Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Unwelcome, Wal-Mart Fights On
City officials say they expect the megastore to appeal a decision blocking it from building on Lady's Island which is another way of saying that Wal-Mart still plans on imposing its unwelcome presence on yet another community that recognizes Wal-Mart for the cancer it is.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, appeal, zoning
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Apple passes Wal-Mart in music sales? | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, appeal, zoning
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Del.icio.us It
Digg It!Apple passes Wal-Mart in music sales? | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
Apple passes Wal-Mart in music sales? | Tech news blog - CNET News.com
Still a rumor for now but its a good sign since Wal-Mart feels compelled to tell customers what they can and cannot listen to.
Retail censorship is wrong and another arrow for my quiver of reasons to never cross Wal-Mart's threshold.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Many Reasons to Hate Wal-Mart
Still a rumor for now but its a good sign since Wal-Mart feels compelled to tell customers what they can and cannot listen to.
Retail censorship is wrong and another arrow for my quiver of reasons to never cross Wal-Mart's threshold.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Many Reasons to Hate Wal-Mart
A Stand Against Wal-Mart and, for Now, a Victory details the efforts of people in the town of Monsey, New York who have successfully thwarted the infestation of their locality with an enormous Wal-Mart. The reason the people of Monsey do not want a Wal-Mart is because they fear the influx of outside influences (lovely turn of phrase there).
There are many reasons to hate Wal-Mart. From the Walton family being tightwad billionaires to the exploitation of global supply chains to foisting healthcare costs on the neighborhoods and states to forcing employees to work overtime for free to sending massive amounts of money into China for poisoned and just badly made pre-landfill junk.
Don't limit yourself to just one, take the variety pack and hate Wal-Mart for a whole bunch of good reasons.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Japanese Wal-Mart Bleeding Money
There are many reasons to hate Wal-Mart. From the Walton family being tightwad billionaires to the exploitation of global supply chains to foisting healthcare costs on the neighborhoods and states to forcing employees to work overtime for free to sending massive amounts of money into China for poisoned and just badly made pre-landfill junk.
Don't limit yourself to just one, take the variety pack and hate Wal-Mart for a whole bunch of good reasons.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Japanese Wal-Mart Bleeding Money
Life gets worse for Wal-Mart in Japan
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Japan, net loss
Wal-Mart Sucks, Officially
The world's largest retailer did have a tough time in the big Asian market last year. The operation there said "it now expected to post a group net loss of 20.9 billion yen ($196 million) for calendar 2007, instead of its previous forecast for a loss of 10.4 billion yen, " according to Reuters. Same-store sales for the year dropped just over 1%.Bad for Wal-Mart, bad for its shareholders but good for the universe in general.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Japan, net loss
Labels: Japan
Wal-Mart Sucks, Officially
Wal-Mart Ranks Lowest Among Discounters in Survey and even lost ground over the last year.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, survey, rank, dissatisfaction
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Lawsuits, Fines and Exploitation, Oh My!
Customers may be increasingly dissatisfied with the goods Wal-Mart is carrying, said Claes Fornell, the professor who led the study. Chief Executive Officer H. Lee Scott has turned the company's focus back to groceries and household items after an ill-fated attempt to boost sales by luring fashion-conscious shoppers with silk camisoles and distressed jeans.Which made no sense since nobody ever thought of Wal-Mart as the place to go for high quality (read that, high margin) items. Wal-Mart is the bottom of the barrel, is in lockstep with Chinese manufacturers and delivers low cost, low quality pre-landfill crap. Oh yeah, with crappy customer service and, usually, really messy and disgusting stores.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, survey, rank, dissatisfaction
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Lawsuits, Fines and Exploitation, Oh My!
Here's a quick round up of news.
From Minnesota: Hastings residents involved in lawsuit against Wal-Mart - more illegal wage shaving and abuse.
From California: Air board fines Wal-Mart $250,000 for noncompliant gas cans for the fourth time in the last few years.
From New York: Wal-Mart vigil protests wages, health benefits in that, this is a company that makes billions of dollars per year but refuses to pay for health care for its workers.
From Arizona: Group: Ornaments made in sweatshop in China, naturally. The National Labor Committiee said employees included children who were forced to work 16-hour shifts and were paid below the Chinese minimum wage.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, lawsuit, wage+abuse, healthcare
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wallyworld Whimpers Away from Video Download Service
From Minnesota: Hastings residents involved in lawsuit against Wal-Mart - more illegal wage shaving and abuse.
