How does Wal-mart affect the global economy?
404920
Wal-mart employees millions of workers worldwide.  This benefits the employees by giving them a steady source of income that they can depend on.  Wal-Mart offers tons of benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, stock options, disability insurance, etc to help their employees.  Wal-Mart also looks after their employees in the event that tragedy occurs by providing free life insurance for their workers at no cost to them.  Wal-Mart challenges their suppliers make products more economical by having them cut excess production costs so that the goods they produce are cheaper for customers.  This definitely helps customers in the long run by saving them money on their day to day shopping experience.
1048772
Actually, billions of dollars a year in profits.  Wal-Mart (WMT) posted $11.39 Billion in net income (revenue - expenditure).  And yes, there have been studies shown that if Wal-Mart brought it's wages back up to industry standard, they would still be a very profitable company.\n\nHowever, unions are complicated and serve to differentiate workers from the general population, not serve the best interests of everyone.  And, unions are not the right answer for low-skilled/low-wage earners.  For instance, the reason why autoworkers have a powerful union is because Ford or Chevy can't just hire anyone off the street to build a car or operate machinery.  Nor can Delta grab one if it's passengers out of first class and have them fly a 747.  The more skilled and irreplaceable a worker, the more power unions have.  Wal-Mart and McDonalds pay their workers hardly anything because they have developed a system to where just about anyone can be thrown into a Wal-Mart or McDonalds and have all the training they would need to be an effective employee in a day or so.  Furthermore, there's less and less demand for low-skilled workers in today's global economy.  Typical low-skilled jobs in manufacturing have headed overseas, and if you don't posses the skills in today's world to succeed, you're out of luck.  Still, too many unskilled service jobs in the US remain underpaid.  But is that fair to low-skilled American labor?\n\nUnfortunately, I don't think it is.  It was recently reported that the drop-out rate in Los Angeles area high schools was as high as 25%.  While it's important to provide education for our nation's youngsters and propel them into workforce, children coming from well established backgrounds have a much, much better chance at succeeding.  Conversely, kids that come from 'the other side of the tracks' have a much much lower chance at succeeding and do not proceed into adulthood with the skills they need to earn a respectable living.  And to clarify respectable, I mean above the poverty line.\n\nGetting back to your question, the primary fault for low wages at McDonalds and Wal-Mart are not those companies’ policies.  They make the best possible financial decisions given the circumstances in which their business operates.  And, if it was in Wal-Mart's best interests to pay workers more, they would.  Management at Wal-Mart is paid very handsomely.  In order to make a difference and pull our nation's poor out of poverty, the government needs to intervene by increasing the minimum wage and punish companies that employ illegal hiring practices.  As it stands, the President and Congress would rather fill the coffers of American corporations with excess profits than provide help to those that need it the most: the working poor.  Just recently, Congress struck down legislation that would raise the minimum wage providing no help to many Americans that are struggling to make ends meet.  \n\nHow can we justify the minimum wage at $5.15 an hour?\n\nLet's take for example a couple with no children -- the most financially stable and well off household classification -- working full time at minimum wage levels.  Husband and wife combined would earn roughly $1600/mo..  For the sake of this example I am omitting any payroll taxes or other paycheck deductions.  Our couple lives in a 1-bedroom apartment that rents with utilities for $600/mo..  That leaves the couple 1,000 to spend on food, clothing, medicine, and transportation - necessities in life.  2 people eat roughly 180 meals a month, and at $3.00 a meal it is $540.  A montly bus pass in Los Angeles, and most major cities, is about $50/mo. per person, or $100/mo. for both.  So far, our theoretical couple has spent $1,240 of their $1600 budget.  That leaves $360 for health care, entertainment, clothing, household goods (toilet paper, soap, towels, TV), and retirement savings (even minimum wage earners aren't exempt from s
1031721
all of the large manufacturing companies want to make as much profit as is possible. They don't care about quality or who makes their products. Wal*Mart  owns companies in Communist China that makes products made by child labor. Does it bother them No. WE buy this crap and at an inflated price. Remember when American made products could be repaired? No more. Comminist China makes un- repairable crap. I laugh when I see religous people dressed in their best in Wal*Mart on Sunday afternoon buying all their products that were made in an Atheist , Communist country. How is that for being stupid. Wal*Mart laughs all the way to the bank. You can buy flags from VietNam also.
