.

In terms of “ruining America”, that is bogus. Wal-mart employs more people than any other company (second only to the Federal Government). What may take 2-4 people to run a local hardware store that may see 5 customers a day, Wal-mart will put about 10-20 people to operate and will see 100 customers a day.

I’m sure that the 2 people that you help by buying their goods at 10-150% of Wal-mart’s prices will greatly appreciate your business, but the 200 people that you just took business away from may not.

Not to mention that the “other Alternatives” (Kmart’s, Targets, Costco’s, etc.) are all themselves big-box stores that do the same thing…Take away from the small business owner.

So, good job avoiding Wal-mart, adversely affecting more people (Quantity, not Quality) and being a hypocrite.

I’m sure that just as hugging every tree before you cut it down allows you to call yourselves “environmentalists,” shopping at Target helps make you a “small business supporter.”

What does Kmart pay or Target? What is the health plan like at Kmart? or your local grocery store? Is WM not paying the industry norm? Why do people stay and work there instead of moving to one of the companies that pay better or have better benefits. As for discrimination; as a company or by individual store manager>?

After being ripped off by Target I am glad that shop at Walmart. They have good prices. I have a friend that works at Walmart & he says they pay better than what they pay at the casinos

I’m usually against large corporations such as Wal-Mart because of their poor business practices, but unfortunately with the rise of fuel, food, and other consumer goods; I can’t help it but be a hypocrite. I’m pretty sure most families out there trying to stretch their paychecks by penny-pinching appreciate the great savings by shopping at Wal-Mart, even at the cost of others. Sometimes, it’s the only way to get by.

I do shop at Walmart because they still seem to be dheaper than other stores. I also however, believe they don’t treat there employees correctly. My daughter worked there for over 5 years and when we moved to TN and she needed to transfer to another store closer to her home they treated her horrible and eventually let her go. That is so unfair.

Khackney, Jackson TN. your just wrong!!Their is a price difference Target expects people to pay more and they do. TARGET business plan is not to underpriceye walmart because WM would win that fight in the long run. Target differentiates in hardlines by “better selection” of Chinese stuff and making money on the margin.

Please do not blame walmart for being numero uno retailer. Every company are looking at their bottom line, if it means paying lower wage and manufacturing in China, and Outsourcing in India,that’s what they’ll do.
NOW, YOU as a consumer, you know the value of your hard earn money. Use your dollar wisely. Maybe you can start a coalition and ban Walmart ouright. That’ll have them thinking.
With the price of gas projected to be at $4 for the summer, Walmart’ got my biz.

Thank you Walmart.
-Thank you for paying my husband very well the last 10 yrs.
-Thank you for providing excellent insurance and giving us money for our HSA as well as matching funds.
-Thank you for providing a place for me to shop where I can afford to shop. Before Walmart moved into town I had to drive 30 minutes to get to a large grocery chain because I couldn’t afford the Mom and Pop grocery store.
-Thank you Walmart for giving my husband time off when my kids were born with pay.
-Thank you Walmart for giving me 10 percent off of most of my purchases including fresh fruits and veggies
-Thank you Walmart for providing my husband with 40 work weeks guaranteed with little to no overtime and for never even allowing him to work off the clock.
-Thank you Walmart for the money added to my 401K, the profit sharing, and the matching money on our stock purchases.
Someone told my husband he should work for their union. My husband just laughed. They might get more per hour, but besides not being guaranteed 40 hrs a week they also pay outrageous sums for union dues. I think we will continue to be Walmart supporters.

Dont let a shopping cart hit your car. Wal Mart makes too much money to pay for it. Atleast that happened to me. I go to their store to spend my money only to come out and have 2 shopping carts up against my car with a broken head light. Wal Mart told me they are not responsible. Boo Wal Mart for not taking responsibility for your own property.

Great country America. If you don’t want to shop at WalMart no one is forcing you to pull into their parking lot and dragging you in the door. You have the choice to shop where ever you want to. You like Target . . . go there!! You like KMart, why I don’t know, but go there!! I personally love WalMart. I would love to work there! I can afford the prices and now days that is a big priority. If you don’t want to shop there – don’t. If you don’t want to work there – don’t. It’s your choice. Want to complain about WalMart here – do it. It’s your choice. My choice is WalMart. Thank you WalMart for low prices that I can afford!!!

100 billion profits, while walmart workers will still carry on surviving on their dead end minimum wages salaries, and forget about profit sharing, i don’t feel proud about their greeds achievements a bit.

I Love Shopping Walmarts and their prices are good. Target does have more quality merchandise and when it comes to linen and furniture I’ll take Target any day. Walmart be careful and have a heart. If it is true that you have young children working day and night for pennies, consider, Stopping. Continue with the good and you will continue to be number One

I understand the problems that Wal-Mart poses. However, I am a self-sufficient college student, and I see that people hate to watch America’s small businesses close, but it is difficult for me to spend an extra $1 or 2$ on an item at a small store. In the end, those few dollars really add up for me, escpecially when I am paying 40$ to fill up a Cavalier that years ago, should not have costed me more than $20. I understand that certain people hate Wal-Mart, but it seems to me that those people probably have money to spend at other retailers. I don’t. If it’s between paying for college or becoming one less person to shop at a multibillion dollar corporation, I choose paying for my education and conserving my cash.

I don’t buy at Walmart – they don’t support racing – Target does.

I recall WalMart as a small time store in rural community. Unaware of critics at that time. It appears that only after hard work, ambition, and the desire to bring products to other rural areas did the critics step in. As I recall walmart trucks were the first in line to assist Katrina victims. It is a system that worked due to hard work and vision. I applaud their efforts, donations, and the jobs the company is able to provide.

walmart may be the no. 1 company according to fortune 500 for making money – but by moral standards they are way at the bottom because of the way they do it, on the backs of their employees. i think sam walton would turn over in his grave if he saw how his dream has turned out (or maybe not).