From California: Air board fines Wal-Mart $250,000 for noncompliant gas cans for the fourth time in the last few years.
From New York: Wal-Mart vigil protests wages, health benefits in that, this is a company that makes billions of dollars per year but refuses to pay for health care for its workers.
From Arizona: Group: Ornaments made in sweatshop in China, naturally. The National Labor Committiee said employees included children who were forced to work 16-hour shifts and were paid below the Chinese minimum wage.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, lawsuit, wage+abuse, healthcare
Labels: healthcare, lawsuit, wage abuse
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wallyworld Whimpers Away from Video Download Service
� Wal-Mart Quietly Drops Video Download Service because, well, it sucked and nobody used it. But, so long as your computer never dies, you are able to watch the movies you have purchased forever. But you can't transfer them to another machine or a portable player. And we all know hard drives never, ever fail, right?
Wal-Mart's attempted foray into video downloading was poorly conceived, poorly executed and has now been poorly canned.
We can only hope the rest of Wal-Mart's initiatives fail in similar fashion.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wal-Mart Depresses Wages, Study Finds
Wal-Mart's attempted foray into video downloading was poorly conceived, poorly executed and has now been poorly canned.
We can only hope the rest of Wal-Mart's initiatives fail in similar fashion.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wal-Mart Depresses Wages, Study Finds
The Hometown Advantage - Wal-Mart Depresses Wages, Study FindsThe study "focuses on stores that opened between 1992 and 2000 and concludes, "Opening a single Wal-Mart store lowers the average retail wage in the surrounding county between 0.5 and 0.9 percent."
Currently, more than of Wal-Mart's employees earn less than $10 an hour.
Think about that for a moment. This is the world's largest company and the majority of its employees earn less than $10 an hour. They made $11.2 billion in profit last year, they can afford to pay a (more) livable wage. They choose not to because it would cut into their profits, which makes them greedheaded jerks.
That is both pitiful and infuriating.
The rest of the article has quite alot of interesing and useful information (among the juicy bits is the breakdown of raising their wages and the effect it would have on consumers, which is to say not much).
I'm not anti-Wal-Mart per se, I'm anti-exploitation and Wal-Mart is the world leader in worker, supplier, locality and consumer exploitation. And they do it on purpose to make every last penny they can for their stockholders.
Monday, December 10, 2007
A Succinct Indictment of Wal-Mart
Currently, more than of Wal-Mart's employees earn less than $10 an hour.
Think about that for a moment. This is the world's largest company and the majority of its employees earn less than $10 an hour. They made $11.2 billion in profit last year, they can afford to pay a (more) livable wage. They choose not to because it would cut into their profits, which makes them greedheaded jerks.
That is both pitiful and infuriating.
The rest of the article has quite alot of interesing and useful information (among the juicy bits is the breakdown of raising their wages and the effect it would have on consumers, which is to say not much).
I'm not anti-Wal-Mart per se, I'm anti-exploitation and Wal-Mart is the world leader in worker, supplier, locality and consumer exploitation. And they do it on purpose to make every last penny they can for their stockholders.
Labels: exploitation, greed, wages, wal-mart, walmart
Monday, December 10, 2007
A Succinct Indictment of Wal-Mart
Co-Op American's Responsible Shopper Profile: Wal-Mart:
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
If It Doesn't Play At Home, Try It in Foreign Countries!
"'Always low prices', always low standards for corporate responsibility. Wal-Mart dominates the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican markets and is currently China's eighth-largest trading partner. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart confines its leadership to the realm of sales and in other areas promotes the attitude that virtually everything--products, workers, or even communities--can be disposable . Wal-Mart may drive prices down, but it drags the quality of life for millions of people down with it. With hundreds of employees dependent on public assistance to meet their basic needs, American taxpayers subsidize Wal-Mart's low prices at the rate of roughly $420,750 a year for every 200-employee store by paying for low-income services. Women working for Wal-Mart have been denied equal opportunities for advancement. Wal-Mart hurts U.S. communities by undercutting local merchants and increasing urban sprawl, and its suppliers have been cited for labor and human rights violations."Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, quality of life, violation
Labels: indictment, quality of life, violation
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
If It Doesn't Play At Home, Try It in Foreign Countries!
