New Walmart Pledge! Products made in USA.

[vacationhopeful]

A marketing pledge to buy $50 Billion of products made in USA for their stores.

To BUILD USA jobs and industry. I kid you not - my morning email from Walmart. I read that to mean SALES are down per square footage of their seasonal items, but not their necessities like milk and eggs (do food stamps count in sales volume?).

A marketing blitz for the winter seasonal shoppers and the end of year holiday market. Just be sure to check the boxes and labels for HOW much is made here.

 

[PigsDad]

Or better yet, don't patronize Walmart. Support your local retailer instead.

Kurt

 

[DaveNV]

Considering it's public knowledge that part of Wal-Mart's training for new employees is teaching them how to apply for food stamps and public-supported insurance, because they're too cheap to pay a living wage or offer benefits, it's not really surprising that they're trying to increase their public image.

Remembering, too, that it was Wal-Mart's buying power, and the power of their purchasing agents demanding vendors sell to them at ever-lower prices, that drove a lot of American-based companies out of business or offshore in the first place. So "building USA jobs" is kind of an oxymoronic approach for a huge corporation that destroyed a lot of American lives.

To me, getting the unwashed masses to rally around a "Made in America" drive seems a bit disingenuous, at the very least.

I am fortunate enough to afford to NOT shop at Wal-Mart. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

Dave

 

[geekette]

Considering it's public knowledge that part of Wal-Mart's training for new employees is teaching them how to apply for food stamps and public-supported insurance, because they're too cheap to pay a living wage or offer benefits, it's not really surprising that they're trying to increase their public image.

Remembering, too, that it was Wal-Mart's buying power, and the power of their purchasing agents demanding vendors sell to them at ever-lower prices, that drove a lot of American-based companies out of business or offshore in the first place. So "building USA jobs" is kind of an oxymoronic approach for a huge corporation that destroyed a lot of American lives.

To me, getting the unwashed masses to rally around a "Made in America" drive seems a bit disingenuous, at the very least.

I am fortunate enough to afford to NOT shop at Wal-Mart. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

Dave

I am completely with you.

I have disliked Walmart for a very long time as I happened to live in a dinky little town with downtown Ma and Pa shops as my clients "Before" (late 80s).

I hadn't been there but a month or two when Walmart moved in and downtown was decimated, shop after shop closing until it was vacant except for the coffee shop and mexican restaurant. I'm a capitalist, the free market decided, so, ok, maybe the little guys just couldn't be competitive. Flash forward to child labor issues, strong-arming vendors on RFI, for years it has been public knowledge that workers generally have no benefits, etc etc.

I also find most stores to be on the yukky side and the help not helpful, especially the surly cashiers. I'm sure there are some great folks that work there, but I don't seem to run across them. Customer service is not quite a big goal for many of the staff.

I don't quite recall when my personal boycott began, around the child labor and RFID time, but I will go in with someone else that wants to shop there (Mom) while I choose Target instead. Cleaner, courteous and attentive workers, great prices, less scary people in the parking lot at night ...

I will not buy WMT stock, either, as I need to like the companies I own, and I do not like them. I don't think they are a good corporate citizen and that makes a difference to me.

So suddenly trying to spin themselves as Pro American is lipstick on a pig, imo.

I also am happy that lowest price is not the only factor for me, but I have no problem with anyone else that wishes to shop there. People need to do what they need to do and feeding their families is going to rank higher for many than taking a stand, and I can respect that. It's just that this ploy hits me as smarmy pretense.

 

[laurac260]

I am completely with you.

I have disliked Walmart for a very long time as I happened to live in a dinky little town with downtown Ma and Pa shops as my clients "Before" (late 80s).

I hadn't been there but a month or two when Walmart moved in and downtown was decimated, shop after shop closing until it was vacant except for the coffee shop and mexican restaurant. I'm a capitalist, the free market decided, so, ok, maybe the little guys just couldn't be competitive. Flash forward to child labor issues, strong-arming vendors on RFI, for years it has been public knowledge that workers generally have no benefits, etc etc.