I worked ten years ago for a company that sold to Wal-mart, it was a textile company. I truly believe that because of Wal-mart, that company is out of business and all the workers in NC that worked at that factory don’t have a job anymore. We sold them product below cost and with all the chargebacks they do, they got it even cheaper.

What happened to the we only sell MADE in THE USA that Sam Walton was so proud of, when he died, that company lost my respect.

I am a proud Wal-Mart Hater, and as someone else said, the prices there are not that different from Target or other discount stores. Sometimes it’s even cheaper other places..

We (americans) are the ones that fuel how our economy thrives or doesn’t, supply and demand. We are the ones that kill our small businesses. This is what Wal-mart has done. Killed the small business man, and pulled the wool over all the consumer’s eyes.

WalMart doesn’t pay a fair wage? Oh really? What exactly is a fair wage for scanning items, putting them in a sack and then giving change that the register calculates for you? WalMart runs a expense conscious but fair company that treats its employees well for their given skill set. When you or a loved one loses their job in this recession look at how YOUR company wasted money that could have saved your job. This recession is going to make WalMart jobs and benefits very appealing.

If you don’t like the cheap stuff from China, don’t buy it. I shop at WalMart but only buy “name brand” products and save a bundle. As a disabled Vet I need to make every dollar count and WalMart really helps me do just that.

And for those complaining about long lines and how important their time is, get over your elitist self. The MOST I have ever waited in line is ten minutes, big deal. If ten minutes is too long to wait then you are just too important of a person to be shopping a WalMart with the rest of use Commoners.

I make it a point to never, never shop at Wal-Mart.
Target by far surpasses in quality, service and price.
In addition, Target treats their employees and the community with much greater respect than Wal-Mart.

Furthermore, I do not shop there on principal and have actually never stepped into a Walmart. I am very proud of that. For those of you who say “stop complaining and get another job”, that is the problem. When Walmart moves in, there are no other jobs. Especially if one does not have an education. I know that many companys are doing the same thing, but because Walmart is the leader in all of this “Anti-Americanism” (and yes, worrying about money and not the welfare of your workers is Anti-American in values) I and others like me must make a stand against corporations with only profit in mind, no matter how many they must step on to see margins increase. Please see the movie “WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price”

I’m not going to increase Wal-mart’s leverage over businesses and people in my area by shopping there. We’ll just have to do without all the plastic junk.

Walmart and Target are more similar in price than most think. They both comparison shop each others prices. Where Walmart might be $3.97 for an item, Target will be $3.99. And Target is actually cheaper on many items. I know, I used to be the comparison shopper for Target in a major city. I would go to Walmart and check prices on over 400 items each week. But Walmart doesn’t want you checking their prices and writing it down. Funny though, Target has an open-door policy and allows Walmart in at any time to check their prices. Thank you Target for better quality merchandise, clean stores, short or no wait lines, and good selection. You will continue to get my business, not Wally World.

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com

I am a proud Walmart hater. They discriminate in the workplace, they pay their employees so poorly that many of them need public assistance, they squeeze out competition by selling items at well below the cost it takes to produce them… the list goes on. They have ruined much of small town America and the great Mom and Pop backbone of this country. BUT! It’s so great that the Walton family is living the good life! They would walk over millions of dead bodies to get to their private jets and bomb shelters. Don’t you want to spend money at Walmart?

Wal-mart knows its target consumer: the uneducated, “gotta stick it to the man ’cause the little man cain’t get ahead,” mentality. Wal-mart feeds into that mentality and keeps itself into the black.

Heck, that same group got a moronic president elected…why not a #1 retailer to boot?

“What is so bad about walmart. They started out as a smart, hard working company and eventually became the most successful retailer. They became like this because of their prices and ease of shopping. And for people complaining about the wages they pay, YOU WORK AT WALMART, do you think you should be making 40,000 a year for stocking shelves. If you want money go to college or go work for a hospital so they can train you, stop commplaining.”

Uh, yeah, there are plenty of people working at Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club that do make $40,000 a year stocking shelves. Check their name tags, it will give you the number of years they worked there, those that have around 20 years or so do indeed make $40,000/year if full-time. And don’t forget profit sharing, bonuses, 401(k)…..

I don’t shop at Walmart. I shop at kmart. No traffic, smaller stores. Good deals. I’m sure I don’t make a difference in Walmart’s bottom line!!

What you all fail to realize, WalMart does what it does because there ARE no regulations. Look at all the recalls that they had in the last year, including the salmonella recall, cat food,….ie. Point is they do not look out for employee’s and the one that makes 100k a year spread the weath.. because the average person makes less the 30k a year.

Wal-Mart costs me MORE, because I am in a rural area. I shop from Amway, which manufactures only in America, and ships everything to my door! They also give me bonuses back every month.

Many years ago Walmart stood for American made. Their commercials’s even stated buy American, buy Walmart. It’s pretty said to see where that all went. Sam is probably turning in his grave.

Does anyone know who ultimately suffers to bring you the low prices that Wal-Mart does? People do. Human beings just like you and me. It may not be you personally or anyone close to you, but just ask the countless myriad of small business owners in local towns. Good people who have families to support. Wal-Mart uses their monopoly to FORCE businesses into selling them product for less. They’re not the only company doing it, true, but they are the biggest company doing it and pose the largest problem. They have most currently drove us out of our home because they’re building one across the street. We didn’t want a 24/7 SuperCenter in our residential area bringing crime and loitering into our safe neighborhoods. Do the research and see for yourself.

I love to shop at Wal-mart. I literally visit Wal-mart at least 3 to 4 times a week. Their prices are affordable and I can get everything under one roof. For the person who commented about Wal-mart shoppers being supporters of Bush and not having anywhere else to work, I wanted to let you know that that is not true.
I am a proud democrat supporting Obama and an Accountant and mother of one. Last week I bought a large wooden swingset for my son, bought groceries, household items, printed pictures, bought a new digital camera and the prices were unbeatable. True, certain items I would not buy from Wal-mart because of the low grade quality of them, ex. small household appliances. But as an educated woman, I am very aware that Wal-mart is a price company and everything is based around making their prices affordable. Other companies, ex. Target are about quality over price. From a business perspective, you have to target an area and it is usually either price, quality, or service. Bottom line, if you want more quality items, please shop at a store that specilizes in that but do remember their prices are going to be alot higher than Wal-mart.