Argentina: Wal-Mart Faces Accusations of Anti-union Practices
Not that accusations are anything new to Wal-Mart.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Argentina, anti-union, accusation
Friday, November 16, 2007
The War Against Wal-Mart Roundup
Not that accusations are anything new to Wal-Mart.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Argentina, anti-union, accusation
Labels: anti-union, Argentina
Friday, November 16, 2007
The War Against Wal-Mart Roundup
There are numerous skirmishes all over the nation and world where places do not want Wal-Mart to infest itself upon the populance. Here's a quick roundup of the action.
California: Solano Co.: Airport Land Use Commission Votes Against Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart may try to go smaller in Atascadero
Texas: The City Wins This Round in the Fight Againist Wal-Mart
Florida: Planning board blocks Venice-area Wal-Mart
That's it for this installment. More to come, as always.
[Update: Georgia: Wal-Mart makes its revised pitch Dec. 1 (thanks for the link and news, Bob, I had to use the AJC link because yours wasn't working for me).]
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, California, Texas, Florida
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Wal-Mart Ordered to Pay Legal Fees
California: Solano Co.: Airport Land Use Commission Votes Against Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart may try to go smaller in Atascadero
Texas: The City Wins This Round in the Fight Againist Wal-Mart
Florida: Planning board blocks Venice-area Wal-Mart
That's it for this installment. More to come, as always.
[Update: Georgia: Wal-Mart makes its revised pitch Dec. 1 (thanks for the link and news, Bob, I had to use the AJC link because yours wasn't working for me).]
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, California, Texas, Florida
Labels: california, florida, roundup, texas
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Wal-Mart Ordered to Pay Legal Fees
Wal-Mart to pay Pa. plaintiff legal fees
Maybe Wal-Mart is starting to realize that screwing over employees is just bad business? Probably not.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, precedent, class action, forced overtime
Monday, November 05, 2007
Buyer Confusion is Wal-Mart's Gain
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) Stores Inc. has been ordered to pay $36.4 million in fees and expenses to attorneys representing Pennsylvania employees who won a class-action award for working off the clock.Which is an expensive and daunting precedent for all of the other class action lawsuits across the country.
The award entered in favor of the plaintiffs including fees and interest now totals $187.6 million, Common Pleas Judge Mark Bernstein wrote in an opinion issued Wednesday.
Maybe Wal-Mart is starting to realize that screwing over employees is just bad business? Probably not.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, precedent, class action, forced overtime
Labels: class action, forced overtime, precedent
Monday, November 05, 2007
Buyer Confusion is Wal-Mart's Gain
How lame is Wal-Mart?
So lame that they had a knock off game made to look like a Wii remote controller so that confused parents might accidentally buy the piece of crap.
One of the Worst Toys Ever Made at a Wal-Mart Near You
File this one under confusion-based retailing.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, knock off, lame, Wii
One Down, Far Too Many To Go
So lame that they had a knock off game made to look like a Wii remote controller so that confused parents might accidentally buy the piece of crap.
One of the Worst Toys Ever Made at a Wal-Mart Near You
File this one under confusion-based retailing.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, knock off, lame, Wii
Labels: confusion-based retail
One Down, Far Too Many To Go
Wal-Mart closing Clarksville, Texas store
I guess they'd bled the town dry and were ready to move on. Actually, the residents of the town petitioned against the closure which makes me think of Stockholm Syndrome.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, closure, one down, Stockholm Syndrome
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Pretty Sneaky, Wally
I guess they'd bled the town dry and were ready to move on. Actually, the residents of the town petitioned against the closure which makes me think of Stockholm Syndrome.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, closure, one down, Stockholm Syndrome
Labels: closure
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Pretty Sneaky, Wally
David versus Goliath: Austin residents take-on Wal-Mart
In the past, locals in an area targeted for retail assault by Wal-Mart have been able to get a headstart on the battle by keeping tabs on land purchases and zoning change requests. How very weasely of them!
But Wallyworld has learned a new trick, instead of buying the land, they lease it and let the landowner file the paperwork for them. It keeps them under the radar a bit longer and makes it that much harder to fight them.
Wal-Mart is the disease and information and the dissemination of their misdeeds and exploits is the cure.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, weasel, circumvention
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wal-Mart's Assault on Duluth Continues in Appeals
In the past, locals in an area targeted for retail assault by Wal-Mart have been able to get a headstart on the battle by keeping tabs on land purchases and zoning change requests. How very weasely of them!
But Wallyworld has learned a new trick, instead of buying the land, they lease it and let the landowner file the paperwork for them. It keeps them under the radar a bit longer and makes it that much harder to fight them.
