WALMART warns on US weakness From FT: Walmart, the biggest US retailer by revenues, warned on Tuesday that persistent weakness in the US economy was putting pressure on its low income consumers who are increasingly worried about unemployment and becoming more reliant on government assistance. The struggling US economy is continuing to take its toll on Walmarts domestic sales as it reported its ninth consecutive quarter of falling sales at US stores open at least a year. Comparable store sales at Walmart in the US, excluding fuel sales and purchases at Sams Club stores, were down by 0.9 per cent from a year ago. We remain concerned about the economic pressure on our customers and the uncertain impact it can have on their shopping behaviour, Bill Simon, chief executive of Walmarts US business, said. With this volatility, it is as important as ever to deliver on Walmarts one-stop shopping promise for broad assortment and every day low prices. Walmart, regarded as a bellwether for the US economy, has been trying to improve its domestic performance after more than two years of stagnant same-store sales. Once revered for its everyday low prices, dollar stores and Amazon.com have been eating into Walmarts market share and convincing consumers that they offer better bargains. In spite of that disappointing stretch, analysts were heartened by signs that sales could soon turn around, as Walmart looks to reassert itself as the retailer with the lowest prices. Shares of Walmart rose 3.64 per cent to $51.80 in mid-morning trading, as its results exceeded analysts expectations. Theoretically this is a period when Walmart should be thriving, said Brian Sozzi, retail analyst at Wall Street Strategies. They have signalled that in the back half of the year they are poised to do well again. The company has been working to correct changes it made to its stores and inventory that proved to be unpopular and to branch out with smaller express stores that fit better in urban areas. Charles Holley, chief financial officer, said that comparable store sales have been improving in each of the past three months and said they would rise by the end of the year. http://investmentwatchblog.com/walmart-warns-on-us-weakness/ http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9c57d3e6-c7fc-11e0-9501-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1VEvfgMX5 What happens when Americans are too broke to buy Chinese crap from Walmart? What will the "One" do then? _
They should talk... Report: Wal-Mart hushed up Mexico bribe network 21 Apr.`12 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hushed up a vast bribery campaign that top executives of its Mexican subsidiary carried out to build stores across that country, according to a published report.
i'm not sure what in the blue moon the 2nd post has to do with the thread. Anyway, I find this hard to believe. People who depend upon govt assistance do more to stimulate the economy than those with private sector jobs. Nancy pelosi said so
Perhaps Wal Mart the nations largest private employer with, not coincidentally the lowest wage base, could offer its employees a living wage. That would stimulate spending in the US.
I Luv Wal*mart.But I noticed something strange today.I go to my local Wal*mart superstore at least twice a week.Usually every other day. Today things were kinds weird.First,I went to the Wal*mart gas pumps to use the window brushes since my car windows had pollen on them. There was a MPV van in the stall next to where I was using the windshield brush w/fliud.There was this big woman with a big head and she looked kinda gross.Ugly with stained teeth.I noticed her when I went to where they keep their windshiled brushes.She was talking.After I finished doing my windshield and that fat-headed woman left,a couple people { a Man and a woman } appeared and asked about that Van.They said she skipped w/o paying.I asked how much did she get away with.They said $36 and seemed pretty intent on finding her.The Woman asked what I was talking to her about.I said I wasn't talking to her.She was talking to someone but not me.I said I'd remember what she looked like and would keep on eye out for If I saw her in Wal*mart. Things were weird in Wal*mart also.I had to get my meds and it took way longer than usual. People were acting kinda strange in the store. As if they were shopping but also kind of confused.2 different woman were talking to themselves and asking complete stangers stupid stuff.One was yammering on about the Eggs.Another about something else in a different isle. I think people are half dazed.I think it's because we have a President who is not to be trusted.he hasn't earned pur Trust.He keeps pulling stunts and Lying as if our country and future is some game to be toyed with at his Leisure.That the Country exists now for his Re-election. That everyone in the Country has to take a back seat just so he can be President longer.To pull strings as if some Puppet master.
Lol What was it that wizard of liberal economics claimed?...that every dollar borrowed, printed or confiscated from Peter... would magically transform into $1.73 worth of economic activity... simply because government gave it to Paul? Yippeee. Get those printing presses rolling Papa Fed...we'll be all be rich by December!!
