We all know that Walmart is known for its low-priced goods. And we’ve heard stories as well how Sam Walton, it’s billionaire founder, was famous for his thriftiness, driving around an old pickup truck. But we had no idea that the boardroom in the company’s headquarters looked like a public school’s teacher’s lounge. Click on the image below to check it out.
It’s part of the recent CNBC report, “The New Age of Walmart.”
Counter Culture 
Wal-Mart is very interesting, and in this market, their strategy is paying off. No one can compete with them on their strategy. On the one hand, who doesnt want to save money buying basic goods. On the other hand, the means at which they save money can be put into question from the outside – squeezing suppliers, low pay, etc – the list is long. Also there is the image of shopping at wal-mart, and having to deal with the insane crowds if you happen to be there on an off day. In Chicago, for some reason they have to approve a wal-mart, but they build Targets all over the place and no one cares – explain me that!
Isn’t Chicago is Dayton Hudson’s home town?
Walmart’s attempts to glossily spin a new direction do not address the core problem: treating employees with respect by paying a living wage. The solution is within their grasp, and the solution directly impacts their business model, which they are unwilling to fix. Unionization is all but inevitable.
From what I understand from the TV doc, it’s all about healthcare in the US. They don’t have that problem in the rest of the world do they? Maybe that’s what WalMart is saying? How else can they help the poor and middle class in the US? The poor and middle class have to want equalization in healthcare in this country. I think they can do it easily by just forcing the Insurance companies right now to give us insurance that includes two free standard bloodtests a year without a PCP’s permission. Start investigating and regulating bloodtesting labs and procedures and have them more local. Separate it from the control of the doctors. We can all read our own listing from the pathologist ourselves. It’s all automated anyway.
Alex, from a consumer point of view, I feel about Walmart as I felt long ago about the dawning of discount stores — they look ugly inside and out — at least not as appealing as the then-prevalent department stores, and they cheapened the shopping experience, as well as the neighborhood environment, for me. I don’t feel that way about Target, which is light and bright inside and carries lines that are chic and more upscale – in display anyway — than Walmart. From that perspective, I fully understand why cities/residents want approval before a Walmart is built, but not for Target.
I wish they would take some of the savings they have from basic office environments and put that capital towards having more check out lines open at any given time!
Wal-Mart does what it does because it can! They are the biggest retailer in the world because the consumer shops and buys from them at prices they percieve as being what they are willing to pay. Suppliers sell to them at a price they negotiate and are willing to sell at. The challenge for the rest of us in retail is to be creative and fiqure out how to be a competitor and attract our share of consumer dollars and negotiate a reasonable cost from our suppliers.
I applaud everyone that finds creative ways to compete and satisfy their customers in our open market.
The high price of low cost, America!
This hokey frugality is more annoying and insulting than Saddam Husseins gold door knobs ever were. Ever try to do polite business with these guys?? You can’t even buy them a cup of coffee without the suspicion of influence peddling coming up. Ridiculous and even more petty and insulting is their treatment of their suppliers and vendors, basically everything in a Walmart is there on consignment. You will only get paid when and if they sell it! As I have said before these are not the people I want to be carving out America’s future, setting Americas style, or establishing our intellectual horizons.
james, I may be mistaken, but I don’t recall Wal Mart forcing anyone to do business with them, whether that be a supplier or a customer or an employee. Personally, I do not shop at Wal Mart because I don’t like crowded, semi-clean stores. That is my choice. I am continually amazed that people have some sort of vendetta against Wal mart simply because they are successful in a free market.
Let’s be logical about the alternative….Wal Mart is run out of business. I can assure you the lower and middle income demographics would end up paying more for basic food and household items. Lastly, the purpose of Wal Mart (or ANY business for that matter) is not to supply jobs….that is simply a by product of providing a good or service to the public at a price both sides are willing to agree upon.
People can make all the emotional arguements they want but it doesn’t change fundamental economics.
fyi….Dayton hudson is based in Minneapolis, not Chicago.
Wal-Mart delivers what a huge percentage of the population ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES – LOW PRICES.
Because inflation, despite the government telling us differently in their bogus statistics, is a real thing to the middle to lower classes.
Think about trying to support yourself and your family on anything near minimum wages and you have the answer to why Wal-Mart continues to be popular – VALUE, VALUE, VALUE.
Don’t you think Wal-Mart shoppers would RATHER shop at Target if they had the extra money???????????
Only in America would the Wal Marts and Microsofts of the world be punished for having a business model that is too efficient. Each of us wishes that we had built their mouse trap. Wake up, Folks and be thankful that wherever Wal Mart goes, dozens of smaller retailers follow. Maybe we should punish them for their success so that we could dump the in the same bucket as General Motors and Chrysler. When they unionize, prices will go up 20% and that will hurt blue collar America. Not all of us shop at Neirman Marcus and Target has very few of the things that I shop for. Wake up, America, and let the free enterprise system work. Each of us negotiates for the best deal but when Wal Mart does, you cry “unfair” We have managed to destroy our manufacturing capabilities, doing a good job on the automotive, so now lets destroy what little is left of the retail.
Ben Ennis
great comments on the site on this topic. keep in mind everything wal-mart is doing is legal. might be questionable on the ethical side, but their strategy is paying off – the absolute low cost no frills. Their strategy also permeates to all parts of their culture – no frills in the offices, and rumor has it employees share hotel rooms when they travel. You cannot compete with Walmart on price. So therefore as retailers you must compete on something else (quality, style, etc) but it cant be on price. Target does it by providing style thats slightly more expensive. its ridiculous that Chicago doesnt approve a wal-mart – the store will pay taxes to the city. Fair Wage? yes, thats important, but the poor in the city need cheap goods, its very simple. Many people in chicago are already under the burden for paying 10.25% sales tax THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION!!!! hows that for helping the poor?
Attention All Walmart Management: Free the wage slaves!! Increase Walmart wages now!
Checkout this web page, and then consider that they hire over 1.3MM people in this great land of ours. A $1 per hour raise for every Walmart worker would provide an economic stimulus of $2,298,400,000 annually and the price of a pair of socks would only go up 1 cent.
Meanwhile Scott is paid over $29MM. Meanwhile 1.3 MM people are paid at a rate that is below the federal poverty line. So on whose backs is the Walmart fortune being made?? Yours America, and mine!
Click to access wmt-and-wages.pdf
It’s true that Walmart pays its employees low wages but that is part of the reason they can sell us products at prices that other stores can’t afford to match. If Unionizing takes place prices will go up, and Walmart will fall. Personally I believe if a person has a job that they do full time, what ever it is may be; they should be able to support them self and still have a little it left over, but this is not Walmart’s responsibility.