Regarding my comment below, I meant to say:
To the person Complaining about injury on the job, you problem isn’t only a problem at walmart, but at employeers everywhere..

Walmart might be number 1 as far as dollars, but how do they treat their employees?

My wife worked for Fal-apart for several years. Worked off clock as most do in small areas with no jobs. Then went on Vacation to find out she didn’t have job. Poor managers. Fal-apart is want all US companies want to be. No pay, nothing for the worker. All to top.

to the person complaining about Injury on the job, your problem is not only a problem at Wal-Mart, while not sticking up for the company.
any company with an injured worker must follow the laws within the state.
Worker’s comp is mostly flawed, and if your husband can’t remember how he got hurt, when, or what he was doing, that is no fault of the company. This is all tied into legal affairs and protection afforded to the company from sue-happy workers that may or may not have the core strength to do a physical job.

Not ever job is for every person, just because the every day wear and tear on a person might be great, and taxing. I firmly believe it should be up to the individual to put them selves into position to succeed, not THE COMPANY.

I dread a trip to the WalMart in my area. The majority of the staff do not speak english or won’t speak english to nonhispanic customers. The isles are filled with stock products and it’s impossible to navigate a cart thru them. The cashiers are rude and generally not interested in a customer at all.

However with prices being so much lower than other stores, I go there once a month and do a huge shopping trip for certain items. I just go in very early in the morning and get out before the sun comes up. I went years boycotting WalMart / Sams but now it’s more important for my family to get the best deals possible even if it means shopping in a store whose policies I disagree with so strongly.

WalMart isn’t the only company buying from China but they lead the charge by establishing unprecedented relationships. They also consistently put pressure on their suppliers forcing them to devalue their product. Other retailers then have to outsource to China to compete. It’s a vicous cycle exacerbated by WalMart’s “financial gain at all costs” tactics. Plus, many of their products are of very low quality and limited life yet in this age of a throw-away society nobody seems to take that into consideration.

Wal-Mart has become an institution in rural areas especially. I live in a small town in GA – Wal-Mart is the dept/grocery/pharmacy store. I won’t buy meat at Wal-Mart – the additives are scary and unhealthy.

Yes, you have to read the labels, shop prices, but in most cases, the store is as clean as others, the employees are usually nicer than local grocery chains, and prescriptions are less $. (The pharmacist is a ditz however – read the packaging instead of asking…)

For folks who complain about aisles too small – look to your/neighbor’s body size. Most of the issues with traveling the aisles locally has to do with the size of the occupants yakking on cellphones or holding family reunions/church meetings in the aisles, not the aisles themselves…

It’s here to stay – make them behave like good corporate citizens by YOUR shopping behaviors. If they killed local biz – it was because local biz didn’t provide what the shoppers wanted. Sad, but true.

You Wal-Mart supporters are all so frustratingly short-sited. All you care about is cheap prices (oh gee I saved 2 bucks on Coke) but what you don’t seem to understand is that those low prices are driving this county into an economic hole. Why don’t you do some #$^$%$% research and see the toll Wal-Mart takes on small communities around this county. Do you really want to advocate an end to competition when it leads to the devastation of small towns? AND IT DOES! Just to get your cheap pickles and six-packs of Coke, you’re helping to bring down comminities all across this county, which in turns impacts our economy as a whole. Stop being so freaking self-centered and short-sited!

Wal-Mart is Walmart…. The Giant….Everybody is afraid of the giant. However it is ironic that second and the third place goes to the Oil Giants… did anybody notice their profits??? they are the companies who are robbing American public of their hard earned money by keeping the gas prices high. Wal-Mart on the other hand making money by saving other people money. Who is the Gentle Giant and Who is the Ferocious

Wal-mart is the new Microsoft. Everyone hates a winner.

Wal-mart is the best at what they do, Microsoft is the best at what they do.

Its all about price.

People use a company to buy goods, as cheaply as possible. As someone, else put it, its great for the economy. It makes your money last longer. Now to those that don’t have to worry about money, you can shop where you please. But to the other 70% of Americans who are hurting, cheap prices are a God send.

I guarantee, 98% of people here complaining about how Wal-Mart treats its employee’s has never worked there, or has never worked in retail. Because everyone in retail and out of retail knows (I am not in retail) that retail is a dog eat dog world.

Wal-mart employee’s don’t make much because they don’t have a skillset to do better things. Wal-mart knows this, and so does everyone else. You get paid for what you contribute and I’ve been to plenty of Wal-marts, and for the most part, they are making what they deserve.

Yeah Walmart is #1 because they force local US manufacturers, grocery chains, clothing stores, literally out of business in ANY town or city they are in. If they started getting everything from the US instead of China, Asia, Japan or the Phillipines or India, they wouldn’t survive. Ultimately we’ll all be working for Walmart in the end. They may be cheap, the food, toys and clothing may be cheap.. but just remember these things when you or any of your family members wind up in the hospital for lead poisoning, food poisoning. This company I hope, if by the grace of GOD, falls flat on their faces once we fall deep into a recession. The one and only thing they do is provide jobs, underpaying to say the least, other than that this company is not beneficial to any US city.

i was reading the stories about walmart. i live near a walmart store and several other stores that sell items that you find at walmart so i shopped them 2 weeks each. i have to tell you i did not find any diffrence in savings. the thing i liked about the other stores i got in and out very fast.not like walmart.

I do hate Wal-Mart because their customer service is wretched. But to be honest it is a love-hate relationship. Sometimes the prices are just too good to pass up.

As a fulltime (compared to sometime) practicing CAPITALIST I grow weary of the socialists complaints regarding Wal Mart. I consider the Wal Mart story to be the greatest story of retail business sucess ever. It seems somewhat incongruous to me that the Wal Mart detractors are jumping on a company that has less than 10% of the US retail business but at the same time has saved US citizens billions of dollars in drug costs alone over the past two years, AND THIS IS BAD!!!!! Bad for whom? I LOVE WAL MART!

