What is so great about King Soopers? (Denver, Canon City: co-ops, layoffs)

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by billybobwv

Believe it or not there are actually worse chains out there than Wal-Mart, but OTOH I guess its easier to say Wal-Mart sucks, hate and spit at the employees who work there and wish bad things would happen to them ( I have seen that kind of stuff online before ), but being a union chain like King Soopers ( and Safeway ) I guess one can overlook the "bad" stuff that takes place at their stores.

Where did I attack Wal-Mart employees? Wal-Mart employees (when you can actually find one to help you) are decent folks.

The company itself is a POS. When you buy your cheap Chinese crap from Wal-Mart you're buying from a company that strong-arms its suppliers into outsourcing American manufacturing jobs to China. Think of the thousands of decent-paying manufacturing jobs that have been replaced with near-minimum-wage retail jobs. Awesome. Does wonders for our standard of living here in America.

But yeah, go ahead and delude yourself about the sanctity and wholesomeness of Wal-Mart.

[Dorthy]

King Soopers varies greatly from store to store. Some have a great selection while others do not. Some have very friendly employees and others have very rude employees. I guess the same can be said for Safeway, Wal-Mart, Target, Albertsons, etc. Overall KS is cheaper then Safeway for most things. Safeway has a better deli and a better bakery. Vitamin Cottage is by far my favorite grocery store in Denver.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by chilicheesefries

Hope she gets well soon - it's always hard to see someone you love in a non-healthy state!

To satisfy my curiosity with one of the learn something new everyday I was curious about the different ads. I checked stores in east Arvada, West Arvada, Brighton, Littleton, West Denver, Golden etc for online ads and they were all the same. Could just be this week but I wanted to know more about this. I know the Safeway on Mineral in Littleton had a slightly different ad when it opened for about a year with 'Grand Opening' specials. Do these different KS ads come in the weekly mailer or in the newspaper?

Yes, mostly the ads are the same, online, but there are occasional differences. It could also be that the drop down list allows King Soopers to extract info from what stores people are seeking ads. I do not get the newspapers and I receive a mailing of the ads; those sometimes vary from what my parents get, as I said in the same city of Arvada. In addition, specific mailings are made with coupons that reflect what you buy, how much you buy. It comes from their data when you use the buying card.

Livecontent

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Where did I attack Wal-Mart employees? Wal-Mart employees (when you can actually find one to help you) are decent folks.

The company itself is a POS. When you buy your cheap Chinese crap from Wal-Mart you're buying from a company that strong-arms its suppliers into outsourcing American manufacturing jobs to China. Think of the thousands of decent-paying manufacturing jobs that have been replaced with near-minimum-wage retail jobs. Awesome. Does wonders for our standard of living here in America.

But yeah, go ahead and delude yourself about the sanctity and wholesomeness of Wal-Mart.

I find your post lacking in knowledge about commerce. However, you have every right to generate your thoughts from any source you choose.

I choose to look at the positive effects of Walmart on retailing and their history of offering more honest pricing in the marketplace. The origin of the concept by Sam Walton was to offer the lowest price possible in small towns where the non-competitive retailer was overcharging--that is how he built the business--that concept remains.

If you shop bargains, like I do, you will see that prices go up and down, frequently, on products. They react quickly to the margins necessary to make a profit. Other stores maintain a higher price, than necessary, and lure you in with occasional bargains.

The competition of Walmart has achieved the lowering of prices and the reducing of profits from overpricing and price gouging from other retailers and manufacturers. In addition, it initiated in the marketplace the huge discounts offered on generic prescriptions drugs, that other retailers are now forced to follow--and they all still make a profit on those sales.

It makes me laugh when you people criticize Walmart for lower wages; yet they provide better benefits than other businesses.

You frequently patronage restaurants and pay outlandish prices for prepared foods, while at the same time supporting the garbage wages and benefits that the employees get. You even subsidize and contribute to the slavery by tipping; thereby allowing the greedy owners to continue to offer low wages. Yet, I never hear protests or boycotts of high price trendy restaurants because you need the place to stroke your overfed egos.

Protest all you want about Walmart but most working people are served very well by the idea of lower prices. Protest all you want sitting over your luxury foods bought from phony, fake retailers like Whole Foods--who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Livecontent

[eon-krate32]

I've never had any issue with the KS up here in Longmont...

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Protest all you want about Walmart but most working people are served very well by the idea of lower prices. Protest all you want sitting over your luxury foods bought from phony, fake retailers like Whole Foods--who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Livecontent

While I can't disagree with you that Whole Foods is way overpriced, I'm confused as to what you consider to be "luxury foods"? Are foods produced the old fashioned way, without pesticides, chemicals, genetic modification, high fructose corn syrup, etc. luxuries?

