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Whatever you think of Wal Mart, it won't be around for long.
History tells us this. Once the stores started to get "big" 100 years ago, the trend has been clear: a new, larger outfit comes along, and eventually puts the smaller ones out of business. We are on our third or fourth cycle of this happening.
Wal Mart is huge...........but there's always bigger. That very likely could mean Amazon or something of the sort.
I give Wal Mart twenty five years before it is out of business. Forty at the most.
Last edited by maineguy8888; 04-19-2017 at 02:17 PM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Since Walton bought his first store in 1950, lasting 40 more years would be a pretty good run. Not that many businesses can say they lasted 107 years. I actually disagree, there are many areas of the country where people depend on Walmart, and do not have credit cards or even checking accounts/debit cards to shop online. Walmart may close stores in the larger metro areas with highly educated/affluent residents, but will probably maintain a presence in areas where they will still thrive.
Since Walton bought his first store in 1950, lasting 40 more years would be a pretty good run. Not that many businesses can say they lasted 107 years. I actually disagree, there are many areas of the country where people depend on Walmart, and do not have credit cards or even checking accounts/debit cards to shop online. Walmart may close stores in the larger metro areas with highly educated/affluent residents, but will probably maintain a presence in areas where they will still thrive.
Like I said, I don't know if Wal Mart's destruction will take the form of an internet giant, or something else. But history is clear: the "new big guy" takes over, dominates for a while, then eventually is pushed aside by something bigger.
Well, I hope it lasts me out. Since they have put everything within a 10 mile radius out of business, if they go, we'll have nothing left.
This is the primary reason I hate Walmart - they do that on purpose. Good business plan, bad as far as social responsibility.
Still I do not think they are going anywhere. They are moving in on Amazon in a big way. They have the added advantage of having stores all over so sometimes, you can buy online and go pick it up that day or the next day. In our "Want it now!" society that could be a big plus, especially lately where Amazon has been taking weeks or months to fill some orders. Walmart also has an advantage in that they simple have more stock available, so they are less likely to run out and have to order more. However Amazon does not have the bad reputation for forcing suppliers to build chintzier versions of their products to sell at a lower price (Walmart does - reason #2 I hate them). Both of them seem to be building warehouses and data centers like mad.
It seems the only way to combat Walmart's policy of clear cutting the forest is to sell something they don't. I once read an article about a town whose small shops survived that way. One hardware store changed to selling large appliances, a clothing store upped the quality of its merchandise, etc.etc. In this way they found their own niche and survived because they were not challenging Walmart on its own ground.
This is the primary reason I hate Walmart - they do that on purpose. Good business plan, bad as far as social responsibility.
Still I do not think they are going anywhere. They are moving in on Amazon in a big way. They have the added advantage of having stores all over so sometimes, you can buy online and go pick it up that day or the next day. In our "Want it now!" society that could be a big plus, especially lately where Amazon has been taking weeks or months to fill some orders. Walmart also has an advantage in that they simple have more stock available, so they are less likely to run out and have to order more. However Amazon does not have the bad reputation for forcing suppliers to build chintzier versions of their products to sell at a lower price (Walmart does - reason #2 I hate them). Both of them seem to be building warehouses and data centers like mad.
Of course Wal Mart is trying to avoid this fate...........every other "big boy" over the last 75 years made the same efforts..........tried to forestall the inevitable.
They all failed.
Wal Mart put them all out of business (or is in the process of doing so).
But the same fate awaits Wal Mart. We just don't know the details yet.
WM is the largest retailer in the world and could continue as a brick and mortar operation for a very long time but they are working to expand e-commerce operations to compete. I would not write them off.
Walmart isn't likely to go anywhere anytime soon. In fact I'd bet they'd be here longer than just about any other brick and mortar retailer.
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