WalMart used to be #1 in customer service. It went right out the window the moment they ended up a fortune 500 company. I guess it just goes to show that you get what you pay for. If you want cheaper, you will sacrifice customer service.

Some people are giving Walmart advice as to customer relations etc. Just a casual observation from a bystander it appears since they are teh 800 pound gorilla they dont need anyones advice. Its the old saying if you so smart why arnt you No, 1.?

Walmart prices are so much lower than Publix. The only items I buy now in Publix are their “buy one, get one free”. YOU CAN BEAT WALMART’S GROCERY PRICES.

All this garbage about Wal Mart mistreating employees just burns me up. My husband is a mid level manager and has to go way above and beyond to protect and serve the hourly associates. They are the front line and happy employees equal happy customers. Also as far as wages go, my husband makes enough that I can be a stay at home mom and we live in a rather expensive area. He worked his way up from being an hourly associate to middle managment in 5 years. Just like anywhere else, hard work and dedication pays off. Lastly, consider this: people who work at the other large retailer in our town make less hourly and pay union dues out of that whether they want to or not. We have never been happier since we became part of the Wal Mart family!

I also prefer to shop in a clean store with fresh produce. I will pay more for it, knowing it will last longer than a day. Our little town succeeded in staving off a WM (Helotes, TX) and is better for it.

To top it all off, the last time I was in a WM the photo clerk ‘accidentally’ shredded a photograph of my recently dead daughter- I was trying to get copies of it because I couldn’t find the negatives/roll of film. Never again…

Around my house, Wal Mart is called “The Evil Empire”. We do not shop there. Dirty, crowded stores filled with screaming children being beaten by their parents… Poor quality goods and very little in the way of choices for each product category do not make for good value. Wal Mart’s visible employees are absolutely THE WORST in terms of customer service, professionalism and basic “people skills” that I have ever seen in any business, period.

Small-town America has been ruined by this company. Wall Mart enters a community, drives all the local businesses out and hires the people previously employed by the local businesses at a fraction of their previous wages-who then must go on government subsidies because they cannot afford to live! How does this benefit the country? The need for people to flock there (cheap prices) is caused by Wal Mart in the first place! If people made a decent wage, they could afford to demand proper customer service, clean stores and a wide selection of quality merchandise. Wal Mart is, indeed “The Evil Empire”.

KNOWING HOW WALMART TREATS ITS EMPLOYEES I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THEM.I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF OR MY FAMILY TO SUPPORT ANY BUSINESS THAT TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY THEY DO.

To add to my comment below. When we did move our production to China, the quality was very bad. There were many cases where we had to return product or sell it to Wal-mart, Kmart, Target etc and hope they would not notice. This was apparel, thank goodness and not food and the issue was usually variances in color. What I learned is that while Kmart and Target care about quality issues, Walmart ignores it. They know that the China stuff is junk. Target does not tell you what they want to pay based on China production cost like Walmart does. That is why some items are priced higher at Target and why quality is better and also why if you only distribute your product through Target, you may get away with not having to shut down your American based manufacturing. It is Walmart that forces you to go overseas. Trust me, I have heard it from their mouths in meetings in the funny little grey cubicles in Bentonville. They are ruthless. I would rather shop at Target. But I still look for American made. It is there even in discount stores, just keep looking.

Really can’t stand the store. I know its good marketing to consistently move the layout around to get you to see more & buy more – but time & time again I can’t find what I want because it’s been moved to another isle, or they stock everything but the size I want. Unfortunately, I would have to go 30 miles to shop elsewhere & when you add the gas & extra cost of products, its just not worth it. So, although I hate the store, I’ll shop there as i am too broke to do the alternative.

“What is so bad about walmart. They started out as a smart, hard working company and eventually became the most successful retailer. They became like this because of their prices and ease of shopping.”
Posted By Josh Lundy perry,ny : April 21, 2008 11:59 am

No…they became like this because nearly all of their products are manufactured by under-paid workers who have no labor rights. Wal-Mart buys cheap, and sells to you for slightly less cheap and makes billions on the backs of an abused workforce.

Barley above minimum wage is NOT “above average”. Store managers might be above average, but there are only a handful of those per store.

The low salaries they pay to establish the market buys less than the way things used to be, even after their “low prices.” People don’t leave wal-mart because they can’t get a job anywhere else. Wal-mart’s
“purchasing power” shuttered thousands of factories across the US, and those jobs aren’t coming back. What do those workers do now? They’re begging Wal-mart for a $7/hour job stocking items they used to make.
Wal-mart stores look awful becasue they hire lowest possible workers, magangement, etc. who take no pride in their work and just watch the clock till they can go home. And Wal-mart has a lot of part-time labor to avoid having to provide medical insurance. Some stores have instructed their employees on how to get on Medicare. My taxes are subsidizing wal-mart, even though I don’t shop there.

I used to love WalMart. But they work their people to death with little to no compensation whatsoever. They also try to get away with not paying for overtime A LOT. They’ve been sued for it many times. Let’s just say I know first hand that they work their employees to death and we’ll leave it at that. They are rude to their employees too, publically berating them and intimidation tactics. They claim that the policy is to use the Golden Rule. Management cares about one thing and one thing only – MONEY. And it’s at the expense of the workers. Sure the lines are long, they show the cutesy commercials with all the registers open, but they can’t do that with cutting hours and berating people so badly they quit with no notice. Sam Walton started this company as American jobs for American workers selling American products. I’ll give you one year to walk around a store and find an American made item. Good Luck. Sam Walton is spinning in his grave so hard now he has destroyed his casket. Shame on you Bentonville for what you have done to his company and shame on his kids for allowing it.

Wal Mart is not a bad place to work for. Granted, some of the managers can be rude and most of my coworkers would like to see them go, but at our store we are all about customer service, and we want our customers to be happy. I make sure of that.

