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How Wal-Mart's TV Prices Crushed Rivals

businessweek.com — Now, it is becoming apparent that Wal-Mart's calculated decision to break the $1,000 barrier for flat-panel TVs triggered a disastrous financial meltdown among some consumer-electronics retailers over the past four months.

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  • growlzor, on 10/12/2007, -12/+43While I hate Wal-Mart I bought a 32" Samsung HDTV for $300 less than the one I would have purchased from Newegg. I saved $300 buying from Wal-Mart and got a 90 day return policy, with Newegg I would have had to deal with their Bulk Item return policy and have payed $300 more not including shipping.
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -10/+74And that's exactly the problem. You hate Wal-Mart. But apparently only $299 dollars worth.
    • jjesusfreak01, on 10/12/2007, -16/+30Darn, first WalMart destroys the small businesses, and now it is going for the big chains...when will the madness end? Will we have to live in a world of nothing but WalMart and Taco Bell?
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -14/+12Bought my Samsung from a local retailer. Beat CC by nearly $400, gave me a better warranty, and a no-questions-asked exchange when I had trouble with the first unit.

      Buy local.
    • gharding, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I pricematched my TV at CircuitCity and they gave me $600 off. If you don't want to support a retailer, you can generally get a competitor to pricematch.
    • Shivetya, on 10/12/2007, -3/+43jjesusfreak01 ,

      Wal-Mart is merely doing to the big box retailers what the big box retailers did to mom&pop. Mom&Pop were gone long before wal-mart dominated anything.
    • jmkiii, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22This reminds me of the huge Costco in "Idiocracy"! We're doomed.
    • spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -7/+60I hated Walmart until I started shopping there. It's damn cheap and they have a huge selection.

      Little stores empower little store owners, Walmart empowers shoppers.
    • mrfreeziexp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+39I feel no sympathy for Circuit City. When you continually screw customers over, be it over prices or whatever, sooner or later the customers will stop supporting you.
    • codyman, on 10/12/2007, -6/+47walmart started off as a small business.. now its done something all small business strives for.. success

      why does everyone act as though they woke up on a Monday morning and walmart went from being 1 store to a world wide retailer? Everyone is demonizing walmart that it doesn't give health benefits and whatnot but if you are striving to make walmart your career, a job that anyone can do (I bet they could run that store with 14 year olds), then honestly why should you get a great salary and awesome health benefits? You don't need a degree to work there, nor a high school diploma, (and in reality, you probably don't even need to speak that much English)...
    • Revan01, on 10/12/2007, -4/+45i'm always so confused by this

      its evil of wal mart to lower their own profit margins to sell more products... but when best buy and circuit city gouge you for high end electronics.... they're nobly resisting wal-mart dominion?

      stop demonizing wal-mart, its the same as every other chain, just more effective
    • Absinthminded64, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3This DIGG peaked my interest in shopping online for a HDTV and a friend suggested I look at http://www.costco.com.

      This bit kind of distracted me though. I guess they really do have everything.
      http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=20595&eCat=BC|20595&whse=BC&topnav=
    • SweetsGreen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8"This reminds me of the huge Costco in "Idiocracy"! We're doomed."

      Watch it, thats where I went to law school!
    • rebopper, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2Still too expensive for a "TV Set" I dont give a ***** about the technology. Call me when a flat screen costs less than CRT then we'll talk. Last thing anyone needs is more TV.
    • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Wal-mart sells cheap electronics. You get what you pay for at Wal-mart everyday.

      BTW, that 2 bucks you saved on a pair of socks went to a crack addict's 8th fatherless child because of the US Gov't subsidies.
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1lol its funny because ***** like this barely happens in Western Europe... Of course different economic system..
    • expert01, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3"I pricematched my TV at CircuitCity and they gave me $600 off. If you don't want to support a retailer, you can generally get a competitor to pricematch"

      Either way, you're hurting Wal-Marts competitors. Either you aren't giving them business and they are stuck with more inventory, or you make them lose money when they have to discount items. It's a win-win situation at Wal-mart.
    • Suzilla, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3Walmart is able to offer such discounts because not only do they refuse to pay their employees a living wage, but they rely (until some states began to step in and do something about this) on welfare to provide benefits (e.g. health care) to those employees. I simply cannot, in good conscience, buy anything from them knowing that the cost of my discount is clearly, obviously borne on the backs of the the people I see stocking the shelves and at the check-out registers.

      Smiley-face, my a$$.
    • spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@Suzilla

      There's many, many similar stores people can work at. Some people choose to work at WalMart. It's their decision.
    • OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Now all we have to have Wal-Mart do is to decide to break the $100,000 barrier for Million Dollar Homes and we are golden.
  • elroid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Prices on flat panel TVs and HDTVs have been dropping for the last year or so. Even e-tailers like Amazon.com have some very competitive prices in this category.

    Consumers are consistently drawn to low prices and deep discounts on quality merchandise from businesses they trust.

    Source: http://www.jangle.net/Electronics/TV-HDTV/Lowest-Price/Page-1/HDTV=Search/Save.aspx
    • rebopper, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0Exactly, I just bought a "Color Television Set" last year for $78.88 at Best Buy. And it had a remote too! Spoiled Brats. If you have more than $300 to spend on a ***** TV, then dont complain about the price. Its a luxury item that will probably break in 2-3 years anyways. Get over it.

  • banderbe, on 10/12/2007, -14/+93BOO HOO!

    It's called capitalism. Get over it.
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -42/+16Actually, it's often called predatory pricing, and Wal-Mart's been guilty of it before. Stop pretending that "Capitalism" is some kind of panacea. It's a system. All systems have flaws.
    • vann, on 10/12/2007, -5/+38Predatory pricing? WTF? How about Linux? Since that's free, is it "predatorially" priced with respect to a commercial UNIX?

      What would you do? Have the state dictate prices or set a "minimum" price? Since the people are sovereign in the US would that mean localities could vote to lower the minimum price?
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -31/+6@Vann:

      Please go look up the textbook definition of "predatory pricing." Return when you have educated yourself, and we can discuss.

      Sheesh. Kids today. The only part of your talking points answer that's missing is "socialism," but I'm sure that's what you were getting at. You can do better.
    • iiftmlis, on 10/12/2007, -29/+8Yeah! "GET OVER IT" the cry of the lame brain

      Don't fix systems, don't improve the world, don't look for solutions to problems. Just "GET OVER IT". Banderbe got over it and look how bright and cheerful He/She/It is.

      Don't like the president? Don't try to influence him or the rest of government. It's called democracy GET OVER IT.
      Don't like poverty? Don't look at systemic causes. It's called capitalism GET OVER IT.
      Don't like dying? Don't bother with diagnosis. It's called cancer GET OVER IT.

