Wal-Mart Threatened by iTunes Movies?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

The New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/business/retail_iation_business_tim_arango.htm) reports that Wal-Mart is warning Hollywood studios against partnering with Apple's iTunes Store for movie distribution.

According to studio executives, "Wal-Mart has overtly threatened to retaliate if [studios] go into business with Apple."

While Apple has only signed one movie studio (Disney) to the iTunes store, the early success (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060919142943.shtml) has caught the attention of other studios. One executive is quoted as saying "We all want to be in the Apple business".

The threat of Wal-Mart repurcussions, however, may temper enthusiasm as Wal-Mart controls a large portion of the retail market for DVDs.

The situation between [Wal-Mart] and Hollywood has gotten so heated and so high-level that Jobs recently phoned Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott to ask him to moderate his stance, according to a source.

[BrianMojo]

Last I checked this kind of anti-competitive action was illegal under monopoly laws...

[HecubusPro]

Screw Wal-mart! They should shrivel up and die. I grew up in the epicenter of Wal-Mart's birthplace and it is nothing more than a plague on small-town (and larger city) life.

[gugy]

ha,
they are just afraid. Well competition is a good thing. they better adapt, if not, that's their problem.
I can careless for Walmart.

[Clive At Five]

Last I checked, Wal*Mart sells iPods (Shuffles at least), correct? So a victory in the iPod dep't is a victory for Wal*Mart....?

Okay, probably not. Still, Wal*mart could try to work out some sort of deal with Apple as well... but that's unlikely.

Poor Wal*Mart. After ol' Sam kicked the bucket, the company just hasn't been the same. Now his greedy kids are turning it into an evil empire.

-Clive

[mac-er]

I seem to remember Wal-Mart's CEO saying in a CNBC show that his company doesn't bully vendors.....what a load.

[Keebler]

Last I checked this kind of anti-competitive action was illegal under monopoly laws...

you might be right...wasn't MS hit with something similar? It's not fair for a distributor to threaten the product producer (OMG..that is bad english, but you know what i mean).

i actually think it's funny b/c the studios don't like to be told what to do by anyone. if using Apple helps distribute their products, i highly doubt they'll listen to wal-mart or anyone for that matter.

it would be interesting to know whether or not WM has specific distribution deals with studios which has language indicating the studios can't distribute.

in the end, it just looks pathetically whiny by WM to cry about this. "OH..we can't sell online so nobody else is allowed...that's not fair." blah blah boo hoo.

losers.

cheers,
Keebler

[iMikeT]

Let Wal-Mart cry....

[kalisphoenix]

It's about time Wal-Mart gets burned to the ground.

I hope that this pisses off the studios royally. The sooner we shift to a purely electronic method of distribution, the better everything is.

There's no way that Wal-Mart would stop selling DVDs, and what else could they possibly do? Raise prices?

It's retarded. Wal-Mart won't lose any substantial sum of money if iTunes carries movies from all the major houses. But they will lose tons if they stop selling DVDs.

This just seems really foolish to me. They're not in a good position (for once). Granted, it could hurt the studios for a while, but people want to see movies more than they want to shop at Wal-Mart, methinks.

[vienna]

It's not like they are just going to stop selling DVD's from certain studios. People who want to buy a DVD that Walmart doesn't stock will just go to Best Buy or buy them from Amazon.

I don't see how Walmart has much bargining power here without shooting themselves in the foot.

[freeny]

Walmart wont do squat! They are just bitc*ing in fear they are gonna lose $$$. What are they gonna do? Stop selling movies from certain distributers and lose even more $$$ ????:rolleyes:

[Rocketman]

I posted in another post on this website this claim some time ago. Wal-Mart uses loss-leading priced CD sales to draw people into the store. BTW that is directly harmful to other brick and morter stores as well as medium priced online retailers. Are they apologizing for that? Considering that iTunes has been in business for YEARS now, have they somehow lost this "increased consumer traffic benefit" as a result of Apple's (#5 in market) success?

Do they see someting we do not see as to Apple's current or future domination of the movie business?

It seems that since Wal-Mart tends to service the very lowest income class in our culture and many of these folks tend to not have computers, and to the extent they do, tend to not have broadband either, it seems there is a degree of mutual exclusivity of markets.

Therefore it seems Wal-Mart is less concerned about the sales themselves as the "benefits" they receive by the physical customer traffic they get from some people going to Wal-Mart to buy intentionally underpriced product so they will shop for other things while there.

BTW Wal-Mart themselves state this, so it is not speculation.

Rocketman

See my really little violin?

[Koodauw]

David vs. Goliath here. Let the battle begin. If anyone has experience in dealing with monopoly and monopoly-like power, its Apple.

[darwen]

I think I speak for everyone...

Skrew Wal*Mart!

Who do they think they are? Their whole stratagy is forcing their supliers into deals that ultimatly hurt those with product. Wal*Mart can suck it!

[tk421]

It's retarded. Wal-Mart won't lose any substantial sum of money if iTunes carries movies from all the major houses. But they will lose tons if they stop selling DVDs.

I don't think Wal-Mart makes money on a lot of their DVDs. They sell them at a loss to get people in their stores. If people buy on iTunes, they don't come into Wal-Mart.

[mowenbrown]

This is a great Artlicle that really gets at the heart of Wal Mart's power, and although it's not about movies as such, it gives a hint as to how wal mart will aproach this....

http://www.harpers.org/BreakingTheChain.html

[p0intblank]

I'm sorry, but I have to laugh. This is just too funny... Wal-Mart is scared and they're asking their "friends" to stay away. :p

[theDragonReborn]

Wal-Mart is unethical in this. iTunes is the #1 music download site by 65,987,234 light years, but does Apple say, "Your music cannot be sold at Wal-Mart or Best Buy if it is going to be sold here."? This is piss poor management. I would want my vendors to WANT to do business with me because MY STORE offers a superior experience for the customer, not because I force them to. Wal-Mart needs to do 3 things.
1) Drop this now.
2) Clean the f#$%king floor.
3) Demand that all female employees shave their mustaches.

Rant complete.

[Jovian9]

F*#% Wal-Mart!
:)

I for one rarely go there (only when I really need an item I cannot find anywhere else). Now I am never going to go there. I needed just one more reason to keep me out of their doors and this is it.

MacRumors members unite:

BOYCOTT WAL-MART

[gman71882]

Last I checked this kind of anti-competitive action was illegal under monopoly laws...

I second that!!! Not only is that against the law, its very similar to what Microsoft did many years ago and got in big trouble for it.
US Vs. Microsoft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft)
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

A Boycott should be more than just Macrumors members. All apple users should boycott Walmart.

[georgi0]

have you all checked how many employees does wal mart have?
about a gazilion.

if they don;t get it their way then they push the government nad comitees to put the presure on certain issues concering the one they want to hurt.

imagine let's say that wal mat due to this apple deal with all studios will make a statemnet saying we lost 10% or our revenues so we will lay off 10% of our employess to cover for the losses.!!

now what do you do in this case?
it's not a free world after all....

not for those who have the power !

[quigleybc]

How could Wal Mart feel threatened by anything.

They are more powerful than most countries.

the ITMS has been kickin in full swing for years now, and Wal Mart still leads in CD sales, and music distribution by a long shot.

I hope this goes really public and gets exposed through the media, so everyone knows what WM is trying to do.


I would have loved to hear the phone call between Jobs and Lee.

[Earendil]

FYI, for those that say "who cares about Walmart" there is this little fact (of which I'm not going to sight a source because I'm busy at work).
Walmart sells 40% of all DVDs sold in the US.
Think about that. Of all the places that sell DVDs, of all the places people go, 4 of every 10 is bought at walmart. That is ridicules power, and not something the studios will just gloss over. They will make sure they know what they are doing before making steps forward. Maybe it won't matter at all, but it isn't a number to just ignore.

[Frisco]

For those that are unfamiliar with Wal-Marts business practices I recommend you watch Frontline's Is Wal-Mart Good For America? (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/)

It's a great documentary. You can watch it online for free using RealPlayer.

[Corrosive vinyl]

Speaking as someone who has 3 wal-mart supercenters within 5 miles of them, I can definetely say that they don't need any more money... is a few million a little meager for the likes of the children?

what is wal mart going to do, get rid of the ipods, which give them revenue? also, does anyone remember them going insane over the apple music store?

[Object-X]

Walmart is as dictatorial as their Communist buddies over there in China. That red star in their logo is there for a reason!

[gugy]

3) Demand that all female employees shave their mustaches.

