Boycott Walmart

[clyde]

A post on another thread prompted me to post this. It occurred that a good number of the fine people here are not aware of Walmart's alliance with China.

Indeed, for the last few years, Walmart has had their main purchasing office moved to Beijing, China. They did this because over 80% of their goods come from China.

I'm sure that many of you have realized how difficult it is to buy anything that isn't, at least in part, made in China. Well, Walmart, being our largest retailer, has led the charge in that direction (ever notice they dropped the "always made in the USA" ad campaign?).

With Walmart owning about 15% of our nation's economy, we question how good it is for our nation to have 85% of their purchasing $ going to China, who is definitely no friend of the U.S..

Send Wally World a message, and tell them to bring the business back home. Take your money elsewhere.

I realize too that many of you may feel like Walmart is the only place you can afford to shop. I can assure you that it is not. They have just managed to convince you of that through clever marketing techniques. And the real question is "can you really afford , in the long run, to continue shopping there and thus continue shipping our $ to China?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please, please take the time to give the situation some consideration.

 

[keywesmoke]

Where are you going to buy stuff then? KMart? You're just robbing Peter to pay Paul, it's still Chinese. Trying to go through an entire day without buying something Chin-lee is probably not possible, unless you're setting out to do it.
America buys their stuff by the billions, always will and we have been for what, 50 years? Putting a purchasing dept there saves them money, so in the trickle it saves ME money.
Some dog food and a few shrimp that are bad isn't going to keep me from going to WalMart.
Would I prefer to have it all American? Of course, but we won't make stuff for 3 bucks a day.

 

[clyde]

Are Walmart and Kmart the only places to shop? I just honestly don't know how I get by then, because I don't shop at either.

The lack of customer service was enough to drive me away from Kmart.

Do you feel good knowing that you're buying things made from poor people who are forced to work for "three bucks a day"?

I do believe that it's nearly impossible to go a day without buying something that's made in China. In fact, I believe that I made reference to that fact in my original post.

While I do my best to boycott all Chinese goods, I realize the would be a bit drastic for most folks. That's why I'm not asking for anyone to do that. I'm merely asking folks to boycott Waimart, which is easy to do, and I ask this as an effort to send them a message to bring the business back to the country that made them what they are.

I certainly hope that most Americans don't share the value that it's all good if it saves them a buck or two. If that's the case, then we might as all start studying Chinese.

 

[mossymo]

Last evening my wife and I were out shopping and I looked at the Holland Companion stainless steel grill. It was priced at $199. When we purchased ours they were $299, so at that time we purchased a factory demo model for $199. Anyways I asked the sales person about the drastic price cut and he said there were 2 reasons for this; #1 being that the owner of Holland grill company sold the company and #2 being that the new owner is having the Companion line of grills manufactured in China. Now, having said that I just noticed the Holland web site is down?

 

[clyde]

do you suppose that getting parts and customer service/support will be getting easier? (he said sarcastically)

 

[ammjr]

I like your idea about boycotting goods made in China where possible. My wife and I will absolutely under no circumstances buy any Kodak products - despite the fact that we live in Rochester, NY - HOME to Kodak. Why? Because they are demolishing all of their buildings here one at a time and opening new factories in - you guessed it - China. We buy FUJI disposable cameras because they ARE made in the USA.

What about cars? Most Ford's and Chev's are either made in Canada or Mexico. So why can companies like Hyundai, Toyota and Nissan build and operate new plants here in the USA but the "Big 3" American auto makers are running like chickens from the axe?

I don't think we'll ever have a straight answer, but my answer boils down to what kewesmoke said, if it saves me a few bucks... which by the way, the Fuji disposables are CHEAPER here than the Kodak ones are...
- Anthony

 

[smokyokie]

I'm with Clyde on this one. What will those "few bucks" end up costing you when you can't find quality merchandise anywhere, and the only place to shop is Walmart. What will happen to "Always the Low Price" at that stage of the game?

Tim

 

[payson]

That's what truly worries me. Additionally, once they become the true monopoly that they damn near are it will be quite easy for them to start dictating morality. For example, Wal-Mart decides they don't like certain music lyrics. What do they do? They sell a version that's made (censored) to their liking. (This is happening as we speak folks!) As Mom and Pop record stores go out of business, Wal-Marts ability to impose their sense of morals and deceny upon us becomes stronger. It's a sleeping giant that we don't want to wake, sadly it may be too late. the attitude regarding saving a few bucks is very short-sighted.