      "GET OVER IT" the call of the mild. Use it and feel better instantly!
    • biggles7268, on 10/12/2007, -0/+30if they can set prices so low and still make a profit it makes me wonder what the standard markup at best buy is.
    • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16I, as a consumer, would rather have predatory pricing than price gouging (best buy), or even price fixing (oil/utilities industry). At least then it makes other companies get their ***** together. Service and a knowledgeable staff are unimportant in this information age. You can do research online and compare products, when you get to the store, the most important thing is the price.
    • Wargalas, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19@iiftmlis

      I don't like poverty, so I got off my lazy ass, got a job, went to college, paid attention, and now I make a great living. There's no reason why other people can't do the same. It's called "being self reliant". No one is going to get up early in the morning and go to work just to subsidize lazy people.
    • misterpony, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2@omgwtfroflmaox2
      How would predatory pricing make companies "get their ***** together"? Do you think a lower priced Akai or Philips tv is anywhere near the quality of a Panasonic or Sony?
    • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Let me look it up on the net, compare (predatory) prices on the net to those in specialty stores, and get back to you. I honestly don't watch much TV so having the latest greatest TV isn't a priority. As a matter of fact, I'm still watching the 27 inch. Sanyo I bought at walmart for $120 a long time ago, when the name brands were going for $200+.
    • iiftmlis, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2@wargalas

      You didn't like poverty? Why didn't you try just "GET OVER IT"? It's so much easier than working. You probably had to go to school or get training and learn stuff to get your job. You probably have to think and stuff huh?

      Don't you know you could just GET OVER IT. No need to change anything. No need to work. Just GET OVER IT. Just accept things as they are. It's the coward's mantra.

      It's what all us idiots like Banderbe and me are doing.
    • iiftmlis, on 10/12/2007, -14/+6Don't like school segregation? It's called racism GET OVER IT
      Don't like American's dying in Iraq? It's called war GET OVER IT
      Don't like women being treated as inferior to men? It's called sexism GET OVER IT
      Don't like being mugged? It's called crime GET OVER IT

      These are fun. Banderbe has show the way to fix all the world's problems. Let's not worry if the system we have today could be improved. Just GET OVER IT!

      Now that no aspect of the world needs to be questioned what should we do? Hey! I think there might be something on TV. Let's watch it!
    • gjscds, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Why is it a bad thing to give customers the opportunity to buy decent quality products at a much lower price than otherwise available.

      The WalMart effect doesn't impact the high-end market, and it makes lower-end products accessible to the masses.

      Stated differently: If liberals want freebies for the masses, then why isn't this a positive? This IS a positive, by culling the evil businesses that sell their goods and services at a significantly higher profit margin.
    • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -9/+0BUSHBOTS NEED WALMART!

      They need rain forrest killing Hummers and big 4WD SUVs too! To get their pimply, fat asses up over the curb into the Walmart parking lot to sneak into the last handicap parking spot before some wounded Vet takes it. Then they beep their custom made "Proud to be an American" airhorn until an elderly, cat food eating, greeter brings them out a courtesy mobility scooter so that they can flop their soggy butts into it. Then they ride around the store screaming at kids while shopping for more Chinese-made, fat-people "sport" clothes.

      How do you nastyfux live with your own stench?
    • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -10/+0REAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NEO-CONSERVATIVE

      Wakes up, turns on the computer looks at Porn, turns on Today Show cusses out Hosts for being to Liberal. Goes to Fridge and knocks down a couple of Red Bulls before driving 20 to 30 miles over the speed limit to work, cuts in and out of cars and speeds past a bus of school kids that had it's red stop lights on. Turns on car radio to listen to Con Host that makes another blame Clinton statement for the millionth time, gets a chuckle out of that. Gets into Work 10 minutes late and puts on his blue smock while stocking the shelves at Walmart.
    • banderbe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ifftmls

      Actually, I don't regard the phrase as the one-size-fits-all solution to every problem.

      However, in this case, Wal-Mart is lawfully practicing capitalism, which while flawed is far and away the best economic system ever devised by man.

      So, yes. If you don't like them lowering prices, get over it. Although I suppose you could also start your own business and sell things for even less.

      That's the beauty of capitalism. It supplies better products at lower prices to low income families, and the demand it generates creates countless jobs for people all over the world.
    • Wargalas, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@iiftmlis
      You didn't like poverty? Why didn't you try just "GET OVER IT"? It's so much easier than working. You probably had to go to school or get training and learn stuff to get your job. You probably have to think and stuff huh?

      Don't you know you could just GET OVER IT. No need to change anything. No need to work. Just GET OVER IT. Just accept things as they are. It's the coward's mantra.

      It's what all us idiots like Banderbe and me are doing.

      I know you're being sarcastic, but I'll indulge your questions. :) Maybe because I'm an American? Maybe because I'm a man? Maybe because people like to talk about the "pussification of the American male" and I refuse to be in that catagory? No one wanted to give me a hand out when I was taking the city bus 2 hours one way to school. No one wanted to give me a hand out when research papers were needing to be done. I didn't know I could just "GET OVER IT". It's all so clear now!

      When someone's in trouble, I help them.

      When someone wants to help themselves, I help them.

      When a woman is stuck on the side of the road with a broken down car, I help her.

      When a man is in the same situation, unless he's elderly, he's on his own. I'm just sexist that way.

      When someone says something I don't agree with, I tell them. I don't tell them they have no right to say it, I let them enjoy that right.

      When bad things happen, you are welcome in my home because I am your friend, your brother, your neighbor.

      That's why I don't "GET OVER IT" when life kicks me in the teeth.

      And that's what defines me as a man and as an American.
  • nuttybar, on 10/12/2007, -29/+4if a walmart ever opened up in new york, it would ruin its economy...and would have a lot of benefits. Makes you wonder.
    • cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29Walmat could "ruin" New York's economy? Do I really need to go into how frightfully silly a hypothesis that is?
    • gharding, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Ruin the economy? Sorry, but I don't think Saks or Bergdorf Goodman would be closing its doors because of Wally World any time soon. Maybe if Wal*Mart gets into urban restructuring and international finance. But I've never even been to the K-mart near Astor Pl.
    • hmmmok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1If bloomberg gets his way there won't be walmarts in manhattan because the shipping surcharge would kill them.
    • charlie55, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11i wish there was a wal-mart in new york. a 24 hour one in midtown would rake in cash. i would go there all the time, for groceries and tvs. people would be so mad about it, for no reason other than they hate freedom and capitalism. i love those things. walmart is so cheap, you cant beat it. of course other places have better staff and service, but i hate service, i do not like talking to salespeople. i like to purchase and leave. plus i appreciate that the sweat shops walmart uses are helping people in poor countrieslike china where the jobs are needed most.
    • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5A SAM WALTON STORY

      Many years ago, Sam Walton used to meet the owner a manufacturing company I worked for. They both started with little and built successful huge multi million dollar companies. Anyway, they'd meet and go hunting together. The both drove older used pickups and didn't act like the wealthy men they really were. They came from poor backgrounds and knew the value of a dollar. I admired them greatly.
      Sadly, both men are dead now.

