PATRIOTIC SEARS

[smstonypoint]

Second, you are obviously very contemptuous of your fellow man. Apparently, you find fault in those that aren't smart enough to shop at places you approve of.

That's my reading, too. Sam cites John 3:16 in his signature. He might want to read along a little further to John 13:34.

Steve

 

[impdaddy]

My wife made a tater tot casserole(sp) for thanksgiving as well as my famous mashed potatoes. I love tater tots. The new 12" coney dog and tots at Sonic is the bomb. I don't know if Sonic is a monopoly or not but they sure are big.

 

[Porkie]

LOST: 99% of this has been in levity. Some seem to not see this because apparently, I've crossed the line in commenting about their "Holy Cow!" (no offense to cows)

No one comments on WM's effect on small communities that have or maybe I should say "had" main st and the city square lined with small, Mom and Pop businesses, that the citizens shopped in for years.

Once WM got so big, they just bullied their way into local communities.

They just are concerned with the "sale" and to heck with customer service. The greeter may smile and the sales associate may too but working in a place that won't let you have full time employement to enable their health coverage or working for 10 years and maybe having your wages go up a dollar or two, working overtime and not being paid for it, not training workers to be competent in anything they sell etc etc. It's not the workers fault, it's the company. I can't give you names but I talk to LOTS of WM employees and hear their tales of woe.

When you are so big that you can control the marketplace from manufacturing to sales, then you are a Monopoly.

Do you remember Microsoft's problem with the Federal Trade Commission?

If a WM moved next to one of our sponsors that sell tractors and attachments and farm supplies and they (WM) started to sell the same thing but a little cheaper, would you buy from WM?

Most of these sponsors and vendors will bend over backwards to give you FREE information, verbally and with videos and give you absolutely excellent PERSONAL service. Is that worth more than retail price to keep you from buying it from WM for a little less?

What if your local pawn shop or flea market sold for less, would you abandon WM??? My-my-my!

The typical WM salesman, would just point you to the brush cutter, ZTR, tiller or whatever and that's the end of their knowledge and involvement. If you have a question or problem, you are on your own.

They are called "Big box stores" because they sell you a big box and that's the extent of their involvement. Their customer service is typically just the ability to say: "Give me your receipt and get another one."

This is especially true when the product is more complicated than a bag of ding dongs.

If the customer asks for instruction, advise or help, they don't know on a day to day basis if the sales associate that they bought their computer, lawnmower, wireless router or whatever, is actually trained to know anything whatsoever about the product they just bought.

Cleetus can be a greeter one day and an electronics expert the next and serve food in the deli in the afternoon. This isn't Cleetus's fault at all.

I really didn't mean to hit a nerve here but I guess that's the way it goes.

I also love tatter tots, especially from Sonic, with a footlong!

It's typical for someone to doubt one's ministry and Christianity if the DEBATE doesn't suit them or if they can find something scriptually to chastise them.

Steve: I didn't say I didn't LOVE Cleetus or his fellow workers!

Sam

 

[TripleR]

Sam, what you describe about Wal-Mart is sadly true of many if not most of the big chain stores. I have had relatives in positions of associates as well as management.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of their firearms policies, but do go to other chain stores. I also use our local hardware stores and lumber company whenever possible, but not to the point where it hurts the finances of my family.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

LOST: 99% of this has been in levity.

<shrug> OK, different tastes in humor, then.

No one comments on WM's effect on small communities that have or maybe I should say "had" main st and the city square lined with small, Mom and Pop businesses, that the citizens shopped in for years.

Once WM got so big, they just bullied their way into local communities.

I'm not sure how WM "bullies" its way in any more than Radio Shack or Sears "bullies" their way into opening a new store. Are you stating WM is using some type of illegal means to expand?

They just are concerned with the "sale" and to heck with customer service.

I don't know...seems they have a pretty friendly return policy. An while the guys working in automotives or hardware in WM may not be as knowledgeable as the guy (or girl) behind the counter at most mom-and-pop stores, they are usually pretty decent. WM could use more open checkout lines too, IMHO.

Thing is, I don't expect premium service or quality when shopping at WM. Just how high are your expectations for big box chain stores? What I expect at WM is decent prices on decent goods that, while not disposable, aren't really expected to be of superior quality. There's a time and place for everything. WM is perfectly acceptable for much of what I need. When it is not, I shop elsewhere.

The greeter may smile and the sales associate may too but working in a place that won't let you have full time employement to enable their health coverage or working for 10 years and maybe having your wages go up a dollar or two, working overtime and not being paid for it... I can't give you names but I talk to LOTS of WM employees and hear their tales of woe.