Rant complete.


hahahaha, that's so true!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[1dterbeest]

The only thing Wal-Mart CAN do is lower
their prices to undercut online distributors
even more. And maybe realize that DVDs
are nicer than downloaded movies.

A lot of the people who shop at wal-mart
don't have high speed internet anyway.
I don't. I'll keep buying my movies from
Blockbuster, BestBuy, and Wal-Mart until
I am able to get them online.

[darkhawk29]

Let's just all line up to get in the door and give them our hard earned money for more of their mindless crap. You can't find what you actually go there for and end up buying loads of junk that you don't need. As for me and my family we will go and spend 5 and even 10% more to be able to find what we need and actually have a cashier at the register when we are ready to leave!

Oh hey wait is that another huge empty Wal-Mart building that I see there. Why yes it is, a whole neighborhood could fit there or better yet a nice park with some real trees!

[macridah]

Is wal-mart doing a microsoft ...

What happened to healthy competition? Boo for wal-mart ... if this is true.

[notjustjay]

It's all fun and games until someone wakes up with a dead horse head in their bed.

But seriously... $9.99 to $12.99 movie downloads when I can go over to any store (like, oh, say, Wal-Mart) and buy the real deal for a buck or two more? Just how in God's name is this a threat to them?! Wal-Mart's smartest move would be to drop their DVD prices by that buck or two, until they cost the SAME or LESS than online downloads.

[Websnapx2]

All I can see them do is try to play one studio against another by telling studio A that if they deal with Apple wall-mart will in turn give preferential treatment, advertising and self-space to studio B. The only way this will work is if the have every studio thinking the same thing. The best way to counter it is if all studios hop on at once, they'll have Wall-mart bent over a barrel.

[scotty321]

Wal-Mart is an EVIL CORPORATION!!

I do not mean that as HYPERBOLE, i mean that as FACT!!

Wal-Mart has violated every single law in the entire book, they destroy people's lives, they destroy communities, and they destroy humans.

You can learn all of the facts by watching this incredible documentary:

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
http://www.walmartmovie.com

WAL-MART IS EVIL!

BOYCOTT WAL-MART AND *SCREW* WAL-MART!!

[iLunar]

Thanks Crap-Mart, one less reason to shop at your store! :)

[OdduWon]

wal-mart is acting like a spoiled little brat. thair all upset because apple is getting a better price and are taking it to the heart. like their being uses or something? "how dare those movie studios use somenbody! it's not like wal-mart ever us.... oh wait... thats right their wal-mart." but seriously though ofcourse it's cheaper! it's digital content! i.e. no physical product to ship or package or store ( other that data on server ). wal-mart..... your evil. stop crying when you don't get your way.

[georgi0]

For those that are unfamiliar with Wal-Marts business practices I recommend you watch Frontline's Is Wal-Mart Good For America? (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/)

It's a great documentary. You can watch it online for free using RealPlayer.

there is also another one: the high cost of wal mart.

[05elstonc]

Damn you walmart.

[looklost]

I don't shop at WalMart, and stories like this are the reason why. Sam's Club, screw them too. Last time I was in a WalMart, which was years ago, the vibe was just weird. I don't mean to offend anyone but it was trashy and cheap and I felt like some hillybilly standing at an intersection where I could buy a DVD player(by some company I never heard of) for $45, generic cheese puffs, fishing poles, or some crappy sandals.

[plinkoman]

why did some people vote this positive? :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

[Lord Blackadder]

F Wal-Mart, there is simply nothing positive or good about the entire organization. I have nothing more to say on the subject. :mad:

[Kaafir]

Clive at Five, you need to check up on your facts. Sam's kids actually have very little to do with the company at all. Other than making money from it, they are really not involved in the business operations/decisions of the company.

Sam's daughter got busted a few times for DUI. After the last one, she decided it'd be better to pack up and relocate to Ft. Worth, Texas and raise horses on her ranch than to stay in NW Arkansas.

HecubusPro, from Arkansas here. You from Bentonville?

Peace.

[NewSc2]

what's wal-mart going to do? stop selling DVDs if the movie houses go to Apple?

personally I won't be buying iTunes movies as of yet. I still like having the hard copy, just like I do with CD's. when the time comes that movies are instantly playable on the big internet brainsource we all connect to... then i'll reconsider.

[iJon]

I don't think Wal-Mart makes money on a lot of their DVDs. They sell them at a loss to get people in their stores. If people buy on iTunes, they don't come into Wal-Mart.
Are you serious? Wal-Mart doesn't put a single thing in their store if it doesn't make them money. With Wal-Mart selling 40% of ALL DVD sales, they are making a nice revenue.

The only thing that they may start doing that doesn't make them much is their new generic drug program, where they are selling over 300 generic drugs at a much deeper discount then leading competitors. Wal-Mart isn't required to report earnings in this field, so who knows how it will go. I'm assuming well.

jon

[georgi0]

ok we can all say F walmart for this F walmart for that, but the fact is that most of the studios (the big ones that matter) wont sign anything with apple.

[oldwatery]

[QUOTE=But seriously... $9.99 to $12.99 movie downloads when I can go over to any store (like, oh, say, Wal-Mart) and buy the real deal for a buck or two more? Just how in God's name is this a threat to them?! Wal-Mart's smartest move would be to drop their DVD prices by that buck or two, until they cost the SAME or LESS than online downloads.[/QUOTE]


And that is the point right now.
There is room for both models until downloads become fast enough and cheap enough to kill physical disc forever.
But we all know this is a long way off....in retail terms.
Plus with the new HD formats around the corner physical discs still have plenty of life left in them. No?
Wal-Mart is a bully corporation, like so many in the world. And they have a history of profiting on peoples misery. Whether they be suppliers, employees or competitors. I hope this move takes them down a peg or two.
They deserve all the ****** that gets thrown at them.

[autrefois]

This is morally and most likely legally wrong for Wal-Mart to do. Not that either of those are new to the folks running Wal-Mart.

I seem to remember a different sentiment on these forums when it was announced Wal-Mart would start selling iPods. People who said Wal-Mart was a bad corporate citizen were called naive, were told that that's how business is done, long live the invisible hand of capitalism, etc.

Now that Wal-Mart is trying to squash Apple's move into the movie arena, I see some people have come around. And with the sort of success iTunes seems to be having with movies so far, there just may be some studios who stand up to Wal-Mart too for a change. So in a way, I thank Wal-Mart for pulling this idiotic stunt to open up people's eyes. :)

[Cloud9]

If walmart refuses to sell hollywoods dvds its not like the consumers arent going to find a way to buy them. Infact it hurts walmart more. Dvds wll be purchased. Its just that walmart will not be the retailer they purchase from. I dont understand why they think they have so mch power. If tommy wants a copy of "(Movie name here)" for christmass, mom, dad, sibling, or spouse will find a way to get it.

[mi5moav]

GREED and BLACKMAIL I'm sure our government is gonna love this one. This is what America was built on kill the little guys and choke out all competition. Walmart couldn't compete in the MP3 market all they know about is trying to lower prices even if they loose money on something they have a million other products that will make money.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Thanks Crap-Mart, one less reason to shop at your store! :)I agree, I hate Walmart with a passion. They are helping destroy the middle class everywhere they go. Apple does have a problem with the studios because they want to have their cake and eat it to. Im sure they are all looking into downloading movies themselves so they can avoid that 3rd party. Did I say Walmart sucks?:p

[briantology]

BOOOO stupid Wal*Mart threat. HOOORRAAYY _______!

[rdrr]

This is not an empty threat. Wal-Mart pushes around vendors like this all the time. In the end Companies want to sell their product and unfortunately Wal-Mart is the largest brick and mortar distributers. For those of you who are saying "Ban Wal-Mart", ask yourselves how many "Community X keeps Wal-Mart out" success stories have you heard of? :(

[Flernk]

http://digg.com/movies/Walmart_Retaliating_over_iTunes_Movies

[bretm]

Don'y boycott WalMart. Go buy DVDs there by the zillions. BUT NOTHING ELSE. Let them enjoy the losses from their loss leaders. Don't get sucked into buy some ol' roy while you're there.

[p0intblank]

Target is better anyway. :)

[BanjoBanker]

Having spent a fair amount of time living in a rural environment, I would like to add my distaste for Wal-Mart. They move into an area with their "low prices"
and put all the local stores out of business. There are hundreds of little towns in rural areas of the south that have been devastated by the arrival of a Wal-Mart. I have had business dealings with Wal-Mart and I will tell you they do bully suppliers. I had a shipment to them with the standard invoice terms of 2% discount if paid within 10 days or net invoice if paid withing 30 days. Well, Wal-Mart paid in 90 days and took the discount! PLus they gave me a hrad time when I called them on it! I have not shopped with them in over 15 years, and I plan on keeping it that way. The fact that they sell 40% of the DVDs sold during the Christmas buying cycle does give them clout with the studios, and that is unfortunate. However, I believe that volume could be made up elsewhere, so I am not sure that the studio heads would knuckle under. They have more and more been taking a long term view, so that may diminish Wal-Mart's clout. Let us hope so.