      The manufacturing company I worked for has since moved to Honduras. His kids sold it to some company that did that. And, walmart has turned into what it is nowadays. I'm sure Sam would not approve. He promised 10 truckers who started with him in the beginning, that if they'd stay with him 10 years, he'd make them all millionaires. They did and consequently, so did he.

      Men like this build empires. Too bad their greedy kids have to ruin it.
  • pathetik, on 10/12/2007, -5/+37The thing I find SO FUNNY is that everyone that hates WM
    are the ones that are buying and go back to buy more !
    • revenge7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8They have better prices, but you better find out the TV before you go there, because most of the staff don't know anything (grammar?)
    • jeffeb3, on 10/12/2007, -23/+2I'd rather keep my soul thanks.
    • Jwoey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Ehh, while i agree the walmart staff isnt going to be the most technical staff out there, if you dont wanna get ripped off you should know about the TV you wanna buy no matter where you go
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5And they'll keep on going back there, until before long it's just about the only option. Then they'll bitch about how it's the only place it town to find *insert item of choice here*. If the cycle was any more circular, Wal-Mart customers would all be walking around with their heads stuck up their own asses.

      Oh, wait...

      (Yeah, go on, digg me down...then go to Wal-Mart and have a look around, why don't you?)
    • richdrogpa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@ Pathetik

      They only say they hate Wall-mart because it's the PC thing to do;)
  • DiggsOnlyNeoCon, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21WalMart smells like corn dogs.
    • conan359, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19I hate going to Wal-Mart, but I love corn dogs.
    • djSyndrome, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Ours smells like maple syrup. Weird.
    • DTWD, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0My Walmart smelled like vomit once. The closer you got to the fastfood area, the stronger the smell.
    • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -12/+0WALMART IS LITERALLY A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

      HONEST FACT. IF YOU KNEW HOW THEY SCREW YOU ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, EVEN TO SENDING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR MEDICAL CARE AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE, YOU WOULD RUSH DOWN AND TORCH THE PLACE.

      ANOTHER FAVORITE TRICK OF THEIRS IS TO LOCATE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS AND THUS PAY NO CITY ADVALOREM TAXES AND CONTRACT LONG TERM WITH THE RURAL ELECTRIC CO-OP WHICH GRANTS THEM A SPECIAL RATE FOR THE BULK THEY WILL BUY OF ELECTRICITY WITH A GOOD CREDIT RATING AND THE COOP THEN HIKES THE METER FEES FOR RURAL DWELLERS A SMALL SMIDGE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

      YOU PAID A HELLUVA LOT MORE TO WALMART THAN THAT 2 BUCKS YOU SAVED ON UNDERWEAR
    • Jwoey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"ANOTHER FAVORITE TRICK OF THEIRS IS TO LOCATE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS AND THUS PAY NO CITY ADVALOREM TAXES AND CONTRACT LONG TERM WITH THE RURAL ELECTRIC CO-OP WHICH GRANTS THEM A SPECIAL RATE FOR THE BULK THEY WILL BUY OF ELECTRICITY WITH A GOOD CREDIT RATING AND THE COOP THEN HIKES THE METER FEES FOR RURAL DWELLERS A SMALL SMIDGE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. "

      Shouldn't I be mad at the Coop then?
    • IEatHamburgers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Dude, take the caps lock off.

      Where I live, Wal-Mart is the only real shopping center within a hundred miles - KMart doesn't count anymore. Sure I'll have to wait until 2009 to be able to buy a Wii here but it's nice to be able to buy nice things once in a while without going out of town. It's hard for me to hate the best place in town, although it's easy to hate the town because of its remoteness.
    • rationalicthus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@ Dildo -

      The only issue you've got with WAL*MART is their size. You libs can't stand success. Truth is, MacDonald's, and BK, and just about every other min-wage job does the same thing as WAL*MART.

      I worked min-wage jobs thru high school and college -- worked my butt off, actually. $4.25 an hour. No bennies. I slung pepperoni for almost six years -- bought a cheap junker of a car and paid my way thru junior college and thru a state school. Some years I held three jobs PLUS going to school full time. Was it hard? You betcha. But now I've got a full-time job, four kids, a five-bedroom house and I'm on my way toward a six-figure income. Why? Because I worked hard and sacrificed to get where I am. That's the American way. It ought to be the *ONLY* way. Why? Cuz it's the way that works!

      I saw other guys live four men to an apartment on that $4.25. They didn't go to school -- they stayed in the low-paying jobs and worked their butts off there. Scrimped and saved EVERY PENNY. Now they're managers and enjoy a decent life and a decent wage. They're happy where they are. How'd it work? They sacrificed. They worked hard.

      Why don't you whiney dweebs grab a bar of soap, wash up, cut your hair and get an education and a job? Stop complaining about those of us who worked our butts off to get where we are.

      Get a life.

      WALMART IS LITERALLY A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

      HONEST FACT. IF YOU KNEW HOW THEY SCREW YOU ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, EVEN TO SENDING THEIR EMPLOYEES TO THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR MEDICAL CARE AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE, YOU WOULD RUSH DOWN AND TORCH THE PLACE.

      ANOTHER FAVORITE TRICK OF THEIRS IS TO LOCATE OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS AND THUS PAY NO CITY ADVALOREM TAXES AND CONTRACT LONG TERM WITH THE RURAL ELECTRIC CO-OP WHICH GRANTS THEM A SPECIAL RATE FOR THE BULK THEY WILL BUY OF ELECTRICITY WITH A GOOD CREDIT RATING AND THE COOP THEN HIKES THE METER FEES FOR RURAL DWELLERS A SMALL SMIDGE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

      YOU PAID A HELLUVA LOT MORE TO WALMART THAN THAT 2 BUCKS YOU SAVED ON UNDERWEAR
  • converge, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17They have lower prices but their TV's are low-end and/or older models.
    • DeFex, on 10/12/2007, -15/+6remember they are wal mart customers, so they are not exactly discerning consumers.
    • Jwoey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+37luckily, lots of people still want to buy low-end and/or older models.

      Apparently people buy used cars, too. What a world the epsilons live in!
    • autorock, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10It's not just Wal Mart customers that want "flat panel" tv's. If you ask someone why they want a flat screen instead of any other style, you always get the same answer: "I just want something that I can hang on the wall". Very few people are interested in the image quality, or technology, other than it's flat, check, "hidef", check, and less than a grand, check. You'll never convince someone with this simple motivation that it's worth it to pay a lot more for a Panasonic or Pioneer (or whatever the latest truly high end screen is). It's not a fault, some people just care about their TV a heck of a lot more than others.

