Is Walmart really that bad?

What a loaded question, huh?

Walmart released today that they were creating 20,000 new jobs. They are opening new stores and/or are expanding exciting stores. Jobs will be opening for cashiers to management positions. All of these jobs will be located in the US. All of these jobs offer Health Care benefits, which is at least something in my mind. I understand these aren't high paying jobs like auto workers were making, but most of them are out of work or soon to be out of work.

Now I know a lot of people think of Walmart is evil and they maybe right. They do sell a tone of things that are made out of the country, but so do a lot of other retail stores. Don't take my word for it. go to Sears, Kohles, heck most of your clothing stores and you'll find out that they also sell a bunch of product made in other countries. Many people say they destroy local businesses. They may in some places, but we have three Super Walmarts near by and one regular Walmart and I haven't seen any of the local grocery stores go under. In fact those little guy store always seem to have their parking lots filled. Most of those store don't offer Health Care coverage to part time and some full time employees, unlike Walmart.

I used to be one of the Walmart haters. I thought from what I heard from the internet and other media sources that they treated their employee's badly. After talking to some people who work for them say differently. They are happy to have a jobs in these times and say it's not near as bad as everyone on the outside is being told.

So, is The Big Bad Walmart really that bad? They are creating new jobs which offer Health Care. In these time, at least where I live, there aren't even McDonalds jobs to be had. More people working and less pulling unemployment is a good thing.

I know, I'm gonna get hammered for this post. But if you're from the part of the US that I am, you'll understand where I'm, coming from. The county that I live in just broke the 11% unemployment rate.

So hammer away, I still would like to hear what people think. I'm a big boy and can take it.

Tags: care, employees, health, unemployment, walmart

Add a Comment

You need to be a member of Geeks! to add comments!

Join this Ning Network

Comment by Steve Bushakis on June 8, 2009 at 3:43am: I work for a billion dollar company that does business with many retailers, WalMart being one of them. They are our biggest customer, but we aren't handcuffed like many. What bothers me is that we are aggressively pursuing more and more business with WM. One day, I fear, we will cross that line where suddenly we aren't a business partner, we are an indentured servant.

Comment by Mark D. on June 5, 2009 at 7:15pm: Unfortunatley Kmart hasn't been a big player against Walmart since they took over Sears. Yes they are still competitors, but the direction they are taking seems to be a different one. Maybe one day some one will step up at Kmart with fresh ideas to give Walmart some good competition.

Comment by Paul Bennett on June 5, 2009 at 5:33pm: What about Kmart?

Comment by Shtanto on June 5, 2009 at 4:44pm: 11.4% unemployment here in Ireland. And it's getting worse.

We don't have Walmart here in Ireland, much less Europe (yet). I think the closest thing would be big chain supermarkets like Asda (who are owned by Walmart), tesco, M&S and Ikea is on the way. The biggest shop we have is probably no bigger than a small Walmart.

Not a bad reason to start reading that Dave Gorman book :)

Comment by AD on June 5, 2009 at 4:32pm: Walmarts in Canada are worse than the US ones, I've compared them many times. Selection of goods isn't half what you guys have and the prices are rarely better than other vendors. Service is horrible, the employees are paid squat and they let you know they don't like it by ignoring you as hard as they can.

Yet people flock there because of the name. At least they used to. I never do anymore, unless I'm in the US.

Tho Sams Club is now defunct, Costco survived and prospers.

Comment by Branhower on June 5, 2009 at 3:59pm: I'm going to make it sound like a cult here, but as for the jobs; it really depends on how things outside of Wal-Mart are going. When the economy is great and everyone has jobs, of course they're going to say their jobs suck. But when everyone doesn't have a job, Wal-Mart employees are grateful they have theirs; and grateful that they are expanding. That's how it is anywhere though. Those that have a job should be appreciative of it.

As for quality, you just got to know the brands. I'll bet Apple doesn't say, "Oh, there's a bad batch of iPhones; we'll just send those to Wal-Mart." Especially since all iPhones are made the same way (and carry the same Pro-Care warranty plans).

