I love Walmart's new commercial

[Raptor]

Now you are just trying to pick a fight

Rush is not a great band. in fact, they blow.

Or Overbrook the thread.

[TerpEagle]

The Amazon model, which will cost even more jobs and result in more people getting paid less, is inevitable, just as the Walmart model was an inevitable evolution of small mom-and-pop stores and regional mass merch retailers. Just doesn't make sense to hate on one and not the other

Walmart's ability to sell at low prices doesn't mean they still don't treat employees, consumers and suppliers like shit.

Is that inherent in their ability to have low prices?

[Riccardo]

Well that's your opinion

I know from experience (as our company is a supplier to Walmart) that they do not treat us like "shit". If you want to look at something quantitative such as pay scales as I referenced earlier, than, again, the evolution to the Amazon model is only making it worse (at least for the employees).

[PackWest]

Couple of questions for Riccardo

Does your company produce products specifically for Walmart ? Do they OEM stuff for them as store brands or are the products sold to Walmart the exact same as the products they sell elsewhere ?

The reason I ask is that one of the strategies Walmart often used was substitution of cheaper components in electronics and cheaper, lower quality raw materials in consumer goods. This helped them deliver the lowest price possible all while claiming they were the "same" products, even though they weren't .

[Riccardo]

Same as elsewhere

They have asked for specific products for their stores but we deal with all the big retailers globally

[Eagle Road]

All this talk of greedy corporations, that make billions of dollars on a slim profit line, I just hope you realize that it would take no time at all for a "small" manufacturing increase or cost of materials to wipe out that profitability.

Go ahead and tell me again how greedy the oil companies are because they buy,employ,prospect,build, and actually produce something that we all use everyday.

But yet not a peep about the government taking in more money per gallon, on taxation across the board for doing nothing, taking no chances, no risk, no venture, no construction, and the only people they employ is to count the tax money.

But the corporations are the bad guys? Some of you are so full of shit, you do realize that corporation HAVE to answer to board members and stock holders right?

How many here have a stock portfolio?

[TerpEagle]

All this talk of greedy corporations, that make billions of dollars on a slim profit line, I just hope you realize that it would take no time at all for a "small" manufacturing increase or cost of materials to wipe out that profitability.

Go ahead and tell me again how greedy the oil companies are because they buy,employ,prospect,build, and actually produce something that we all use everyday.

But yet not a peep about the government taking in more money per gallon, on taxation across the board for doing nothing, taking no chances, no risk, no venture, no construction, and the only people they employ is to count the tax money.

But the corporations are the bad guys? Some of you are so full of shit, you do realize that corporation HAVE to answer to board members and stock holders right?

How many here have a stock portfolio?

You want to talk about Big Oil? Aside from manipulation of oil prices by Big Oil and OPEC, let's look at how some of these slim-margin companies are doing.

Oh, here we go:

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/h...cent-raise.ece

--
Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson got a 15 percent pay hike to $40.3 million last year, according to a regulatory filing from the Irving-based oil giant released Friday.
Tillerson, 61, who was named chairman and CEO in 2006, led the company to a $44.9 billion profit last year. That comes close to returning to Exxon’s record earnings of $45.2 billion in 2008 — when it earned more money in a single year than any corporation in history.
--

Not just Exxon you say?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...13381721585032

--
Chief executives in the oil and gas, telecom, financial and consumer goods sectors were paid more than bosses in other industries in 2010, according to a study of proxy statements conducted for The Wall Street Journal by management consultancy Hay Group.

CEOs of oil and gas companies had the highest median value of total direct compensation at $13.7 million in 2010, up 17.3% from the year before. Total direct compensation is the sum of salary, bonuses and the granted value of stock, stock options and other long-term incentives given for service in fiscal 2010.
--

Margins must be pretty slim. And what's this government does nothing for them bullshit? You know that Big Oil is subsidized by our tax dollars correct? Congress provides between $10 and $50 billion a year to the oil and gas industry in subsidies.

[Eagle Road]

You want to talk about Big Oil? Aside from manipulation of oil prices by Big Oil and OPEC, let's look at how some of these slim-margin companies are doing.