If you complain about a Wal Mart being dirty, try going to one of the newer ones. They’re nicer, and cleaner, with bigger aisles. Don’t complain about it because the associates work hard to make you guys happy.

“You can’t beat Walmart prices and in the end, that is what consumers care about. Period. It’s where I head for common, household items, beacuse you can’t find them cheaper anywhere else.”
Posted By Andrea, Syracuse : April 21, 2008 12:03 pm

That’s not what all consumers care about – some of us care about how companies treat their employees and choose to pay a little more to support retailers that provide health care and retirement services for their workers.

I worked for a company that sold a major brand of apparel to Wal-Mart. I met with them in Bentonville. They practically force you to move your production overseas because they have costed the items overseas themselves. If you don’t move your production and give them the lowest price, they will produce it themselves or cut you off. They know that means laying off American workers. But they don’t care. I no longer shop at Wal-Mart. They do have low prices, but the cost to our US economy has riple effects through small communities like the one where I live.

Unfortunately, most consumers in the U.S. are simply unable to comprehend the countless reasons Wal-Mart is destroying the economy — and will continue to flock there like the sheep they are. Only an act of God, or reformed government anti-trust laws, will put a wrench in the heartless, grinding machine that is Wal-Mart. BTW – $5.99 for a gallon of milk?! Pure fabrication – I did my research on Chicago milk prices. You must work for Wal-Mart.

The United States of America was built on the backs of UNIONS. A simple “History of Labor” class will enlighten many of you simple folk who have no respect for unions, the middle class, or the common person.

Go get educated on American history of labor before you bash unions and disrespect a workers right to a better standard of living.

Instead of the Walmart executives making money hand over fist, maybe they can pass some of the wealth down to their employees, i.e. higher wages and health insurance.

People fail to realize that unions don’t drive up costs, the greedy executives that are already wealthy beyond belief drive up costs.

You WalMart haters act like WalMart is the only company that buys from China. Every store I go in anymore sells products made in China. As a matter of fact, it’s hard to find products not made in China almost anywhere. Also, tell me how a 12 pack of Coke is so much better when you buy it at Target for $4.50 instead of WalMart for $2.50.

I wish I could afford to have the same principles as everyone else but it costs money to live and if I can save money at WalMart (which I can do on almost everything) then I will.

I can’t wait until they build the new WalMart in Blacksburg, then we’ll have 5 in a 30 mile radius.

I can’t believe some of the posts on this page. Lots of angry people blaming Wal-Mart for jobs being outsourced. That is so backwards. Everyone knows that many of the goods in Wal-Mart are made in China. So why are people still buying? Because we like to save money. Guess what, Wal-Mart likes to make money, that’s their job. Wal-Mart is meeting customer demand and they are good at it. As separate issue, if they are treating their employees poorly, then shame on them. Finally, I can’t stand going to Wal-Mart, but that is due to how crowded it is, and that the average customer in the one by my home is missing a good many of their teeth and customer service is lacking. But that doesn’t make them evil, it means they are targeting a specific demographic. Nothing wrong with that. However, like a few others, I prefer to pay a little more at Target than deal with Wal-Mart. And if this comes off as elitist, tough.

Walmart needs to train in customer
service at the registers. It would be nice to be greeted with a smile.When leaving I would like to hear “see you next week”.

With the soaring prices I get the most for my money at Wal-mart. People may gripe and complain about them but getting the most for my money is what matters the most to me.

Excuse me….Honda and Toyota both build vehicles in this country

Why does Wal-Mart sell old produce? The past few times I purchased produce from Wal-Mart, it was rotten the next day. This has never happened to produce that I purchased from my local grocery store. Wal-Mart is ripping people off with their “low” prices.

Wal-mart the killer of small business, Everywhere they setup, They force alot of small business/companies out with their over priced cheap stuff and 90% of the stuff state “Made in China”. No wonder the U.S. is falling apart. I have been kicked out of wal-mart and that made for a great day , Walked in took a deep breath and said loudly “Ah, the smell of cheap crap” and got banned, LOL. Thankfuly for them I’m not sue happy.

Why in the world does Wal-Mart have 50 check out lanes and every time I go there only 2-10 are staffed? No matter what time of day or night it is, there is always a long wait.

You can’t beat Walmart prices and in the end, that is what consumers care about. Period. It’s where I head for common, household items, beacuse you can’t find them cheaper anywhere else.

I am pretty sure that the people who praise Walmart don’t have anywhere else in their town to work at due to Walmart closing the locals down. I also am pretty sure that they are supporters of good ole’ Prez Bush. I am interested to see the response to that cuz I am fairly certain that I hit the nail on the head.

I will never purchase shoes or much of anything else from Wal-Mart again! Cheap prices equals cheap merchandise. I purchased a pair of flip-flops over the weekend and within 20-30 minutes of wearing them, I had painfuls blisters on my feet! This is unacceptable and Wal-Mart should not be allowed to sell such crap to consumers. I’ve never had this problem with inexpensive flip-flops from anywhere else in my life!

What is so bad about walmart. They started out as a smart, hard working company and eventually became the most successful retailer. They became like this because of their prices and ease of shopping. And for people complaining about the wages they pay, YOU WORK AT WALMART, do you think you should be making 40,000 a year for stocking shelves. If you want money go to college or go work for a hospital so they can train you, stop commplaining.

My husband used to work at the Wal-Mart Distribution center. He had to lift heavy pallets over his head every day. Eventually he hurt his shoulder and since he couldn’t prove exactly what time he was hurt, where he was at, and exactly what he was doing they wouldn’t pay for a thing. They also tell their employees that if they get hurt they’ll put them in another position so that they’ll still be able to work, but my husband was sent home and they would not let him come back until he got a doctors note. What ever happened to putting him in the different position? Wal-Mart doesn’t care about their employees all they care about is making money. Employees are disposable…easy to replace…right?

