Walmart and Big Box Retail Development Bans in Cities across America

[thelakelander]

I'm not here to defend Walmart and I'm not going to waste time trying. However, if you're willing to dig a little deeper, you'll discover Walmart is not so unique. I'm away from the computer today, which is why my responses are short.

[I-10east]

^^^Remember Lake, we are supposed be brainwashed to believe that Wal-Mart is the only evildoer out there. Haha, that's laughable, no other supermarket takes part in any notable 'unethical practices' only just Wal-Mart. Unbelievable. SMH.

[stephendare]

I'm not here to defend Walmart and I'm not going to waste time trying. However, if you're willing to dig a little deeper, you'll discover Walmart is not so unique. I'm away from the computer today, which is why my responses are short.

Well Im not here to vilify walmart.  The question was asked as to why a Walmart would be objected to.

I do think that communities should think twice about the impact on their local economies before they pay for the expensive infrastructure and changes necessary to accomodate the big box retailers.

[stephendare]

I'm not here to defend Walmart and I'm not going to waste time trying. However, if you're willing to dig a little deeper, you'll discover Walmart is not so unique. I'm away from the computer today, which is why my responses are short.

Well Im not here to vilify walmart.  The question was asked as to why a Walmart would be objected to.

I do think that communities should think twice about the impact on their local economies before they pay for the expensive infrastructure and changes necessary to accomodate the big box retailers.

A more cynical person would suggest that land planners could effectively use walmart development as a way to keep rural and backward communities both rural and economically undeveloped.  And maybe that is a greater good to be considered.  But I don't think that they are good things for small towns hoping to become more than small towns.

[thelakelander]

Such a cynical person should be checked for rabies. Yes, I'm sure land planners are conspiring with Walmart, Dr. Evil style, to keep the Macclennys of the world down. 

[ronchamblin]

More insomniatic thoughts.

The process of economic growth in our modern times involves increased efficiencies never before envisioned.  The big-box store trend is only one aspect of increasing efficiency.  This trend toward increasing efficiencies in production and distribution will tend to remove jobs from the local environment, and therefore we will, out of necessity, and so that we might maintain order and peace in the valley, move toward a kind of socialism.   

Also, I suspect that the property taxes paid by the big-box operation in the suburbs is much less than the total paid by the many independents it displaced, thus causing further depression to the local economy.       

[I-10east]

I think that alot of these 'urban-zombie, nothing should be built outta the core' extreme-types secretly and even outspokenly root for everything in the suburbs (Wal-Marts, and other big boxes etc) to fail, and that's IMO that's a very stupid and trivial mentality to have, just so you can say 'see I told you'. NOBODY ever roots for anything downtown to fail. I know that it's unrealistic, but If it was up to me, I want to see every business in this damn metro to be occupied overflowing with success, keeping the city's commerce going good.

[Ocklawaha]

Do you believe if Target, Kmart, or Meijer opened instead of Walmart that those businesses would have a better chance of survival?

This is also the subject of a documentary movie.

Not so much, Target tends to be a upscale version of Wal-Mart, but they tend to locate where the money is. Wal-Mart has 450% more police calls then Target. Kmart/Sears is slowly checking out of retail all together and moving ahead with 'Sears Holdings,'  a retail land and lease corporation. I think the whole key to this is why some wholesalers will go far below their profitable margins to sell goods to Wal-Mart for a fraction of their normal wholesale price.  This simply makes it impossible for a local store  to compete.  They have a well documented record of telling manufacturers what to make and how much they'll pay for it, this is always done with a thinly veiled threat of buying it off shore.

[bill]

^^^Remember Lake, we are supposed be brainwashed to believe that Wal-Mart is the only evildoer out there. Haha, that's laughable, no other supermarket takes part in any notable 'unethical practices' only just Wal-Mart. Unbelievable. SMH.

1st step create Straw Man......

[thelakelander]

Do you believe if Target, Kmart, or Meijer opened instead of Walmart that those businesses would have a better chance of survival?

I think the whole key to this is why some wholesalers will go far below their profitable margins to sell goods to Wal-Mart for a fraction of their normal wholesale price.  This simply makes it impossible for a local store  to compete.  They have a well documented record of telling manufacturers what to make and how much they'll pay for it, this is always done with a thinly veiled threat of buying it off shore.

Sort of like what Rockefeller's Standard Oil did to the railroads and what McDonald's does to potato farmers. I wonder how many who speak ill of Walmart have purchased fries from Micky D's over the last year?

I highly suspect many of these practices are done by several large corporations. So what is the line where one company becomes more unethical than the next?

[spuwho]

Actually, old-man Walton had a buy USA regimen in place before he died. I remember when Walmart was complaining that they couldn't find enough US suppliers for certain products that they wanted to sell. This was a soft offset to the concept that they took over small town retail USA.

Then when he died and the kids took over, it was margin before everything. That meant China had to rule the supply chain. In fact the kids were so obsessed with margin they had the infamous "we let prices get too low" comment and said they were raising them. Man, did that backfire.

On the flip side, Walmart has been amassing this huge global logistics operation, which does employ a significant amount of people in rural USA and elsewhere.  There really isn't any other reason to ignore US manufacturing other than to differentiate by margin. Problem is, everyone is sourcing from China now, so one has to differentiate elsewhere.

Time to market has been an ongoing issue for Walmart for years. They have to predict in summer what they think US buyers will buy in Christmas. This means China Inc. has to ramp up much earlier to get it shipped and distributed in time to stock. This has always been an inventory risk for them.

Get manufacturing closer to distribution allows them to cut some time off on the inventory risk. Reduce the amount of post-holiday rollbacks because what they stock is closer to what people really want.

[I-10east]

1st step create Straw Man......

That is so offbase til' it aint funny. I didn't create anything; Wal-Mart's success 'created' haters.

[civil42806]

Actually, old-man Walton had a buy USA regimen in place before he died. I remember when Walmart was complaining that they couldn't find enough US suppliers for certain products that they wanted to sell. This was a soft offset to the concept that they took over small town retail USA.

Then when he died and the kids took over, it was margin before everything. That meant China had to rule the supply chain. In fact the kids were so obsessed with margin they had the infamous "we let prices get too low" comment and said they were raising them. Man, did that backfire.

On the flip side, Walmart has been amassing this huge global logistics operation, which does employ a significant amount of people in rural USA and elsewhere.  There really isn't any other reason to ignore US manufacturing other than to differentiate by margin. Problem is, everyone is sourcing from China now, so one has to differentiate elsewhere.

Time to market has been an ongoing issue for Walmart for years. They have to predict in summer what they think US buyers will buy in Christmas. This means China Inc. has to ramp up much earlier to get it shipped and distributed in time to stock. This has always been an inventory risk for them.

Get manufacturing closer to distribution allows them to cut some time off on the inventory risk. Reduce the amount of post-holiday rollbacks because what they stock is closer to what people really want.

Logistics is the secret of all production and sales

[civil42806]

Such a cynical person should be checked for rabies. Yes, I'm sure land planners are conspiring with Walmart, Dr. Evil style, to keep the Macclennys of the world down. 

Come on its all one great conspirecy, be it 5 sided pyramids, the infamous 9/11, the galveston hurricane, the mission to mars.  You just need to keep an open mind

[Ocklawaha]

I'm sure that Wal-Mart see's the Macclenny's of the world as just another untapped market, but the guy at the local ace hardware, the haberdasher or milliner are in deep trouble as soon as Wally hits town.