      Personally, I'm happy to see Walmart driving down the price, since competition puts pressure on other retailers to drop the price on the screens I'm really interested in!
    • biggles7268, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22I actually work in a wal mart distribution center, and i would much rather work with the 60lb flat panels over the 200lb sdtv's. 32" sdtv's are a massive bitch to work with. those and friggin barbecue grills, damnit i hate those things.
    • qmeister, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13@converge: read the article....they aren't all low end.

      I truly have no problem with Wal-Mart taking down Circuit City and the other behemoths...they do the same thing Wal-Mart does, just now they are competing against someone that's better at it than they are.

      I don't much care for Wal-Mart either, but where can you get cat food, toys & games, grass seed and boxers in the same place. It's hard to justify going to 4 stores to get the things you need when you can go to just one.

      The whining must stop...If Circuit City would have thought of it first, they would have done the same thing. They are all corporate bastards who care little about anything but the might $.
    • frostieDude, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1@autorock

      Why should anyone pay more for a Panasonic or a Pioneer television? Pretty much all televisions come from the same factories in asia where they are built by contract manufacturers. The names are just stamped on them. I just checked on Panasonic. It is a brand owned by a large asian conglomerate called *****. They also own Quasar and Technics as well as a 50% share of JVC as well as some other brands that I don't recognize (maybe because they aren't sold in the US).

      At most the company doing the selling is going to hand specifications for a product and maybe some industrial design and have some factories bid on it. In a few cases, they might actually design the product, but usually not. In the case of *****, they probably do one design and then have a Panasonic branded version, a Technics branded version, a JVC branded version, etc. So, the specific brand on commodity consumer electronics like a TV means very little, so why should I pay more for it?
  • g30ph, on 10/12/2007, -13/+8Penn & Teller said hating Walmart is ***** and I tend to believe everything they say.
  • fifaigor, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Its not the Wal-Mart effect, its the Best Buy effect.
    • BigW, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Nah, Best Buy wouldn't undercut other retailers prices on TVs, they would offer Mail In Rebates that would undercut other retailers prices.....

    • forcedfx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17And then deny the rebates when you send them in.
  • shartman, on 10/12/2007, -25/+5Walmart is for Trash. When I see cars lined up to go in Walmart, all I can think of is cattle going to slaughter.
    • kevin45, on 10/12/2007, -20/+3My thoughts exactly.
    • BobsYourUncle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Cars go in Wal-Mart? Is it drive-through?
    • FearlessFreep, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13"Cars go in Wal-Mart? Is it drive-through?"

      Don't give them any ideas
    • STARTSOMETHING, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3All i think is white trash wasting money on things they don't need
    • MackDiesel2010, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Because you're the authority on what other people need
    • frostieDude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I wish you could go on their website and put together an order and then drive up and they have it ready and just load it in your car without having to get out.
    • rationalicthus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Ah, I get it now. WAL*MART sucks because you're better than the people that shop there. Nice.
    • STARTSOMETHING, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1aww dont get made because YOU!!! shop their ^^^
  • diggernaught, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7This author has a vendetta against Walmart. Flat Panels have been much cheaper then the Worst Buy prices people have expected to pay. All one has to do was look for a Syntax Oleva or simliar off brand and they could save 40%-70% vs panels in the store. Walmart prices are still hundreds more then they should be when it comes to the internet. recently a frined of mine bought a $1200 plasma from them, I told him I could get you one for $700 and you could pocket the difference - the moron said no.
    • gothicx00, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9And it's apparent that the "author" of the article fails to realize or mention that there has been an outrageous mark-up on HDTVs (both flat panel and rear projection) for quite some time now. This time last year, the flat panels that cost the customer $2200-2600 at Best Buy's employee discount (5% above cost) were well below $2000. Most cases there was at least a 60% markup on these items. Big deal if Wal-Mart has decided to sell them a bit closer to cost. They'll sell far more of them, while the competitors will just have to deal with it and not mark the prices up to all hell.
    • ronfez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd have to agree with that.

      The author also makes note of the 800 Canadian CC stores on the block. I would think that most readers south of the border wouldn't realize that these stores are not really CC stores, but Canadian Radio Shack stores that were re-branded to "The Source by Circuit City" a few years ago.
  • gothicx00, on 10/12/2007, -6/+42I'm real tired of the "Hate Wal-Mart" trend. I'm sorry, but in a day and age where it's hard to get any kind of decent paying job, I'm going to spend my money where things not only cost less, but are all in one place. If this causes the "little guys" to lose money, well sorry. If the "little guys" would give me a job that pays me $10 or more an hour, maybe I'd consider buying from them. But until that happens, I'm going to one place (saving gas in the mean time) and buy things that end up often times costing me considerably less.

    So to all of you that bitch and moan about how much Wal-Mart sucks, and are on the march to put them down, don't tell me how to spend the little money I have on the things I need.
    • brlittle, on 10/12/2007, -29/+2Does the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face" hold any meaning for you?

      Thought not...
    • greenrider, on 10/12/2007, -12/+5Gothicx00,

      Not disagreeing with you, but just wanted to raise one point - arguably, the whole reason that you can't get a job that pays $10 or more an hour is because of Walmart using low-cost labor overseas to squeeze out American companies that pay higher wages. Therefore, the low prices they are offering you are offset by your reduced earnings power.

      Again, I'm not saying I completely buy that argument, but you should know that a lot of people make it.
    • BobsYourUncle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17@ brlittle
      You can't feed a family with 'smug'.
    • n8r0n, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I agree. I am a cheap bastard. I enjoy saving money. I will shop where convience allows me to purchase multiple items all in one place that is not too far from home. More often then not this leads me to shop at Walmart. I do not hate the place, I do not find it a "mecca for white trash" and I do not think it smells funny. Everyone needs to get over this elitest attitude that they are too good to shop at Walmart.
    • iiftmlis, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1You sound like the guy who cut down the last tree on easter island
    • retral, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1While you're logic is terribly flawed, I fully agree. If the 'little guys' pay more, they'd have even more trouble trying to compete with walmart.. but, since walmart has pretty much eliminated any competition in my town (my town has a super walmart which sells food - the only thing the local grocer does better is meats and other fresh produce).. it's basically the only place to go now, and for a walmart.. it's very well kept (I've been down to texas in some pretty poor neighborhoods into walmarts where I can see how/why people can hate them).
    • Jwoey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22@gothic
      ***** agreed.

      "Walmart treats its employees unfairly!"

      How so? They pay them a decent wage, and it is a decent wage, as its a job that requires little skill (all of which can be learned with on-the-job training) and pays more than many entry-level positions out there.

      "Well, they don't provide health care!"

      Yeah, they do. You just have to have worked there for 6 mos. and work more than 30 hours/wk. And really, it would be stupid for a business like Wal-Mart not to have this policy. There are 2 reasons: 1) Their employee turnaround rate is high. Walmart is often a "first job" or a "bounce-back" job for many people. 2) The qualifications are literally nill. So why do those 2 things matter? Imagine this scenario. You're sick. You can't afford to go to the doctor. What do you do? Hey, walmart will provide health insurance from day 1! I'll go get a job there! You get hired, because its easy to do, you go see the doctor, and you quit.