My favorite part is the "express stores". So Walmart is the 1st major pusher of outsourcing, with its demand of lower bulk prices. Pushes out all the little guys with super stores. And now that Americans are so broke low prices don't mean (*)(*)(*)(*), they start putting the little stores back up, but under their name. LMAO [video=youtube;VtfQOsQZj7U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtfQOsQZj7U[/video]
Making more people dependent on the government is what liberals like Obama want. If you're on welfare already then by all means vote for the guy who will throw you the biggest crumbs. But if you want to stay off welfare vote Obama out of office in November.
You all do realize without the state interference Walmart wouldn't exist? LOL. Those of us who are anti free trade and outsourcing have been warning about the collapse of retail from the beginning. The pendulum has swung. The low prices that were such a blessing when the 1st half of jobs left, are now meaningless after the rest are gone. THE SERVICE SECTOR IS NOT A SELF SUSTAINING INDUSTRY. It is an effect of a strong economy. Not a cause.
I'm anti-free trade an I don't blame Walmart for decisions made in Washington DC. Short sighted politicians and consumers are demanding cheap goods from China, not Walmart.
You seriously need to research how it all went down. I also agree you can't blame corporations for buying politicians for sale. However, I don't have to respect the corporation who used the bribed politicians either. I know Americans are short sighted. Hopefully, my generation will learn from the plethora of boomer mistakes.
Walmart paid millions to bribe Mexican officials to open stores in Mexico. Here it pays millions in property taxes..fees and other LOCAL BITES to stay open. And we wonder why business does what it does..
Walmart is one of the things that is weakening america. whenever one comes to a small=-medium town, most of the main street businesses dry up and money starts getting siphoned out of the community, meanwhile there are less jobs and less good paying jobs than before the walmart arrived.
No the liberals wont realize this. They cut off their nose to spite their face. They don't realize that government is not the answer. It's the reason that 99% of their policies never work in the long term.
national parks service, clean air/water act, SS (if the government would quit dipping into the fund at least), the 8 hour day, the minimum wage, desegregation, emancipation, etc... I could go on, but you get the picture. Liberal/progressive policies accomplished more than any conservative regressionist ones like jim crow laws ever did for this country.
Should be run by the states. 10th amendment. SS is bankrupt. Government dipping into the funds is to be expected by liberals. They don't understand how a pyramid scheme works. Actually SS is a ponzi scheme. I shouldn't be forced to put my money is some terrible investment because liberals are to stupid to manage their money. Do you know that every time minimum wage goes up, the unemployment rate goes up as well. It is a big time job killer. This is false. It took years of oppression from Southern DEMOCRATS for blacks to finally be treated as citizens and not property. It is also no surprise that Republicans voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts at a much higher rate than Democrats.
Why? last I heard rivers can run though multiple states. If Illinoise decides to screw everyone and throw all their trash in the missisipi river at the southern end, why should all the states south of them have to deal with that? Federal laws solve common sense issues like that. Its a pyramid scheme based on people having kids... did you know if you account for inflation todays minimum wage is worth less than it was in 1968 and without it you get a massive social underclass barely able to survive? Democrats were the conservatives back then. Also, the republicans sold black people down the river when they ended reconstruction in a backroom exchange for the presidential election of 1876
I don't think it is realistic to think that Walmart decided it wanted cheap goods from China and just went out and bought trade policy it wanted in Washington. I think Walmart would out-hustle the competition whether the goods were made here or abroad. There were a number of reasons why America decided to give away its industrial base. Too many to name here but I don't think for one minute that Sam Walton had very much to do with it.
Pick up any item at Wallmart, look for the "made in..." label. It seems that sending manufacturing to China to produce cheap goods sort of backfired eh?..lol.. And now Wallmart and other companies wholly guilty of participation in this crime on national security are looking a bit like this: The dragon eating its tail....now who gave us that imagery in the first place? Now you see, Grasshopper...
Walmart doesn't even pay its employees enough to shop at their OWN stores! Many of them are getting taxpayer subsidy because their incomes are so low. Walmart is the enemy of America.
