Chain store RANT

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TB you fried brain hasn't changed your OK or normal.
Walmart could raise the price on every item over 10 dollars one penny and pay that back to employees as well.
Talk about economic stimulus for a community it would be huge. They have no local competition.
But those employees are going to spend that money on goods.
 
ga.prime":2yy8wsrn said:
For $20/hr I'd go to work at Lowes. I went in one Sunday and was looking over the shelves with fertilizers and pesticides and that kind of thing. I was looking for some some kind of pH reducing soil amendment to use on some blueberries. An employee came over and asked if he could help and I told him what I was looking for and he showed me where the lime was.

Chain stores use "aisle greeters"...not completely knowledgeable staff...lol. That aside, Blueberries need (obviously) an acid environment, preferably pH between 4.5 and 5.5 Using Canadian Spang. Peat Moss (not that black dense stuff) mixed in with a good composty media. Then, use Ammonium Sulfate which is an acidifying fertilizer. Elemental sulfur is also long-acting acidifier in addition. Go a real full service garden center...not a chain store "seasonable" garden center.
 
Caustic Burno":2fqvh7vn said:
cow pollinater":2fqvh7vn said:
I figure my time is only worth $10 an hour. Instead of hiring the minimum wage stuff done I keep paying relief breeders breeder wages to cover for me while I drive fence posts, drive tractor, irrigate, etc. If I was really sharp I'd hire the farm/ranch work done and pick up a few more herds... Good thing I'm not very smart. :lol:

Sim, one of these days you'll own more hogs than you're dealing with now if that's what you want to do. This world will bend over backwards for a smart, humble guy that wants to work from the bottom up.

CP we must live in alternate universes linked by the internet through CT.
The world will never bend over for him it will eat him up.
This is a dog eat dog world always has been and always will looking through
my rose colored glasses. Cain slew Able and we were off to the races.

Speaking as a high school dropout who went to work at minimum wage as a cowboy who has done quite well since then, my experience has taught me that people want guys like Sim to succeed. I've also seen a lot of college grads that felt like they deserved more get thrown under the bus because their aditude sucked and everyone wanted them to fail.
 
CP education meant nothing when I went into the workforce it was about who was
mentoring you and how you could make him shine. Leave egg on him you would find shyt on you.
Pick or get picked by the wrong mentor the ladder wouldn't be very tall.
You are nothing more than a tool in the toolbox.
That is how the real world of business work's.
 
Gray beard hit the nail on the head. Showing a profit for the shareholders is the driving force in most corporations. Payroll is the biggest cost and everything that goes with having employees.
 
there are a lot of complaints about the oil field and their profits but the industry as a whole pays well. it's one of the few places a hard working young person with little to no experience can learn a job and take home good money. no $100,000 degree required. few years of paying attention and leaning from the senior guys and you can make six figures.

I don't know of another industry that you can do that.
 
Interesting discussion.

We're speaking of WalMart. The richest retailer in this country. They're paying their employees wages that qualifies them for food stamps.

If their profits dip 10% the owners will still be the richest retailers and will in all likelihood reduce their employees wages and benefits to cover their "losses."

Comparing farm labor costs and WalMart's employee costs is like comparing apples and fleas.
 
M5farm":2h3i6pd4 said:
cut hours or layoff = (same result) less service and 27 new self checkouts

Yep...just like "serve yourself" gas stations. It is the future, like it or not. Stockholders do own the company and they want results...good results. Next thing you'll want Bill Gates to speed up the rate he's giving his money away. He alone has created tens of thousands of millionaires who too started with a few thousand bucks to invest and took a chance with MS. I guess we condemn them now that they have actually succeeded. :???: :???: WalMart employees as a whole make exactly what they're worth.
 
TexasBred":2hm63kk8 said:
M5farm":2hm63kk8 said:
cut hours or layoff = (same result) less service and 27 new self checkouts

Yep...just like "serve yourself" gas stations. It is the future, like it or not. Stockholders do own the company and they want results...good results. Next thing you'll want Bill Gates to speed up the rate he's giving his money away. He alone has created tens of thousands of millionaires who too started with a few thousand bucks to invest and took a chance with MS. I guess we condemn them now that they have actually succeeded. :???: :???: WalMart employees as a whole make exactly what they're worth.