[mccldwll]

Only go there when absolutely necessary, and shower after. BTW, I read somewhere of some people who every time they go to Walmart accidentally break/damage/spill something.

[BrandonKea]

Target is better anyway. :)

Yeah, all this "Boycott Wal-Mart" talk rocks. I work for Target, so come on in guys and gals!

[hondaboy945]

I posted in another post on this website this claim some time ago. Wal-Mart uses loss-leading priced CD sales to draw people into the store. BTW that is directly harmful to other brick and morter stores as well as medium priced online retailers. Are they apologizing for that?

It seems that since Wal-Mart tends to service the very lowest income class in our culture and many of these folks tend to not have computers, and to the extent they do, tend to not have broadband either, it seems there is a degree of mutual exclusivity of markets.

Therefore it seems Wal-Mart is less concerned about the sales themselves as the "benefits" they receive by the physical customer traffic they get from some people going to Wal-Mart to buy intentionally underpriced product so they will shop for other things while there.

BTW Wal-Mart themselves state this, so it is not speculation.

Rocketman



I was wondering how many hillbillies and other country folk have an iPod. maybe Walmart is afraid that even Billy bob wants to download instead of buying from crappy WM.

[hondaboy945]

Yeah, all this "Boycott Wal-Mart" talk rocks. I work for Target, so come on in guys and gals!


I totally agree. Target is sooo much better than WM. I would rather pay the extra .50 or $1 more to go to Target. Cleaner stores, nicer people, and they don't have that funny smell that WM has. And they don't want to price everyone out of business, except maybe WM. That would be great.

[bwintx]

Wal-Mart is a massive contributor to officeholders in both major U.S. political parties, but especially those in the Republican Party -- so anyone who seriously thinks the company will be given pause by the probable illegality of its proposed actions is dreaming.

[SPUY767]

I don't think Wal-Mart makes money on a lot of their DVDs. They sell them at a loss to get people in their stores. If people buy on iTunes, they don't come into Wal-Mart.
15+ dollars for a 15 cent disc with 45 cents in packaging around it shipped for about 95 cents. Walmart is making plenty. Wholesale for new DVDs is about 7 dollars less distribution costs (typically less than a dollar a disc). Older movies I have seen go for as little as 2$ wholesale.

[Stridder44]

FYI, for those that say "who cares about Walmart" there is this little fact (of which I'm not going to sight a source because I'm busy at work).
Walmart sells 40% of all DVDs sold in the US.
Think about that. Of all the places that sell DVDs, of all the places people go, 4 of every 10 is bought at walmart. That is ridicules power, and not something the studios will just gloss over. They will make sure they know what they are doing before making steps forward. Maybe it won't matter at all, but it isn't a number to just ignore.


I too have a well known fact, although I can't give away my source at this time.

The Banana market is going to explode soon. I have heard rumors and tails of a new generation of banana, and it's really going to change the way we live. So remember that, next time you hate on bananas.

Also, G5 Powerbooks tuesday....at least, according to my deep underground sources...which I can't talk any more about....

[Get Shorty]

Not cool of Wal-Mart at all... Competition is best for the consumer. :o

[840quadra]

Like many like minded Apple users (I love this group), I am one that does not shop at Wal Mart. It's buisness model is to undercut and ruin other buisnesses.

Regardless of the fact that I live in the state that is home of Target Corporation, I simply do not like Wal Mart. I have listened to stories from Contractors in southern states say not so comforting things about that company. One of the companies that we work with was not alloud to have any women or African Americans working on job sites related to building Wal Mart buildings. If the companies were caught with such employees they were fined thousands of dollars!

Wal Mart an KMA (figure it out yourself), besides if they stop selling Cds and DVD's it really wouldn't matter to me anyway, as I don't buy from them!

[CorvusCamenarum]

I was wondering how many hillbillies and other country folk have an iPod. maybe Walmart is afraid that even Billy bob wants to download instead of buying from crappy WM.

You'd be surprised how many people are willing to live in a trailer in order to be able to afford $300 cell phones and "designer" clothes. There's an apartment building not too far from my house which is an utter dump, and in one of the parking slots is a vintage Corvette.

Apple needs to take a page from Snapper's book regarding Wal-Mart -- give them the big fat finger. For those of you who aren't aware, Wal-Mart approached Snapper a few years ago, wanting them to make a cheap quality build of mower, put the Snapper name on it, be paid WM's crap supplier prices, and sell them exclusively in Wal-Mart stores. Long story short, Snapper didn't want poor quality (or WM for that matter) to be associated with the Snapper brand, and told WM what it could go do with itself.

[behindthecamera]

Well, that was fun. Hit "send" too soon. Where is the Justice Department? This is clearly the anti-competitive raving of a monopolistic entity.

[Play Ultimate]

I haven't voted yet...but this seems to be a "good" thing if only to give substantial credibility to the movie store concept. (Notice, Wal-Mart didn't scream about Amazon's store) If Wal-Mart is scared enough to bully the studios, how good of a business must it be. Eventually the studios will come around.
Further, with the massive discounts that the studios must give Wal-Mart to sell their DVDs, I don't see why the studios would not be running to Apple to sell movies. The studio's profit is probably much higher with Apple than witth Wal-Mart

[inkswamp]

*Sigh* One more reason to hate Wal-Mart. My wife and I stopped shopping there ages ago after talking to some of their workers (and comfirming for ourselves that the stories about forced, unpaid overtime and never-quite-materializing benefits were true) and reading about some of their business practices--much of which makes Microsoft look reasonably benign by comparison.

This kind of anti-competitive junk is exactly what we should all expect from Wal-Mart.

On a side note, I love how conservatives hold Wal-Mart up as a shining examples of American capitalism in action, but they fail to mention these kinds of practices. Making threats to keep others from entering your market is NOT how capitalism works. It's all supposed to be about competition and rising to meet your competitor's services or products. This frantic, behind-the-scenes threat-making is ridiculous and Wal-Mart should be ashamed.

[daddy-mojo]

It's all fun and games until someone wakes up with a dead horse head in their bed.

But seriously... $9.99 to $12.99 movie downloads when I can go over to any store (like, oh, say, Wal-Mart) and buy the real deal for a buck or two more? Just how in God's name is this a threat to them?! Wal-Mart's smartest move would be to drop their DVD prices by that buck or two, until they cost the SAME or LESS than online downloads.


LOL!!! :D very funny.

True enough. Just because you can download doesn't mean most people will. Even with music downloads, I still know plenty of people who never or almost never purchase their music online, they like to have the discs, same thing with movies. I know I would rather own the disc, and rip it myself for whatever format I want. Its just another option for distribution. Not the only one.

[dhlvrsn]

Not one mention of the STUDIOS in this thread? Ever think that maybe they leaked/exagerated this news to take the attention off of themselves?

Oh no, big bad Wal-Mart won't let us do it...

No arguement what Wal-Mart is doing should be illegal. There is so much that goes against many laws that they somehow weasel their way around it's frightening. That said they aren't the only one nor are the ultimate problem in video distribution.

The studios are stepping over dollars to save pennies. They've put a stangle hold on content claiming to protect the artists... Look at iTunes. Even some of the most ardent opponents have now let their music be distributed that way. In the mean time they only hurt themselves.

I can't imagine that too many studios will sit back and watch Disney dominate the iTunes scene. No matter what Wal-Mart says. There is a perfectly good market for HD growing that I don't see online downloads taking over any time soon. Even with DSL I can't imagine waiting for 50GB to download...

[Deputy-Dawg]

.
3) Demand that all female employees shave their mustaches.


I am 73 years old, I live in Rogers, AR as does my daughter. My daughter is a Walmart employee! She does not have a mustache! The preceding remark is, in my opinion, unnecessary, cruel and sexist.

There is a great deal about Wal Mart to depise but none of them justify such a gatuitous attack on women, many of whom are single parents, that work hard there to support their families.:(

[iJon]

I am 73 years old, I live in Rogers, AR as does my daughter. My daughter is a Walmart employee! She does not have a mustache! The preceding remark is, in my opinion, unnecessary, cruel and sexist.

