How would you feel if Wal-Mart was broken up?

Breaking up is always hard. What would be the point? Even local outsourcing wouldn’t bring back the mom-and-pop businesses that Wal-Mart drove out.

Probably breaking it up wouldn’t change anything. Then the broken up parts would just be in collusion probably. Oligopoly, monopoly, not much difference. It would have to go out of business for things to change, and even then, now that companies are aware of the business model it would be reproduced most likely. The only thing to stop it would be the public taking a stand and not shopping there, or a competitor pushing them out of the market place.

I would be interested to see the results. For instance, I no longer shop at Wal-Mart. Haven’t stepped foot in one since December 7th of last year. I take great pride in that fact and I will go out of my way great distances and times to not shop there, even though they likely have something I may need. Locally there’s a store called Meijer. It’s the same basic concept, a big store with everything you need. But it’s regional and has a lot more American products and pays its workers and yada yada. If some of the “pieces” of Wal-Mart adopted models such as that I may resume shopping at them.

@tedd I have always said Meijer was first to make super centers, not walmart. Sam Walton is credited with the idea and he probably should not get the credit. Although, his formula to build in rural areas and his discounting methods are noteworthy. I would think parts of the country with Meijers have fewer Walmarts?

I would LOVE it!!! We don’t shop there unless unavoidable for a variety of reasons, one of which is that they are the largest buyer of Chinese products. Others range from mistreatment of employees, management discrimination to females, etc… I wish people would realize how much power they money they spend on a regular basis matters to these companies. Walgreens and Walmart are not affiliated, I asked.

I guess, as a country, we need to decide whether we want to allow free enterprise or if we want to be socialist. If we really are free enterprise, then who is the government to take a successful business and “force” it to be dismantled.

The only good way to stop a monopoly is for another business to compete with it, which they are free to do.

If we are going to be socialist and let the government control everything, then we should go all the way and have a government-owned store that no one competes with. Then all the profits will go back to the country, for the benefit of everyone.

Believe me, I am NOT socialist. It just seems to me that our country doesn’t want to be decidedly one way or the other, and as a result, we get the bad consequences of both.

I don’t think it would make much difference as has been said. I shop at Walmart maaaybe 3 times a year, if that. Mostly to stock up on household supplies like paper products, laundry soaps, etc. As always, pick your poison,

Walmart is hardly the epicenter of chinese manufactured products. A friends son is in China right now partnering up with a biz. person in Shanghai who is making molds in his factory to supply him with plastic motorcycle helmet visors that he will sell stateside in his motorcycle helmet business.
He is only 23 and already wildly successful, that kid will be a multi-millionaire by 30 no doubt.

He can have the molds made for 10k each in the chinese factory vs. quadruple that in the U.S.
The Chinese also import plenty of american items as well. I know, I have traveled there.

sounds as though you’re describing not a supplier-driven, but a buyer-driven global economy. ... Why has China become so important? Who’s driving the process?

In the last 10 or 15 years, we have moved dramatically from a supplier-driven to a buyer-driven global economy. The key buyers are global retailers, on the one hand—

Like Wal-Mart?

Like Wal-Mart.

Target?

Like Target, JCPenney, Sears—big department stores. That’s one group of buyers. And another big group of global buyers are the global brands: Nike, Liz Claiborne, Disney—companies that don’t have stores, don’t have factories, but they’ve got a brand, and they want to supply those products in the cheapest fashion.

Those two [types of] companies—global retailers and global brands—together with the manufacturers in the U.S. who have outsourced their production, those three groups of companies have together formed this buyer-driven model, and it’s really turned economics on its head. We’ve moved from a supply-side view of the world economy to this buyer-driven model of the world economy, and it’s put power in the hands of a very different set of firms than the ones we traditionally would think of in terms of who drives modern capitalism.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/interviews/gereffi.html

I wonder how the Chinese feel about McDonalds popping up every 4 blocks and putting the mom & pop soup and dumpling houses out of business. lol
McDonalds has overtaken the world. I have to admit their Wasabi mayo on fries is pretty great. haha

Once again, supply and demand. If the consumer doesn’t purchase, the business will leave. Whether here or in China or elsewhere. Your purchases, just like the tv shows you watch and radio you listen to, determine what is offered.

@KNOWITALL Yes, I am aware of that, I am also in my 50’s now and my days of militant idealism have faded. I happily pass the torch to you young’uns now. Sic ‘em girl!

amused. but as the old song says:“down-shoo-be-doop-down-down Breaking up is hard to do.”

I’m all for it, I have an auntie who helped get rid of styrofoam for Big Macs at McD’s and a gma who helped get anatomically correct dolls for children who had been sexually abused, I’m ALL ABOUT IT! :) Now you relax…..lol

No, it goes “down shoo-be-doo down down, cumma cumma down shoo-be-doo down down”

Who will be doing the breaking of Pa Walmart? The government?

Definitely all warm and cuddly. I’d feel like having a hot chocolate.

Be amusing if this happened by means of an earthquake.

Ours are apparently breaking themselves up. They recently opened some grocery only stores and are bragging that their produce comes directly from local farmers.

