OT: Great Wal-mart story!

While talking to a HUGE customer, he told me about how a company they bought out now had a lot of excess capacity. They decided to make and sell consumer items to Wal-mart. He gets an invoice from Wal-mart for just over $4,000 and calls their accounting department. He gets a very curt woman, Joyce, on the phone and she starts into a tirade about getting the bill paid for damaged, mismarked and shortages of their order. She says that if he doesn't pay the invoice promptly that Wally-world won't do business with them ever again and there will be no samples of the mismarked and damaged goods sent back. He, trying to get a word in but she bowls him over every time. He finally insists on 30 seconds of her time and she grudgingly agrees. He says to her: "Joyce, I understand your being upset with this, our first order but...we haven't shipped it yet."

NO SHIT!!! Apparently this is common with the big retailers. Pferd Milwaukee, an abrasives and brush company supplies Sears. My friends there tell me that Sears has reported shortages and discounted 5-7% of EVERY order they ship to them. I remember when I was a wee lad, my dad sold to Black & Decker and they tried to screw him so he refused to sell to them even when they offered cash up-front. Did you know that Home Despot takes everything on consignment AND charges slotting fees? They have approach us numerous times and we told them to pound salt. However, McMaster Carr is a CLASS operation, pay on time and work well with their suppliers.

Reply to
Tom Gardner
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I am now much more leery of buying almost anything at Wal-mart, it is an accumulation of bad experiences, some very recent (ie my opinion changed literally in the last 2 weeks).

i
Reply to
Ignoramus2645

Apparently, everybody knows their practices and builds it into the price structure.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Recently visited the local wally-world to see what might catch my eye, and the place was plumb TORE UP. Chlorine and pool stuff smack in the middle of the toy section, DVDs scattered from hell to breakfast, groceries in amongst cat food, car batteries flanking the (suddenly severely depleted) ammo and sporting goods stand (which is now where the auto speakers used to stand) - basically, it looks like they're trying to do a full store-reset "on the fly".

I left without being able to find anything interesting enough to blow my money on. 'Bout the only thing I buy there anymore is socks and undies, and ammunition. (Hey, how can you argue with half the price for EXACTLY THE SAME box of ammo, complete with same lot number stippled into the end flaps, compared to the gun shop up the street?)

Reply to
Don Bruder

Big snip

I've never heard anything good about doing business with wallyworld as a supplier. A retired friend who at one time had a very sucessful business claimed Walmart expected him to carry his account for 6 months or more. If he didn't go along he would lose the account. He was in effect floating them an interest free loan for a few million bucks a month..... I read Friedmans the World is Flat and his account of wallyworlds success seems to overlook these other factors.. then I see in todays paper about the gov in china killing 50K pet dogs by beating them to death over a rabies scare.....walmart "always the lowest prices" has the same ethics

ED

Reply to
ED

So you think rabid dogs should be left alone?

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

"Richard J Kinch" wrote: So you think rabid dogs should be left alone? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Richard, is that what you think he said? If so, I can hardly wait to see how you respond to me.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

This is the story.

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ED

Reply to
ED

No, but he did seem to take the dogs' side.

In China, dogs are food, not pets. When vermin threatens people, you deal with it. Let's not get all PETA-queasy about it. We criticize the Chinese for human rights, and then criticize them when they protect the humans from deadly diseases.

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Reply to
Richard J Kinch

Your point is driving all the little guys out of business. When your local gun shop goes under, don't complain about not having an expert in the area to help out with any issues you may have.

Wally World has driven millions of small retail businesses under all over America. AND we're not even mentioning how terrible they treat their help.

I personally won't shop there. But I'm in the extreme minority, judging by the cars I see in the parking lot.

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

...

I know McMaster as a class act from the consumer end. TOP quality and service.

Hmmm... I wonder if treating your suppliers right affects quality and service?

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message news:GniAg.7402$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...

I'm with you. I stopped shopping there back in 2001 when Walmart managers decided it was OK to alter employee time cards and use illegals on the cleaning crews.

Steve.

Reply to
SteveF

Is this more of the organized attack on Walmart? It isn't my favorite place with all the china crap but ever other retailer in their market space is in china with them.

The other day, I needed a bottle of Novalin N for my dog. I go to wally world because they are the cheapest place around at 19.96 and my insulin dependent dog doesn't seem to care where I buy it at.

They didn't have any Novilin N but did have Humilin N which goes for

34.00 a bottle. The lady apologized for being out and price overrode to the 19.96 of novilin n.

I have talked to a few check out ladies and most that have worked in retail sales tell me that compared to other union and non-union box stores, walmart has treated them as good or better.

Personally, I prefer to shop at the Meijers store (Michigan) that can generally kick walmarts butt all day long if you shop the sales.

Wes S

Reply to
clutch

Take a look at "The End of the Line" by Barry C. Lynn, ISBN:

0-385-51024-1. Wal-Mart was able to use it's computerized inventory and tracking system to force suppliers to squeeze their operations.

There is a limit to factories without walls, one being that some suppliers are facing a challenge with Wally-Mart. Either eat themselves alive, cutting their margins to the bone, or pass up dealing with Wally-Mart.

I have a knife that is a testament to Wally-Mart. Wally wanted a manufacturer to produce knives at a price Wally thought was right, manufacturer bought the tool> >

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Beat them to death?? and spread blood all over the place. I hope every Chinese person in any postion of power over there dies a very long, slow death... from rabies would be fine with me.

Reply to
Randy

Actually I was making comment on standards or the lack of--- Both in business and in governments WalMart=China

Read the article and note the reaction in China's press itself to this "culling" The imported goods from china sold in this country are made under conditions reflective of that story. WalMart ignores these stories because they can...for a while anyway Your comments are interesting...

ED

Reply to
ED

No attack, I go to WM at least weekly, I just would not sell to them without building in a different margin structure.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

But, you are NOT alone. The only time I went into wal-mart at home in St. Louis was when there was a grocery strike. I felt a sense of menace, like watching a Hitchcock movie or something. I got a couple items and got out of there. Definitely a wierd feeling. Maybe just me, because I was forced to do something that cut across my grain or something.

I did end up going into a Wal-Mart in Brandon, FL. where my wife was going to bible school for 9 months, because it was the only general merchandise place there. I didn't have any unusual feelings there, maybe because it wasn't my choice where I was shopping, or something.

But, I'm always aware of the way they treat everybody there. Kind of the cattle car atmosphere, just like the airlines have gone to.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Back in the 80's, a common saying in the electronics industry was that the quickest way to go broke was to get a large order from IBM. Looks like Wal-mart has taken their place...

Reply to
Jim Stewart

That would be a good idea. There is a terrible trend in business to play with the suppliers money. The automotive industry is particularly bad on a number of practices which tends to make Wallyworld look like choir boys.

I am glad to hear that McMaster-Carr is a class act with suppliers.

Wes S

Reply to
clutch

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