886136
I really seriously doubt that Walmart ,THE BIGGEST RETAIL COMPANY IN THE WORLD, would ever do anything like that. All they care about is money, money, money and dropping the prices to what they were 20 years ago would cause them to lose precious money. Sure, some things cost a lot more then than they do now, but some things were cheaper then and dropping those things to the prices of 20 years ago would make them lose money. Think about it.
303394
We owe Communist China Multi- Billions in trade deficits. Our American companies (Wal*Mart) found that worker rights cut into their profits. A shirt sewed by a 10 year old Chinese girl cost much less than a shirt sewed in a union shop. The Chi-com shirt is no damn good so you will buy another in a few weeks. By the way the reason for the deficit   ///China won't buy our goods either.
485596
Personally, I think Walmart is nothing but a greedy corporate giant that doesn't care about anything but making money. They treat their employees like crap(I used to work there) and have the worst benefits you can think of. If it wasn't for other stores being so far away I wouldn't even shop at Walmart, but the Walmart in my town is only about a mile away. I really have no choice. I don't like it, but I do it anyway. :(\n\nI can't stand Walmart!!!
779447
I don't think the problem is that people think Walmart is bad for the country in general, but more on a local level. In my area there has been opposition to new Walmarts based upon how it will affect the traffic flow and congestion in the area. \nThe old argument that they will put "downtowns" and smaller local businesses out is I believe a foregone conclusion. Most downtowns have eroded years ago, and  the local businesses have been replaced by national chains, and they're in malls.\nOne of the biggest problems has been that Walmart becomes a major employer in their area, and that the employees were being shorted in benefits, hours and pay, but those issues are being addressed.
596634
Good- MAJOR employer, good wages, good diversity hiring policy for minorities, American success story, great low prices, open 24 hrs, one stop shopping. Very respectable employee discount.\n\nBad- recently sued by ppl trying to keep them from gobbling up and destroying their neighborhoods by their saturation scheme of "wal-marts everywhere". Recently sued by women as a class-action suit for their "glass ceiling" of limited advancement and lower wages compared to males in exact same jobs. \nThey throw away books, by tearing off the covers, turning the covers in as "remainders" for credit from the publishers, and just throwing away the bodies of the books.\nThe throw away more in a single day than most people could eat or use in a lifetime. \nTheir price "rollbacks" are hiding the costs by moving them around- raising prices on some items to reduce them on others.\nThey micromanage- having too many assistant managers, dept managers, etc. In some cases 2 different managers will tell you to do opposite things. "manager" is a title thrown around that has little meaning, it's purpose is to get employees to care about their job, but they don't really have any voice or say in it.\nPromised bonus of $200 for making an inventory goal was reduced to $93.15 by the time it reached employee hands.\n\nUGLY- the Waltons (owners) are among the top 20 richest people in the United States, making the Forbes Richie list every year. And they've left Sam Walton's dream far behind.\n\nThey are now using their own TV channel for advertising, to bombard shoppers WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE STORE with constant ads. \nWal-Mart has gone corporate in the worst way, and moved from caring about the American Worker to exploiting the American consumer. They say "no one puts a gun to your head and forces you to shop there." But what would you call it if a major chain like Wal-Mart can move into an area and run all the mom-&-pop operations out of business because they can't compete with the juggernaut?\n\nWalmart is the American Dream turned dark, ugly, and sour.
1110869
Nope. Gone already. Be prepared to work at McDonald's and Wal-Mart your whole life because America's ability to manufacture ANYTHING has been sold overseas. It's called "outsourcing", the death-knell of America...
