Word: marts
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Read: "Why Wal-Mart's First India Store Isn't A Wal-Mart...
...Earlier this week, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said that it planned to improve its second quarter sales by offering shoppers irresistible bargains. For the last quarter, Wal-Mart reported flat earnings of $.77 and said it expected to deliver a range of $.83 to $.88 in the current period. Same-store sales for this quarter are expected to be between flat and up 3%. Wal-Mart may have an uphill fight to post strong second quarter earnings. Recent employment numbers and shrinking access to credit will hurt retail sales, although Wal-Mart probably has its share...
...According to Reuters, "Treasurer Charles Holley said Wal-Mart has planned a number of merchandising initiatives to appeal to cash-strapped shoppers, including its dollar program." The theory behind the promotion is sound. Most stores could not bring in a lot of revenue selling items at $1 a piece, nor could most restaurants, but Wal-Mart and McDonald's have such significant scale and customer bases that getting an even slight increase in discretionary spending from tens of millions of people could make the difference between a mediocre quarter and a good...
...Mart and McDonald's are often criticized for selling "cheap" food and merchandise and treating their employees poorly by paying them very modest sums. There may be some truth in both charges but that true comes with another side to it. Many people who eat at McDonald's and shop at Wal-Mart are from the lower economic classes. McDonald's and Wal-Mart do not exploit that by selling these people junk. George Soros may not want to wear shoes from Wal-Mart and eat McDonald's hamburgers but that does not mean that both establishments have not helped...
...Workers at McDonald's and Wal-Mart are not paid well. Waiting on people in a big-box retail outfit or cooking and serving fast food will never pay well. The jobs don't require any special skills and so they do not come with a premium wage. Wal-Mart does employ 2 million people, which is a lot of individuals to keep on a payroll during a recession. McDonald's has 400,000. Neither place has announced significant layoffs and neither is likely to. (Read: "The Burger That Conquered the Country...