There is a great deal about Wal Mart to depise but none of them justify such a gatuitous attack on women, many of whom are single parents, that work hard there to support their families.:(
I'm sure it was all fun and games. It's hard for us Arkansans though. Desipte what reasons people hate Wal-Mart for, they are always a big deal up in our community (local NWA resident here). What I do see though is a lot of under class citizens in our neck of the woods who are able to pay for certain things that they probably couldn't afford elsewhere.

jon

[Manzana]

doing battle with walmart, trying to get more studios and cable/tv channels on board, holding back the RIAA with a chair and a whip...apple is doing a lot to revolutionize digital media distribution, and i'm appreciative of this. but at what point will this take it's toll on macintosh computers? will apples legal and business battles compromise technological development?


waiting for C2D MBP

[photomaniac]

GOD! this soooooooo pissssses me off! I'm so in a rage right now... If this story is credible- then we should all join together and boycott Walmart!... I'm so mad - Walmart comes into any size town, drives out other businesses (and doesn't think twice about that!)... and now...!!! they are trying to use their strength to bully the movie studios so they can keep their huge greedy share the way it is... all because iTunes has a new/innovative way to distribute movies!! Greed Greed Greed! I know Steve Jobs has to take a professional stance on this... but we all know what he is really thinking: "F-U WALMART!"

...sorry for my rage... I really couldn't help it...

[kalisphoenix]

I am 73 years old, I live in Rogers, AR as does my daughter. My daughter is a Walmart employee! She does not have a mustache! The preceding remark is, in my opinion, unnecessary, cruel and sexist.

There is a great deal about Wal Mart to depise but none of them justify such a gatuitous attack on women, many of whom are single parents, that work hard there to support their families.:(

:( If it makes you feel any better, I slashed the tires of a guy the other day who was wearing a "I support single mothers" t-shirt with a silhouette of a stripper pole-dancing.

[sonnys]

OH good lord what a crock of poo. How can Wal Mart threaten Hollywood studios? What will Wal Mart do, stop selling DVDs and hurt its own retail business? Silly.

I don't believe any of it.

[iJon]

:( If it makes you feel any better, I slashed the tires of a guy the other day who was wearing a "I support single mothers" t-shirt with a silhouette of a stripper pole-dancing.
Why would you slash his tires, assuming your not exaggerating?

jon

[arn]

Wal-Mart denies it:

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-09-22T185622Z_01_WEN5836_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-WALMART-STUDIOS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22


"The Post story appears to be a rehashing of the misinformation that's been printed previously," a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said in a statement.

[Unspeaked]

This is just a business being a business. Get over it.

You don't think Apple gives special placement certain bands and/or labels on the iTunes music store? You think it's just as easy to find "Joe Smith's Indie Band" as it is to stumble upon U2's latest single?

Walmart is probably threatening these companies with diminished advertising and product placement. I doubt they have any intention of removing DVDs from their stores.

In fact, I doubt this story is even true, but that's another matter.

The sad fact of the matter is, the studios have no choice but to comply. Record labels and movie studios already fold and release special "Walmart" versions of certain items just to get them in the front door, because in this day and age, something as simple as the absence from Walmart's shelves is enough to make a CD or DVD's failure all but inevitable.

But again, this isn't David vs. Goliath, as someone amusingly said. This is a $200 billion company vs. a $65 billion company.

I won't be looking for the Kleenex.

[babyj]

How comes Walmart control so much of the US retail market, yet everyone here hates them and refuses to shop there? They might not be ethical, they might bully suppliers, they might put small stores out of business but they keep prices down and everyone wants to pay less for everything.

Its similar with Tesco in the UK, they might not be as dominant as Walmart in the US but they aren't that far off it. The subject that normally comes up in the UK is the prices the supermarkets pay to farmers. Everyone says its shocking and that they are bullying the farmers, yet everyone is more than happy to pay less and less for farm produce.

I don't see how what Walmart does or says about this really matters. They ain't going to stop selling dvds as they won't want to lose the profit, if it gets to the point where they're not making enough profit they will just drop them on the spot. More likely is that they will use it as a bargaining chip to get better prices on dvds so they can increase profits further.

I can't see it being an issue in the UK, or the rest of the EU. The monopoly and competition rules of the EU are pretty strict and they don't give a damn how big the company is - Bill Gates will testify to this, I think Microsoft had been fined about $500million the last time I checked for breaking the rules on competition.

[GooMan]

BOYCOTT WAL-MART

Already there, it is an extremely rare occasion to see me there.


...You can watch it online for free using RealPlayer.
RealPlayer? Ummm, no thanks. :eek:

[Unspeaked]

OH good lord what a crock of poo. How can Wal Mart threaten Hollywood studios? What will Wal Mart do, stop selling DVDs and hurt its own retail business? Silly.

As I said in my earlier post, Walmart can easily threaten almost any consumer product in the country with the simple phrase, "...or we'll remove it from our shelves."

If your CD or DVD isn't carried by Walmart, you're blocking a HUGE amount of potential buyers.

CDs are even worse than DVDs, where a new release that isn't carried by Walmart is almost certainly prevented from entering the Top 10.

[K12MacTech]

For those that are unfamiliar with Wal-Marts business practices I recommend you watch Frontline's Is Wal-Mart Good For America? (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/)

It's a great documentary. You can watch it online for free using RealPlayer.

I agree - for me this is what cemented my extreme aversion to going anywhere near a Walmart. If they could essentially put Rubbermaid (the Number 1 rated US company at the time) out of business, then they unfortuantely do wield too much control over the retail business. Until i saw the Frontline episode I wondered why Rubbermaid had become junk and couldn't find the selection that used to be available.

They seem to go after just about every niche there is. Just look at the latest news of selling generic prescription drugs for $4 for a 30 day supply. It looks again to be a hook to get people into their stores. They say it covers 300 different drugs, but in reality it is only 124 medicines but in a variety of doses. So they may end up with 12 out of those 300 being different versions of amoxicillin. Some popular drugs aren't included, like Zocor. But all the gullible masses will see is $4 PRESCRIPTIONS!!

There is also a lot of information at wallmartwatch.com.

[lockhartt]

Sounds like Wal-Mart may have an as-yet-unannounced partnership with MS or Amazon (more likely the latter, as Amazon is already delivering movies).

Why else throw this much weight at the issue?

Time will tell at this point...

Oh, and I agree - F Wal-Mart!

[wronski]

Umm, screw Walmart, who shops there anyway?

[Unspeaked]

Its similar with Tesco in the UK, they might not be as dominant as Walmart in the US but they aren't that far off it.

Actually, I think Tesco's share of the grocery business in the UK is much larger than Walmart's share of the retail business in the US.

And the worst thing is, it's growing at a more alarming rate than Walmart.

(And it's looking to expand to the US, from West to East, in the very near future...!)

[madmax_2069]

you also got to look at people that don't have new or fast computers (i currently fall in this category) and people that don't have a fast internet connection (like people that live to far out of town where they cant get high-speed ) or people that like to have a original copy AKA a dvd to take to another house to watch. that is the people that is buying audio cd's and dvd movies from wally world. so even tho if apple got every studio for ITMS it would not affect those buyers then would it.

wally world needs to see the point, that they are going to be the retail store version of M$

i for one am for ITMS to get all it can to become what it can be. skrew wall-marts they just lost another customer for this bull crap

[4God]

Well if I were in the movie studio business, I'd say BYE-BYE Wal-Mart.:mad:

[mac-er]

Well if I were in the movie studio business, I'd say BYE-BYE Wal-Mart.:mad:

Unfortunately, you wouldn't because you'd probably be out of business.

[Unspeaked]

I agree - for me this is what cemented my extreme aversion to going anywhere near a Walmart. If they could essentially put Rubbermaid (the Number 1 rated US company at the time) out of business, then they unfortuantely do wield too much control over the retail business. Until i saw the Frontline episode I wondered why Rubbermaid had become junk and couldn't find the selection that used to be available.

They seem to go after just about every niche there is. Just look at the latest news of selling generic prescription drugs for $4 for a 30 day supply. It looks again to be a hook to get people into their stores. They say it covers 300 different drugs, but in reality it is only 124 medicines but in a variety of doses. So they may end up with 12 out of those 300 being different versions of amoxicillin. Some popular drugs aren't included, like Zocor. But all the gullible masses will see is $4 PRESCRIPTIONS!!


Your points would mean more if it was a big secret that Walmart bullies their suppliers and sells low quality products.

As it stands, *everyone* knows they abuse their suppliers, *everyone* knows they sell the absolute lowest quality merchandise from various Asian sweatshops and *everyone* knows they aren't very good to their employees.