I also find most stores to be on the yukky side and the help not helpful, especially the surly cashiers. I'm sure there are some great folks that work there, but I don't seem to run across them. Customer service is not quite a big goal for many of the staff.

I don't quite recall when my personal boycott began, around the child labor and RFID time, but I will go in with someone else that wants to shop there (Mom) while I choose Target instead. Cleaner, courteous and attentive workers, great prices, less scary people in the parking lot at night ...

I will not buy WMT stock, either, as I need to like the companies I own, and I do not like them. I don't think they are a good corporate citizen and that makes a difference to me.

So suddenly trying to spin themselves as Pro American is lipstick on a pig, imo.

I also am happy that lowest price is not the only factor for me, but I have no problem with anyone else that wishes to shop there. People need to do what they need to do and feeding their families is going to rank higher for many than taking a stand, and I can respect that. It's just that this ploy hits me as smarmy pretense.

First of all, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought WalMart STARTED with the premise that they only "sold American whenever possible?"

Secondly, I dislike WalMart because I think they take advantage of folks who cannot afford to shop elsewhere. They build this big beautiful store in underprivileged neighborhoods, then let them go to hell, shelves broken, product in disarray. Like "poor people" don't deserve decent stores.

 

[PigsDad]

So suddenly trying to spin themselves as Pro American is lipstick on a pig, imo.

Best line ever! Well stated.

I, too, remember when Walmart advertised about all of their American-made merchandise (80's and into the 90's). But then they began to force their suppliers to lower their prices, and the only way that was happening was to outsource manufacturing overseas. Seemed that Walmart didn't have a problem with that, and the "American-made" advertising stopped.

Kurt

 

[vacationhopeful]

I am completely with you.

<snip>
So suddenly trying to spin themselves as Pro American is lipstick on a pig, imo.

<snip>.

I was trying so hard to not get this thread closed within the first 10 minutes that I posted it.

geekette, your comments are my exact feelings! And I don't like shopping in there. They closed downtowns and main streets across America. And then, that one heir decided to buy up art work and ship it to Bentonville, Ark from a Philadelphia hospital and medical school for a $68 Million for 1 picture. That was what the Philadelphia Art Museum budgets for a YEAR for all its acquistions. So the heiress and hospital, to appease the Philadelphia public for losing this public art treasure, allow 30 days to MATCH the Walmart offer.

Dang - the public rallied and non-art donor with alike, got the $68 Million collected (but 3 other Eakins paintings and 2 drawings were SOLD by Philadelphia Art Museum and Academy of Fine Arts) and GOT the picture brought. Now, the Philadelphia Art Museum owns it - but it is stay right in the same city as it was painted and the hospital got a reproduction hung where it had been hanging since 1917 (near the operating theater where the painter had painted it - in 1875). (137 years earlier).

Wanted a WORLD CLASS art museum in Bentonville --- should have contributed for medical insurance for their employees --- but the heir brought LOTS of other paintings for her museum.

re: Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins; Thomas Jefferson Hospital.

 

[SMHarman]

Not to mention their abuse of the few laws that exist around planning and development in Mexico.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/business/walmart-bribes-teotihuacan.html?pagewanted=all

SAN JUAN TEOTIHUACÁN, Mexico — Wal-Mart longed to build in Elda Pineda’s alfalfa field. It was an ideal location, just off this town’s bustling main entrance and barely a mile from its ancient pyramids, which draw tourists from around the world. With its usual precision, Wal-Mart calculated it would attract 250 customers an hour if only it could put a store in Mrs. Pineda’s field.

One major obstacle stood in Wal-Mart’s way.

After years of study, the town’s elected leaders had just approved a new zoning map. The leaders wanted to limit growth near the pyramids, and they considered the town’s main entrance too congested already. As a result, the 2003 zoning map prohibited commercial development on Mrs. Pineda’s field, seemingly dooming Wal-Mart’s hopes.

But 30 miles away in Mexico City, at the headquarters of Wal-Mart de Mexico, executives were not about to be thwarted by an unfavorable zoning decision. Instead, records and interviews show, they decided to undo the damage with one well-placed $52,000 bribe.

 

[geekette]

First of all, correct me if I am wrong, but I thought WalMart STARTED with the premise that they only "sold American whenever possible?"

