What is Digg?663 Comments
- canewediggit, on 02/27/2008, -2/+185why was this article even written? basic economics will teach you that in a recession/downtime, the low end retailers will do better from an investment standpoint.
- daivos, on 02/27/2008, -28/+131Yea, me too. I like getting 30% less groceries for my $100.00 at Kroger, Bi Lo, Safeway and other mega grocery store chains. Go to hell Wal-mart. You're not going to save this consumer money. I'm far too stupid and have too much pride for that. Everyone boycott Wal-Mart. They sell milk too cheap!
- Synthesize, on 02/27/2008, -17/+105Does anyone else feel depressed when entering Wal-Mart? ...or is it just me?
- dshPls, on 02/27/2008, -11/+74I go to Walmart for my Capitan Crunch, it's like $2 cheaper than the market I shop at... and it tastes the same. Perhaps it was transported on the backs of enslaved Chinese youth to the loading dock in the back of the store, but that's not my problem. If it's the same cereal, who cares.
- Tomboys, on 02/27/2008, -30/+87Cause they sell crap that costs nothing to make. Like Target. Most of the stuff should be sold at 99 cent stores.
- Brainclone, on 02/27/2008, -2/+56duh, in a recession we are all lower-end consumers...
- Akairenn, on 02/27/2008, -5/+51Yeah, like that Philips 42" 1080p HDTV I bought there. Complete crap. And what's this iPod trash? Complete rubbish - I wouldn't even buy one at a dollar store.
I know it's cool for you kids to rag on WalMart, but get a clue already. The 'Chinese crap' WalMart sells is the same 'Chinese crap' being sold in every other store in this country. And I thank god for it, because I certainly wouldn't want to purchase any American crap. Not that there's anything actually made in the US these days, anyway. - cliffzdude, on 02/27/2008, -0/+36Does anybody here feed a family? I know I'm a "damn old" digger in my 40's, but some of you must have a wife and some kids like I do. I hate shopping at Walmart, its not a pleasant experience. That said, my wife does most of the grocery/necessity shopping. We live by a budget, its the IT geek in me, I like lists. My wife's a teacher, she too loves lists. Our jaunts to Walmart have proven time and time again we save 30% on average by shopping at Walmart. Our other alternatives are the local grocery chain, or Target. Both our local Walmart and Target are the "Super" type, with a grocery side. It doesn't matter where we buy our Ivory soap, its the same *****. Same goes for most of our food goods. Same for most all cleaning items, our diapers, light bulbs, etc...
Given the costs to clean after and feed 4 people, we're saving literally $thousands of dollars by shopping Walmart. We still go to the local higher end grocery for fruits, veggies, and things Walmart doesn't have like fresh herbs. We buy home decorations all over the place. Furniture from Walmart? No, we have an Ikea, and even Target odds and ends blow Walmart's away.
Inferior products? You guys are young'uns shopping for disposable income goodies. The real money is in feeding and supplying the American nuclear family with the necessities. Which is where Walmart shines. Want a new DVD player? Yes Walmart will have a cheapie for $15, but you can go elsewhere. But if you need a new Timex Ironman watch for running, I'll buy it cheaper most likely at "the Walmart".
Funny, but at our local Walmart Super Center during weekdays, you see Mommys driving high end cars loading up on their weekly goods. These are Lawyer and Doctor's wives. Funny how often you will find that "rich" people are so penny-wise. Maybe that's how they got where they are?
The current economic downturn is scaring the Jones chasers. ***** 'em. I live far below my means, and I have a rather large liquid savings for bad times. I have a wife and two kids to take care of, if my company were to scuttle today I'm good for a very long time. The economic viability of my family unit is worth far more than a feel good emotion I may feel after buying from Target.
I shop at Walmart. - slvrbullet87, on 02/27/2008, -0/+33The reason they are doing good is because no mater how poor you are you still need toliet paper and soap
- minoss, on 02/27/2008, -4/+36Apparently you've never seen the alternative.
- Spanq, on 02/27/2008, -0/+32"Given the economic headwinds, one would think that a retailer catering to lower-end consumers would be doubly slammed."
Uh, why would one think that? - FyreGoddess, on 02/27/2008, -25/+54The bottom line, for me, isn't that Wal-Mart sells things for cheaper, it's that they sell lower-quality goods (in general). You're more than welcome to buy your food in a store that is known for selling shoddy products because it's going to save you a bit of money, but for me, I'd rather spend a little extra to get fresher, better quality food at my local supermarket.
- PlasticMonki, on 02/27/2008, -1/+28Finally, someone that will interject common sense into this argument!
- Sharky35, on 02/27/2008, -2/+28Do Chinese Wal-Marts only sell American made goods?
- 0crabby0, on 02/27/2008, -1/+27Discounters do better in recessions...