Where I disagree where they are only major employer in the county that doesn't hold water in my book.
Your options here are Wal Mart or TDCJ that's it besides Sonic, McDonalds, Dairy Queen or What a burger.
All the wages that Wal Mart or the others promote is stay on welfare.
 
If you look at WalMart earnings you will see that they are not invincible. There performance is not meeting expectations. When your plan is to have the lowest price you must provide it. They have leaned on there supply chain as much as they can. Dollar General and several others in my part of the country are giving them a run for the money! When you have to supply as many stores as they do you can not change suppliers at the drop of the hat. It will be interesting to see if there customer base will stay loyal. Perceived cost of an item is a fickle way to spend your money. I have talked to a lot of folks that are realizing that the mega retailers are not as low priced as they thought when they honestly compared prices.
 
mwj":3106wncw said:
If you look at WalMart earnings you will see that they are not invincible. There performance is not meeting expectations. When your plan is to have the lowest price you must provide it. They have leaned on there supply chain as much as they can. Dollar General and several others in my part of the country are giving them a run for the money! When you have to supply as many stores as they do you can not change suppliers at the drop of the hat. It will be interesting to see if there customer base will stay loyal. Perceived cost of an item is a fickle way to spend your money. I have talked to a lot of folks that are realizing that the mega retailers are not as low priced as they thought when they honestly compared prices.


You are right they have a lot of people BSed.
They are no where close to the cheapest and don't try to be IMO.
Take 12 pack of of alkaline batteries I can have them delivered to the house by
Amazon for 7 bucks cheaper. The list is endless if you really shop they are not Wal Mart of twenty years ago.
They have the buying power to compete with anyone.
 
mwj":2o3jqjw9 said:
If you look at WalMart earnings you will see that they are not invincible. There performance is not meeting expectations. When your plan is to have the lowest price you must provide it. They have leaned on there supply chain as much as they can. Dollar General and several others in my part of the country are giving them a run for the money! When you have to supply as many stores as they do you can not change suppliers at the drop of the hat. It will be interesting to see if there customer base will stay loyal. Perceived cost of an item is a fickle way to spend your money. I have talked to a lot of folks that are realizing that the mega retailers are not as low priced as they thought when they honestly compared prices.



Maybe not on one end of the store but there is a "lot of store" there to offset some of it. Perception is everything in most all businesses, large or small...."I'm not screwed unless I think I'm screwed". You want me to pay you more show me a reason. Justify your worth...I hate flat rates and across the board raises. Be exceptional and you paycheck will be exceptional. :idea:
 
TexasBred":ikp2seid said:
mwj":ikp2seid said:
If you look at WalMart earnings you will see that they are not invincible. There performance is not meeting expectations. When your plan is to have the lowest price you must provide it. They have leaned on there supply chain as much as they can. Dollar General and several others in my part of the country are giving them a run for the money! When you have to supply as many stores as they do you can not change suppliers at the drop of the hat. It will be interesting to see if there customer base will stay loyal. Perceived cost of an item is a fickle way to spend your money. I have talked to a lot of folks that are realizing that the mega retailers are not as low priced as they thought when they honestly compared prices.



Maybe not on one end of the store but there is a "lot of store" there to offset some of it. Perception is everything in most all businesses, large or small...."I'm not screwed unless I think I'm screwed". You want me to pay you more show me a reason. Justify your worth...I hate flat rates and across the board raises. Be exceptional and you paycheck will be exceptional. :idea:

TB the problem I have with them is they don't try to promote their people through training and education.
From an ole boy that started as a laborer and climbed pretty far up the corporate ladder and could have went higher
if I would have been willing to relocate. I don't totally agree on performance based pay without a heck of a checks and balance system.
If not the suck ass usually gets the money and not the performance. Where I worked three of next level of management had to approve
your raise, this was to stop the people that had mastered the art of proper lip placement.
At my last job of 33 years the only thing stopping you was you if you were willing to work and educate yourself.
I started for them as a laborer 40 years ago for dang near what the Wally Worlds are paying today. Two dollars an hour less.
 
