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Annals of Spin: Sellling Wal-Mart »
Posted by: deathray 2 years, 8 months agoWal-Mart has hired Democratic P.R. experts to help improve its reputation on such issues as low wages, miserly benefits, sex discrimination, and union busting.
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deathray
Hm...summarizing a life...Investment banker, sailor, unintentional gourmet cook. Ex US Naval officer, also Foreign Service. Split my time between NYC and Miami Beach ...
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Comments: 172
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deathray
March 31, 2007, 2:34 p.m.I read this story in the print edition of the magazine and thought it was a great commentary on manipulation of public opinion.
This is a really interesting story about how Leslie Dach was hired away from a Washington PR firm and was hired to "humanize" the image of Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart strategists are no fools, that's for sure...
Also, beware "astroturf" organizations!
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Eagle_Eye
March 31, 2007, 2:49 p.m.Wal-Mart is nothing more than an outlet for "Made in China" and I refuse to shop in them. The stores stink, the isles are crowded, products are cheap, employees are bitter, it is a family business out of control trying to grab every dollar they can.
They use to have the signs in the stores "Proud to Create American Jobs" in the late 80's. They would feature an American company and how they supported American business, no more. I think that began to change once Sam Walton died.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Walton at one of his first Sam's Club's in North Little Rock in 1990. He was a very down to earth man and supported my work. Let me come into the stores with my animals and gather support. That don't happen any more since the family members have gotten greedy.
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SusanParrishComment has been removed: User banned.
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stephen-johnson
March 31, 2007, 2:59 p.m.NYC is a Wal-Mart-free zone:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/business/28re...
Wal-Mart to New York: fuhgeddaboudit.
Frustrated by a bruising, and so far unsuccessful battle to open its first discount store in the nation's largest city, Wal-Mart's chief executive said yesterday, "I don't care if we are ever here."
H. Lee Scott Jr., the chief executive of the nation's largest retailer, said that trying to conduct business in New York was so expensive - and exasperating - that "I don't think it's worth the effort."
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david_nwpa
March 31, 2007, 3 p.m.I find it despicable that WalMart rolls into smaller communities with promises of providing discount shopping on thousands of products. They set up shop and lure in customers from all over. Smaller stores which once thrived in the community cannot keep up with WalMart's pricing. As a result, the mom-and-pop stores shut down. The local economy now centers around the local WalMart. Eventually, the WalMart folks decide they have peddled their wares long enough in the tiny town and realize it is time to leave. Once they disappear, so does the town. It has happened in too many communities in the US. "When WalMart comes Knocking" would have been a far better title for the article.
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deathray
March 31, 2007, 3:02 p.m.So far, it looks like no one is buying what Wal-Mart is sellinbg in the article...
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Bkumm
March 31, 2007, 3:40 p.m.Wal-mart is an excellent example of what happens when capitalism is allowed to run virtually unchecked. Examining Wal-mart and it's policies should be required reading in every economics class in the country. The Republicans should be in favor of what Wal-mart does, as it is capitalism in motion.
It isn't responsible, it isn't good for the country, but it is one of the factors in the current Administration being able to say that it has created thousands of new jobs. That is true, but an $8 an hour job at Wal-mart with no benefits isn't exactly the same thing as a guy making $50,000 with a full pension, now is it?
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not2needy
March 31, 2007, 4:49 p.m.I avoid Walmart as a rule. My husband does go there occasionally due entirely to the convenience as there is one right down the street. I will go a little further down the street to Meijers who sells much better brands, better quality and more American made products.
When i was a social worker i had several clients that worked at Walmart, i learned then just how poorly they treated their employees.
When i used to go to Walmart i would see a lot of senior citizens working there, and i wonder at how they are treated! As a senior myself, i know i couldn't go into retail and perform like a younger person and regardless of the store, retail is hard work.
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GoldStandard
March 31, 2007, 5:51 p.m.Wal-Mart has nothing to apologize for, and I urge them not to supply the cross that others wish to crucify them with.
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deathray
March 31, 2007, 5:59 p.m.Whether or not you support Wal-Mart, I find their tactics simply amazing. It's the illustration of their approach to redefining their business to a hostile market that I wanted to share with readers on Netscape/
I have a lot of respect for their abilities, even though I abhor some of their practices.
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NelsonR
March 31, 2007, 6:27 p.m.WalMart is globilization and globilization is not an attribute the middle class or the poor would advocate.
Yes, its desirable for the rich to become richer and China to perpetuate its shoddy wares on us, but how does low pricing benfit ourselves?
Fact, the rich are becoming richer and the middle class are being diminished daily, thats reality. Regardless of the Public Relations agencies employed by WalMart the truth will prevail, they are the perveyors of Americas demise for the benefit of foreign entities and the elitist who care not for a lower caste within society.
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denden79
March 31, 2007, 7:04 p.m.No matter what Wal-Mart/Sam's Club does, or who they get to speak/promote for them, I WILL NOT SHOP THERE!