Well, if someone is not being paid for overtime, that is unacceptable, IMHO. I wouldn't have any clue as to how a company could get away with that.

I'm not sure about the "won't let you have" full-time employment issue. Wally Worlds that I frequent (and also employ people that I know) generally have a combination of full- and part-time help. In many instances, WM employees don't want a full-time position (have another job, going to school, etc.).

And as far as I know, it is the company (chain store or mom-and-pop) that determines its needs for the amount of full-time and part-time help. If you want FT, but your employer has only PT available, then perhaps you should seek employment elsewhere. Does Radio Shack not have part-time employees? How About WM's direct competitors? K-Mart? Sears? Kroger? Meijer?

When you are so big that you can control the marketplace from manufacturing to sales, then you are a Monopoly.

Do you remember Microsoft's problem with the Federal Trade Commission?

The legalities behind what constitutes a monopoly are difficult for me to wrap my mind around. In the absence of truly nefarious practices (i.e. collusion with regulatory authorities, or threatening to have your competitor "swim with the fishes"), where do you cross from simply being very good at what you do, to being a monolopy? A company that delivers what is needed at a good price turns into a positive feedback system. Desired goods at desired prices leads to more customers. More customers leads to more capital. More capital provides opportunity for expansion. More expansion leads to more customers, and the cycle continues.

If a WM moved next to one of our sponsors that sell tractors and attachments and farm supplies and they (WM) started to sell the same thing but a little cheaper, would you buy from WM?

Depends. Am I looking to save $100, or $1,000. The same thoughts would go into that purchase (too numerous to mention here) as they would go into purchasing a tractor from a local dealer, or one three states away, but can save me $1,500.

Most of these sponsors and vendors will bend over backwards to give you FREE information, verbally and with videos and give you absolutely excellent PERSONAL service. Is that worth more than retail price to keep you from buying it from WM for a little less?

Yes. But 99% of the stuff I'd typically purchase at Wal-Mart doesn't require much scrutiny. When I need a Wii game for my son's birthday, it will be the same game no matter where it is purchased. If I need a three-pack of boxer briefs, do I really need a lot of outside input in my selection?

They are called "Big box stores" because they sell you a big box and that's the extent of their involvement. Their customer service is typically just the ability to say: "Give me your receipt and get another one."

Exactly. Again, when you shop from a big box, you know what to expect. What's wrong with that?

This is especially true when the product is more complicated than a bag of ding dongs.

Now see, that was funny.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

My wife made a tater tot casserole(sp) for thanksgiving

She's a keeper!

 

[tungularafishcamp]

First Lost in the Wood, How in the heck do you quote small parts of and not the whole post?

second We have a small town on one corner of the island. When Safeway came in it took out 2 long time mom and pop grocery stores and for the first year or so we got good cheap produce for the first time. Of course after time they realized they had a captive market and jacked the price up accordingly.

We now have a Walmart (not a super) and almost immediatly the mom n pop drug store closed down.(they wanted to retire anyway) But after 10 years we still have our 3 other hardware stores, 2 sporting goods stores, and a thriving downtown. What was a nice surprise prices went down in the other stores and not up in Walmart, go figure

The big loss(IMHO )when Walmart came to town was the Sears outlet store did close down @ 2 years later, the manager said it was cause of WM but sears was closing them down all over the state.
Rick

PS I still say:thumbsup::thumbsup:Sears for supporting our troops

 

[LostInTheWoods]

First Lost in the Wood, How in the heck do you quote small parts of and not the whole post?

There's probably an easier way, but what I do is hit the "QUOTE" button under the post I'd like to quote.

Then, break up the original post into separate paragraphs for each topic you want to reply to.

At the beginning of each of those sections, you'll want to copy/paste the first (for lack of knowing the proper term) header...it will look something like this "QUOTE=tungularafishcamp;2166729" Make sure you include the [ at the beginning, and the ] at the end.

At the end of each section, copy/paste /QUOTE, and also include the [ and the ] (if I type the whole thing out, it makes the post do weird things).

Someone will probably demonstrate how little I really know about this, and show us both a simpler way.

PS I still say:thumbsup::thumbsup:Sears for supporting our troops

+1

 

[rtimgray]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of their firearms policies, but do go to other chain stores. I also use our local hardware stores and lumber company whenever possible, but not to the point where it hurts the finances of my family.

What are Wal-Mart's firearms policies? We have one local Wal-Mart that sells rifles and shotguns, and I think there is another one about an hour away (they are listed as a dealer for Rossi firearms, anyway). I was thinking that they (Wal-Mart) decided not to carry handguns at all and would leave the decision to sell long arms to the individual stores?

I figured that this thread is sidetracked enough it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Thanks.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Ours carries both long and short guns.
Rick