Yet people happily go there and spend money in droves, because as much as they dislike a large company bullying other companies (and in this case, the competition) and as much as they dislike supporting sweatshops or a bad employer, they dislike wasting their meager paycheck on markups even more.

It's the same Starbucks mentality that fills the world with hypocrisy.

[babyj]

Actually, I think Tesco's share of the grocery business in the UK is much larger than Walmart's share of the retail business in the US.

And the worst thing is, it's growing at a more alarming rate than Walmart.

(And it's looking to expand to the US, from West to East, in the very near future...!)

I don't have any problem with Tesco, I'm all in favour if it means lower prices - I'm sure I am paying the same for my groceries as I did 5-10 years ago. Though we are spoilt for choice where I live - within a 10-15 minute drive I've got the following big supermarkets; Asda x2, Morrisons x1, Sainsbury's x2 and Tesco x1.

Its easy to forget the lower prices that supermarkets have given us. In the UK they played a major role in pushing the prices of cds below £10 with very little effect on other high street or internet retailers.

[Rocketman]

OH good lord what a crock of poo. How can Wal Mart threaten Hollywood studios? What will Wal Mart do, stop selling DVDs and hurt its own retail business? Silly.

I don't believe any of it.

Their response to movies on iTunes was to ask studios to lower their price to WM to be the same as that of an online download despite the higher media and distribtion cost. Huh? Yes, they did. Keep in mind the online version is qualatatively different in packaging and resolution, and that many folks find added value in the artifact of a physical disc.

Wal-Mart wanted to guarantee --their-- ability to underprice the competition at the expense of the net cost of studios. WM wanted studios to SUBSIDIZE them at the rate of $1.50-$2.50 PER DISC!!

I for one wouldn't want to download the phone call between Apple and Wal-Mart. I want to see a movie of Jobs right after he hung up :)

Come on Steve, as an ode to rumour sites . . .

Rocketman

[Lord Blackadder]

Yet people happily go there and spend money in droves, because as much as they dislike a large company bullying other companies (and in this case, the competition) and as much as they dislike supporting sweatshops or a bad employer, they dislike wasting their meager paycheck on markups even more.

It's the same Starbucks mentality that fills the world with hypocrisy.

I think you're giving people too much credit - I'll bet most don't know about Wal-Mart's shadyness, don't care and wouldn't care if they DID know.

It might not be David v.s. Goliath but all the suits at Wal-Mart certainly are a bunch of Philistines.

[babyj]

Your points would mean more if it was a big secret that Walmart bullies their suppliers and sells low quality products.

As it stands, *everyone* knows they abuse their suppliers, *everyone* knows they sell the absolute lowest quality merchandise from various Asian sweatshops and *everyone* knows they aren't very good to their employees.

Yet people happily go there and spend money in droves, because as much as they dislike a large company bullying other companies (and in this case, the competition) and as much as they dislike supporting sweatshops or a bad employer, they dislike wasting their meager paycheck on markups even more.

It's the same Starbucks mentality that fills the world with hypocrisy.

Are Apple any different?

All their product is made in Asia, I'm sure they bully their suppliers to get the best prices and there have been question marks over the working conditions in the factories they use.

Everyone wants lower prices and better quality. A lot of people feel guilty due to the effects this has on other people, but not guilty enough to actually stop shopping at the cheapest shops.

[mdntcallr]

walmart is evil!!

whether or not they did this. although with how hard the pressure all of their suppliers, i would NOT believe that they didnt exert some form of pressure on the movie studios

[Clive At Five]

imagine let's say that wal mat due to this apple deal with all studios will make a statemnet saying we lost 10% or our revenues so we will lay off 10% of our employess to cover for the losses.!!

now what do you do in this case?
it's not a free world after all....

Wal*Mart losing 10% of their revenue would still leave them a VERY profitable company... and firing that many employees would probably cause them to close some stores... which would result in further loss of profit.

If Wal*Mart lost 10% of their revenue by movie purchases alone, they would have to concentrate harder on other things.

Something else confuses me though...

Wal*Mart caters to the lower income families... who likely don't have high-speed internet and are, thus, EXTREMELY unlikely to purchace movies from the iTS, lest they want to be downloading for 3 days straight. Those people will go to the local Wal*Mart and buy the same movie from the $5.50 bargain bin. Sleazy customers are happy; Wal*Mart is happy. What do they have to be complaining about?

Man, I love that bin. I've found so many awesome movies in there.......... like Total Recall. Okay, so maybe not THAT awesome.

-Clive

[kugino]

hate WM...only went there to get motor oil for my bike, but now that will change. WM, MS...big bullies, really.

[KindredMAC]

Alright we have quite a few postings that are merely mindless rage being evoked out of 2 word sentences. Here are my thoughts about this whole situation without starting a sentence with "F" and ending it with "!!!!!".....

-I think people will still want to have that physical DVD before abandoning it for digital files for some time. I now that it took me about a year and a half before I stopped buying CD's since the launch of the Music Store. Granted that was fueled mostly by the albums not being on iTunes, but now that is hardly the case.

-Are or are not the quality of the iTunes movies subpar compared to the actual DVD's? This I have not heard an actual fact based answer about yet.

-Ready to crucify me? You will after this statement. Wal-Mart is a major reason that this country has not seen a full blown inflation over the course of the last 10 years. Yes, the cost of some things has risen, but when you look across the board the actual rise has not been as bad as in the past. Wal-Mart's aggressive style of pricing, while hurting manufacturers in some cases, has helped keep prices in check with other stores. Think about it, why would you go over to the chain grocery store to buy a 2 liter of Pepsi for $1.50 when you can get it for $1.00 at Wal-Mart? I have seen more and more sales at grocery stores that are matching Wal-Mart's everyday prices. That is good for my household.

Yes I know that Wal-Mart's use of labor is not the model of wholesome remotely, but the people that work at Wal-Mart are not necessarily the ones that would be lawyers, doctors or managers anyways. Society needs people to do jobs that everyone doesn't want to do. Does someone grow up saying that they WANT to be a janitor at McDonalds? Using that philosophy, does anyone grow up wanting to be that cashier at Wal-Mart? Probably not, but someone has to do it. And unfortunately, there are a lot of bad or not so nice things that come with those jobs. I personally would love to be a Wal-Mart greeter in Florida when I retire.

-I don't buy Music or Movies at Wal-Mart because of their censorship program that they have had in place for many years. I don't know if they still have it, but I remember that Wal-Mart actually made of the CD vendors make a "clean" version of the latest album because they did not want to sell it with explicit lyrics on it a few years back. No no no no.... I have enough people out there from senators to mothers groups making it harder for me to get the unedited music, movies and video games in life that I want. I don't need the store making that choice for me also.

I don't think Wal-Mart would actually pull a stunt like this with Hollywood and Apple, but if they did start throwing punches I would be very happy to go over to the competition over at Super Target. But that would then start another argument about Target's employee practices.... ;)

[bousozoku]

...
They seem to go after just about every niche there is. Just look at the latest news of selling generic prescription drugs for $4 for a 30 day supply. It looks again to be a hook to get people into their stores. They say it covers 300 different drugs, but in reality it is only 124 medicines but in a variety of doses. So they may end up with 12 out of those 300 being different versions of amoxicillin. Some popular drugs aren't included, like Zocor. But all the gullible masses will see is $4 PRESCRIPTIONS!!

There is also a lot of information at wallmartwatch.com.

If it causes other pharmacies to lower prices, all the better. If it causes the big name pharmaceutical labs to lower prices, that's even better. Why should people in the U.S.A. pay the majority of the cost of medication?

This is one instance where Wal-Mart isn't really hurting people, unlike the government.

[kgforce]

It seems that since Wal-Mart tends to service the very lowest income class in our culture and many of these folks tend to not have computers, and to the extent they do, tend to not have broadband either, it seems there is a degree of mutual exclusivity of markets.

Wow. That's an elitist statement. I think you need to travel around the country and see who really shops at Wal-Mart -- basically every socio-economic group. From poorest to the wealthiest. Even people with broadband!

I would be considered upper-middle class and my family shops there all the time. And we have friends that would be considered wealthy, perhaps even super-wealthy, and they shop there, too.

[PerfectlyFlawed]

I hate Walmart, I always have. they make people think they're so cheap. they really aren't cheap at all. they never have sales.

I wouldn't give a crap if walmart did anything to hurt the film studios. I don't buy movies there anyway because they actually check your ID if its R or unrated. not that I'm not old enough but I sure as hell hate taking my ID out to justify that I'm at least 17. they never have special editions or unrated versions so why the hell does it matter.

