Petition going around Baltimore area.

[designer_genes]

Originally Posted by bus man

I don't know in what field you are educated, but it's apparently not business. Despite all the lofty PR stuff you may see in a company's mission statement, the fact is that businesses exist to maximize value for their stockholders, who are in fact the owners of the company. The good ones do this by offering a superior product or service at competitive prices, which draws in customers, which increases their revenue, which raises their stock prices, which increases value for the shareholders.

Sure, some companies -- the ones who tend to be overly worried about meeting Wall Street's quarterly forecasts instead of thinking long term -- will do what you've said. And for a time, this strategy might work. But in the long run, their services or products will be sufficiently subpar that competitors will be drawn to the market, offering better services or products and/or more competitive pricing. And so the corner-cutting companies will lose business, which will depress their stock prices.

So yes, taking care of your customers is generally a good way to take care of your stockholders. Smart managements know that to take care of one is to take care of the other, and handle their businesses accordingly.

Except when the market in question is a poverty stricken area with no other options and thus no competition.

[bus man]

Originally Posted by designer_genes

Except when the market in question is a poverty stricken area with no other options and thus no competition.

Thank you, you have just illustrated one of the benefits of competition in the marketplace. I will concede the point that any company that operates in such an environment (as a monopoly provider in a poverty stricken area that is not likely to draw competitors) may be less likely to provide a higher quality of product or service to its customers.

Please keep in mind, though, that while the particular CVS at Pennsylvania & North may have acted as a monopoly provider in its area (I don't know that they did, I'm just offering a point for the sake of discussion), the CVS corporation as a whole has plenty of competition, and presumably runs their business accordingly.

[designer_genes]

Originally Posted by bus man

Thank you, you have just illustrated one of the benefits of competition in the marketplace. I will concede the point that any company that operates in such an environment (as a monopoly provider in a poverty stricken area that is not likely to draw competitors) may be less likely to provide a higher quality of product or service to its customers.

Please keep in mind, though, that while the particular CVS at Pennsylvania & North may have acted as a monopoly provider in its area (I don't know that they did, I'm just offering a point for the sake of discussion), the CVS corporation as a whole has plenty of competition, and presumably runs their business accordingly.

I agree with you.

I don't know whether that particular CVS acted as a monopoly, I am just merely making the point that in poverty stricken areas/food deserts, the population is vulnerable and can sometimes be taken advantage of by companies that can act as such - caring more about their bottom line than the people they serve and lowering the quality of what they put out there because they can.

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by bus man

I don't know in what field you are educated, but it's apparently not business. Despite all the lofty PR stuff you may see in a company's mission statement, the fact is that businesses exist to maximize value for their stockholders, who are in fact the owners of the company. The good ones do this by offering a superior product or service at competitive prices, which draws in customers, which increases their revenue, which raises their stock prices, which increases value for the shareholders.

Sure, some companies -- the ones who tend to be overly worried about meeting Wall Street's quarterly forecasts instead of thinking long term -- will do what you've said. And for a time, this strategy might work. But in the long run, their services or products will be sufficiently subpar that competitors will be drawn to the market, offering better services or products and/or more competitive pricing. And so the corner-cutting companies will lose business, which will depress their stock prices.

So yes, taking care of your customers is generally a good way to take care of your stockholders. Smart managements know that to take care of one is to take care of the other, and handle their businesses accordingly.

Moderator cut: Personal attack

CVS is going to be concerned also about liability. They will be concerned about building a store in this area and finding their employees are targeted just because! I'm sure most of the world sees how logical baltimoreans are (throwing cinder blocks at fire engines!).