Wal-Mart signifies all that is wrong in America

Thanks ehBeth!

To rephrase your article's story from Levis Strauss's perspective: Levi Strauss had pre-existing problems with its supply chain management and its product portfolio. So it fixed its supply chain management, and it added a low-end product line "for mass retailers" to its portfolio. Wal-Mart happened to be the catalyst for both, but Levis would have had to make both changes anyway. It seems unfair to me to blame Wal-Mart for them, especially since Levis sold its low-end line to other mass retailers as well.

Also note that according to the article, Levi Strauss's change in product policy may well cause it more harm than good, because adding low-end product lines damages the value of any high-end brand. Given that this argument applies to any brand name, isn't this reason to believe that the extent of such product policies is self-limiting?

The lower quality of the same brand name is as old as the first discount store. It's all too obvious with the light bulb inventory (as well as, incidentally, Home Depot) speaking of extensive experience in everything from ordinary incandescent lamps to halogen lamps that are ordinarily stocked in everywhere from small local hardware stores to huge warehouse stores. The practice of having a name manufactuer make units to your specification is a well hidden retail practice going back to when department stores used to carry TV's and other electronic equipment. It looks like a low price but in fact it's a model number that has been modified and given a new model number even though it looks like the same unit. It's not just the general quality, it's the omission of bells-and-whistles that are on the standard model. This is, of course, based on whether the name manufacturer will do it -- sometimes they will opt for convincing the large retailer into buying a larger quantity of the same model that is carried on other shelves. It is very tricky. As far as obscure brands, you'll find those in abundance at WalMart and Home Depot.
In lamps, it's Fiet Electric -- just plain junk. They're not only made with cheap labor but with very cheap parts.

Caveat emptor -- it is a zoo out there.

Yes it is, Lightwizard, and those to whom price is the only object are fair game. You get what you pay for. Always.

And without really conscientiously shopping (which men generally hate to do) you'd find that WalMart isn't always cheaper on the average and your taking a pretty good chance of getting lower quality merchandise. Is it logical to buy an article of clothing that will wear out in a few months while a well made garment can last for years? Even the poorest person is wiser to buy the better quality. In light bulbs, for instance, because of the flaky lamp life you'd be buying about three lamps to every one. This is based on studies for companies going back twenty years by me and a staff. So it's not just the instant savings perception that really is more of an illusion and is undercut by the lack of durability, it's the time going out and shopping two times too many. I guess some consider their own personal time as cheap, as well as less leisure and recreational time because of running constant errands.

In many cases it is.

Enjoy your WalMart shopping when you get to the U.S., Thomas.

In many cases it is. What are these cases? Perhaps woman may buy clothing that they only intend to wear a few times and throw away -- if you like the styles and the chintzy fabric in that in WalMart, go for it. However, things like sweatsuits which one likely wants to wear a lot even if they were to buy it in three colors, do you really only want it to look good through a few washings and don't mind when it starts coming apart at the seams? Good luck. Keep stylin' at WalMart. (No self-respecting Republican I know shops at WalMart). I'd like to know how many of these WalMart deferenders have actually been in a store and if so, will they continue to ignore that they are getting exactly what they are paying for and not a discount on much of anything of real quality? One of my friends is an avid golfer and told me he'd never buy equipment in WalMart as despite a few brand names it's priced exactly at the quality it represents. Because their products are almost all are made with very cheap foreign labor, their markup is a higher percentage than one would expect. They do not have an average low markup -- that is a fantasy.

*ahem*

A have to stop at Walmart on my way home from work.

To buy toothpaste maybe? One of the few things you can save on. But consider the time to pick up one tube of toothpaste -- your time must be cheap.
I do happen to buy three packaged tubes of toothpaste at either Sam's Club or Costco because in the long run it is a substantial savings. I usually spend $200. plus at one of the warehouse stores in one stop.

I will give them some credit for their "Equal" brand of drugstore items like their saline nasal spray but I wouldn't make a special trip just to buy it. I recently walked out of the local WalMart because the plant containers they had were all so butt ugly I was flabbergasted. The only reason I even walked in to see what they had is the nursery section is right on the street side of the parking and Lowe's is right next door who had some decent looking planters.

You've never had kids have you? What is the point of buying clothes last will last years when the kid will out grow them in 4 or 5 months? Interestingly, the Champion brand T-shirts I bought a few weeks ago are the identical items sold through "We Play" sporting goods stores yet they were half the price.



I'd like to know if YOU'VE ever been in a Walmart? I've been into Walmart plenty of times. Please tell me what the difference is in quality between the 10W-40 Quaker State motor oil they sell and the stuff at the local auto parts store? Or the difference in quaility between their Charmin toilet paper and that sold in the grocery stores? Where can I go to buy the "real quality" versions? I'd hate to let it be known that I use the inferior quality versions Walmart sells!