Residents’ frustration over Wal-Mart’s hushed move-in was compounded by the city’s atypical approval process of Wal-Mart’s site plan. By granting the developer an “administrative” site permit instead of a “conditional use” permit—which RG4N says is required by city law because of Wal-Mart’s outdoor garden center—the city-council wasn’t required to hold a public hearing.Wal-Mart will also stoop to lying to town councils about their personal culpablity (i.e. they are told that they will have to provide their own legal defense on their own dime, something that's pretty much never happened before).
Wal-Mart is the disease and information and the dissemination of their misdeeds and exploits is the cure.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, weasel, circumvention
Labels: weasels
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wal-Mart's Assault on Duluth Continues in Appeals
Wal-Mart battle continues with appeals board
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Duluth, planning board, appeals
Wal-Mart Gets Victimized By Its Own Success
On Wednesday night, the six-member citizen board will hear four appeals to several rulings about a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
Three come from residents challenging decisions made by Shelley Stiebling, former Interim Director of Planning. One comes from Wal-Mart itself, contesting the city's refusal to issue it a building permit.
"We don't think the city's planning department had the authority to reject this application," Sheppard [Wal-Mart's hired gun attorney] said.I mean, really, how dare the town decide to deny a special variance for Wal-Mart to build a huge box store when the town's zoning laws require pitched roofs and particular building materials. Don't they know that Wal-Mart is always right? Silly citizens, I'm sure the high priced attorney from Wal-Mart will set them straight. Or not.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Duluth, planning board, appeals
Labels: appeals, planning board
Wal-Mart Gets Victimized By Its Own Success
Watch out for falling technology: Wal-Mart’s IT issues
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, information technology, competition, innovation
Friday, October 19, 2007
Always Low Prices? Sort Of
“Wal-Mart today is caught between two worlds: Sam Walton’s, where a zealous commitment to ‘everyday low prices’ is enforced (despite Walton’s skepticism about computers) by IT-assisted decisions made in Bentonville, and a new global marketplace in which the retailer’s sheer size is not as big an advantage as it once was. Competitors such as Target and Tesco can match Wal-Mart in technological sophistication and surpass it by innovating in new retailing segments with higher-margin goods.”Looks like it's time for a complete computer overhaul and upgrade. Not that it'll happen since the cost would run into the billions and the stockholders would never stand for it. So other retailers with better and more up to date systems will continue to chip away at Wal-Mart. Which is, of course, fine by me!
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, information technology, competition, innovation
Labels: competition, information technology
Friday, October 19, 2007
Always Low Prices? Sort Of
Wal-Mart Price Differences
This is a good illustration of what a weasel company Wal-Mart is. The guy bought a DVD player at his local Wal-Mart for $139 and then found it on the Wal-Mart.com website for $127 with free shipping. He went back to ask for a price adjustment and they refused because, well, they already had his money.
Try doing the same thing at Target or another major retailer and they will almost certainly refund you the difference. Why? Because its good business to treat customers fairly.
Wal-Mart doesn't care about good business, they care about their profit margins.
Wal-Mart Seeks to Impose Itself on Canadian Town
This is a good illustration of what a weasel company Wal-Mart is. The guy bought a DVD player at his local Wal-Mart for $139 and then found it on the Wal-Mart.com website for $127 with free shipping. He went back to ask for a price adjustment and they refused because, well, they already had his money.
Try doing the same thing at Target or another major retailer and they will almost certainly refund you the difference. Why? Because its good business to treat customers fairly.
Wal-Mart doesn't care about good business, they care about their profit margins.
Labels: price differences, weasels
Wal-Mart Seeks to Impose Itself on Canadian Town
Stratford, Wal-Mart facing fight
The story is familiar, the people in Stratford don't want Wal-Mart to build a store there. Wal-Mart could give a damn what the people want. Only this time, Wal-Mart wasn't able to buy off the city council and they will very likely vote to uphold the recommendation to deny the building.
And Wal-Mart will likely appeal and try to fight their way in where they are not wanted. As usual.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Canada, city council
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wal-Mart Doesn't Want Employees to Pee On or Off the Clock
The story is familiar, the people in Stratford don't want Wal-Mart to build a store there. Wal-Mart could give a damn what the people want. Only this time, Wal-Mart wasn't able to buy off the city council and they will very likely vote to uphold the recommendation to deny the building.
And Wal-Mart will likely appeal and try to fight their way in where they are not wanted. As usual.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Canada, city council
Labels: imposition
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wal-Mart Doesn't Want Employees to Pee On or Off the Clock
Wal-Mart's labour practices face trial yet again
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Indians Send Message to Wal-Mart: GO AWAY!