I am amazed at all the negativity. I would bet 90-95% of the people complaining on here help make Wal-mart what it is by buying from Wal-mart. I am a 6 year employee at the distrubition center and I feel Wal-mart is a great company, is it perfect No but what company is. Most of the former employees that have complained about wages and benfefits and working conditions would complain if hung with a new rope anyway. Over my 26 years of being in the workforce Wal-mart has been by far the best company at trying to manage what is best for the consumer as well as look after their employees. And I have worked at two other major Fortune 500 companies. So if you don’t like Wal-mart then don’t shop or work there.

You all are so misguided. My best friend works at Wal-Mart & makes $100k a year. They offered my husband a job which with the bonus would also reach $100k a year. They are no different from any other company. No one manufactures in the US any more. People want all of these benefits from their jobs, and higher wages, but want the cost of the goods they produce cheaper. You can’t have it both ways. I agree with another post. GM, Chrysler, etc all use foreign auto suppliers–I should know as I supply them. Further, most of you are purchasing Toyotas and Honda

I love WalMart. I hate the lines, but the prices more than make up for it. During this time when every price seems to be going up, theirs is staying the same or coming down. I do almost all of my shopping at WalMart, and my grocery bill is less because of it.
Sorry, right now my bills outwiegh my concern for badly paid employees. If you’re getting paid so badly, find work elsewhere. And as for WalMart shutting down the “little guys”… what “little guys”???? The competition is Target, King Soopers, Albertsons… they’re not so little and also import items (and I’ve paid double the amount when shopping at Albertsons). Sorry, I feel little sympathy when WalMart is helping me afford to eat and be clean.
Keep up the lower prices WalMart!!!

I have not stepped foot inside a Walmart store for three years. Their corporate culture is unethical, and the way they treat their employees is immoral. I don’t know how the corporate leaders of Walmart sleep at night or look at themselves in the mirror each day. This corporation is not good for America, and it certainly does not set a good example for future corporations to follow. I think Sam Walton would be appalled at the greedy and corrupt direction his beloved Walmart has taken since his death.

I have got value for money from Wall Mart. In this economy I got to look after myself.

You cannot beat Wal-Mart’s prices on
premium brands and everyday items.
I bought 2% milk for $3.39 a gallon
while it was $5.99 and my local
supermarket chain..
Thank you Wal-Mart

I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart because without fail, I was always subjected to unnecessary, lengthy check-out lines with too few employees available to handle the customers needing to be checked out. This is NOT the employees fault either, it’s the greed at the executive levels to understaff stores at the expense of the customers’ time.

The time to retain a customer is before you lose them. I’m gone, my time is more valuable than what Wal-Mart execs believe. You won’t see another penny from me, there are far more customer-service oriented retailers to choose from out there.

If Wal*Mart would simply clean up the stores, educate the staff on customer service and teach/allow the supervisors and managers that they have the authority to make decisions instead of passing the buck up the chain. The customer loses out on customer service EVERY TIME.

A new Wal*Mart was built in an upscale area of Houston (Fallcreek) and within two month’s is like every other Wal*Mart nationwide. Dirty, over crowded with over stocked shelves, cramped aisles, extremely poor customer care and the ever present “receipt reviewer” at the exit. It seems that chdecking everyone leaving the building is cutting down on theft….it seems that theft of small items easily concealed in clothing and then a purchase of a soda and a receipt gets you out the front door. I happily pay higher prices recognizing that customer care and service cost money and I do drive the extra 20 minutes to Target to ensure that my shopping experience is reasonably stress free and I don’t feel like I am in the middle of an outdoor swap festival.

I travel thru lots of small towns and the Moms and Pops are gone whether there is a Walmart or not. If a town is small, it may have a Dollar General. If it’s large it has a Walmart with grocery. The unions may hate it, but they’re the ones that jacked up all of our costs. Good Bless America and God Bless Walmart!

“Wal-Mart is responsible for a huge part of this recesssion. They forced American companies out of business by seeking cheaper foreign goods. They helped to destroy the middle class in this country. Sam Walton had good intentions but they are gone today in the greedy corporate world of the new Wal-Mart.”
Are you really that dumb? Wal-Mart’s low prices keeps everyone else’s prices down. By Wal-Mart keeping prices down, it helps keep inflation down. If Wal-Mart didn’t exist, you would be paying $3.50 (retail) for a loaf of bread instead of $2.00, etc. Wal-Mart has helped keep our economy afloat by offering the lowest prices on the market. Families who need to stretch their dollar can get the best value at Wal-Mart.

I like the comment about if you drive a foreign car how can you compain about shopping at WalMart? I drive an American car and shop there lately out of necessity – food is cheap, dogfood is cheap, and I can get things all at one store, which saves on gas. Why don’t people bash Lowe’s and Home Depot the way the bash WalMart? I don’t love or hate any of them – they are what they are, and in a tight economy created more by our greed than moving manufacturing overseas, you gotta do what you gotta do. Maybe if we’d been willing to do a job for a little less $$ instead of unions demanding more and more we wouldn’t be in this mess. Our country was built on people escaping an entitlement mentality and being willing to work their butts off for very little to make something better and now all we do is complain about losing it when we are doing the same thing. Sorry – not all about WalMart but they’re all related….

Maybe 30 years ago the #1 company was General Motors. GM paid their employess a good wage and actually produced a product. Today, WalMart is #1. Biggest employer and biggest company in the nation. It pays its employees poorly, forces its suppliers to provide product at a WalMart dictated price and produces NOTHING. It relies on cheap goods through the backs of cheap Chinese labor. THAT is our #1 company. A company devoted to cheap, cheaper and cheapest. A company devoted to nobody other than its own shareholders. You may have heard the term “race to the bottom”. This country is racing to the bottom and WalMart is helping to steer the bus. And yet, people still shop there because in the end, cheap prices are all that matters to our sad crumbling society.

Walmart causes so many negative things to happen in whatever area they move into! The other stores leave because of the lower prices at Walmart and bring down the pay scale for the people working there and at the other stores!
This causes more poverty in the community from the jobs that were lost and from the lack of benefits and wages paid to the Walmart employees. All around lose/lose situation for everyone.

So much misinformation in all these comments.