Yeah, I wouldn't buy golf clubs at Walmart either. I also wouldn't buy them as Target, K-Mart, JC Penny, Sears or any place other than a golf shop. I'd bet that your friend the avid glofer doesn't buy his clubs at any of those department stores either. But then those types of stores don't carry Ping or Titelist clubs. They carry "McGregor" and similar crap. But they sell the exact same McGregor clubs that you can buy at a golf shop and they sell them cheaper than what the golf shops sell them for. If that's what you are looking for why not buy them there and save money at the same time?

In case you didn't notice, I just said I was in a WalMart. I didn't stress products without model numbers but more durable goods.

I purchase motor oil from Costco which has more of a selection and is lower than WalMart although somewhat the same price as Sam's Club. Again, thinks like toothpaste and motor oil are savings unless you're making a special trip just to buy a few quarts of oil. Again, your time must be very cheap and you like parking in those backed-up parking lots and trekking into that stadium sized store to buy one product. I maintain you save little doing that if your just charing off .40 cents a mile to operate your car.

I could go with kid's clothes and do shop for them for my relative's kids. I found better high quality at Robinsons May on a sale that weren't much different in price. My niece agrees that the low quality of WalMart doesn't even last the four or five months they can wear them and shes ended up buying replacements. That's what they want you to do. With any clothing, child or adult, it's as important how many times it can make it through the washer and dryer as much as wear when they are being used. If she has a boy this time, I guess she can't recycle the best clothes unless she suspect he's gay.

I said nothing, BTW, about oil or toothpaste -- they don't have model numbers.

A good buy for someone right now is the Mr. Coffee programmable coffee maker for $49.87 but they do charge $6.37 and sales tax in your state -- it's a discontinued model. The reason is likely that the glass coffee pots with warmers are declining in sales as the thermos models are gaining by leaps and bounds.

I recently bought the 8 cup with a thermos Mr. Coffee, the highest rated by Consumer Report, from Target for $39.90 and FREE SHIPPING.

Actually I've sworn off their nursery as everything I seem to purchase there ends up being diseased .

The MacGregor, BTW, are not the same as the MacGregor sold in golf shops.

Deleted by author.

I was composing while you posted that.



In my area Walmart is half the distance (10 miles instead of 22) it would be to go to either Costco or Sam's Club (or Target for that matter, it's right next to Costco..) and their parking lots aren't any better than the parking at Walmart.



But that is, I suspect, the type of thing that most people go to Walmart to buy. I wouldn't plan on going to Walmart to buy clothing (other than socks or undershirts), audio or computer equipment, furniture, etc.. but if I need a few quarts of oil, a bottle of windshield washer fluid, Tylenol, toothpaste, a stack of blank CDs, a box of pens and a new address book I can grab brand names on all of them quickly in one stop and get out of there without getting ripped off.

Now it comes out -- WalMart is closer to your house. Glad you confessed or I would have been able to say you were using the sin of omission.

But many people do buy computers, electronics, furniture, et al. from WalMart (their computers are made to their specs). What I am saying is for those items it is not a competitive store. I buy blank DVDRam and DVD discs for burning my own video or audio on Websites who have a selection of brands and sell for less than WalMart and no sales tax so even a small amount for shipping makes the expense of using my car every more of a difference.. I'm glad you can quickly shoforp stuff like that quickly as the two WalMarts around here you need to take a safari and some extra food. They are f**cking huge and the parking lots are mobbed all day long. Then the one "superstore" with a market I went to was really an awakening. You can buy crappy vegetables and meat as you buy your motor oil and windshield wiper fluid.

That wasn't my point, but thanks for the good wishes, ehBeth.

Well, I purchased a bag of ore ida french fries, a package of hoffman hot dogs, a bottle of spicy miracle whip, a new dryer vent hose, and a set of new door locks.

After shopping for the EXACT same items at price chopper (only food), sears (hardware), Wegmans, P&C and Grossman's bargain outlet, I ended up saving $5.35.

Walmart is less than one mile from where I work and is on the way home.

My question is for Thomas as well as Wiz-Are there no ISO standards that define the quality control for representative products like toasters? Even though I derive no pleasure from shopping at a Wal Mart, I wonder whhether that dual quality claim is correct. Surely ISO standards have been imposed (voluntarily)on product manufacture so that basic issues like safety and durability are not overlooked.

I sometimes stop by their garden center to rescue an unwatered plant (for which they will gladly dicker a fairer price. I buy bloomed out lilies to plant for next years garden ), outside of a few things, Ive found that Wally Mart isnt necessarily cheaper on a lot of items. I went out shopping for another digital camera and found that the best price (and professional service and information) was provided by a local camera shop in the University town in Delaware

Farmerman --

to the best of my knowledge, the ISO 9000 family of standards defines generic procedures for quality control. Many companies require the implementation of these procedures from their suppliers as a precondition of doing business wih them. But I don't believe Wal-Mart is one of those companies. As I recall it, they specify an independent set of quality control procedures and require that their suppliers adhere to these. I'm afraid I have no idea how the Wal-Mart system compares to ISO 9000.