Black Friday, then and now. It IS the market, gang, and here's why it's different.

[blondeatlast]

I worked retail in the mid 80s to mid 90s, then quit to finally finish college in my late 20s. I had moved up nicely in my company, Dayton-Hudson (now Target Corp) to the point I knew more than a little about sales planning, buying, and marketing--and was heavily involved in it.

Back then, Black Friday generally WAS NOT essential to meeting sales goals for the year but it was still important to have excellent BF returns. Generally, we were already just a shade into the black before BF and counted on the holiday season to turn a very nice profit--and we always managed to do so, even in those years. Employees tied into generous profit-sharing plans had a very heavy stake in making that profit happen and were generously rewarded when it did.

THEN SAM WALTON DIED--and retailing changed forever. His greedy lowlife heirs took over, started moving into cities, determined to deal a death blow to the likes of KMart, Target, and even the likes of Macy's and middle-range department stores like Macy's (the local ones you grew up with that no longer carry local names).

Make no mistake--today's WM wants NO competition. Their buyers are vicious and get to the position by bullying subordinates--that's how they prove they will be able to bully manufacturers and distributors--and do they ever. Those practices are reasonably well-known (they will literally threaten to destroy a mfg if they don't get their way--and can and have).

So now; Target and KMart and Macy's etc, MUST have WM-like tactics to succeed. There is no loyalty from customers because WM is able to obliterate the competition on just a few items; competitors must follow suit or risk not turning a profit. Yet you don't hear of tramplings at KMart and Target--because they still give at least a bit of a damn about their employees.

Make no mistake--the death of Sam Walton changed American retailing forever. Walton was no prince of beneficence; but he was a freaking Good King Wenceslas compared to his psycho-marketing heirs.

I can see frustrated WM employees stirring the crowd up a little (the homemade sign "blitz line starts here" is a dead giveaway); as a former TargetCorp employee I can tell you that the retribution for that sign alone would destroy the future of the store manager who allowed his employees to do that even ifs/he didn't know about it.

IMHO, the responsibility is 100% Wal-Mart's. They don't give a good goddamn about their employees or the customers. And the really sad part is that once upon a time, they truly did.

[Demit]

1. Interesting. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

I worked as a sales associate when I was in college, at one of those local department stores you describe. Everybody loved Strawbridge & Clothier's. It was a nice place to shop and a nice place to work. But that was back in the stone age, before it became admirable to be ruthless.

[roguevalley]

16. the walmart daughter paid someone else to go to school for her at

I believe Cornell and then showed up in cap and gown to get the diploma. Of course, being an inbred, she didn't think she would get caught. I hear his widow, Helen, is the worst and when she dies it can't get better.

[underdoggie]

2. Santa yes, God no

I long ago outgrew my childish belief in thy petty wrathful god
but I still believeth in thy Santa
who did saith unto me
Be thou not a Walmartian sap sucker
If it don't pass thy NEED TEST,
Want not
Buy not
Waste not
Season's greeting to all and to all happy holidays

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. What a sad commentary on our marketplace...

Your writing is very eloquent and it grieves me...

Apparently, greed is still good, isn't it?

I wish that the cold light of truth could be shed on WM, bigtime! Expose them for the rat bastards that they truly are...

K&R

[blondeatlast]

4. In a rational world, what happened yesterday would be enough to do it.

But Sam's hideous spawn will manage to dodge this one as well, I'm afraid.

[formercia]

5. Mr. Potter is running America

A Wonderful Life alternate universe becomes reality.

[Wednesdays]

20. That, and Biff Tannen's world in Back to the Future 2

where the rich and greedy who run things are so powerful, they're untouchable.

[tbyg52]

6. I have never worked in retail, but even just a shopper could tell the difference

when Sam Walton died.

I went to my first Wal-Mart when we moved to Texas (don't ask) in 1991. This was while Sam Walton was still alive. It bore no resemblance to what they are now (I go in one maybe once a year). Clean, neat, well organized, tons of helpful employees roaming the aisles. I thought it was one of the best department stores I'd ever been in.

Now I wouldn't go in one even if I didn't hate them politically. I understand people who must, for one reason or another, and I'm not bashing them. I'm just grateful that I don't have to.

[blondeatlast]

8. Yes, the difference is palpable. There may be some people on this board

who would be astonished that WM once really did carry mostly American-made goods and treated their employees with respect (and the employees returned the favor).

I never particularly liked the place pre-Sam Walton, but I certainly didn't loathe it. Now there is one 2 miles from my home and I drive 12 miles to the grocery or to Target. I couldn't tell you what the inside looks like.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. I just don't get it...I really don't.

Every single day, from 8 am to 9 pm, our Wal-mart parking lot is full.
In a town of 6,000, a county of 22, 000, the parking lot is full.
All the time. Twice as full on weekends.

I always wonder: do any of these shoppers have jobs to go to?
They must have, they come out carrying "stuff".

There are 3 other Wal-marts within a 40 mile radius,
all are super stores, and a new super store is being built 5 miles from
our current old Wal-Mart.
( We are 90 miles one way from any type of "city", so shopping is limited here.)


All my non-grocery shopping is online. Much cheaper considering time, gas, taxes,
choices.