STICK TO BEST BUY OR CIRCUIT CITY.

BOYCOTT WALMART

[hayesk]

Unfortunately, you wouldn't because you'd probably be out of business.

I don't buy that argument. If a customer wants to buy a DVD, they'll just go to Best Buy instead of Walmart, or wherever else it is sold.

Walmart doesn't sell Grand Theft Auto, yet it is still a big seller in the video game market.

[mcarnes]

Nonsense. Walmart is the greatest thing to happen to junk in a long time.

[Zigster]

This feels like a story planted by Apple, in order to apply leverage in all the behind the scenes fighting amongst the big players.

[The Toon Master]

Go Target :P

anyway.., if they actually continue to do this, apple can sue them(see Ben and Jerry's vs Hadgengas, and i spelled that wrong)

anyways, wow, walmart is finally threatened :), yay

DOWN WITH WALMART, UP WITH TARGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gauchogolfer]

... Hadgengas, and i spelled that wrong...

Boy did you. Wow. Häagen-Dazs, btw.

:D

[digitalbiker]

Are Apple any different?

All their product is made in Asia, I'm sure they bully their suppliers to get the best prices and there have been question marks over the working conditions in the factories they use.

Everyone wants lower prices and better quality. A lot of people feel guilty due to the effects this has on other people, but not guilty enough to actually stop shopping at the cheapest shops.

I agree. Apple and Wal-mart are just companies. They are not evil or benevolent. They compete in a very competitive market and can in no way be considered monopolies.

Wal-Mart doesn't drive local mom & pop companies out of business. The people who shop at Wal-Mart drive the local mom & pop business away. If Wal-Mart is so evil, bad to employees, sells rotten product, why is it that so many people shop there?

Sure Wal-Mart pressures suppliers to lower their price, so does everyone else. That is why prices drop when supply is high or demand is down. Sure Wal-Mart puts pressure on local business. So does every business that competes in that market including mail order.

If the local business can't stay afloat in their market then it just means that customers are choosing for whatever reason to go somewhere else.

I don't particularly care for Wal-Mart myself and I don't shop there except for as a convience for the most mundane products. But I can't stand all this whining! This is a free world. If you are a consumer, shop where you choose and those companies will reap the reward. If you are a supplier supply to who you wish, if you have a great product it will sell. If you are a competitor, do whatever you can to keep prices low, quality high, customer satisfaction high, and you will stay in business.

What's the big deal!:rolleyes:

[bousozoku]

I hate Walmart, I always have. they make people think they're so cheap. they really aren't cheap at all. they never have sales.

I wouldn't give a crap if walmart did anything to hurt the film studios. I don't buy movies there anyway because they actually check your ID if its R or unrated. not that I'm not old enough but I sure as hell hate taking my ID out to justify that I'm at least 17. they never have special editions or unrated versions so why the hell does it matter.

STICK TO BEST BUY OR CIRCUIT CITY.

BOYCOTT WALMART

It's appropriate to check identification for age, whether it's movies, music, or video games. What's wrong with doing the right thing?

[gkarris]

I'm just stating pure fact:

Most of the people I know that shop at Wal-Mart don't own an iPod with video let alone a computer that supports iTunes videos. Most own super cheap or older Wintel boxes and some cheap flash MP3 player. They will still go to Wal-Mart to buy DVDs.

What is Wal-Mart worried about?

[4God]

Unfortunately, you wouldn't because you'd probably be out of business.


So, what you're saying is that hard copies of DVD's are the wave of the future? :rolleyes:
Funny, I thought technology was taking over and that downloading mulitmedia was the wave of the future. :confused:
I believe over a few year period, you would be the one out of business if that's your convicted thought.

[ibook30]

I let Wal Mart know that I don't approve of their practices by avoiding their stores. My money goes to other retailers.

[STLSigns]

I've been reading this forum for years and have found it interesting and helpful. Thank you everyone for help and opinions. I have never joined a forum of any type until now. Well, here it goes. For the first time I feel the need to put my 2cents in. I looked at this post and I really got angry. It's not even a iTunes thing for me but a "Wal-Mart is Evil Thing". This report is of no shock to me that some WM dude is threating retaliation. They do this every day by putting Mom & Pops out of business.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

Thank you again. I feel better.
Now I hope to join everyone in future discussions.

[wkhahn]

It seems that since Wal-Mart tends to service the very lowest income class in our culture and many of these folks tend to not have computers, and to the extent they do, tend to not have broadband either, it seems there is a degree of mutual exclusivity of markets.

Therefore it seems Wal-Mart is less concerned about the sales themselves as the "benefits" they receive by the physical customer traffic they get from some people going to Wal-Mart to buy intentionally underpriced product so they will shop for other things while there.


I think there may be a flaw in your reasoning. If wal-mart tended to service the very lowest income class, then how does this class propel such a company to become the biggest retailer of just about any consumable good in this country? Wal-mart targets anyone with a buck to spend and will try to sell them anything to help them part with that dollar, be that an iPod shuffle, DVD or box of peanuts.

As for the foot traffic, I doubt that online music sales has any effect on it. If so, how is Walmart still growing?

edited for grammer

[inkswamp]

This is just a business being a business. Get over it.

Do you really think that? Beyond all the questions and concerns about Wal-Mart's treatment of its employees and some of its deceptive practices and its tendency to sap small communities dry and wipe out smaller, local businesses (all of which I have witnessed with my own eyes so don't accuse me of quoting any lefty Web sites)... beyond all that, you think anti-competitive behavior is just "a business being a business." I don't think it is. In fact, it runs counter to everything I've been told about how the U.S. works. If you really believe what you're saying, I ask that you reconsider your point of view. You have very little support for the argument that one company making threats against another industry to stop a potential competitor is just "being a business." In fact, there have been lawsuits against some companies engaging in this very thing. Notable for an Apple discussion forum would be the example of Microsoft, but there have been others.

[macfan881]

wow this is messed up if this is true i used to by dvds from walmart cause they were cheap but after reading this i think im not gonna buy another dvd From walmart

[dante@sisna.com]

I seem to remember Wal-Mart's CEO saying in a CNBC show that his company doesn't bully vendors.....what a load.

Yes, my publishing company does business with WalMart and they do intimidate and bully. For sure.

I avoid shopping there at all costs.

[dante@sisna.com]

I've been reading this forum for years and have found it interesting and helpful. Thank you everyone for help and opinions. I have never joined a forum of any type until now. Well, here it goes. For the first time I feel the need to put my 2cents in. I looked at this post and I really got angry. It's not even a iTunes thing for me but a "Wal-Mart is Evil Thing". This report is of no shock to me that some WM dude is threating retaliation. They do this every day by putting Mom & Pops out of business.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

Thank you again. I feel better.
Now I hope to join everyone in future discussions.


Yes, Welcome!

I agree with you -- I have seen that PBS show. Walmart is a plauge.

[lhawkins]

It doesn't really matter what you think about Wal*Mart and their practices, however this story seems very unlikely. If proof of these allegations comes to light Apple would be able to double their cash on hand through one of the biggest lawsuit the world has ever seen. These allegations, if true, violate many different federal and state statutes and Apple would probably be bigger than Microsoft after the dust settled. Real damages would be in the Billions and punitive damages could be ten times as much. Wal*Mart can do this kind of thing to small companies and many third world countries, but Apple has the money to actually take this to court and juries are far more likely to believe the popular and stylish iPod maker than Wal*Mart with their reputation (deserved or not) for exploitation.

[dukebound85]

It's all fun and games until someone wakes up with a dead horse head in their bed.

But seriously... $9.99 to $12.99 movie downloads when I can go over to any store (like, oh, say, Wal-Mart) and buy the real deal for a buck or two more? Just how in God's name is this a threat to them?! Wal-Mart's smartest move would be to drop their DVD prices by that buck or two, until they cost the SAME or LESS than online downloads.


not factoring in the gas to get there. maybe drop it 5 bucks to copensate lol

[Object-X]

Nonsense. Walmart is the greatest thing to happen to junk in a long time.

Actually, Ebay is the greatest thing to happen to junk! :p

[xsedrinam]

So, hypothetically, what if Wal-Mart's CEO doesn't "moderate" their stance, and Apple ink deals with more than Disney including Library titles? Surely Wal-Mart's bean counters and legal eagles have already played the war games scenarios. Who would be the winners if this ratcheted up to another level?

[kasei]

Who? Wal what?

[freebooter]

Last I checked this kind of anti-competitive action was illegal under monopoly laws...
They, for the most part, stopped enforcing those laws back in the Reagan years.