- dcmjzero, on 02/27/2008, -3/+28have fun paying more. nobody can beat their distribution cost. they have everything down to a science. they are leaders of technology in their field (bar codes, computerized warehouses, rfid). soon they will be run by robots. resistance is futile.
- santaliqueur, on 02/27/2008, -3/+27Not EVERYTHING they sell is made in China, only most.
And don't lie about needing condoms. - drlha, on 02/27/2008, -6/+30I've found that the produce at Wal-Mart supercenter is no less fresh or lower quality then at any of my other local supermarkets (including the fancy schmancy Wegmans), and they sell the same brands of packaged foods I buy elsewhere. Its not like shopping at Dollar General where all the canned food is made by companies you've never heard of.
- minoss, on 02/27/2008, -13/+36Yes, those Chinese should be working in their rice field for twice as long and half the pay! Damn them Wal-Marts for offering higher wages and better living conditions.
- RedHeadedFreak, on 02/27/2008, -9/+32Whoa, stop with the logic capitalist pig! I base my political opinions on my feelings.
- willfe, on 02/27/2008, -1/+24Crap. So you mean the generic "Equate" branded soap I use isn't actually cleaning me up when I shower?
I love the "cutting corners" argument, especially leveled against generic brands. A good ten years ago (give or take) I recall seeing a 60 Minutes-style program (it may well have been 60 Minutes, though I can't remember for sure) that actually hired a lab to produce a batch of shampoo and conditioner at the lowest possible cost. The result? Well, it was white and creamy (no food coloring, but had a similar consistency to store-bought shampoo), but everyone that tested it gave it glowing reviews (it cleaned their hair and didn't smell offensive). The conditioner was the same.
The show's point was to illustrate that paying out the nose for shampoo and conditioner (especially shampoo; some conditioners were *less* of a ripoff than most shampoos were) is a massive waste of money. The same goes for most generics, too. You need to remember that in many cases, the generic brand (Wal-Mart's "Great Value" and "Equate" brands) are quite literally the same product as the name brand, made at the same facility, with the same ingredients and methods, and packaged in identical packaging, with different labels slapped on the package.
Their generic drugs are still reviewed by the same FDA that reviews name-brand drugs (over-the-counter and prescription). Their food products are subjected to the same reviews as name-brand foods (there was a peanut butter recall here in Florida last year that saw Wal-Mart yank all affected peanut butter brands off the shelf -- their generic brand *and* a popular name brand were both affected, because they were made from the same ingredients, on the same machines, in the same plant).
It's the same for every big store -- go to Target, Publix, Albertson's, King Soopers, Winn-Dixie, Safeway, or wherever, and their generic products are undoubtedly made by the same plants and processes as the name-brand stuff.
Brand loyalty is one of the biggest scams in modern history -- just because you've paid someone more than you should have for something doesn't mean they're taking any more care in making what they're selling you. - stupidStan, on 02/27/2008, -1/+23wow... I think your sarcasm was lost on almost everyone... :P
- legendxx, on 02/27/2008, -4/+25woah woah woah.. hold on there. Rational thoughts in a digg comment being dugg up? Wtf is going on here? The corporate-haters bandwagon bus must be late.
- KSUdesigner, on 02/27/2008, -3/+24All I can think when going in there is, "get me the ***** out of here as soon as possible!"
- econoar, on 02/27/2008, -0/+20People invest in cheaper goods when they have less money to spend during a recession? Who woulda thought...
- norman619, on 02/27/2008, -5/+25You really need to stop trying to spread your ignorance. I'm willing to bet you've never been to China. You are probably basing you crap on inaccurate and biased documentaries and ignorant bloggers.
- Pryze, on 02/27/2008, -3/+23I work at Wal-Mart because they offered me a higher pay than the local companies I also applied to.
If you're wondering, I made $10 an hour starting pay ($11 now, it's been a year), as a Garden Center associate, where at the local grocery stores, I was offered minimum wage (at the time $7.50), and the local hardware store offered $8. I also applied for an IT position at a production factory, but they were on a hiring freeze. So now I am working part-time at Wal-Mart while I go to college, and once I get out, I will try for a full-time position somewhere that is in my field (IT). The pay I get now is great for living on my own, and I don't have to use any sponsored programs. Perhaps the Wal-Mart in your area is different, because the pay rate is up to the managers of that store, not the corporation itself. - charlie55, on 02/27/2008, -2/+21you are wrong about gas station milk. it costs more. look again.
- CanTheSpam, on 02/27/2008, -1/+20If I have less income, I'm not going to shop at Whole Foods.
Buried for idiotic intro. - inactive, on 02/27/2008, -23/+42Cut the Elitist ***** about never shopping at Walmart.
- alkajazz, on 02/27/2008, -1/+19That's the emotion suppressors doing their job.