 

[tdk]

Read how Walmart almost put Vlasic Pickel out of business:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html


Any way you cut it Walmart is bad for America.

 

[keywesmoke]

Tim, that'll never happen. Competition will always create multiple sources for similar product.
My point was that it's almost impossible to buy something US "for a few bucks" more than a Chinese product. (Take the Holland, it's $100 more made here) Obviously there's an enormous demand for Chinese products or any retail outfit that we know wouldn't sell it.
This poison business is just a speed bump....the market will determine if we're ready to really reconsider our trade with them. I'm quite sure some heads are rolling in China, this got way too much press for it to be an "oops".

I'm glad Chinese cars aren't here (yet) because that would certainly finish off Ford, who I believe just had to sell off Volvo yesterday.

 

[ryan68]

Agree with Lanny...

 

[smokehouse lanny]

Uh-oh, Socio-economic-political discussion has taken over the Smoke Forum. What shall we discuss next folks? Iraq, Iran, N.Korea, Darfur, the impious Catholic Church, those wasscally Mormans and all their wives, the Gay Episcopaliens ?
How about- - - - - -PORK FAT, BUTTS AND BRISKETS ! ! My .02 worth.

 

[pigcicles]

... I'll take Briskets for $.02 Lanny

 

[smokehouse lanny]

I suppose you will want that delivered, PigCicles?

 

[clyde]

I don't know where the topic of poison came from. It certainly didn't come from my post. I also don't know anything about "socio-economic" topics. There were no mentions of anything sociological that I'm aware of, but this country's economy is, I think, something that most everyone here is concerned about, and IMHO, if not, it should be.

The nature of my post was simply good old fashioned patriotism, and I think most folks at this forum are interested in that.

Do you guys work for Walmart or something?

 

[deejaydebi]

Once upon a time, a long time ago, we had an Ames, a Zayers, a Mr Bigs and a Sears in town. Now we have a Wal Mart - just a Wal Mart and it's not even a super Wal Mart.

There is still a Sears about 30 miles south of here in a big shopping mall (I hate malls) but All the others are out of business. The only department store in town is Wal Mart.

When I shopped for a camera I looked for USA on the label - could't find one, they were made in Japan. When I shopped for a smoker I found one made in Utah but it has a water pan clearly marked made in China.

Boycotting Wal Mart will not get them to stop buying products from China it will force them to get cheaper products from China or elsewhere. It will force them to layoff workers or futher cut their hours. I have friends that work or worked at WalMart. When the don't make the same money as last year they cut hours. Doesn't matter that they now have a store in every town - that store didn't make as much money this year.

How many of us would agree to stay at our current jobs for the next 5 years without a cost of living raise so they can hire another person or not let someone go? Chances are unless you the one commming or going you'd say "see ya!"

Will you take a cut in pay so we can again become competitive with countries like China, Korea, Mexico, the Phillipians, India etc. etc.? Eventually China will be just like Japan and their products will get better and more expensive and we will be at their mercy.

What jobs will out kids have? McDonalds, Casinos, Hotels, hosuekeeping ...


Lets go smoke something!!

 

[smokehouse lanny]

Sorry Clyde, I did not come here to discuss Wally world's relationship with China, nor have it implied that I am less than patriotic. Don't work for 'em, did work for Gen. Jolimore at Ft. Bragg and other less comfortable LZs.

 

[peculiarmike]

This belongs on another site in a galaxy far far away..

How bout we just stick to smoking what ever we can fit in the smoker and sharing that information?

 

[clyde]

If it's not a super Walmart, it will be within the next 2 years, or it will be shut down. That's their plan. All stores super by the end of '09. Where will you go to shop, and your friends to work if your area is determined to not be economically feasible for a super store?

Boycotting Walmart during the 'o5-'06 Christmas shopping season did get them to put the word Christmas back in their stores. These fols are very good at reading messages from the public, and will respond if the message comes in the form of lower sales $.

Wouldn't most of those friends of yours be better off if there were more competition in the job market? What would Wally World do if Zayre , for instance was paying employees more and treating them better. They would have to do the same, or lose their staff.

IMHO, we are already at their (Walmart's) mercy as is pointed out in most of your post, and most particularly in the last sentence of it.

 

[clyde]

That's what makes this such a great cyber place. nobody has to subscribe to any thread that they don't want to!