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If you could shut down one business...

Started by hotdogPi, August 26, 2019, 08:56:47 AM

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wanderer2575

Quote from: ozarkman417 on August 26, 2019, 10:30:22 PM
Quote from: wanderer2575 on August 26, 2019, 10:19:08 PM
Quote from: ozarkman417 on August 26, 2019, 09:13:49 PM
Getting rid of Walmart would allow for a massive increase in locally owned stores of all kinds.
SM-G965U

Right, because someone is holding a gun to consumers' heads and forcing them to buy from Amazon and big-box national retailers instead of shopping at locally-owned stores.

People are almost always going to pick the option that is the most convenient & cheap, and that option is Walmart a lot of the time. Without Walmart, people will pick the next best option, and in many places that would end up being a locally owned store or regional chain. Where I live there isn't a secondary chain like Publix, either.

True, but irrelevant to my point.  "Convenient and cheap," particularly the latter, is a consumer's choice if an independent or secondary-chain store is available.  It isn't forced on him.

Particularly galling to me are people who will visit a local brick-and-mortar location (be it independent or chain) to examine and try out a product and get all their questions answered by a salesperson, but then make the actual purchase online.  Of course that's often the cheapest option; the online retailer isn't carrying the costs of inventory and sales staffing, of which these people expect to take advantage for free.


froggie

I've been a Wells Fargo customer for over 20 years.  Now it's true that account scandal was a big problem, especially for those (presumably now-former) customers who were on the receiving end, but I have not had a problem with Wells Fargo.

I'll bite on one not yet mentioned:  Monsanto.  Between their aggressive lawsuits against innocent farmers, their R&D tactics, and their big contributions to the poisoning of the earth and crops (despite their claims, pesticides are not all positive), they're the one I'd pick.

SP Cook

Actually, before Wal-Mart there was just a quilt of regional chains who sold the same Asian sourced goods Wal-Mart does today.   The reason Wal-Mart won that survival of the fittest contest was not related to Asia, but that it was willing to use tight logistics and harsh dealing with said suppliers to push prices to the absolute lowest possible, while many of those that died out were fat, dumb and happy and happy to be fat, dumb and happy, and this resulted in higher prices and lower service.  It is a myth that Wal-Mart put out "mom and pop" or that Wal-Mart's predecessors did any more or less for "the local area". 

As to what company I would wish out of business if I could, as a cigar smoker, the twin giants of Imperial Tobacco (AKA Altadis, which sells slave made products) and Scandinavian Tobacco (AKA  General Cigar).  These twin companies are using the anti-smoking people to push through rules that, when fully implemented, will mean that they can do business as usual but every other company will be pushed out of the industry.


hbelkins

#28
Quote from: SP Cook on August 27, 2019, 10:26:45 AM
Actually, before Wal-Mart there was just a quilt of regional chains who sold the same Asian sourced goods Wal-Mart does today.   The reason Wal-Mart won that survival of the fittest contest was not related to Asia, but that it was willing to use tight logistics and harsh dealing with said suppliers to push prices to the absolute lowest possible, while many of those that died out were fat, dumb and happy and happy to be fat, dumb and happy, and this resulted in higher prices and lower service.  It is a myth that Wal-Mart put out "mom and pop" or that Wal-Mart's predecessors did any more or less for "the local area". 

I'd say Walmart is more responsible for killing Kmart than it is any locally-owned businesses.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

bugo

Any of the companies owned by the Trump family. Crooked and corrupt to the core, they have zero ethics and no shame.

bandit957

Walmart used to pride itself in carrying American-made products. That's why I purchased a TV there around 1997. It was American-made.

But no more. Try finding American-made electronics there now.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

Brandon

Quote from: froggie on August 27, 2019, 08:05:57 AM
I've been a Wells Fargo customer for over 20 years.  Now it's true that account scandal was a big problem, especially for those (presumably now-former) customers who were on the receiving end, but I have not had a problem with Wells Fargo.

I'll bite on one not yet mentioned:  Monsanto.  Between their aggressive lawsuits against innocent farmers, their R&D tactics, and their big contributions to the poisoning of the earth and crops (despite their claims, pesticides are not all positive), they're the one I'd pick.

Um, Monsanto is gone, see: Bayer.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

J N Winkler

I have my reservations about Walmart.  But, as I see it, they are following the logic of capitalism within a context that is defined by our reluctance to support a strong safety net or to insist on high labor standards, so I don't really see a strong justification for applying the corporate death penalty to them.  My choice would be Equifax, with its long history as a bad actor both before and after implementation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1973.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

bandit957

Electric utilities and phone companies are pretty much universally hated - except by a few people on Facebook who laughably defend them.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: bandit957 on August 27, 2019, 01:59:54 PM
Electric utilities and phone companies are pretty much universally hated - except by a few people on Facebook who laughably defend them.

I'd speculate shuttering PG&E after what happened to Paradise during the Camp Fire would be very popular in California. 

kphoger

Quote from: mrhappy1261 on August 26, 2019, 09:35:04 PM
Bank of America sucks, they charge you too much and they have really bad customer service.