      Its not uncommon for business to require its employees prove their loyalty before they give them benefits. Most major corporations do this by hiring temporary employees with no benefits at all before they hire them for permanent positions.

      My first job was at Subway, and I never got any healthcare coverage, I worked 35 hours a week and I worked there for 2 years. And I loved that job, and noone talks about how Subway screws their employees. You hate walmart because they're big and its cool to hate the most successful.
    • gothicx00, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@greenrider
      I typically hold a job in teleservices, with a freelance side job in audio engineering. You tellin me, Wal-mart is at fault for my low wages? Yeah.... ok....

      What ever it is yer smokin, i'd like some..... seems like pretty decent stuff.

      While I'll agree that offshoring jobs is killing the job market in the US, It's not gonna be that way for long. At least for the jobs requiring any kind of expertise in. All those IT jobs that were being offshored are quickly demanding the same or similar salaries as here in the US.

      I will admit that being able to get a decent paying job is partially my fault in that I often times weigh not only the work being done vs. the wages but also how I'm treated/the quality of people I work with. That has led me to quit quite a few jobs with no other prospect in sight, mainly in an attempt to retain my sanity. Also, not to many people want to hire a guy with hair halfway down his back and facial piercings, but hey. Thats besides the point.

      The main point is, the pittance wages I *do* make, get spent at places where I get the most for my money, and don't require me to burn gas all over town. If somebody ends up fulfilling that job better than Wal-Mart, I'll start shopping there. Until then, Wal-Mart is pretty much my one stop shop.
    • InfidelAl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11"You hate walmart because they're big and its cool to hate the most successful."

      You hit the nail on the head.
    • frostieDude, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@n8r0n

      I personally do not hate wal-mart for their success, but I don't shop there because I don't like being there. It is too crowded and noisy and I find that they usually don't have what I want. Also, there isn't a wal-mart near my house. I do live pretty near a Target and that's where I do my shopping. I just prefer it.

      So, I don't think that you have to either be an elistist or else shop at Wal-Mart. I don't hate Ford - but I don't find their vehicles appealing so I drive a Mercedes. That's choise - not elistism.
    • fulldecent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@peopleLivingInTheTwenthiethCentury

      Do not talk about "jobs in America" or "jobs overseas". These are all jobs on Earth.

      Until the day comes that nobody is willing to do a certain job for $10 an hour, we will work to get that job done by those people.
  • PharmaPhool, on 10/12/2007, -5/+38At my local Walmart they have this ancient guy as a "greeter".

    They have cashiers from every country on earth, multicultural and at-least-kinda-multilingual. They have more stuff at deep discount prices than virtually anywhere else outside maybe the pirate-goods stalls of Shanghai. The store is well lit, pretty clean, fairly safe, nicely stocked, heated/air-conditioned, not too smelly, and even offers a couple places to sit down.

    In short, Walmart is the 1930s economists Utopia, the 1940s war-torn product-quota vision of heaven, the 1950s ultimate victory of capitalism, the 1960s version of true race and cultural equality, the 1970s dream of UPC labels and supply chain integration, the 1980s business school thesis on labor relations, the 1990s consumer-is-king economic engine celebration, and the 21st century's reality...

    and a place for that otherwise unemployable ancient guy to actually get a job.

    Why would ANYONE complain? Are they insane?
    • ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -12/+1Sounds like someone is from corporate.

      What's your position? Could it be Internet Shill?
    • FatherVic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Interesting...
      By offering cheap crap at low prices and jobs to the "otherwise unemployable" wouldn't it seem that Wal-Mart has done more for the lower class and poor than most people?

      I am just asking...

      You libs want stuff for the poor, but as long as that supplier is non-union, it can kiss your ass, right?
  • letshortyplay, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3who saw the south park when they were talking about this
  • bil4l, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17Do I love Wal Mart? No way!, but this whole Wal Mart hating ***** is just more liberal propaganda. The only reason the left wing hates the place so much is because they don't allow their employees to join stupid ass unions (which in my job I was FORCED to join, much to my dismay. I had to pay $15 a month in "dues" which are essentially campaign contributions for the democrats). Does Target pay their employees better, not a chance. Wal Mart is the biggest employer in the USA, and while it's not the greatest job in the world I guarantee a large amount of those people would be out on the streets or working at a fast food chain.

    Give me a break liberals, "it puts small businesses out"....again, capitalism. How many people will a small mom and pop store employ? 15 tops?

    Not to mention the average Wal Mart wage is well above the national minimum, not bad for "A horrible job". All the nutjobs complain about "Employees not getting enough benefits". Now, how many people do you think have college degrees and work at Wal Mart? I'm willing to bet there aren't many. Wal Mart is a damn good job for people with no education.

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1509715597174925771&q=penn+and+teller

    That video explains it much better than I ever could, and I'm most certainly going to be dug down by all the rabid leftists on this website, oh well. It's all true.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1nice video! check it out about 25 minutes in! ;)
  • pwherman512, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2SOYO Group Inc announced its new Prive brand of LCD TVs, which will be targeted at value minded consumers, will be made available in all of Wal-Mart's 278 retail stores in Canada. The new Prive brand will include a 26`` and 32'' LCD flat panel display and retail prices begin at CDN469 for the 26``. They will introduce them for all Wal-Mart's in America later this year. If you are a stock person- this is going to be one hell of a stock! It goes for .48 cent right now! Think about it- Wal-Mart the world's largest retailer selling your tvs!?
  • RajAtWork, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4what is the big deal? On one end you have Samsung etc. producing the better and bigger items at lower and lower wholesale prices on the other end you have consumers scooping them up. Everything in between is subject to the relentless optimization and removing of the middle man. Walmart kills traditional retail, Internet kills Walmart, just enjoy the ride.
  • toughice, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If you offer better stuff, people will pay more money for it. If your stuff is the same, then people will look for the lowest price.

    So if stores want to compete with WalMart - all they have to do is either offer better stuff, a better experience, or a better environment - that will allow them to capture enough of the market to make a healthy profit.

    You don't have to be WalMart to be successful.
    • retral, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1So you would think.

      The problem is, walmart tends to have such cheaply priced 'low quality' stuff, that people would rather settle for cheap 'low quality' than moderate-to-expensively priced high quality stuff. Plus, with the majority population not being able to afford more than 'low quality', your logic is even more flawed.
    • toughice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@ retral

      BMW doesn't have to outsell Ford to be successful. They offer a better quality product targeted at a smaller demographic - and they are successful because of that.

      The world economy is a big place, there is lots of room for people to be successful at all levels. If you target higher end customers, and you make a great percentage profit - great. Walmart aims at low percentages but high quantities - that's fine too. The point is, as long as you are selling more than you are spending - you're fine.

