Walmart...

[gyrene81]

They were called on the carpet for it when folks noticed most was made in china.

if you remember, that was after their big u.s. expansion had really taken off. some corporate office genius decided that leaving "made in the usa" signs around import merchandise was a good idea, after all that was their big selling point for several years. wasn't there an incident of some import goods that were inside made in the usa packaging that got things really stirred up?

[ozrocker]

My daughters used to change those prices all the time when they were kids.
They would also set all the alarms on clock radios;
to go off a minute apart.


                                                                                                                            Oz

[guncrasher]

i know what you mean and it used to be great, but here in the u.s. we pretty much did it to ourselves. anyone who was paying attention from the late 60s through to the 80s saw it happen.

seems some of the younger folks here don't realize back in the 70s kmart was like walmart is now (except for the groceries), jc penney and sears were the big anchor stores at nearly every mall in the country. when "made in the usa" started to cost 50-100% more than "made in thailand", every big chain started switching. that's where walmart got a leg up on the discount department store market, started out with their "made in the usa" advertising campaign and pricing was equal to or less than other chains import goods.

yeah i remember the good old days when wallmart actually subscribed to the made in america concept.  they would actually paid a premium to any manufacturer that would make whatever they were selling in america.  that all went to crap when Walton died and greed became the norm.  but to be honest so did all the other major retailers/companies as they moved lots of jobs to asia.  but wall-mar is specially hated as they took that concept to a newer lower level.


semp

[Masherbrum]

Ever smell that smell in a really old hardware store? I mean one thats been around since the 30s or before?. Best smell in the world, Its a musty,metal,grease smell. Hard to describe, but anyone thats ever been in one knows what im talking about. Remember seeing the same guy has been in there as long as youve been alive and knows basically everything there is to know about most anything and has what you need to take care of your problem? The greeting at the door is something like "hey Matt, how did that <insert item here> work out for you, you know the one im talking about you bought it last fall? Your response " Good, thanks Im back because my <insert broken thing here> broke and need some advice on what to do to fix it" " Not a problem, here you go, dont forget one of these, might need it"

Nothing like it in the world! A person that knows you, who you are, and wants to help you out. Doesnt need to be a hardware store, insert shoe store, clothing store,appliance store, newstand or penny candy store etc....

These large chain stores Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes etc have put these guys out of business. Im not a fan of them in any way shape or form.

My thoughts on Hardware stores is simple.   "If you wear an apron, stay in the kitchen."    We have a couple of traditional hardware stores around us as well, they are great for increasing the handyman knowledge.   I avoid the "Aprons".

[sluggish]

Welcome to "Retail"!!

I see stuff like this all the time.

The cause (imho) is due to the corporate world specifically setting down "rules" which are "non-negotiable"  and the retail employees "peasants" following them to such a "T" that even if someone catches it, the "rules are the rules" and thus I suspect that it's just as much a mockery among the Walmart employees as it is us

Shacker, eh?