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.
I agree that any business should be free to open its doors in New York City as long as it complies with local zoning laws. Wal-mart has historically forced communities to adapt around its footprint, this would certainly not be likely in NYC.
I do however think it is important to note that Wal-mart does have some unethical business practices. People can consider them and decide if they want to be patrons or not.
Wal-mart employs third world labors including workers at Wal-Mart suppliers in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Swaziland, and Nicaragua who filed a class action lawsuit in Sept of 2005 for being forced to work in sweat shops while receiving no compensation or being paid substandard wages. (Lawsuit ongoing)
Wal-mart considers 28 hours a week full time, this helps them cut labor cost and avoid paying for medical and retirement benefits. Their HR department encourages their employees to seek public assistance to help subsidize their low wages.
Wal-mart actively prohibits unionizing by isolating union supporting employees and firing them (class action lawsuit ongoing)
Wal-mart has historically penalized those who do work over 40 hours a week by amending their time cards to avoid paying over-time (class action lawsuit ongoing)
Wal-mart discriminates against women in the work place (class action lawsuit ongoing)
Wal-mart engages in price gouging by strong arming their suppliers to undercut whole sale pricing. Some call this capitalism others might call it a monopoly.
Often, Wal-mart will lobby local communities and pay off public officials to receive millions in subsidies to open a new retail outlet, truly embracing the idea of the FREE market.
Wal-mart insures their employers with what is called "death policies" which pays out upon an employees death with Wal-mart as the sole benificiary. In fairness several large companies do this with out your knowledge.
Wal-mart leaves their fertilizers and pesticides exposed in large open lots leading to run off from the rain water that has caused some serious health problems for a few communities as it has contaminated their drinking water.(Lawsuit settled)
But hey they do have rock bottom prices to match their rock bottom ethics.
The big drawback to capitalism is that is there is a terminal destination in any capitalistic paradigm, the terminal destination is always monopoly. It may take a dozen years it may take 100 years but the result of monopoly must always be avoided. Monopoly must be avoided because it is a terrible situation for workers, consumers and the society at large. There is a reason they broke up Standard oil.
Wal-Mart is a machine built for one thing; fast monopoly creation. It knocks the competition out the box, forces businesses nearby to close and mitigates the possibility for anyone that leaves within an earshot of a wal-mart to ever start their own business to compete with one of the dozens of roles that Wal-Mart playsin a community. Wal-Mart turns production into slavery by forcing every supplier to use sweatshop labor in some dirty Chinese backwater. The iron law of production is that cheap goods chase out quality goods, with Wal-Mart in the mix products have turned into cheap disposable garbage.
With all that being said Wal-Mart is still more expensive than the local stores. We are blessed with here in the NY area with grocery store competition. Lucky for us we have been able to keep out Wal-Mart and competition has flourished. Bring in Wal-Mart and the competition will be killed. With the competition killed the Wal-Mart monopoly machine can work its magic and watch those prices go up up and away as the home office gets the monopoly pay back that the store was built to create.
Like the HIV virus or some other STD it is always easier deny bodily entry to a virus rather than eliminate it once it has entered your system. Abstinence is the best policy with Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is such a virulent strain of parasite that it is likely to cause the death of the host if the host was attempt to destroy the parasite Wal-Mart.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarah2k9
If Walmart is such a monopoly machine as you said, should it be broken up like Standard Oil or AT&T?
Didn't the state of Vermont officially ban Wal-Mart from opening any stores within its borders? That should have told us something. New York City does not need Wal-Mart (although I'm sure Wal-Mart would like very much to infest New York City!)
Didn't the state of Vermont officially ban Wal-Mart from opening any stores within its borders? That should have told us something. New York City does not need Wal-Mart (although I'm sure Wal-Mart would like very much to infest New York City!)
I came across this thread and have to reply. I've lived in N.Y.C., Bronx, N.J., the midwest and Fl., and the arguments don't change a bit. Now in smalltown Ohio with a recently opened Super Walmart (aprox. 5 years ago) I heard cries of impending doom for all local stores and all about the evils of Walmart. Well, here are the facts. 1 grocery closed, but it was weak before the new competition. The other supermarket and most of the businesses are stronger than ever. They did not try to compete head to head. The supermarket went to a upscale offering (something you can't find at WM) and is doing well. I can't simpathize with a store that sits and whines that they can't compete. Remember, in 1962 Sam Walton started one of those "mom ad pop" stores when retail was dominated by Sears, Pennys, and yes, even the dreaded K-mart. He obviously didn't hear that you can't compete against the giants and won by pure good business practices. But all you WM haters take heart-some other small outfit will win out and be the new giant(maybe Dollar store types?) They all lose in the end. (See GM, Chrysler, ATT, K-mart, Montgomery Ward, Sears, Pennys and many more-not gone but shadows of their former selves,- the companies that could all dictate to their suppliers. It's amusing that NY who claims to be on the leading edge of everything is the place that cries the loudest at something different.
It's amusing that NY who claims to be on the leading edge of everything is the place that cries the loudest at something different.
Theres nothing "different" or "cutting edge" about walmart. Don't kid yourself. Oh and I am really happy about your small town in Ohio, I am sure a super walmart was a great addition to your town.
I live near the Queens/Nassau border on the Queens side and I am about 5 minutes away from the Valley Stream Walmart. Most (huge percentage) of the customers at the Valley Stream store are actually from Queens and Brooklyn. This has caused this Walmart to endure the negativity it has received. The unfortunate death of the worker on Black Friday was caused by this crowd -- how much of a savage can you be for something that is 97 cents. Now I know I am going to get some flack on this, but go to any of the Wal-marts further out on Long Island away from Queens and Brooklyn and you will see a huge difference in the customer base.
Please let them open the store in Brooklyn so these clowns can stop coming to my neighborhood and ruining it. Like it or not, but the truth is the truth. It is to the point where the people that live near the Valley Stream store on both the Eastern Queens and Western Nassau sides won't even go there, we rather drive to the Westbury or Massapequa Wal-marts. I will probably get some flack on this too, from the Eastern Queens/Western Nassau people, for giving away our secret locations.
Besides, the opening of the Brooklyn store would keep their tax dollars in NYC and would provide jobs as well.
Last edited by mrtracey; 04-05-2011 at 06:56 AM..
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.
Wal-Mart the monopoly machine