Yeah, my bank vote would go to BoA as well.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

PHLBOS

Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 26, 2019, 10:50:33 PMWithout Walmart, they go to Target. Or Kmart. Or Bradlees. Or Caldor. Or Ames...
Bradlees, Caldor and Ames have been gone for years if not decades and Kmart seems to be presently on life-support... although there's still two of them near where I live.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

bandit957

Quote from: PHLBOS on August 27, 2019, 03:22:30 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 26, 2019, 10:50:33 PMWithout Walmart, they go to Target. Or Kmart. Or Bradlees. Or Caldor. Or Ames...
Bradlees, Caldor and Ames have been gone for years if not decades and Kmart seems to be presently on life-support... although there's still two of them near where I live.

There was another store like this called Gold Circle. It's been gone for years too.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

bandit957

Quote from: bandit957 on August 27, 2019, 03:23:40 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on August 27, 2019, 03:22:30 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 26, 2019, 10:50:33 PMWithout Walmart, they go to Target. Or Kmart. Or Bradlees. Or Caldor. Or Ames...
Bradlees, Caldor and Ames have been gone for years if not decades and Kmart seems to be presently on life-support... although there's still two of them near where I live.

There was another store like this called Gold Circle. It's been gone for years too.

Also, there was a store like this called Van Leunen's.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

Mark68

Quote from: bugo on August 27, 2019, 11:21:50 AM
Any of the companies owned by the Trump family. Crooked and corrupt to the core, they have zero ethics and no shame.


Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. They'll go bankrupt just like (almost) everything else he touches.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."~Yogi Berra

ozarkman417

Quote from: PHLBOS on August 27, 2019, 03:22:30 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 26, 2019, 10:50:33 PMWithout Walmart, they go to Target. Or Kmart. Or Bradlees. Or Caldor. Or Ames...
Bradlees, Caldor and Ames have been gone for years if not decades and Kmart seems to be presently on life-support... although there's still two of them near where I live.
All the 4-5 Kmarts in my city closed down around 2016, all around the same time. The last example, Target, simply isn't as common as Walmart. A city has to have 50k or so residents to have one unless they are some sort of major retail destination like Branson. Cities between 50-200k only seem get one, as opposed to 5+ supermarkets and even more "neighborhood markets".

SM-G965U


GaryV

Quote from: hbelkins on August 27, 2019, 11:14:04 AM
Quote from: SP Cook on August 27, 2019, 10:26:45 AM
Actually, before Wal-Mart there was just a quilt of regional chains who sold the same Asian sourced goods Wal-Mart does today.   The reason Wal-Mart won that survival of the fittest contest was not related to Asia, but that it was willing to use tight logistics and harsh dealing with said suppliers to push prices to the absolute lowest possible, while many of those that died out were fat, dumb and happy and happy to be fat, dumb and happy, and this resulted in higher prices and lower service.  It is a myth that Wal-Mart put out "mom and pop" or that Wal-Mart's predecessors did any more or less for "the local area". 

I'd say Walmart is more responsible for killing Kmart than it is any locally-owned businesses.
I'd say Kmart is more responsible for killing Kmart than any other business, local or global.

bandit957

Kmart never was all that great, to be quite frank.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

dvferyance

American Express they give you zero breaks if you miss a payment ridiculous.

Beltway

Quote from: bugo on August 27, 2019, 11:21:50 AM
Any of the companies owned by the Trump family. Crooked and corrupt to the core, they have zero ethics and no shame.

Shut down the "Clinton Foundation". 

The prince of corruption and should be busted thru RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) statutes.
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http://www.capital-beltway.com

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    (Robert Coté, 2002)

RobbieL2415

Disney.  They've gotten too big and their brand is largely a giant IP circlejerk.  Hard to believe that 40 years ago they were on the verge of bankruptcy.

Henry

Quote from: kphoger on August 27, 2019, 03:00:56 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on August 26, 2019, 09:35:04 PM
Bank of America sucks, they charge you too much and they have really bad customer service.

Yeah, my bank vote would go to BoA as well.
Same goes for me.

Quote from: thspfc on August 26, 2019, 09:10:07 PM
McDonalds or Walmart. They're dishonest and inconsiderate companies.
I've never had a problem with McDonalds, but totally agree with Walmart; its customer service sucks, its stores are drab as hell, and the products it sells are shitty, to say the least. Target has a much cheerier atmosphere, and while it may not be as common as Walmart, it succeeds in kicking major ass in the retail game.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

ozarkman417

Quote from: Henry on August 27, 2019, 11:19:55 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 27, 2019, 03:00:56 PM
Quote from: mrhappy1261 on August 26, 2019, 09:35:04 PM
Bank of America sucks, they charge you too much and they have really bad customer service.

Yeah, my bank vote would go to BoA as well.
Same goes for me.

Quote from: thspfc on August 26, 2019, 09:10:07 PM
McDonalds or Walmart. They're dishonest and inconsiderate companies.
I've never had a problem with McDonalds, but totally agree with Walmart; its customer service sucks, its stores are drab as hell, and the products it sells are shitty, to say the least. Target has a much cheerier atmosphere, and while it may not be as common as Walmart, it succeeds in kicking major ass in the retail game.

Despite Walmart being a lot more common, Target is a whole lot less crowded and therefore the lines are a lot shorter and it's less annoying the spend a long time there. I'll even go as far as to say that Target isn't as cold as your refrigerator, like Walmart is.

RobbieL2415




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