I don't get it.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. It's that way where I live too. The parking lot is huge, and always full.

Just a block away is a regional department store (Shopko), where I prefer to shop & where I get my prescriptions. They never have 1/10 of the business you see at the MallWart. I really don't fucken get it.

[BR_Parkway]

9. And sadly, I remember when one of Sam Walton's big things was

Made in America

Greedy kids didn't have enough billions and had to ship out jobs to make more. Haven't shopped in one in almost 6 years now, dont' plan on it. Really feel for those who want to avoid them and can't find any local options.

[Joanne98]

K&R The heirs of companies always seem to be greedy little spoiled brats!

The Longaberger company has been destroyed by the greedy little daughter.

But I have a question. When Walmart breaks the law, why don't the other stores turn them in. Or at least demand the government stop them. When WM was making employees clock out and work overtime for free, the competition kept quiet. I never understood that.

[SoCalDem]

19. Which was WHY the "inheritance tax" ..and a HIGH one at that was instituted

The idea was to MOVE the money made in one generation, back into circulation...and to keep one or two families from becoming financially intrusive...

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. I used to work for KMart and I completely agree

Back then we had choices. KMart, Gibsons, Woolco, Venture. All gone now except KMart and WalMart.

[SOS]

11. Wal Mart heirs are doing nicely though....

The seven richest people in America, per Forbes.

1 William Gates III 57.0 billion Microsoft
2 Warren Buffett 50.0 billion Berkshire Hathaway
3 Lawrence Ellison 27.0 billion Oracle
4 Jim Walton 23.4 billion Wal-Mart
5 S Robson Walton 23.3 billion Wal-Mart
6 Alice Walton 23.2 billion Wal-Mart
7 Christy Walton 23.2billion Wal-Mart

[2Design]

13. kick

[Triana]

14. I want them OUT. OF. BUSINESS.

They are the WORST of what's wrong in America. They treat their employees like shit. They don't deserve to survive.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. I agree absolutely. I hope they pay for Jdimytai Damour's death. n/t

[1monster]

15. Sam's heirs are not only supremely greedy jerks, they are really lousy merchandisers.

When Sam was alive, I loved Walmart. I could spend hours there finding anything and everything I wanted.

Fabric, notions, and other stuff for making costumes, and almost any kind of craft item I needed or wanted.

There were always wonderful little oddities that made the perfect unique present for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions.

Now, when I go in, I can't get out fast enough. They never have what I want, and on the rare occasions that they do, they stop carrying the item shortly after I start using it.

The store lay out and merchandise look like a stripped down cheap version of a Target/K-mart mix.

Had to go there today because my husband sat on his glasses last night and they needed to be adjusted. Walmart was the only place to get them fixed today.

The tiny little entrance door was blocked off and customers were directed to enter the wider exit doors.

(I remember remarking on the ridiculously small entrance doors when they put them in about a year or two ago...two people can not enter the store abreast through the entrance door.)

I asked if the reason was because of what happened yesterday, and was told yes by the three associates waiting for customers to check out in a remarkedly empty Walmart.

It is Saturday, which is usually a big day for Walmart AND it is Thanksgiving weekend. The place should have been packed.

It wasn't.

I told the ladies that I hoped Walmart had to pay out big time for yesterday's tragedy... that it could have been one of them. They said yes, it could have been, in a doubtful manner, until I reminded them that two years ago a women had her leg broken when a scuffle broke out in electronics during the early morning scramble to score one of the "limited quantities available" must haves that year.

I wonder how many other Walmarts had considerably less business than normal?

[dmr]

17. Those name brands sold at Walmart are not what they appear to be

Those Sony TVs that they sell cheaply, for example, are most likely made with low-end cheaply made components, or outdated components that are no longer manufactured.

My neighbor bought a new computer at a reasonable price, but ended up finding that the motherboard was more than 3 years old, as were the chips. Other components and hardware were low-end, and some cheaply manufactured by unidentifiable companies. My son's a computer geek who builds and repairs. He and the neighbor took that computer apart and researched all the hardware and components because the neighbor was having big problems.

It goes to show you another way Walmart is running the electronic/techie stores out of business. Personally, I call this practice a form of bait and switch because consumers think they are buying top of the line when they buy these products that carry impressive brand names. It's a shame really, that a good company has to resort to this to be Walmart-competitive, and still make a profit after being squeezed to death by Walmart.

I remember Walmart when Sam was alive. You are right, they have changed dramatically. Red, white and blue! Be patriotic. Buy American. They soon got into trouble and had to stop their commercials and take all their American-made signs down.

I'm also a veteran J.L. Hudson department manager - from the days before it became Dayton-Hudson. The olden days when Hudson's was like shopping at the old Burdine's and Macy's. A store who valued their customer above all else - even if it meant they lost money. They trained us on why the customer is always right. Because when that customer goes on to talk to their friends and families - it can be the best or the worse advertising for the store. Always make the customer happy. Ah, those were the days.

[lib2DaBone]

21. Thanks for the insight. Today's Wal-Mart sounds like Neocons..

The end justifies the means.. 2 wrongs always make a right.

http://walmartsucksorg.blogspot.com/