Oh, here we go:

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/h...cent-raise.ece

--
Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson got a 15 percent pay hike to $40.3 million last year, according to a regulatory filing from the Irving-based oil giant released Friday.
Tillerson, 61, who was named chairman and CEO in 2006, led the company to a $44.9 billion profit last year. That comes close to returning to Exxon’s record earnings of $45.2 billion in 2008 — when it earned more money in a single year than any corporation in history.
--

Not just Exxon you say?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...13381721585032

--
Chief executives in the oil and gas, telecom, financial and consumer goods sectors were paid more than bosses in other industries in 2010, according to a study of proxy statements conducted for The Wall Street Journal by management consultancy Hay Group.

CEOs of oil and gas companies had the highest median value of total direct compensation at $13.7 million in 2010, up 17.3% from the year before. Total direct compensation is the sum of salary, bonuses and the granted value of stock, stock options and other long-term incentives given for service in fiscal 2010.
--

Margins must be pretty slim. And what's this government does nothing for them bullshit? You know that Big Oil is subsidized by our tax dollars correct? Congress provides between $10 and $50 billion a year to the oil and gas industry in subsidies.

Their profits are astronomical numbers, TRUE, but they also sell astronomical amounts, or units if you will of product, their profit (follow close here) MARGIN, IS SLIM.

Is it their fault that YOUR politicians give them a subsidy? I suppose if you were in business and were offered a gov. subsidy you would send it back, and say no thanks?

Also RE-READ what I said, I DIDN'T say the gov. doesn't do anything for the oil companies, I said the gov. DOES NOTHING FOR THE TAX MONEY THEY COLLECT, comprehend much?

Do YOU own any stocks?

[Riccardo]

The Terp straw man du jour

What does executive compensation have to do with the price of bananas at Walmart? That has no real relevance to corporate profitability. And the fact is, your beloved Apple and Microsoft are more than twice as profitable as big oil companies - it's not even close.

And speaking of compensation, the highest paid executive is Larry Ellison - from another of your beloved high tech companies. Talk about greedy bastards - is there a greedier douchebag than that guy? Has to build the largest house ever, has bought almost 98% of the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai.

[Riccardo]

Big oil subsidies are another red herring

Here's a good explanation:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/energyso...als-love-them/

[TerpEagle]

What does executive compensation have to do with the price of bananas at Walmart? That has no real relevance to corporate profitability. And the fact is, your beloved Apple and Microsoft are more than twice as profitable as big oil companies - it's not even close.

And speaking of compensation, the highest paid executive is Larry Ellison - from another of your beloved high tech companies. Talk about greedy bastards - is there a greedier douchebag than that guy? Has to build the largest house ever, has bought almost 98% of the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai.

I didn't bring up Big Oil, champ. Eagle Road did. I didn't bring up any company outside of Walmart to talk specifically about issues I have with Walmart.

You have been bringing up everyone else. How many other companies do you want to talk about just to have me agree that the CEOs of most companies are greedy?

Here's a blanket statement (that I already made): For-profit companies are trying to make a profit.

For whatever reason you're vehemently defending Walmart (possibly because they're a client - I don't know) by just throwing out other corporations as if my distaste for Walmart and the Waltons negates any negative feelings I have about other corporations/industries. Yeah, a lot of corporations are greedy and do shitty stuff. This thread was about Walmart.

Whenever I bring it back to Walmart, I hear about Apple, Microsoft, Google, oil companies, the government, etc. Are you guys trying to populate a corn field?

[TerpEagle]

Here's a good explanation:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/energyso...als-love-them/

You'd think that it's the liberals who would love subsidies - government spending and all. Maybe that's what will have Texas voting against Marco Rubio.

[Eagle Road]

OK, so let's talk about Wally World, what's the issue? If you work at WW and don't like it you have options, you could get some schooling ( they offer a program) and try and advance into management, or you could quit and go work elsewhere, no one is twisting their arm to stay there?

But if all you are capable of is collecting carts or being a greeter, and you are not willing to move up, or move on, you are always going to get paid a low wage.

I really don't give a crap about WalMart, but you act like people that work there have no choice.

If you think you could do better for people, mortgage everything you have and go into business, work the long hours with everything on the line, and then if/when you are successful you can hire people to do menial tasks and pay them 80k a year.

[Riccardo]

Did I ever defend Walmart?

My first post was a criticism of the cheap Chinese crap they sell. I just find it laughable that people like you try to make out these companies as some evil bogeyman, yet seem to have no problem with other companies even in the same industry (like Amazon). You want to argue that Walmart is "evil"? Have at it. But you also have to accept the fact that by the same standards, a company like Amazon is even more "evil".

[Riccardo]

Well it's because they aren't really subsidies

Another leftist myth