- kgool, on 02/27/2008, -2/+20Do you think Whole Foods, Albertsons, Target, or even some higher end department stores pay that much better than Wal-Mart or offer significantly better benefits? Wait, it was rhetorical. They do not for the most part.
- gerbco, on 02/27/2008, -0/+18All the previous house flippers gotta eat.
- SpaceMonkeyZero, on 02/27/2008, -1/+19Yeah that toothpaste... USELESS!
- kewidogg, on 02/27/2008, -0/+17This is a stupid article. Even in econ 101 (or business 101 no less!) you learn that when people have less money, they go for cheaper products. Just because they are a retailer doesn't mean people stop buying from them when they have less money. Obviously people need food, diapers, lightbulbs, the generics, so they have to get them somewhere, its the higher end retailers (Target actually is considered higher end than walmart) that will be taking a hit from a recession.
- Colecoman1982, on 02/27/2008, -1/+18Technically, an argument can be made that, like all "Communist" countries that have ever formed, they have never been truly communist and were always Oligarchic Totalitarian states. They are still called communist because they are still run by a totalitarian party that calls itself communist and crushes anything, even remotely, perceived as competition.
- mustafya, on 02/27/2008, -3/+19Go back to the 90's. I worked at walmart recently and the only people with no healthcare were ones that didn't opt for it or didn't work enough hours. This is how it is everywhere else that offers healthcare I've ever worked. And no the pay wasn't the reason. The workers at walmart make the same salary or better than the other people I know working service jobs.
- nbcaffeine, on 02/27/2008, -2/+18people who need it today
- drjones78, on 02/27/2008, -7/+22Its because they are an inferior chain. As peoples incomes go up, you can bet they shop less and less at walmart. As peoples incomes go down, walmart will get more business.
- tak84, on 02/27/2008, -0/+15I have a wife who is a graduate student. We're living on one starting income. Our largest variable expenses right now are gas and food. Thanks to discounted groceries from Walmart we have been able eat healthy meals and still pay the bills.
Thanks for your post. - Petri33, on 02/27/2008, -0/+15Why is this even a question? Wal-mart sells alot of essentials at the lowest price (usually). In a recession people have less money so when they were more flush they could afford to shop at higher-end retailers but with less money they are forced to shop where the price is lowest (i.e. Walmart).
- inactive, on 02/27/2008, -2/+17Typical inaccurate Walmart bitchfest. You hurt yourself, not Walmart. Walmart sells many of hte SAME EXACT BRANDS as any other store. Just for less. Sure..you CAN getcheap crap there if you want. But if you want a Sony TV you can get that too. And it is EXACTLY like the Sony TV you get anywhere else.
Again..just a tip...if you are engaging in a pathetic bitchfest against Walmart, you should NEVER use arguments that are so easy to prove wrong. It doesn't help your cause at all. - inactive, on 02/27/2008, -5/+19You have to learn to use Wal-Mart. I shop there but only for certain items. I'm not going to Staples and pay $5 for a box of Memorex CD sleeves when I can go to Wal-Mart and buy the exact same product for $3.50. The smart way to shop Wal-Mart is to generally avoid their store brands and stick with brands you know and trust. I never shop at Target for anything and I haven't for nearly five years now.
- dcmjzero, on 02/27/2008, -6/+20if i could afford it, i would go where there is not a smelly crowd of poor people. but, alas, i am poor (and probably smelly, too).
- dshPls, on 02/27/2008, -3/+16"The burden that WalMart employees with no health care puts on our system is staggering and disgusting on their behalf."
Just curious, what are the figues on this? - SpongeBad, on 02/27/2008, -1/+14Move production to India, or Malaysia, or Africa, or anywhere else where it's cheaper.
- minoss, on 02/27/2008, -5/+18I really hope you're being sarcastic, but just in case you aren't, the "slave" labor offered by companies who supply wal-mart in china is often significantly above the level of their other options. People work at them because it beats the pants off of sitting in a rice field for half the pay. No one is forcing anyone to work for wal-mart in china.
- inactive, on 02/27/2008, -1/+14I live in a small town and when Wal-Mart came in an entire shopping district sprang up all around it. A grocery store, several restaurants, an appliance store and others. They certainly didn't hurt us.
- rolf, on 02/27/2008, -3/+16I never had problems with Wal-mart's "Equate" brand in the health aisle. Granted, it's only soap, mouthwash, shampoo, etc -- but it saves a lot of money and the chemicals are the same. You just don't pay the advertising premium.
I think the store brands are hit and miss. I know they have Wal-mart specific flat TVs (forget the brand) that I would avoid because of a bad reputation. - Cerebral, on 02/27/2008, -0/+13Whoa... he never said he NEEDED them, just that he was purchasing them. Maybe dude has a fetish gheez.
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