Comment by Sheba on June 5, 2009 at 3:21pm: ok to Johannes S. I don't think they are talking about the quality or the safety of products. And they certainly aren't talking about products made in Europe, they would probably be even more expensive. We are talking about items manufactured in China, Vietnam or wherever it is cheap. The reason they like to buy american made is that you are supporting local businesses, local jobs, boosting the economy and living standards of your own neighbourhood. It is also bad because they are getting products from areas of the world where employment standards are severely lacking.
To bob3160, you always have a choice.
To wm_isherwood, people do not attack Walmart because it is a big company. At least if they do they are ignorant. There are many other good reasons to attack Walmart:part of their works health benefits is paid by US tax payers, health insurance is not given to all its employees, discrimination against women, monopolizing business, driving local businesses to the ground. Unlike some of the other people who have commented, I don't see any local grocery stores anymore. NONE at all. No mom and pop shops. They are gone here.
Yes there are some points too; they are giving jobs (frankly I'd rather live on welfare or clean toilets), they are one of the only pharmacies that track the drugs from leaving the pharmaceutical companies to their arrival at walmart which I think is important giving all the fake drugs on the market. This is not a socialist country however and America supports whoever can beat out the competition at almost any rate. Walmart is a perfect example of capitalism. It is what the public wants.

Comment by Keith Stoneberger on June 5, 2009 at 2:47pm: I used to work for Wrangler of the VF corporation here in my town before they shut most of the operations down, and it is a small town and I have family members that still work in the downgraded version of Wrangler, but what gave Wal-Mart such a bad rep is when they purchase items from their suppliers. They will contract for so many items for a certain price from their suppliers. Then the next go around, the will dictate to their suppliers for the same amout of items but for a reduced price. Since Wal-Mart is a major merchandiser for most suppliers, it will hurt them if they lost Wal-Mart. In my area, for awhile, HP computers were hard to come by they were filled with Compaq (before the merger to HP), ACERS, eMachines. That was a few years ago before Target made a hugh comeback. Local grocery stores in my opinion had always been the best place to go to get food.

Comment by Phoobar on June 5, 2009 at 1:27pm: I've heard about how "bad" Wal-Mart is. How they've "driven" out the local mom/pop stores. While I'm not a big fan or Wal-Mart and do everything I can do to keep from shopping there. I hate the crowds at Wal-Mart.

I do need to mention this about "buying local". I live in a rural town with a new Target store and a Wal-Mart store which has been here for years. If local merchants were that fantastic in the first place...everyone would still buy from them. For instance...I refuse to get my auto serviced by a local mechanic. Everyone I have met have no morals/ethics and less knowledge about cars than me. Watching the local news from New York/LA tells me the same thing. Look at computers. The big chain stores will actually sell them here. The local merchants have no idea between a laptop or a desktop...except animals and performers perform under one and sit on your lap in another.;)

Myself...I order almost everything online for the price and the big savings on paying a "premium" because I maybe able to buy it locally.

Comment by Lisha Sterling on June 5, 2009 at 12:46pm: If a company brags about how many people they are employing and how they are offering health benefits, most people won't look beyond that headline. The fact is that the majority of people who work for Walmart on the store floors make so little that they qualify for government aid, be it food stamps, medicare, or even cash aid. Walmart is essentially getting state, local and federal government assistance to pay for their employees by paying them so little that they qualify for that aid. Not only that, but the "health care benefits" come at a price that is too high for most of those employees to afford. Even $70 per month for health insurance is too much for someone who is making minimum wage and trying to support a family.

Furthermore, Walmart has closed supplier businesses down by negotiating their prices down to un unsustainable level. Suppliers feel that they have to have their products in Walmart if they want to be nationally successful at all, and yet Walmart refuses to carry products unless they are able to get the prices down to absurd levels. If you search for "suppliers Walmart negotiations" you will find tales and lots of information about how partnering with Walmart can be "the kiss of death" as one article put it.