When I was going to college I worked part time at one of the major chains. I made minimum wage, whatever that was 30 years ago.
I didn't expect anything more than that because I had no skills or experience, and none was needed to be a cashier. Frankly, you could train a monkey to do it, and this was before scanners. It doesn't really matter how long you do it, or how old you are. Those jobs are not meant to be careers. If we all agree that a non-skilled, low risk job should be paid $15 - $20/hr, why would anybody become skilled. The trades are dying as it is, and now you want to pay somebody to run a cash register or stock shelves the same $$ as someone who apprentices/trains for 5+ years and invests in tools and equipment and has real skills.

The energy sector isn't an equitable analogy. Yes, you can make pretty good money starting out, but it's physically demanding, dirty work with a fair degree of risk of injury. They pay more because of this, not out of benevolence toward the work force.

The retail and service sectors in general, are low pay, and always have been. They are low skill jobs, that should be filled by low skill workers who are either just entering the workforce or are looking for low demand supplemental earnings. If you have a family to support, learn to do something that pays more, or start your own business. Or become good at sales where you have the opportunity to earn substantially more and are offering something of value to your employer.

CB, I get what you're saying about smaller towns that don't have many employers to choose from. But if someone really needs to make more money, they need to forge their own course and solve their own problem. There are always options, one needs to find them for themselves. Like you have said, the world can be brutal, and it's not someone else's responsibility to make it easier.
 
Since almost everyone agrees that only the high school kids and mentally challenged should be clerks, what about the rest of the people. Everybody holds up WalMart as the successful business model to be copied. The battle cry around the country is ''start your own business''! What kind and type should we start? Who do we mkt. to? Can not sell to the big box because they will stand on your throat for the price reduction they need. We will sell to the kids and mentally challenged box store workers. Oops they gave up there discretionary spending power to help lower there employers cost. We can sell to other small business owners but they are new start ups trying to turn a profit on a razor thin margin. When you get that all worked out share a few 100,000 of those good'' smart people and not kid'' jobs and a handful of those tried and true business models.
 
First fulltime job I ever had was working 10-6 and going to college in the daytime. Made $181 a month GROSS. That works out to about $41.77 a week or $1.04 an hour before deductions. That was in 1965. Made more than that working summer job when I was a freshman in HS. I know things have changed tremendously but the fact was, that was all I was worth and all the job could pay. I didn't do a thing but sit on my rear and study and get up once an hour and walk thru and around the building. Ended my working career at the very top of the latter. Owning my own business. :lol: :lol: :lol: Right back to about 1965 levels and double the hours. :banana: But dam it's been fun. :cowboy:
 
mwj":1p43r32p said:
Since almost everyone agrees that only the high school kids and mentally challenged should be clerks, what about the rest of the people. Everybody holds up WalMart as the successful business model to be copied. The battle cry around the country is ''start your own business''! What kind and type should we start? Who do we mkt. to? Can not sell to the big box because they will stand on your throat for the price reduction they need. We will sell to the kids and mentally challenged box store workers. Oops they gave up there discretionary spending power to help lower there employers cost. We can sell to other small business owners but they are new start ups trying to turn a profit on a razor thin margin. When you get that all worked out share a few 100,000 of those good'' smart people and not kid'' jobs and a handful of those tried and true business models.
Gotta have a vision...an idea bro. Take it from there because it's still possible. Being from Illinois you folks don't get too exposed to free market economics. Move to a "right to work" state so you can blame yourself if you fail.


Google my fried Ben @ Doskosil Manufacturing ... Ben Doskosil or Celebrity Ranch. Guy Started with an idea and had $200 million in sales before selling out in 2011. BTW he purchased the patent to the "Thigh Master" one of those "As seen on TV" things. Made an infomercial with Suzanne Sommers wearing tights and a thighmaster between her legs. Sold millions of them and expanded from there. And idea...a vision....success....from a small town country boy.
 