      They key to beating Walmart isn't through price - it's through quality. Local stores only need to offer a better product or experience for their customers to beat Walmart. The market of people willing to pay for better stuff is still strong and always will be strong.
  • Chaostician, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I definitely don't like the atmosphere at Walmart -- it usually looks and sounds like a zoo -- but I'll still go there if I can save time, money and gas. And I definitely don't think that Wallmart is evil just because they're good at business. Wallmart has made most of our lives a lot more comfortable in the end.
    • rationalicthus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I'm with you. I can't stand the atmosphere at WAL*MART. It's crowded and noisy. They pack the aisles with boxes of sale items that cause traffic jams. It's hot in there. The lighting stinks.

      Then again, if I wanted to pay for atmosphere, I'd go to Niemen-Marcus. I like the prices at WAL*MART, so I put up with the lousy atmosphere.
  • howsmusic4u, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Walmart doesn't have high pressure sales guys shoving extended warranties and service plans down your throat.
  • gtluke, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12walmart is the greatest company in the history of the world.
    you haters should look into how they basically saved the day during katrina with bottled water and places for people to stay, no other company would have that kind of stock of bottled water, or the ability to move it so quickly.
    walmart is also the major drive behind those florescent light bulbs. they have vowed to sell like a million or so this year IIRC
    they also raised the bar for health care standards for retail employers. while compared corporate jobs, their healthcare may not be so great, but when compared to retailers, its f'ing awesome.
    they have a choice of 7 healthcare plans. at my job, i have no choice. i just get one ***** one.
    -luke-
  • minorthreat, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6We all hate wal-mart. Everytime we go it smells like corn dogs and toe jam. We are surrounded by Mexicans, 11 year olds wearing two different shoes pushing carts into you while his mother is screaming at him at the top of her lungs and holding a crying baby. But you know... ***** it. I'd much rather save my $300 dollars and buy the same TV rather than give it to a Robbie, wearing a name tag and a blue shirt spitting out enough ***** to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Maybe if best buy and CC would realize, you and I are perfectly happy shopping for our own TV, without the car salesman like atmosphere... they wouldn't hire useless employees and would at least be closer to wal-marts prices..

    But you know.. Places like Best Buy and Circuit City are geared and setup for the idiot consumer, thats feels much better knowing they bought a TV from a salesman who doesnt know squat about the TVs.. I bought my TV from sams club last fall....
    56" LCD Projection - had been returned. Out the door for $1097. Most people are scared of a TV that came with a bad bulb, but then again Im sure I know more about the technology than robbie with a name tag.

    • howsmusic4u, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Amen.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i think best buy has a timer and they watch every customer in the store. if a single customer hasn't been asked "can i help you find something?" in the last minute, someone gets killed on break. i hate shopping in best buy because they won't leave me the ***** alone.
  • bil4l, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I am extremely surprised at the lack of Wal Mart hating. The number or people on here that actually see this a logical way are a breath of fresh air.

    You ask some dems and you'd think Wal Mart was run by Satan himself. Wonder how many crippled 80 year old men are employed their....what an evil place.
  • DraconWolf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I don't know if it's just my area or what but I've noticed Target prices coming way down. I used to shop at Wal-Mart for most things because it was cheaper than Target but lately the prices have been almost identical. Is Target gaining ground in buying power to the same level as WM? It may also just be my area considering Wal-Mart and Target are across the street from one another.
  • ShkWave777, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5All I have to say is ...

    This is the price of a capitalist society. If you want to live in a socialist society then move.
    • dime, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2Capitalism can only exist when there is fair competition. When you have megacorporations like Walmart who unfairly manipulate the market, everyone suffers. In fact, it becomes the very socialism you claim to despise. Except, instead of the government manipulating the market, it's a single corporation.

      We used to have antitrust laws in this country. It's a shame, really.
    • InfidelAl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Please explain how they unfairly manipulate the market.
    • dime, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3"Please explain how they unfairly manipulate the market."

      When you have a single entity that can strongarm distributors and manufacturers into setting prices, that's unfair, as they should be set by the market and not a corporation. Add to that the billions in corporate welfare Walmart had received, and you basically have socialism by proxy.

      Anyway, keep thinking you're supporting "capitalism". You're just contributing to the very thing you claim to rally against... just to save a few dollars on toothpaste. Hypocrites.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@dime - the vendors who deal with wal-mart have every right to stop whenever they like. wal-mart forces no one to do anything. when you go to buy a car, do you haggle for a better deal or do you just roll over and take whatever number the sales guy gives you? wal-mart doesn't roll over and if the price they want to pay is not good for the person selling it, the seller needs to leave the deal. plain and simple.
    • dime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"wal-mart doesn't roll over and if the price they want to pay is not good for the person selling it, the seller needs to leave the deal. plain and simple."

      Sounds nice in theory, but the reality is that distributors and manufacturers *must* do business with Walmart to themselves remain competitive. This places the corporation, again, with an unfair bargaining chip.

      Whatever, though... the "libertarian" brigade is digging down anything less than full blown Walmart e-fellatio, so I won't bother continuing.

      Long live Ma Bell!
    • crash999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@dime

      I work in the industry (for competitors) and I can tell you that Wal-Mart forces no one to take their orders. The issue is often that Wal-Mart's quantities are so big that they wind up taking a significant percentage of a vendor's production. So when Wal-Mart moves away, it creates a big hole in their revenue.

      Vendors know this walking into the deal. Wal-Mart has a reputation of being strict and somewhat fickle- everyone knows this, and lots of vendors choose not to work with Wal-Mart for this reason.

      If a vendor takes orders then next season faces a 10% reduction in cost because Wal-Mart has received quotes from another supplier then, well, they need to become more competitive. If they created a dependency on the Wal-Mart business then it's their own fault for accepting the orders to begin with.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@dime again. companies should not put their eggs in one basket, so to speak. i own a small business and 60% of our revenue is from the same customer. last year it was between 75 and 80%. our main objective is to maintain the volume of business we do with that customer while reducing the percentage of overall business from that single source. it's called diversifying and it's a responsible business position to take to reduce the amount of dependence on a single account. if a manufacturer/vendor relies so heavily on wal-mart that they can not survive without the business, they have placed themselves in a very precarious position and it's their own fault if they fail.
  • porcupus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I find that Walmart never really has the electronic items I want. I tend to do most of my purchasing online as I know exactly what I want and what I need. But it's not to say that I never shop at Walmart. They have some good deals on games and small electronics and I will often find myself comparing prices on these items. When I step into a Electronics store I often feel rushed into making a decision. salespeople are constantly asking if you need help and start telling me things that are either false or just made up to make the sale. At least Walmart allows you to look at the items and decide for yourself.

    I think Walmart is a model for what all mom and pops should strive for.
  • riverside71, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6boo frickin hoo.. are we to cry for the likes of Worst Buy and Circuit *****?
  • veersite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3In Soviet Russia, TV Prices Crush YOU!!!!!
  • majortom1981, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Not all walmarts stuff is cheap quality. I found a surround sound system made by durabrand for $60 dollars. It had a 100 wat sub and 5 decent speakers.