Digitalbiker just wrote," Apple and Wal-mart are just companies. They are not evil or benevolent."
True, but they are owned and run by people who can act evilly or benevolently; they are not disembodied spirits or forces of nature. The actions large corporations take can have very bad consequences for real people (not to mention animals, birds, the air, etc.). Corporate amorality is a pretty shabby, threadbare garment.

...and also from Digitalbiker (sorry, i don't mean to pick on you, i'm just commenting in general), "They compete in a very competitive market and can in no way be considered monopolies."
True, but only partly. Apple and Wal-mart do everything they can to limit competition. Besides, at the highest levels, these publicly owned companies are largely owned and run by a relative handful of people--the plutocracy. The idea of a truly free market at the corporate level is a myth.

[ChickenSwartz]

I don't particularly believe this. I don't think Wal-Mart is ever threatened by anything except a union.

[clayj]

Eff Wal-Mart.

And if you shop at Wal-Mart when other choices are available, then eff you, too.

People think the Antichrist will be a single person. I tell you that it's very possible that the collective amount of evil within the organization known as Wal-Mart qualifies it for Antichrist status.

(In case you are still wondering, I don't much care for Wal-Mart.)

[skwoytek]

edited for grammer

Now edit for speeling.

[brepublican]

I don't particularly believe this. I don't think Wal-Mart is ever threatened by anything except a union.
It's just like what happened to Music. Even if it takes off on the iTunes Store, I dont think that the sales of DVDs will be affected very much. So I dont see what the deal would be. Unless its a union :mad:

[ChickenSwartz]

It's just like what happened to Music. Even if it takes off on the iTunes Store, I dont think that the sales of DVDs will be affected very much. So I dont see what the deal would be. Unless its a union :mad:

I meant union as in Wal Mart fears its employees forming a workers union...nothing to do with movies or Apple.

[joeboy_45101]

Whether it's true or not all I have to say is this,

WALMART GO **** YOURSELF! AND THAT DAMN SMILEY FACE YOU RODE IN ON!

[Archmagination]

I happen to work for a vendor that supplies Walmart.. I believe this story to be true.. Walmart breaks the antitrust laws everyday.. and get away with it since they bribe and payoff key people in the goverment.(They call it contributions)

I know a vendor(He owned the company) who supplied Walmart with quality vacuums and vacuum accessories.. Walmart decided that they wanted a better price for his vacuums and so they demanded that he cut the price of his vacuums by 30% and that he downgrades the build quality(They had a 10 year guarantee) so they would break down more often thus forcing people to buy more vacuums.

He was in the 4th year of a 10 year contract where it stipulated that HE decided the pricing and everything.. So he refused to lower the price of the vacuums since he would ACTUALLY LOSE MONEY if he sold them at the price Walmart wanted.. Walmart tore up his contract and kicked him out of the store.. when he threatened to sue them for breach of contract they laughed and told him to do it.. it would end up costing him millions to successfully sue Walmart and he would lose money if he attempted that.

[notjustjay]

they demanded that he cut the price of his vacuums by 30% and that he downgrades the build quality so they would break down more often thus forcing people to buy more

Wow. I always figured this was the stuff of conspiracy theorists and urban legends (e.g. "Who Killed the Electric Car" etc).

However, it would sure explain a lot of the crap that's out there in the markets these days. Flimsy plastic junk...

[MacinDoc]

Now edit for speeling.
If you're correcting someone's spelling, it looks better if you spell the word "spelling" correctly. ;)
Back on topic, this would be short-sighted of Wal-Mart. Ten years from now, movies and music on physical media will largely be things of the past, much like cassette tapes are today. The change won't come right away, but it will come. If Wal-Mart wants to beat Apple at this game, it will have to introduce its own movie download service.

[nitynate]

Screw WalMart...


Nathan prefers Target.

[dukebound85]

i hate walmart but is low prices and being open 24/7 forces me to go there at times. i mean you need to eat right lol

[osustudent]

There is nothing wrong with shopping at Wal-Mart, whether it be for school supplies, tv for a college dorm room, or toothpaste.

To the point, there are documentaries and sociological studies that exist documenting Wal-Mart's "bullying" ways in the marketplace. Just like the vacuum story - they demand lower prices from their suppliers so they can provide lower prices for customers. If they don't get what they want, they'll go to China. I hope they finally get caught. Wal-Mart is an easy target right now, but at least my toothpaste is cheap. :)

[swingerofbirch]

Good lord, why is Walmart so threatened?

Most of their customers have satellites built into their RVs and wouldn't get movies from Apple anyway.

[iDonkey]

Any "news item" coming from the New York Post should always be treated as a Page 2 rumor. They are a hair's breadth away from running Bat Boy headlines.

[xsedrinam]

It's worth the effort to read the Update. Reuters articule (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-09-22T185622Z_01_WEN5836_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-WALMART-STUDIOS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22).

[halhiker]

I wouldn't be shocked if WalMart were telling studios don't sell to Apple. The ethics of Walmart have never been in question: they don't have any.

The thing that sticks out in this article, if it's true and it is the Post so...., is that Apple is paying $4.51 more for a movie than it can sell it for. Does this make any sense? The iTunes Store is not like Walmart where you can pick up prepackaged meat, cookies and Preparation H while you're getting a movie. Is it because Steve makes money either way? I would think the idea of selling movies is to make a profit on them. And if Walmart is ALWAYS the low price does that mean new movies will be less than iTunes?

Also, if this story is true I wonder how well Walmart will fare in receiving their shipments of new iPods for Xmas. I saw them at Target yesterday. I wonder if Walmart's got any yet.

Hal

[Platform]

Halo effect....woo, people are scared of Apple's power...:D

[Dahl]

How refreshing.
Wal-mart is getting some of it's own medicine.

[BeyondCloister]

I don't particularly believe this. I don't think Wal-Mart is ever threatened by anything except a union.

Yes they are. They are pulling out of both Germany and South Korea due to the competition.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5273642.stm

In China the staff actually got their union.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4778973.stm

[aswm]

Here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to the FTC and DOJ yesterday (by way of copy from an e-mail to David Porter, the offending Wal-Mart executive). I urge everyone to do something similar:

Send to dporter@walmart.com, antitrust@ftc.com, and antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

Dear Mr. Porter:

By this letter and by copy to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice I hereby notify you that your reported behavior constitutes numerous violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. As reported in a wide variety of sources, you have been meeting with the heads of large movie studios and threatening to purchase fewer or return product from those studios that agree to distribute movies over Apple iTunes service (see, e.g., http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/09/22/wal.mart.threatens.studios/). This is an egregious restraint of trade that severely effects interstate commerce. News reports indicate that you have already "punished" Disney by returning thousands of DVDs and refusing to sell them. Because Wal-Mart sells 40% of the physical DVDs in the United States, you are in a privileged position and are abusing your market power. You are seeking to obtain concessions to sell content at Apple's prices (which does not include the manufacture, shipment, and sale of a physical item). Apple has innovated - something WalMart is incapable of -- and WalMart now wants to take advantage of Apple's innovation.

I urge the FTC and the DOJ to open criminal investigations into your behavior. In addition, your conduct violates your own "Corporate Code of Ethics," making a mockery of your supposed corporate values.

You should be ashamed of your luddite and monopolistic behavior.

[rk-hates-spam]

I am American. Perhaps that’s something the executive team at Wal-Mart has forgotten about. I am free to choose where and when I spend my hard-fought dollars. Though Wal-Mart and its team may be able to manipulate those choices, I will always - ALWAYS - have the choice NEVER to spend another dollar at Wal-Mart. Ever.

I mean what the hell… I live in America, not Wal-Mart-ica!

[iAlan]

If Wal-Mart stop selling DVD's by Studios who join the iTunes Store then I guess mu MR friensd in the US can just go buy somewher else.

I don't get it - if Wal-mart doesn't sell something does that mean no-one will buy it - at all? Just go elsewhere to get what you want.

Idiots!

[cecildk9999]

I haven't read all the posts in this thread (the MBP discussions are most of what I'm caught up in now :rolleyes: ), but I noticed an interesting article on MacNN that talked about this as well. To paraphrase, it said that when the iTunes TV shows were first made available, Walmart sent back DVDs of Lost, Desperate Housewives, etc., refusing to sell them. Looking on Walmart's site now, though, both Seasons 1 and 2 of Lost are available, both online and in stores (just as an example).

Threatening not to sell movies has a limited impact. I think Walmart is responsible for some 40% of DVD sales (not positive on that number), but if people can't buy DVDs at Walmart, they don't think: "Well shoot, I guess I just won't get this movie." They'll either complain or go somewhere else. This may be tough in communities where Walmart is the only major shopping center, but Walmart can't really blame movie studios when Walmart is the one refusing to sell the product.