Secondly, I dislike WalMart because I think they take advantage of folks who cannot afford to shop elsewhere. They build this big beautiful store in underprivileged neighborhoods, then let them go to hell, shelves broken, product in disarray. Like "poor people" don't deserve decent stores.

I'm not sure about the early promises, I simply don't remember. I didn't really know what they were until competition ceased in that little town. I was struggling and discovered Marsh supermarkets and didn't shop elsewhere (no grocery in Walmart back then, really just trying to feed myself and keep a roof over my head, even cheap frills were out).

Yes, they let some stores go to hell and far too often allow bad/broken/no lighting in parking lots of their 24 hr stores. Bad Corporate Citizen, Bad Community Citizen. I would never be in favor of tax abatements or any other incentives to get them to move anywhere near me. Those aren't the jobs I want for my neighbors.

Just like I don't require rock bottom prices on cheap crap, I also don't need dividends badly enough to support their practices.

Maybe if they started donating 50% of their annual profits to worthy causes, like food pantries, shelters, children's charities, I might not hate them anymore, but liking them is probably never going to be possible for me.

 

[geekette]

Not to mention their abuse of the few laws that exist around planning and development in Mexico.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/business/walmart-bribes-teotihuacan.html?pagewanted=all

vomit worthy.

I think their fight around here to build a behemoth in Quaintsville is so far unsuccessful, and I'm thrilled the citizens kept their zoning in place (these aren't folks in need of bribes, demographically).

I think wmt was heading back to the drawing board to shrink their building to fit or shopping the border township. certainly there will be arm-twisting, but I think the well-to-do want better jobs for their teens and wish to keep boutiquey areas.

I wish there were a limit to how many of any retailer can be within a whatever radius. we don't need retail on every block and I'm not in favor of paving more land. Force em to reuse abandoned shopping centers.

 

[geekette]

Best line ever! Well stated.

I, too, remember when Walmart advertised about all of their American-made merchandise (80's and into the 90's). But then they began to force their suppliers to lower their prices, and the only way that was happening was to outsource manufacturing overseas. Seemed that Walmart didn't have a problem with that, and the "American-made" advertising stopped.

Kurt

Thank you, it seemed like dictionary definition.

 

[siesta]

Never shopped at walmart, we dont even have one in our town, which is not surprising considering the average household income here (winnetka,il). I see them as the epitomy of the big corporation with no soul. They could care less about their employees or the communities that support them. I support local business whenever possible, and buy american whenever available, even if that means paying more. Walmart isn't fooling me with this publicity stunt.

The only exception I have to my "buy american" rule is with automobiles. I buy german. However, the tesla model S with the performance package has sure caught my eye ...

 

[pedro47]

This is going to be hard for Wal-Mart because everything is made in China. The largest pork company in America, Smithfield Foods was purchased by a company from China this month.

The majority of all manufacturing products comes from China.

 

[persia]

Walmart played a major role in shipping production to China, so it's rather pathetic of they to try a buy American campaign. This bit of hypocracy makes me proud to say I have never been in a Walmart.

 

[ricoba]

Soap box threads like this almost motivate me to head on over to the nearest Wally World and get my shop on! :ignore::annoyed:

 

[dioxide45]

I am fortunate enough to afford to NOT shop at Wal-Mart. I sincerely hope it stays that way.

Dave

I guess those of us that shop at Walmart are unfortunate?

 

[StevenTing]

I thought I remembered seeing an ad during the Super Bowl that say something like this. When you look at the fine print it was $50 billion over 10 years. So that's $5 billion a year. How much are their annual revenues. I think they were like 300 billion. So this really only accounts for less than 2% of their sales.

It's nice In thought bought I would be more impressed if it was like 10-15% of revenues.


--
Sent using Tapatalk

 

[am1]

As an international company Walmart should buy the best cheapest products it can. They must be doing something right with that many sales.

Walmart offers customers:
-clean washrooms
-lots of variety and inventory
-lots of parking
-good return policy
-good prices
-open long hours and 7 days a week
-accepts credit cards
-stores have similar layout
-good locations

I think anything people have against Walmart should really be placed where it is deserved. Walmart execs have a duty to their shareholders to make as much profit as they can.