FACT: Wal-mart pays wages better than average in the USA. This is said over and over again in legit financial magazines, its not just me making it up.
FACT: Wal-mart insurance is good, I get $17 taken out every 2 weeks. So far its paid for itself.
FACT: Wal-mart employees are treated fairly.
FACT: If wal-mart is un-american, then every car manufacture in the USA is un-American..hate to break it to you folks..but they buy parts for cars in china/Mexico as well. Even Target does.

People stop letting the small few who complain cloud the facts. People always seem to equate with making money + big = evil.

Walmart should be boycotted,to preserve the working middle class.They’re slave masters!

You think you are getting a deal at Mal Wart(that’s what we call it) but why not spend an extra dollar on something that you will not have to replace every few days or weeks. Have any of you ever sat down to figure out how often you replace the same piece of merchandise that you purchase at Mal Wart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I get gift cards from relatives to Wal-mart, which I always do at least twice a year, I go and trade it for a gift card to some other company I support.

Walmart revenues: Almost $379 billion
The next 14 closest competitors COMBINED! Almost $223 billion.
Walmart dwarfs the rest of the industry, so you naysayers are obviously in the minority. If Walmart treats their employees so badly, then why do they stay? Obviously they feel it is still better than any other job they could get. Other stores are cleaner, but Walmart continues to have the combination of selection and price that the great majority of people are seeking.

I have done some homework on Wal-Mart and I truly believe they are ruining America. I will NEVER EVER shop there or at Sam’s Club again.

I do not know how the Walton’s can live with themselves. Their legacy will be speak for themselves.

Wal-Mart is only here because WE put them here. You all complain about them and thier practices. Do you do such adamant research for ALL the product you buy and where you buy them from? They are being prosecuted for doing what ANY company is in existance for – to make money and provide a return for shareholders. Those of you who were working there – at least you were WORKING!!! There are plenty out there that don’t have that luxury.

Everytime I read about Walmart all I can think about is how much they have attributed to the poverty problem in this country. The workers in America a getting poorer, then they shop at Walmart to save a little money, and in turn cause more poverty for themselves. Walmart provides medical insurance for their employees that taxes the public health services of most states due to its inadequacy. They might offer lower prices, but those lower prices come at a very HIGH COST to everyone.

Walmart Wages nationwide average around 11 an hour. Their healthcare package is now as good as any. One plan $11 a month. Yes the lower plans are for catastrophic care. But they also offer low deductible, high benefit plans. If you use Walmart network doctors you get HUGE discounts on medical care. Walmart didnt make health care expensive, the insurance, legal and healthcare industries did. Walamrt also give stock options, profit sharing, discount cards and discounts with hundreds of business’s nationwide. Everything from cars to tickets to disney are discounted. Walmart represents only 3% of the products coming from china to the US. You see people on hear complaining about not being recognized after being a part time cashier for a year. Well boo hoo. What do you want a trophy OR bag of cash? Scanning items from a conveyor belt and putting them in sacks isnt going to get you a huge paycheck. Go get an education, do more to impress your bosses. Strive higher. Walmart is scrambling to find people to fill positions higher up in the company. WALMART BUYS AND SELLS MORE AMERICAN PRODUCT THAN ANY COMPANY ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET. They pay a higher starting wage on average than 65% of the companies in america. That doesn’t include benefits. People there were issues with pay, benefits, and men to women ratio. But that is gone. They recognized the issues and fixed them.

I have not bought anything from Wal-Mart since Memorial Day Weekend 1997 so don’t blame me when there are no jobs left in the United States that pay more than $10 an hour. Just say NO to Wal-Mart, it’s not that hard

every one shop at walmart people who say they don’t but they do so don’t lie that u don’t shope at walmart .NO retail company can bet walmart never ever.No one can bet walmart price.

I retired from a supervisory position in a public company. I live in a small town, and many of my former employees kept a part time job at Walmart because the benefits were better than ours. I shop there and find good merchandise at a good price. When they opened a new superstore here, hundreds lined up to get jobs. The ones who did are very happy, maybe thrilled. I think Walmart is a good neighbor, provider of necessities and is a good influence on the city and economy. It baffles me why so many people are so negative about Walmart, I see them shopping there.

For those of you that say we can’t blame Wal-Mart for being successful, I would say that you have your priorities horribly skewed. This greedy behemoth is stripping America of whatever character it used to have, and we should all be ashamed it got as far as it has.

I agree that nobody is forced to go to these stores, but I believe that is only because many people, such as their patrons, now don’t want to be bothered to think about the consequences of the choices they make anymore. If you buy a cheap HDTV from them, you just helped to sell off America to China. I love my country, and I fear for it.

Won’t shop Wal-Mart. Haven’t for several years and will continue not to.
Greedy, hurts small business, NOT always the low price leader, runs like a machine not a LOCAL business.
J

Wal-Mart is a very negative long-term influence on the economy and the country. Near-term discounts are driving smaller businesses out and, more insidious, adjusting people’s quality expectations. Why should we settle for a life full of cheap crap? We must find a way to fight back — perhaps providing subsidized e-retailing services to smaller merchants so they can deliver a quality product at a competitive price.

Walmart is #1 because more people make the CHOICE to shop there! Why? Because they get the most for their money. Why do so many people work at Walmart? Because they can. Walmart provides jobs, affordable insurance and benefits that most can’t find anywhere else. Obviously, all those posting here that claim to never shop at Walmart are wealthy and don’t need to watch their budgets. Good job, Walmart!

I quit shopping at Wal-Mart when I realized that every single trip was either stressful and/or resulted in defective products. Employees are 9 out of 10 times entirely unable to answer questions and often down-right rude. Target, a great company, is WELL worth paying a little more for.

walmart’s qualities are o k with me and they accept returns o k as long as I can use an electric car to get from one end to the other.

My husband has worked for Walmart for over 10 years. Some of the things that are done at the Distribution Center we don’t agree with but over all he is paid fairly for the work being done. We also shop at Wal-Mart regualrly as money is getting tighter adn I can stretch it to make ends meet when I shop there. With the economy now we would be lost without them.