In the Minnesota case, as in 30 other attempted or successful class actions around the country, plaintiffs say Wal-Mart knowingly hired too few people to do too much work. To fill the gap, managers pushed hourly workers to skip a lunch here, a rest break there, and sometimes stay a few minutes after clocking out, the lawsuits claim. Basic human functions took a back seat to the work, the workers say.and there's this rationalization.
Shaving one-tenth of 1% off Wal-Mart’s payroll would save the company $138 million, Wal-Mart’s then-chief executive officer, David Glass, said in 2001 while exhorting managers to cut back on labour costs, the Minnesota plaintiffs’ lawyer, Justin Perl, said in opening statements.Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, class action, lawsuit, exploitation
Labels: class action, exploitation, lawsuit
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Indians Send Message to Wal-Mart: GO AWAY!
Indian Retailers Take To Streets Against Wal-Mart
They've been watching what Wal-Mart does in American towns and they want to avoid suffering the same fate.
I wish them good luck in their battle.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, India, protest, march
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Cascading Lawsuits
They've been watching what Wal-Mart does in American towns and they want to avoid suffering the same fate.
I wish them good luck in their battle.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, India, protest, march
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Cascading Lawsuits
Philadelphia verdict against Wal-Mart good for KC plaintiffs
A win in one part of the country can invoke more wins in other, similarly jurisdicted, areas. The suit in Kansas City has many similarities to the Philly lawsuit (posted here that saw not one but two awards handed down, seperately but to the same plaintiffs.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, cascading lawsuits, Kansas City, Philadelphia
Monday, October 08, 2007
City Council with Misplaced Loyalties
A win in one part of the country can invoke more wins in other, similarly jurisdicted, areas. The suit in Kansas City has many similarities to the Philly lawsuit (posted here that saw not one but two awards handed down, seperately but to the same plaintiffs.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, cascading lawsuits, Kansas City, Philadelphia
Labels: cascading lawsuits, exploitation, lawsuit, worker abuse
Monday, October 08, 2007
City Council with Misplaced Loyalties
DailyBulletin.com - City Council's loyalty should be to Ontario, not Wal-Mart
Basically, the Ontario, California city council has approved a Wal-Mart construction that is going to seriously and deleteriously effect the area it is going into. They did this despite an Environmental Impact Report that advised against the approval and against the wishes of the city's populance.
Crazy me, I thought the City Council was supposed to act in the best interests of the city.
Chicago Blows Wal-Mart Off
Basically, the Ontario, California city council has approved a Wal-Mart construction that is going to seriously and deleteriously effect the area it is going into. They did this despite an Environmental Impact Report that advised against the approval and against the wishes of the city's populance.
Crazy me, I thought the City Council was supposed to act in the best interests of the city.
Chicago Blows Wal-Mart Off
Wal-Mart strategy stumbles in taking over a major metropolitan area like Chicago.
They expected an easy conquest but have learned that it won't be quite so easy to steamroll through The Windy City.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Chicago,
Friday, October 05, 2007
Always Big Settlements. Always
They expected an easy conquest but have learned that it won't be quite so easy to steamroll through The Windy City.
If Wal-Mart can't succeed in Chicago, the retailer's urban strategy will have suffered a critical blow at a time when investors have grown increasingly frustrated with Wal-Mart's lack of growth. Its stock now trades around $45, down 25 percent from March 2004 compared with a 35 percent gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 index in the same time period.Boo-friggin'-hoo.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, Chicago,
Labels: Chicago
Friday, October 05, 2007
Always Big Settlements. Always
Wal-Mart Workers Win $62 Million for Off-the-Clock Labor
Sure, it breaks down to a mere $500 per worker they abused. But its the second settlement they've now won and the door has been kicked wide open for other lawsuits based on Wal-Mart's unquestionably unethical and illegal practice of making employees work through breaks and off the clock without pay.
There are almost undoubtedly more lawsuits in the wings.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, lawsuit, off-the-clock, worker abuse
Sure, it breaks down to a mere $500 per worker they abused. But its the second settlement they've now won and the door has been kicked wide open for other lawsuits based on Wal-Mart's unquestionably unethical and illegal practice of making employees work through breaks and off the clock without pay.
There are almost undoubtedly more lawsuits in the wings.
Tags: Wal-Mart, WalMart, lawsuit, off-the-clock, worker abuse
Labels: lawsuit