409282
In terms of business unit strategy, of Porter's generic strategies, Walmart is attribute the "Low Cost" strategy instead of the differentiation or scope/niche strategy. \n  In terms of functional operational strategies, they are pursuing value chain optimization, service, marketing strategies which all have their own jargon.  In terms of international strategies they tend to pursue "Direct Investment" strategies where they prefer to build or buy their expansion rather than partner with existing firms.
976518
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the retail giant that grew up in the rural South, is moving to attract gay shoppers as it expands its presence in urban centers. \n\nBy entering into a partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce this week, the company “is making a very sincere effort to reach out to people who are a significant part of our customer base,” Wal-Mart spokesman Bob McAdam said Wednesday. \n\nI don't know if they're donating money, but they have joined alliances with gays and lesbians.
93732
Globilization generally refers to the relocation of manufacturing, information technology, and services-related jobs from developed countries in Europe and North America to the developing economies of India, China, and Central America.\n\nThe benefit to companies is access to lower wage workforces in developing countries to reduce labor costs. Companies that can use low cost labor to produce products can realize a much greater profit margin and return to shareholders.\n\nAnother angle on globalization is corporations who relocate      overseas and reap a winfall of tax benefits and loop hole exemptions. Globalization is a wonderful break for corporations and will even the playing field between developed and developing countries.
45863
It's fine. That's what happens in a global economy. The people that do it the best and for the best price will get the job. So unless the U.S. can do it better there's no reason to object.
791626
They tailor their products to who the consumer is in the region.  I've heard that Wal-Marts in Colorado stock a lot more organic items than they do in say, in South Carolina.  Since there are so many stores all across the country, it is necessary to do that in order to gain the most profit.  You wouldn't want to stock 20 snowblowers in Arizona!!  But if you did that in Michigan, it would seem more appropriate.\n\nSometimes the products (that are the same) at different Wal-Mart stores within the same region have different prices.  Where I am from, there are two Wal-Marts in the same county, yet one has generally cheaper prices than the other because of the different neighborhoods that are located around them.  This is simply another way to target the general demographic in the area the store is located.\n\nAlso, on a side note, Wal-mart also has stores where it "experiments" to see if certain products, visual displays, or policies draw customers in.  If the "experiment" is successful, they will expand it to other stores, then eventually nationwide.  An example of this is the new $4 generic prescription drug plan.  You can learn about this plan on their website.  But basically, it began in larger cities in Florida, then spread to the whole state, and now it has spread to other select states.
945931
There has been an increase in globalization in the United States as well as in rest of the world. This has resulted in many good things as well a lot of economic dislocation and unemployment.  It is not completely evil as you seem to assume. Read Thomas Friedman's "The Lexus and the Olive Tree".\n\ncc
1012554
There is nothing patriotic about destroying local community business.\n\nThere is nothing patriotic about WalMart forcing people into bankruptcy.\n\nThere is nothing patriotic about a family dynasty who have given away only a fraction of their massive family fortune when Bill Gates (aka the former devil by most software companies) plans to give it all away in ten to twenty years.\n\nBuying from China and Mexico... I'm not surprised. WalMart is no friend of America. When things get tough, they'll simply take their loot and leave.
407699
1)MODERATE they will make lots of money but if they are doing it for a good cause they may be able to be persuaded!\n\n2)VERY HARD they are the Maker way of travailing between countries, you see how hard it is when they stop for just a day the country is basically closed to the rest of the world!!! in summery NO CHANCE!!!!!\n\n3)HARD they wont move without a LOT of persuasion and even then they probably won't!!! Think of Wal*mart closing for ever!!! D'ya think they would close 'cas i said pleas can you close all your stores for me!!!!\n\n4) EASY (UNLESS THEY ARE STUCK UP, V.HARD) they are normally quite nice and will give up for the grater good of man!!!