Wal-Mart - Good or Bad?

[PetShopBoy88]

Quantity being better than quality is illogical.

I don't mean to say it's better in some objective way. I'm just saying it's what consumers want.

It not only means that the consumer has to spend more in the end, it is also an irresponsible use of resources.

That's true. But that doesn't negate the fact that it's what people want.

Capitalism works on the continuous competition to produce things faster and cheaper,

True.

and to create a market for things even if there isn't really a need for it.

No, that's what marketing does. This would be true in competition, oligarchy, or even in a monopolistic market.

In that respect, Walmart is simply better at it than most other companies.

Their profit margin is lower than many other big-name companies, like Honda, Remington, Safeway, and Walgreens.

he suffering of the Walmart employees who work with no health insurance.

They're suffering less than they would be if they didn't have a Wal-Mart to work at. They're best alternative (which is what people will always choose) is not as good, or they wouldn't be working at Wal-Mart.

If they could pay their employees a living wage and still give you that bag of a dozen tube socks for $2.99, I'd have no problem with that.

Their jobs also require few skills and can be done by a majority of people.

I have a friend who is married, whose wife doesn't work, and who supports his family on a Wal-Mart salary. He's a cashier. Wal-Mart pays a living wage. They don't pay a wage that equals that of high skilled workers in high demand positions.

 

[lilithu]

They're suffering less than they would be if they didn't have a Wal-Mart to work at. They're best alternative (which is what people will always choose) is not as good, or they wouldn't be working at Wal-Mart.

That's assuming that if Walmart weren't there there would be no alternatives. I wouldn't make that assumption. Walmart drives its competitors out of business. If Walmart weren't there, its competitors would be.

I have a friend who is married, whose wife doesn't work, and who supports his family on a Wal-Mart salary. He's a cashier. Wal-Mart pays a living wage. They don't pay a wage that equals that of high skilled workers in high demand positions.

Walmart does not pay health insurance for over half of its employees.

And you're ignoring that I spoke both of employees here and workers overseas.

 

[PetShopBoy88]

That's assuming that if Walmart weren't there there would be no alternatives. I wouldn't make that assumption. Walmart drives its competitors out of business. If Walmart weren't there, its competitors would be.

I mentioned this earlier, but I'll mention it again. It's competitors are generally smaller businesses. Small businesses employ fewer employees, mostly friends and aquaintances. Since there are fewer employees, those jobs require greater levels of skills, because each person is required to do more.

Walmart does not pay health insurance for over half of its employees.

It also doesn't employ them fulltime. As I mentioned earlier, Wal-Mart's profit is relatively low. Their revenue is huge, that's true, but they're a huge company that has a lot of expenditures, and A LOT of employees.

And you're ignoring that I spoke both of employees here and workers overseas.

I'm not ignoring. I just don't know enough about that and am doing some looking. If you had provided links for what you said it certainly would have made it go more quickly, but don't assume that because I didn't answer right away that I'm ignoring you.

 

[lilithu]

I mentioned this earlier, but I'll mention it again. It's competitors are generally smaller businesses. Small businesses employ fewer employees, mostly friends and aquaintances. Since there are fewer employees, those jobs require greater levels of skills, because each person is required to do more.

People learn skills on the job. I really can't imagine that the skill set for a sales clerk in a small local store is all that different from the skill set of a sales clerk for Walmart. My first job was as a sales clerk for a cd store, with no prior experience. How do you think it worked before there was a Walmart?

It also doesn't employ them fulltime. As I mentioned earlier, Wal-Mart's profit is relatively low. Their revenue is huge, that's true, but they're a huge company that has a lot of expenditures, and A LOT of employees.

Yes, it intentionally keeps them at halftime so that it doesn't have to pay heath insurance. Yes, I understand that this is to cut expenditures. The point is that people are suffering. Look, you asked what is wrong with Walmart providing cheap products and I'm telling you why. Because it doesn't pay over half of its employees health insurance in order to provide you with those cheap products.

I'm not ignoring. I just don't know enough about that and am doing some looking. If you had provided links for what you said it certainly would have made it go more quickly,

Um... I did.

 

[PetShopBoy88]

People learn skills on the job. I really can't imagine that the skill set for a sales clerk in a small local store is all that different from the skill set of a sales clerk for Walmart.

A sales clerk in a small store will probably have to sell products to the customers, be intimately aquainted with ALL items in the store, inventory items, restock shelves, unload and load trucks, price items for future buying, and other things of that nature, whereas a sales clerk in Wal-Mart just has to know where things are and have a level of knowledge about a specific type of products (women's clothing, for example).

Yes, it intentionally keeps them at halftime so that it doesn't have to pay heath insurance.

That's right. If the employees don't like that, they should try to get a fulltime job. Maybe make themselves more marketable by going to school, learning a specialised skill, and the like. People need to work for higher wages. People doing a job that requires no skills (as you mentioned, you managed well as a sales rep with no experience) won't get as much money as, say, an engineer, because anybody can do the job. People aren't simply entitled to royal treatment. They have to earn it, and having no skills is not earning it.

Yes, I understand that this is to cut expenditures.

It's to cut expenditures to a point where they can still operate. 3.5% profit margin is pretty slim. And it's not going up, either. If they employed full time employees, they would probably end up losing money, with the number of people they employ. Not to mention they would have to lay off like half of their staff (if you have two people working 4 hour shifts each, that can be done by one person working one 8 hour shift). Then what?

The point is that people are suffering.

People always suffer everywhere. This suffering isn't caused by Wal-Mart. It's caused by a lack of skills and general greed among the entire populace.

Look, you asked what is wrong with Walmart providing cheap products

No I didn't. I simply mentioned that I liked Wal-Mart. I never said Wal-Mart was perfect or the best example of a business or the best thing to happen to the economy.

Um... I did.

My bad. I stopped reading when it turned red. Regardless, I'll still have to read them and whatnot. So, again, I'm not ignoring.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That's right. If the employees don't like that, they should try to get a fulltime job. Maybe make themselves more marketable by going to school, learning a specialised skill, and the like.

I wish it were that easy. I go to college, and still work hard every night. My mom has a college degree, and can't find work.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't health bennefits determined by state? I was full time at my last job, and they didn't offer health insurance to associates, or shift managers. The FMLA doesn't mention full or part time status, just 12 months service and 1250 hours throughout that year.

 

[Ðanisty]

That's true. Just because you work full time doesn't mean the company has to give you health insurance. Some companies don't even offer it.