They are/have been destroying the American dream of small businesses, conspired internally to get rid of any and all union sympathizers, keep wages low, and restrict medical benefits, while making the family owners some of the richest people in America!
The Walton family sucks, and I will continue to shop at K-Mart, Kroger, Big Lots, and Ashland/Marathon.
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ABANOCLA
March 31, 2007, 7:38 p.m.Gold Standard should alert walmart to the fact they have nothing to apologize for......that way they don't need to hire an overpriced pr firm and can pay their employees better.
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harriermech
March 31, 2007, 8:21 p.m.When did it become so wrong to make a lot of money in this country? If the people at Wal-Mart can hire someone for 8 bucks an hour good for them. That means the price of goods are cheaper for the consumer. If no one takes a job at 8 bucks an hour and they have to offer 10, 12, and 14 an hour then so be it that's what the market dictates. People on hear are all sad because of the goods coming from china well then tell the unions go away. They are the reason our jobs are leaving not Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a company and a company is a business and the business is about money like it or not.
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harriermech
March 31, 2007, 8:30 p.m.The reason unions don't like Wal-Mart is because they are not making any money from them. If you take the 815,000 employees Wal-Mart has and figure 20 bucks a month for union dues that comes out to be almost 2 billion a year. Yeah I can see way the unions don't like Wal-Mart.
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NelsonR
March 31, 2007, 9 p.m.harriermech - There you go again with Union bashing without taking into account the present wages Americans enjoy, well not lately, its reverting. I am not a fan of some of the things Unions do or the leadership BUT, would you like the elite to rule without a concensus among workers for better working conditions and pay. You are espousing without thinking. Union of the past have improved the way of life in America, with or without your inane comments.
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scotyhere
March 31, 2007, 10:28 p.m.There is a easy way to take down wal mart,stop shopping there and the second is to ask your congress and senators to stop the free trade and start taxing all goods that come into the U.S. Then we can use the money to help start and create new jobs,jobs that pay better,and we can really rely on ower selves again.this should be all items from japan,china,mexico,and so on.Lets start standing up for ourselves and for our country, the great US.If the law makers refuse then we vote in someone that will and hold them to there promises
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evelyna
March 31, 2007, 10:58 p.m.Anything that is any good you can never find in the stores. They want to shove their junk in your face and force you to buy.
There was a yellow vac that cost about $59 dollars. It was a great vac-you can never find it at any of the stores.
A portable vac with super suction-nowhere to be found. I did not mention the names.
I bought a computer cord at walmart for about $20.00 less than anywhere. It cost me a lot in agravation. There were about 20 parts in the bag and none, fit my computer. Just try to find a small computer part in the computer stores-no where to be found.
I am sick of going into stores and listening to the solicitations of management and cashiers asking me to buy their latest bargain.
Nothing but junk.
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NelsonR
March 31, 2007, 10:59 p.m.Another better analogy is from the news media yesterday saying a large retailer were going to fire over one thousand employees. Now these employees could ask for their job back but at a lesser pay scale. Someone enlighten me, I forgot this retailer but its big????????????????????
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AlohaDoc
April 1, 2007, 12:43 a.m.Personally, I love Wal*Mart. Here in Kauai they hire the mentally disable, they make sure that employees that have sickness like cancer get enough hours to maintain their health benefits. They must pay enough, 'cause there is only 2% unemployment here. So if one doesn't like the pay go some place else.
By the way, the Unions have caused their own problems. They are killing off the host. No good parasite ever does that.
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keyfitter
April 1, 2007, 1:27 a.m.The only way small business can beat any Sprawlmart
is to be highly specialized. If they carry mainly sporting
goods, then stock an in-depth selection of sporting
good products and accessories and hire people that
really know their products.
The big box retailers typically stock a little of this
and a little of that, offer little in the way of parts
and accessories for any category whether it is plumbing,
electrical, or sporting goods, etc.
The sales people that they employ are not very
knowledgeable about most of the products that
they sell either.
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MikeReardon
April 1, 2007, 2:11 a.m.The capitalist western nations and developed Asia that is Japan and Korea, made a deal with the Asian socialist nations. We transfer large portions of our manufacturing for their national development and they sell us cheap products we sell here for greater profit. They the lower wage Asian nations then reinvest in this country by purchasing our government bond. The Arab oil nations do direct investment here mostly through Britain. We are the big economic pie that moves everything but this works for Japan and Europe as well. We get these lower cost products they get national development we get reinvestment. Now they are moving to complete office services and scientific product innovation. I may be wrong but Wal-mart is the embodiment of this arrangement with its lower prices and greater profits. And those profits go to investors and Sam's kids. The money goes where taxes let it give the greatest return to investors. The right tax policy could help us in reinvesting here.
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mozzer
April 1, 2007, 2:11 a.m.Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices
1 hr 37 min 37
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-383629...
Great documentary on walmart's business tactics and its effect on local communities. Truly an eye-opener.
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