A piranah of a store. An eating machine with no heart. Wal-Mart will kill the USA with it’s unpatriotic penchant for out-sourcing and fueling the Chinese economy. I don’t shop there and never will.

Wal-Mart is un-american. I NEVER shop there and NEVER will.

First my wife has been with them for 20+ years. Second, if you don’t want to shop their then don’t. But complaining about where the products come from is only shifting blame for those of you that want the cheapest price at any cost. The market is driven by the consumer. Take some responsibility instead of just blaming WM.

The real story besides that is Wal Mart is successful because it takes advantage of it’s employees. Someday that’s going to come out. That’s the real crime here and a big part of the reason Wal Mart does so well. Bottom line, the store comes first and somewhere down the list of priorities are their employees.

Wal-mart is an absolute dump. I refuse to shop there. Every store I have been in is filthy and over stuffed so that you can’t fit down the aisles. Target is much cleaner and neater, and the products are much nicer. I’d rather pay the extra money and shop Target

It is very easy to be #1 when your implementing thousands of mark ups within the chain a day!!! One year ago it benefitted many to shop at the chain, now I see the mark-ups and run to the competitor who offers a better deal. Besides the fact that they are robbing employees! These guys should be paid much more than they are and they deserve better benefits. So instead of filling their own piggybanks maybe WALMART could do more for those helping them along the way.

I yet to see anyone being forced into a WalMart store.

While fighting for a parking spacee I am amazed at the diversity of the people pouring into whatever location I am patronizing.

Marginalization my foot. All these people complaining here, WHAT KIND OF AUTOMOBILE DO YOU DRIVE?

If it is not a Chrysler, FORD or GM product SHUT UP and get out of the way.

When all of the manufacturing jobs in this country are in China, blame yourselves, because you all keep going to Wal-Mart.

100+ years ago small towns sprung up across America as did small business in every town. As the town grew, and the demand for goods, the General Store was started, offering a broad selection. In time the independent store was forced to close. In time the strip mall of independent shops forced the General Store out. Wal-Mart is today’s General Store and at a future date it will cease to exist. Life does repeat itself.

Where does all of this misinformation about treating employees badly come from? Paying low wages? – a resounding NO. Do a good job and you get paid quite well. Benefits are in line with other companies offerings.

Hours shaving practices? What are you talking about? No, they don’t like to pay overtime, but that is simply being fiscally responsible.

Why do they import so much? Everyone still wants to pay $1 a gallon for gas or milk. YOU aren’t willing to pay more for something made in this country.

well done walmart lower prices,good paying jobs,

As an employee, Wal-Mart goes above and beyond to make sure that their employees are treated fairly.
However, the NEW Wal-Mart, the one that is corporate led and not “Walton Family led” is nothing like Mr. Sam originally intended.
Sadly, the Big Guns at Wal-Mart have succeeded in making it into a Corporate Giant not to be messed with.
They have enough money, and enough backing- to create what they want.

This upsets me even more about Wal Mart

I am a mom to 5 children and relied a lot on Wal Mart for their lay away services…especially for Christmas… when they did away with lay away I was so upset because I spent a lot of money there. Looks to me like they could of reorganized the lay away policy and systems instead of doing away with it totally! signed madmama

As a former Wal Mart employee I agree, they treat their employees awful. I only worked their part time and quit after 1-1/2 yrs. Most of the cashiers have no skills and have to work their. They do not make enough to pay for the health care pkg. Wal Mart offers and therefore their children are on Medicaid and you and I are footing the bill. If the public only knew what really went on!!!

Of course the are going to be #1 with profits like that. If you pay your associtates dirt, provide them with the worst health insurance an employeer could provide, drive out employees to keep a “rotation” of fresh employees being paid at the bottom of the scale your going to make money. Cover it all up with donations to charity. Charity for a company like that should start with its hard working employees, the ones who GOT the company their status on Fortune 500.

Business practices aside, Wal-mart does everything it has to do to succeed. It’s hard to knock a company for being good at the one thing required in business; to turn a profit.

Wal-Mart personifies the marginalization of the masses and the emphasis on consumptive buying to drug one’s innate angst. The sooner American’s go back to the smaller vendor and run the giants out of business through whatever means necessary the better. Minimize, renounce and embrace whatever tactics in order to achieve this objective.

Wal-Mart is responsible for a huge part of this recesssion. They forced American companies out of business by seeking cheaper foreign goods. They helped to destroy the middle class in this country. Sam Walton had good intentions but they are gone today in the greedy corporate world of the new Wal-Mart.

I find it sad that the biggest company doesn’t create a product, provides no value-add, and basically exists to increase the balance of payments deficit…

I don’t think that a company that makes its living off of underpaying it’s associates, not providing affordable healthcare, and being China’s # 1 importer should be our top company. I haven’t shopped Wal-Mart in years because I don’t believe in supporting a company that doesn’t treat its employees fairly.

It’s #1 on the worst company to work for and its #1 for putting local small businesses OUT of business. That’s why I won’t step a foot into any WalMart – not for ANY reason.

They Maybe #1 but the treat there employees like crap… and have some of the worst scheduling i’ve ever seen…….the military cares more about its employees….

Big simple shouldn’t be better but because managing big things is certainly difficult and need more power as well as it yeilds more power and authority it should definitely be at top.

Bigger is not better. It’s put the little guy out of business and hurts the economy. Less jobs for those who need them and when they do get a job, the salary is not enought to survive on, hence, the rest of us pick up the tab.

Definitely, Wal-Mart should NOT be number 1. You must give them credit for squeezing out other retailers though…if that’s something you think is cool. Personally, I never would shop there just for that reason…let alone their Human Resources practices, lack of benefits programs, hours shaving practices, and the fact that they prey on the low-income, uneducated consumer. Thanks but I’d rather spend my money at Target

Does big mean better? Tell us what you think.

Should it be No. 1?

What do you think of Wal-Mart, the No. 1 company on the Fortune 500 list this year?