Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Granted, I won't buy hamburger meat at Wal-Mart, or really much of any meat, but the produce is garden fresh. Turnover of product ensures it will be fresh. And Libbey's Green Beans? Well, I've never gotten a dirty can of beans (or anything else).
If all the employees at your local WM look depressed, well.......sour customers will do that!
Do people realize that walmart has the same suppliers of food that any of your other stores have? Meat included. If your walmart has a butchers shop they are grinding and wrapping it every morning and putting it out on the shelf fresh.
Do people realize that walmart has the same suppliers of food that any of your other stores have? Meat included. If your walmart has a butchers shop they are grinding and wrapping it every morning and putting it out on the shelf fresh.
The meat supplier is the same but the quality isn't identical. Frozen shellfish is the same, but the pricing isn't.
ETA: Who in their right mind would spend $1500 on an American washer instead of a $300 Chinese washer? This is partly what people mean when they say America cannot compete. Nobody is willing to pay American prices for American goods.
I agree with your sentiment but the price difference isn't nearly as big as you assume simply because labor costs are pretty much the smallest cost component in a large manufactured item like a washing machine. Most of the cost is raw materials, with transportation & advertising taking up the next largest share and labor inputs are actually the lowest. So, yeah, labor costs would go up but also transport costs would go down, they'd no longer have to worry about currency exchange rates changing, and they could deliver the goods to the customers faster and on shorter notice.
We're probably talking about $300 vs $350 and, yes, many industries (especially the larger and more expensive the item they're selling) opt to localize production because it makes economic sense.
Walmart is still my store of choice for automotive oil and similar products. By far the cheapest price for leading brands of oil in 5 qt. bottles. Cheaper than Sams Club, Costco, or any auto parts store. Here in Austin the Walmart stores are bright, clean, and lines are usually not long at checkout. I also like that every Walmart will take old oil for recycling.
It costs me a whopping 2 dollars more to have WM do my oil change than to do it myself.That's 3.5 gallons of oil. Plus, if I count gas to get the oil to the recyclers it would have cost more. On top of that they cleaned the inside of my truck too and armor- alled it.
Both Wal Marts in my vicinity are clean, well lit
and well stocked, with the exception of ammunition.
I buy food and brand name products there (for less).
I agree with your sentiment but the price difference isn't nearly as big as you assume simply because labor costs are pretty much the smallest cost component in a large manufactured item like a washing machine. Most of the cost is raw materials, with transportation & advertising taking up the next largest share and labor inputs are actually the lowest. So, yeah, labor costs would go up but also transport costs would go down, they'd no longer have to worry about currency exchange rates changing, and they could deliver the goods to the customers faster and on shorter notice.
We're probably talking about $300 vs $350 and, yes, many industries (especially the larger and more expensive the item they're selling) opt to localize production because it makes economic sense.
The price difference I quoted is the actual price of buying American vs Chinese made washing machine. Most of the cost is going to be in the regulations though. I personally try to buy American and I buy New Balance shoes bc they are made in America and sell for the same price (or cheaper) as Chinese made shoes. Unfortunately, their shoes are made in China now too. At least they are starting to anyway.
I do not shop there because the shelves are always disorganized or bare, and there is no one to help me if I have a question. The carts are all banged up and no emphasis is placed on caring for the customer. There are never enough cashiers. Things are no cheaper than at many other stores nearby.
There is something else that bothers me about Walmart. They have a brand of clothing called "Faded Glory" with a flag logo. This seems like a slam against America to me, especially in light of how many of their products are made in China.
I heard they are starting a new effort to hire former military, so perhaps this is a recognition on Walmarts part that shoppers with any self esteem do not respond well to poor customer service. If they get employees who are used to organization and performance standards, the stores would benefit, for sure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