    It had 1 optical connection and 1 coaxial and was a standalone receiver. No dvd player.

    This thing had some ofd the best sound i have heard from a rceiver and was only $60 dollars.

    I had it for 3 years and it finally died a month ago because my cablebox had a melt down and screwed up the digital surround sound portion of the receiver.

    So not all walmart stuff is cheap and low quality.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3we have a durabrand DVD surround system in our conference room and it sounds really great. the room is not huge and the system does a really great job of filling it with sound when we are watching the Matrix... uh... i mean PowerPoint presentations...
  • insomniacal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I don't hate Wal*Mart. In fact I would say that's a simplistic reaction.

    I wish Wal*Mart gave its employees robust benefits. On the other hand, I have little sympathy for retailers that wish Wal*Mart would "wise up" and jack their prices. Wal*Mart may cut costs too much, but that vector is sorely needed in our society where electricity, gas prices, food -- _everything_ is priced by watching what competitors are pricing them. Good for Wal*Mart to buck the trend by delivering value to consumers through a business model that results in lower prices.

    Again, those prices may be _too_ low -- it would be good to see Wal*Mart introduce benefits packages to employees -- but the effort itself is appreciated, and better than the perpetual state of collusion that would otherwise occur.

    As for mom & pop stores -- that's business. Business is change. Or haven't you noticed? Businesses change, industries evolves, and people adapt. That's why we have brains.
    • chili555, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hey! If you hate Wal-Mart, then don't shop there, don't buy there and don't purchase their stock. Done!
  • KazamaSmokers, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Costco > WalMart
  • STARTSOMETHING, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1damn i would love to be a manager at walmart i could call everyone assholes and fagots and as long as they can get 48 rolls of toilet paper for $3 they would come back

    its selection when circuit city is gone you will have to buy all the ***** things wal mart sells you because thats all you will have
    • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1O RLY? You can't buy TV's online? Fry's has closed down? Best Buy is dead? Sears has closed shop?

      There are dozens of retailers that carry "high end" TV's. Stop pretending like Circuit City is the only one worth shopping at.
  • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5IF these idiot righting wing bible beating warmongers want to get technical muggings, robbery, and extorsion are capitalism too......in fact they are by thier very actions what the insurance and healthcare industries do. But why isn't it okay to mug or rob someone.
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2because you PAY the insurance companies for the policy and you have the option to select between various providers or even go so far as to not have insurance at all. if someone holds a gun to your head and FORCES you to give them money, that robbery and illegal.

      grow up.
    • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2actually your wrong......in most states you are required to have auto insurance. It doesn't matter if you have a million in a savings account you still have to have auto insurance and while they haven't held a gun to anyones head to get those laws passed they did buy off politicians. Which may not be illegal, but that doesn't make it right.
    • rationalicthus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I can't speak for idiotic, right-wing bible-beating warmongers, because I'm not one. Would you mind clarifying the reactionary, left-wing atheistic communist surrender-monkey position for me, though? Or perhaps we can stop calling each other names and actually carry out an intelligent conversation?

      Muggings, robbery and extortion are CRIMES. I fail to see how selling insurance or providing healthcare meets that standard. And I very much fail to see what this has to do with WAL*MART.
    • banderbe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2MRFlesh

      You are NOT required to have auto insurance.

      You are NOT required to own a car.

      You are NOT required to drive.

      If you CHOOSE to own a car, and if you CHOOSE to drive, you have to have insurance.

      So, you choose to have insurance when you choose to own a car and drive it.

      Idiot.
  • bwilliams80, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1***** walmart, they bully everyone. i never do and will shop at walmart
    http://money.aol.com/fastco/general/canvas3/_a/the-man-who-said-no-to-wal-mart/20060117113809990019
    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5what this guy did is the same thing everyone else has the option to do. if doing business with wal-mart is going to kill your company, don't do business with them. we have to turn down business at my company all the time because it would hurt us more than help us. that's part of doing business.
    • aratika, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2and the Nobel Prize goes to bwilliams80....
  • flatspunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Why hate on Walmart for trying to bring low prices to electronic goods?

    A lot of people want flat panel displays. Hell even the hippies who hate Wal Mart the most should realize these style TVs are more "eco-friendly".

    Walmart makes it possible for the poor-man to have rich-man goods. Sure they're low quality. But they raise the standard of living for the lower middle class.

    I'm a Target middle class ***** myself, so I don't shop at Walmart...but there is no reason to get elitest about it. No one is forcing you to shop there. And who gives a rats ass if it makes high priced retailers go out of business. Vote with your dollars.
    • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Your just believing company line. Wal-Marts prices are not low in places where they've already put the competition out of business.
    • mousky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hmmm, Costco, Target and Best Buy all seem to be doing well - even better than - Wal-Mart. The fact that 60 to 70 cents of every retail dollar is spent somewhere else other than Wal-Mart seems to suggest that there is plenty of competition out there.
  • bil4l, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Because it doesn't take 7+ years of college to work at Wal Mart, you douchebag asshat.

    And this guy told Wal Mart to stop selling his product....genius move on his part.....have fun being employed by Wal Mart now, what a douche.
  • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3stop whining about wal-mart.
  • gabeh73, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8i don't really care if I ever buy a 48" tv, but it is nice to know that when my perfectly acceptable 5 year old 36" tv breaks, I'll be able to go to good ole wal mart and get a better tv for a great price...I ain't gonna waste my weekend shopping around at a mom and pop store, a best buy a sears and every other g****mn store in the county looking for the BBD(Bigger Better Deal) and I don't need a lifetime career tv salesman with a 401k and health care benefits to "service me" with insurance and rebates and clear coat protectiona nd all the other horsesh**....Thank god sam walton started a store that jsut tries to sell ***** cheap and fast and without a bunch of wasted costs...Ben Franklin would have admired the thriftiness of Wal Mart, the efficiency is admirable it frees up resources to be put to more productive uses....when did thriftiness in this country become a sin? when did it become a citizens duty to patronize the most expensive establishments to buy big screen TVs? the people who demonize wal mart are whacked out of their gords. Oh ya my uncle works at wal mart...he had scarelet fever as a young child and it affected his mental capabilities, he doesn't have the aptitude or desire for a better job and he loves the folks at his store...Wal Mart has yet to force ANYONE to work for them, they are flooded with job applications from people who have their own personal reasons for wanting to work for wal mart, the flexibility of the scheduling is one highly valued benefit.