[Brian_M]

livecontent, none of your post addressed the issue mentioned by bluescreen. You completely sidestepped the issue and went off on a completely different tangent. I think you may be fooling yourself a bit (as is normally the case with people who take extreme stances). Wal-Mart has, through their aggressive price shopping, cost thousands ~ if not tens of thousands ~ of US citizens their manufacturing jobs as the products are forced to be produced overseas. It may just be personal opinion, but I don't feel that products today are made anywhere near as well... they're just made Cheaply (both in terms of quality and price). Also consider the businesses you complained about 'overcharging', because they didn't have the ability to buy in Such mass quantity, or distribute earnings from one store to loss of another. Local stores that were completely run out of business by the strong arm of Wal-Mart. I assume you won't dispute that this has occurred en-mass, do you think that it was justified and generally a good thing?

I was in college at a time when Wal-Mart was still being universally praised, and thus we studied the company. That was right about the time his book came out too. There are good things and bad things about the company. It's brought good AND bad to the surface, usually in mas quantity.

Personally, I don't go out of my way to avoid Wal-Mart, but I certainly also don't go out of my way to visit one.

Brian

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by livecontent

I find your post lacking in knowledge about commerce. However, you have every right to generate your thoughts from any source you choose.

It's absolutely no secret that Wal-Mart dictates pricing to its suppliers. Either you find a way to make the products at a price Wal-Mart decides or Wal-Mart won't carry your product. So, a majority of the suppliers are forced to move production to China or find themselves excluded from Wal-Mart shelves. Companies like Ohio Art (the Etch-a-sketch folks) and Levi Strauss have had to move thousands of manufacturing jobs to sweatshops in China thanks to Wal-Mart. Again, a byproduct of "I want my lower prices."

Originally Posted by livecontent

I choose to look at the positive effects of Walmart on retailing and their history of offering more honest pricing in the marketplace. The origin of the concept by Sam Walton was to offer the lowest price possible in small towns where the non-competitive retailer was overcharging--that is how he built the business--that concept remains.

.
Sam Walton also stressed buying American. Now his heirs stress "Buy Chinese."

Originally Posted by livecontent

It makes me laugh when you people criticize Walmart for lower wages; yet they provide better benefits than other businesses.

Do benefits put people in houses? Do benefits buy clothing, food, and shelter? No. Wages do. There's a balance between wages and benefits. Wal-Mart could offer all their employees totally free health care, but their $8 or $9/hour wage isn't gonna help their standard of living.

Originally Posted by livecontent

You frequently patronage restaurants and pay outlandish prices for prepared foods, while at the same time supporting the garbage wages and benefits that the employees get. You even subsidize and contribute to the slavery by tipping; thereby allowing the greedy owners to continue to offer low wages. Yet, I never hear protests or boycotts of high price trendy restaurants because you need the place to stroke your overfed egos.

Protest all you want about Walmart but most working people are served very well by the idea of lower prices. Protest all you want sitting over your luxury foods bought from phony, fake retailers like Whole Foods--who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Livecontent

Lower prices are not the be-all, end-all. Lowering cost comes at a price. Layoffs, outsourcing, and a lowered standard of living. If you're willing to slit your own throat to save 10 cents on a can of baked beans, help yourself.

[wankel7]

KS is a block from my place. Works for me !

Although , I wish Sunflower was closer. I really really really like sunflower!

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by Brian_M

livecontent, none of your post addressed the issue mentioned by bluescreen. You completely sidestepped the issue and went off on a completely different tangent. I think you may be fooling yourself a bit (as is normally the case with people who take extreme stances). Wal-Mart has, through their aggressive price shopping, cost thousands ~ if not tens of thousands ~ of US citizens their manufacturing jobs as the products are forced to be produced overseas. It may just be personal opinion, but I don't feel that products today are made anywhere near as well... they're just made Cheaply (both in terms of quality and price). Also consider the businesses you complained about 'overcharging', because they didn't have the ability to buy in Such mass quantity, or distribute earnings from one store to loss of another. Local stores that were completely run out of business by the strong arm of Wal-Mart. I assume you won't dispute that this has occurred en-mass, do you think that it was justified and generally a good thing?

I was in college at a time when Wal-Mart was still being universally praised, and thus we studied the company. That was right about the time his book came out too. There are good things and bad things about the company. It's brought good AND bad to the surface, usually in mas quantity.

Personally, I don't go out of my way to avoid Wal-Mart, but I certainly also don't go out of my way to visit one.

Brian

You post is based on thought patterns of the college "group think" with little knowledge of real commerce. I understand, that is what you are taught and that is the environment that molds your thoughts. It was also my environment in the fake college classes taught by self-righteous professors. However, I realize it now, that much of what was taught in business classes was nonsense with very little practical knowledge.

Like it or not, the world runs on a world economy. Products made overseas are products that many times are produced with American investment, owned by American Companies, that generate profits, that add to the excessive high wages and pensions of the upper class who shop at Whole Foods, and overfeed at expensive restaurants and buy overpriced foods for showy consumption. That is the way it is for many and if they are satisfied then I cannot stop it; I just comment on the foolishness. Many people lives are made better by Walmart and we are satisfied; you cannot stop it; but you comments can be voiced, right or wrong.

Livecontent