I didn't see anybody mention jobs for the mentally challenged. I suppose that would depend upon the extent of disability.
HS & College kids.. yes, low skill, low demand jobs do seem pretty perfect for them. As well as anybody else looking for an undemanding supplemental income.

If one were inclined to start a business, what kind of business to start? Well, I guess that depends on aptitude. There are millions of small businesses out there, one must find their own niche. I might also suggest some coursework in management and marketing before getting started. It's easy to bytch about how unfair employers are right up until one has faced the same challenges.

If one wants to have a career that pays more than retail, one must learn to do something of more value. A quick glance at want ads, has all kinds of jobs available, especially in certain trades like electrical & HVAC (I know for a fact those both pay better than Walmart) and lots of stuff engineering related, at all levels. And, of course, lots of stuff in sales. Those little guys have to work a bit harder to compete against the chains, so they're willing to pay a skilled sales force.
 
CottageFarm":24puk583 said:
When I was going to college I worked part time at one of the major chains. I made minimum wage, whatever that was 30 years ago.
I didn't expect anything more than that because I had no skills or experience, and none was needed to be a cashier. Frankly, you could train a monkey to do it, and this was before scanners. It doesn't really matter how long you do it, or how old you are. Those jobs are not meant to be careers. If we all agree that a non-skilled, low risk job should be paid $15 - $20/hr, why would anybody become skilled. The trades are dying as it is, and now you want to pay somebody to run a cash register or stock shelves the same $$ as someone who apprentices/trains for 5+ years and invests in tools and equipment and has real skills.

The energy sector isn't an equitable analogy. Yes, you can make pretty good money starting out, but it's physically demanding, dirty work with a fair degree of risk of injury. They pay more because of this, not out of benevolence toward the work force.

The retail and service sectors in general, are low pay, and always have been. They are low skill jobs, that should be filled by low skill workers who are either just entering the workforce or are looking for low demand supplemental earnings. If you have a family to support, learn to do something that pays more, or start your own business. Or become good at sales where you have the opportunity to earn substantially more and are offering something of value to your employer.

CB, I get what you're saying about smaller towns that don't have many employers to choose from. But if someone really needs to make more money, they need to forge their own course and solve their own problem. There are always options, one needs to find them for themselves. Like you have said, the world can be brutal, and it's not someone else's responsibility to make it easier.


Cottage here you commute to the refineries or some other oil patch job from pumper/gauger roustabout, roughneck, pipeliner or teach school. The close jobs are 75 miles away I commuted 135 miles one way for years worked 4 on 7 off. Kept a second place as the work base. Of course the cow's never got out or the neighbors bull in until I got to work. Good thing the Mrs. was a good farm hand.
Regulations have completely killed this rural community all the saw mill/logging jobs are gone.
We used to have three car dealerships along with three tractor a movie theater, bowling alley all gone.
You raise your kids to leave here so they can make a decent living to support a family.
 
Here is a new business I am going to start. I will sell purple widgets at 20$ each the cost is 17.00 the profit margin is 15%. At this price I can sell 207 widgets a week no more no less.
I will need 2 employees to sell these. 40 hours a week at 8.00 an hour. 320.00 per employee
My rent is 600.00 a month
Electricity is 500.00 a month
For arguments sake we will not have any machinery in the whse and no delivery
I will make 500.00 a week salary as owner of the company

Expenses are 640.00 wages
600.00 rent
500.00 elec
500.00 salary
2240.00 total
Cost of material 1904.00
4144.00
207 widgets 4144.00
Gross profit 0
I had a customer come in and say he would buy 100 more widgets a week if I would drop my price 1.00 5%
Expenses are 640.00 wages
600.00 rent
500.00 elec
500.00 salary
2240.00 total
307 widgets 5219.00 cost
7459.00
307 widgets 5833.00 revenue
Loss of <1626.00>

I would have to fire both employees cut my salary and they would I would have to work in the dark. For nothing

a 5% cut in prices effects more than most realize
 

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