@JLeslie I’ve personally noticed no shortage of Wal-Marts in my locale, but then I don’t live an an area without Meijer’s with which I could compare it too.

At the end of the day all I know is I don’t shop at Wal-Mart. No single reason is why. I don’t like that they get a lot of stuff from China, but I shop at other places that do. I’m not a fan of the way they treat their employees, but at the same time I shop at plenty of places that probably treat theirs worse. I don’t like the effect they have on the economy and yada yada…. One day I walked into Wal-Mart to buy several things, and they didn’t have them. They had cheap knock off versions, at barely a lower price. Their staff was totally useless in helping me, and some of them were downright rude. And when I finally had items that “satisfied” me I got to the front to find a line a mile long and 2 registers open…. I realized this was my experience pretty much every time I came to Wal-mart… I dropped my basket on the ground, walked out to my car, and haven’t been back since.

@tedd The first time I went to walmart was in my 30’s, they had not existed anywhere I had lived before that. Maybe I went in once or twice a year. Fast forwa to living here in the Memphis area and the first few years I shopped maybe four times a year, they had some food I could not find anywhere else in town, except some products I can fins at the naval base, but I only get to go there when my parents visit. Then a year or so ago Schnuck’s closed, which is a supermarket that is on the moderate to highish end. So, now we have Kroger, Walmart, and the Target closest to me has a small grocery area. I now shop in Walmart once a month, because I actually do better there in finding what I need than Kroger. But, I don’t like to shop in Walmart, so I don’t go there weekly. Needless to say the grocery shopping where I live sucks overall. Worst city I have ever lived in for food shopping.

On a side note, someone published the funniest thing in a local Jewish newspaper here a few days ago, begging Trader Joes to open on the Jewish part of town.

I’m just curious if the people who complain about Walmart are using an electronic device that wasn’t made in China? ;)

I’d miss it a whole bunch, especially their lovely elderly greeters.

I don’t even own a cell phone, my mother, husband and everyone else does, but I’m protesting my own way (yes I’m under 40 yrs old and hate cell phones, they’re rude).

I do like the greeters, they are about the only redeeming factor about the entire place. This entire conversation sort of makes me want a Valium thinking of all the horrible experiences at Walmart. shudder

@KNOWITALL You’re not alone, I don’t carry a cell phone either. I don’t want to be tethered to other people every second of my life. I abhor the obsessive texting, the fact that so many people cannot be incognito for a few hours, the driving dangers and last, but not least, the idea that texting is “communication.” I know more people that are always in a state of drama over their misconstrued texts. lol

We’re old school yo! :)

@KNOWITALL @Coloma So you guys are old then? :)

@tedd If you say so. haha
I’m in semi-retired happy brownie land. ;-)
I don’t need a cell phone in my little retreat zone, no reception anyway. Sometimes if you spin just right on the south end of the deck you can get a bar or two, but not likely. lol

Not really, not even 40, but I have an old soul….lol

Seriously though, I had friends and family disturbing me at work because they could. I resent the interruptions and for me it ended up being more inconvenient and obstrusive than being handy or fun. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a texting fool at times and with my husbands phone, but for the most part, they annoy me.

And I find it extremely rude to talk to someone at a party and they’re staring at their phone. We went to dinner with friends Sat night and one of them was on his phone throughout the second half of the dinner, it’s just eroding social manners. (I do sound like an old fuddy duddy, but it’s true!)

Devastated. Where would all the people in the People of Wal-mart hang out.

I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass.

I never understand why Walmart catches the grief for putting the ma and pa stores out of business. Long before Walmart appeared there were supermarkets putting corner grocers and green grocers out of business. The department stores got rid of the local tailors, milliners, etc. Franchise auto parts stores put out the small corner stores. This happens because they buy big and can sell for less. So really if anyone wants to complain about the ma and pa corner stores being forced out you have to go back a long time before Walmart. They just seem to do it better than most! And I think Walmart gives jobs to people who perhaps would not be readily employable as brain surgeons so maybe we should thank them instead of complaining, maybe it is keeping them off of welfare.

And whether you buy your foreign made clothing, electronics, automobiles, etc. etc. etc. etc. from Walmart or someone else, does it really matter?

I’m with you @rooeytoo. If Walmart was such a terrible employer you would think they would have a high turnover rate with their employees. I’ve shopped at Walmart for most of my adult life (I’m 41 now) and I’ve gotten to know many of the employees because they have worked at Walmart for many years. The Walmart I shop at now is located in a town of 20,000 people, with an additional 13,000 students at the university. Many of these students work at Walmart to help pay for their college expenses. Many of the other employees are near or at retirement age. These people are thankful to have the opportunity to work and get paid. I can give a long list of businesses who mistreat their employees and have high turnover rates, but for some reason Walmart is the target for those who like to complain.

@rojo Oh that’s funny…every time I went to WalMart the sweat pants & fat rolls are quite amazing…lol

@jonsblond Walmart is consistantly in the news for something employee-treatment related. In my experiences, there were untrained and reasonably inefficient staff, so yeah, they probably are glad to have ANY job.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/retail/walmart_emp.html

The same thing would probably happen that it did when AT&T was forced to break up:

Over time they’ll just reconsolidate again. (Link goes to diagram)