    • jgreene777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2not to mention the fact that a 10% discount on a $1000 tv is a pretty decent deal. my wife works at wal-mart and her discount basically removes taxes from all of our purchases (very high city and county taxes here)... and in Missouri there are tax free days a couple of times a year and if you make big purchases (like TVs or computers) at wally-world on those days, the savings really add up.
    • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Actually the Wal Mrt of today is the exact opposite of what Sam Walton wanted..............when he ran walmart employees were paid very good salaries....comparable to Cost Co now, they were also given benefits and 401ks. Sam Walton knew what Henry Ford new. If you want people to buy your products you have to pay them enough to afford your products. And Wal-Marts prices are only low where they still have competition go to a wal mart in small town america and you'll see they are not low price leaders there. Plus Wal Marts products are *****. They are made terrible.....go look at boxer shorts alone.....go to wal mart and check out there off the wrack boxers...........feel how cheap they're made..how ***** the elastic is.......now go to any other clothing store...the difference is night and day....at one point the only thing I'd buy at wal mart was socks but they'd be used up in 4 months.......now I buy gold toes and the socks last me forever. Not to mention if you don't pay the stock boys ***** how intrested are they going to be in doing thier jobs correctly? Do you honestly think that TV was properly stored? If you take the time to compare Wal-Mart sells junk..........from food (meat section is down right scarey), to furniture (more particle board than ikea), to autoparts (wal mart tires are garbage), to electronics (wall to wall no name brands that won't be around long enough to full fill your warranty.)
  • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Who cares? Is Best Buy now considered a mom and pop store? Who cares what one BigBox store does to another?
  • walnutthewise, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Heck, I just bought a Visio 37 inch LCD for $800 from Costco and it works great and I have it hanging on the wall in my new apartment, but no one is griping about them.
  • guice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm not a Wal-Mart fan, but I do like they forcing down prices. As long as they don't sell the products below costs, I don't see a big problem. Other companies will have to suffice some other way.

    I'm actually pleased in the dramatic drop in flat screen TVs. They are finally getting to the price range where I may actually consider getting one (came close a few times -- not from Wal-Mart). I hope that happens again this year; then I would finally be able to get rid of my 7 year old 32" Trinitron.
  • lex10, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2***** Wal-Mart
  • dpogni, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1watch the movie, 'walmart: high cost of low prices'
    • Jwoey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Nice comment. Its already only 9 words long, but i'll summarize it even further.

      "Watch propaganda"
  • goosecat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Shopping at a super walmart is like getting a $3000/yr after tax raise for me. How can you argue with that?
    • MrFlesh, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3cause it's not a raise.............once you figure into the added burden to the community........through tax breaks, helping with healthcare and living assistance and partial unemployement for its workers it costs you. Wal -Mart doesn't save you money it just shifts costs onto the community.
    • InfidelAl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7"cause it's not a raise.............once you figure into the added burden to the community........through tax breaks, helping with healthcare and living assistance and partial unemployement for its workers it costs you. Wal -Mart doesn't save you money it just shifts costs onto the community."

      Tax Breaks: Why do cities give tax breaks to Walmart? To encourage them to put a store there maybe? And why would a city want such a store? Because the higher volume in sales will bring in more tax revenue than was lost by the tax break? Why the hell would a city give a store a tax break so they could lose money...

      Health care: This implies that these workers would have health care at other similar jobs. What jobs are these? Keep in mind, Walmart DOES offer health care.

      Living Assistance: Again, show me all these other companies that pay so much more than Walmart.

      Partial Unemployment: What the hell does that even mean? Maybe part-time employees only want a part-time job? What stops one from getting another part-time job somewhere else, or *gasp* working somewhere else all together.

      Walmart employees people with little education, gives them decent wages, available health care plans AND saves me time and money. I'm supposed to hate them why?
  • blackprizm, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0I likes me Wals-Mart. It's big, wif losa stuff inside. Isa big place full a gud deals.
    We'd used to haf all kindsa nice stores wif stuff, but they torz them down so we's could build mores Wally Marts. Oh yea, and der's NASCAR soft toyz and stuff in der too. Slurpee's r gud. Mosta my friends are now unemployed fromz Wal-Marz pricing, but we got dem cheap Chinese Tele-box's we can watch so's it don't matter.

    Jesuz luvs Wall mart too. Gawd Bless Merica.

    • banderbe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Your comment says far more about you and your distorted perception of reality than it does about anything else. Thanks for sharing.
  • spillingvoid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While I'm sure that other parts of the country are having problem here in San Antonio we've actually have several new curcit city's open. As far as wall mart goes I go there to get stuff cheap when i font care about customer service I go to the big box stores when I want to get good service and talk to someone who knows whats going on, which is why I go to best buy, they have better service there than at the other stores. I also have no problem with wal-mart, its simple you don't compete with wal-marts business plan. You offer something that wal-mart cant because of there cheap prices, most notably customer service, and a real knowledge about the equipment. If you have that you will have people who will always go to you(as I do with best buy) just for the service and knowledge. I also think they big box companies just got caught playing the old business game and lost this one, but this time every one has some one to point a finger at.
  • DildoOreilly, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1REPUBLICANS, GO TO WALMART AND BUY MAGNETS to put on your SUV's to pretend to care about the troops
  • ssoupss, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I don't know much about about business, but why don't other companies just one-up Wal-mart instead of matching their prices? they can use Wal-mart's strategy for themselves.
    • crash999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Other companies try to do this (or match the prices). The problem is that Wal-Mart has a very efficient supply chain and can get creat costs from suppliers because they buy in such high volume. So when other retailers try to match costs they invariably wind up losing money on whatever products they are matching.
  • blackprizm, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Walmart is for people with little taste and an equally tiny portion of intelligence. Walmart is for America!

    ps. I too am from this great country.
    • chili555, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yes, it's very intelligent to pay 10% more for everything, except groceries, where you pay 15-20% more elsewhere. Very, very intelligent!
    • sdbyrd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1how can you complain about a place that wants you to get in, buy stuff as cheap as possible and get out as quickly as you made it in? i go to WalMart to buy what i already know i want/need and know that it doesn't have to be the "deal of the week" to get a fair price. THAT'S why WalMart is the #1 retailer in the world...
    • rationalicthus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That's an interesting position to take. I graduated 2nd in my deparment with a degree in theoretical mathematics. Perhaps you should "do the math" and realize that saving money ain't the "idiot" position.
  • b0neman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Walmart is World Wide. You can find almost as many of them as you can find McDonalds. Yay for them and boo to all the cry baby Circuit Sh11tys, Chump USA's and Tweakers that have been gouging us for years on overpriced electronics and computer parts.

    Walmart knows what everyone wants: EVERYTHING, NOW, and CHEAP PLEASE. That goes for democrats, republicans, libertarians, greens... everyone wants something for cheap cheap cheap. Do you haters actually shop at all? Look at the parking lots filled to the brim with people of every color of the rainbow. It's all about price and that's all we care about when you get right down to it.

    Even Eurotrash freaks that only shopped one day a week and saved Sunday's to visit with friends and family are flipping the bird to their peeps now so they can find a pair of levis for 12Euros.
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