Very little of my shopping is done at Walmart.

 

[bogey21]

I'm no fan of Walmart and rarely shop there but the pretty universal animosity in this thread toward Walmart surprises me.

George

 

[SMHarman]

As an international company Walmart should buy the best cheapest products it can. They must be doing something right with that many sales.

Walmart offers customers:
-clean washrooms
-lots of variety and inventory
-lots of parking
-good return policy
-good prices
-open long hours and 7 days a week
-accepts credit cards
-stores have similar layout
-good locations

I think anything people have against Walmart should really be placed where it is deserved. Walmart execs have a duty to their shareholders to make as much profit as they can.

Very little of my shopping is done at Walmart.

So does Costco but they treat their staff well and don't giver them handouts on how to supplement their income with government support and SNAP.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

 

[dioxide45]

So does Costco but they treat their staff well and don't giver them handouts on how to supplement their income with government support and SNAP.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

Actually, Costco doesn't accept credit cards except AmEx. They also don't have very long hours, at least on the weekends, only open till 6:00pm. For us, they don't have good locations or lots of parking either. Don't get me wrong, we love Costco and drive 40 minutes each way ever couple of months to shop there.

 

[Passepartout]

Our community successfully kept WallyWorld out of here for many years. There is one in a neighboring town in another county and another one in a town 40 miles away. Both of those communities are both more rural and more Hispanic. Wally does well there.

Finally, after many presentations to our city fathers and mothers, and several concessions- like a less 'Big Box' architecture and tones down signage and walls hiding automotive and garden shop areas, and assurances that 'associates would be given a level of health care and other benefits, they won building permits.

I have darkened their doors perhaps twice. It helps that it's about as far away from my side of town as possible and still be in the city limits. Anything is more convenient.

I remember a river trip some 10 years ago on the Yangtse in China. We went upstream, and there was a veritable parade of boats laden with containers going downstream to be loaded on container ships to Wal Mart. Or so we were told.

I think that this flag waving from their leadership is disingenuous at best and downright deceitful at worst.

Jim

 

[laurac260]

Our community successfully kept WallyWorld out of here for many years. There is one in a neighboring town in another county and another one in a town 40 miles away. Both of those communities are both more rural and more Hispanic. Wally does well there.

Finally, after many presentations to our city fathers and mothers, and several concessions- like a less 'Big Box' architecture and tones down signage and walls hiding automotive and garden shop areas, and assurances that 'associates would be given a level of health care and other benefits, they won building permits.

I have darkened their doors perhaps twice. It helps that it's about as far away from my side of town as possible and still be in the city limits. Anything is more convenient.

I remember a river trip some 10 years ago on the Yangtse in China. We went upstream, and there was a veritable parade of boats laden with containers going downstream to be loaded on container ships to Wal Mart. Or so we were told.

I think that this flag waving from their leadership is disingenuous at best and downright deceitful at worst.

Jim

I was going to post this, before you did, but got distracted with something else. So I will tag your post...

I was at my brother's house one day, a few years ago, and he walked me into his computer room. He had just gotten this hugamongus new computer screen, and also wanted to show me something he stumbled upon on google earth. It was a shot of a port in China. As far as you could see, there were acres and acres of docks, ocean liners, warehouses, roads to the warehouses and docks, it went on and on forever. It was rather eery.

 

[ricoba]

As far as you could see, there were acres and acres of docks, ocean liners, warehouses, roads to the warehouses and docks, it went on and on forever. It was rather eery.

You don't have to go to China to see this.

Simply visit the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA, where most of the ships from China disembark their goods for the eager American public.

 

[DaveNV]

I guess those of us that shop at Walmart are unfortunate?

Not at all. It's a personal choice. If you like shopping there, that's your business, and none of mine. But just as you have your choice, I choose not to shop there, primarily because I don't like how they treat their employees. No judgment of others, just my personal feelings on the subject. (A full-time employee at Wal-Mart averages $8.81 per hour, according to this website: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/walmart-employee-average-salary.html)

Dave