I agree with other peoples' posts when they say that Apple's primary movie market will not really affect Walmart's sales (mostly wealthier middle class types who can afford to dump $300 on a streaming media device). I refuse to shop at Walmart for a variety of reasons myself; this just adds to the list.

[sfwalter]

Who knows if the story it true or not. Regardless Walmart bully's everyone, small stores who are in its path as well as suppliers. They're some suppliers who sell merchandise at Walmart at a loss just to get on their precious shelf space.

[Mac-Addict]

I mean what the hell… I live in America, not Wal-Mart-ica!
Lol @ Wal-Mart-ica, but yeah I can see where this is going.. over in england its most likely going to be tescos moaning about iTunes Movies..

[ChickenSwartz]

I don't get it - if Wal-mart doesn't sell something does that mean no-one will buy it - at all? Just go elsewhere to get what you want.

Disclaimer: I am not defending Wal-Mart I think they have some very poor business practices and I rarely shop there.

In rural America a lot of the time there is not other choice than Wal-Mart. I know people that drive 40 miles to get to a town that has a Wal-Mart to do all their shopping. It would be over 100 miles to get to a city with a BestBuy or some other store that sells DVDs. For a lot of people, if they don't have it at Wal-Mart, it doesn’t exist. I know this is sad but it is true.

I know Wal-Mart has a lot of bad practices, they treat their employees like crap, kill small companies that can’t meet there supply requirements, etc. But, just a reminder, they are (for the most part) operating WITHIN THE LAW. So if you really disagree with what Wal-Mart does, you should contact your legislator and ask them to support laws that curtail these activities or contact your local district attorney's office if you think they are breaking the law.

[BeyondCloister]

over in england its most likely going to be tescos moaning about iTunes Movies..

I doubt it.

The percentage of DVD buying public in the UK who meet the requirements of:

* High speed broadband
* Modern computer capable of hosting the downloaded films / TV programmes
* Desire to buy yet another piece of electrical equipment to squeeze under the TV
* Desire not to have a physical DVD on their shelf which they can take to friends
* Have access to the full range of titles available in the supermarket, in the highstreet or online at the likes of Amazon from the UK iTMS

is not likely to be high enough to worry the likes of Tesco.

[Draelius]

This sounds to me like Wal-Mart might be angling to get in on the online movie store business. They're certainly not going to stop selling movies, but I can see them pressuring studios to partner with them (exclusively) for some sort of online download service.

As for Wal-Mart, the company, it's power and influence on business markets in this country is not so much a commentary on itself, but instead, on society. The fact is there are a lot of poor people in this country who need cheap goods and services and Wal-Mart affords that to them. You take that away and something else will replace it.

[Ted13]

...Ten years from now, movies and music on physical media will largely be things of the past, much like cassette tapes are today. The change won't come right away, but it will come. If Wal-Mart wants to beat Apple at this game, it will have to introduce its own movie download service.
The problem is that Wal-Mart is incapable of doing it. Look at how stunningly successful their 88 cents per song music store was (not). If Amazon's movie store sucks so bad (considering that Amazon must employ some pretty good computer programmers), what chance does Wal-Mart have of producing something that isn't a laughing stock. Good, competent programming/infrastracture building on the level of Apple is VERY hard. Google can (usually) do it. Not too many other companies can (certainly not Microsoft).

[KingYaba]

The studios generally charge Wal-Mart a wholesale price of $17.95 for new DVDs, while Apple is paying Disney a wholesale price of about $14.50 per film, according to a studio source.
Go figure...

[peharri]

I thought about this, and I just can't see Wal-Mart winning this battle.

If they drop DVD sales, then they undermine the DVD format. That will push people towards streaming movies of the type Apple intends to sell.

This threat is hollow. People do, right now, want to buy DVDs. Wal-Mart can choose between a choice of online, virtual, purchases and content-in-the-hand solid purchases in future, or no choice at all and the entire world going online. Try as I may, I don't see it in Wal-Mart's best interests to promote the latter. And anything they do to hurt DVD sales will lead to the latter.

[bsn]

I have already stopped giving the evil empire any of my money. This is just one more piece of validation that my decision was 100% correct.

Shrivel up and wilt away Wal*Mart. People don't need your greed or abuse! Start paying your workers a fair wage and benefits.

[BrianMojo]

Here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to the FTC and DOJ yesterday (by way of copy from an e-mail to David Porter, the offending Wal-Mart executive). I urge everyone to do something similar:

Send to dporter@walmart.com, antitrust@ftc.com, and antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

Dear Mr. Porter:

By this letter and by copy to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice I hereby notify you that your reported behavior constitutes numerous violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. As reported in a wide variety of sources, you have been meeting with the heads of large movie studios and threatening to purchase fewer or return product from those studios that agree to distribute movies over Apple iTunes service (see, e.g., http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/09/22/wal.mart.threatens.studios/). This is an egregious restraint of trade that severely effects interstate commerce. News reports indicate that you have already "punished" Disney by returning thousands of DVDs and refusing to sell them. Because Wal-Mart sells 40% of the physical DVDs in the United States, you are in a privileged position and are abusing your market power. You are seeking to obtain concessions to sell content at Apple's prices (which does not include the manufacture, shipment, and sale of a physical item). Apple has innovated - something WalMart is incapable of -- and WalMart now wants to take advantage of Apple's innovation.

I urge the FTC and the DOJ to open criminal investigations into your behavior. In addition, your conduct violates your own "Corporate Code of Ethics," making a mockery of your supposed corporate values.

You should be ashamed of your luddite and monopolistic behavior.

Bravo, sir! I wrote a similar complaint to the Department of Justice. If everyone here wrote one, we might actually see some effect; big corporations and institutions seem to believe that for every single person who sends out a letter there are at least 20 other people with the same opinion. (A good example: the Janet Jackson 'wardrobe malfunction' backlash. Who really cared about that other than the people who wrote the FCC? Practically no one...)

[meepm00pmeep]

i refuse to shop 'walmart again

[ChickenSwartz]

In addition, your conduct violates your own "Corporate Code of Ethics," making a mockery of your supposed corporate values.

You should be ashamed of your luddite and monopolistic behavior.

I really do believe that Sam Walton would be very upset at the path Wal-Mart has taken.

[tribulation]

I just noticed that on the Walmart.com site it says you can't buy iPods online - has this always been the case? Also on their front page is a big ad for the Zune that says "Get Zune at Walmart as soon as its released". What's this all about? Have they always not had ipods available online? I have no idea...but could be a clue.

[iMacZealot]

i refuse to shop 'walmart again

I've never liked walmart --- it's sooo creepy; even creepier than rite aid, the dress barn, and guns'n'ammo combined.

I don't see why they're freaking out about this; i wouldn't see iTMS being such a threat to their customers who seem to be pennypinching old ladies that don't know whether it's tuesday or december.

[iRepublican]

The New York Post.....hahaha

Only a bunch of idiotic liberals would believe anything that comes out of that rag.:D

[patioman]

The New York Post.....hahaha

Only a bunch of idiotic liberals would believe anything that comes out of that rag.:D

The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

[jaduffy108]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

The New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/business/retail_iation_business_tim_arango.htm) reports that Wal-Mart is warning Hollywood studios against partnering with Apple's iTunes Store for movie distribution.

According to studio executives, "Wal-Mart has overtly threatened to retaliate if [studios] go into business with Apple."


### Just one more reason to add the extremely LONG list of reasons to continue *my* boycott of Walmart. They are evil.

[jaduffy108]

The New York Post.....hahaha

Only a bunch of idiotic liberals would believe anything that comes out of that rag.:D


### Please stay in Nashville...

[STLSigns]

New here. Second post. Not a fan of WM. Anyway what is up with this...

http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/15/news/companies/walmart_DVD/?postversion=2006091521

The digital movie is coming. I only hope I can help without WM.

[bobajoul]

Let's see here, they sell 40% of all DVD sales and they lose on them, and somehow losing those sales costs them money? Sounds like they have a plan themselves and are keeping the competitors at bay while they gestate it.

[janstett]

Screw Wal-mart! They should shrivel up and die. I grew up in the epicenter of Wal-Mart's birthplace and it is nothing more than a plague on small-town (and larger city) life.

I don't quite have this same level of hatred for them, but I have a few things to say about them.

They are the Sears of our time. Back when I grew up in the 70's, Sears was still a big deal and manufacturers bent over for them, and everybody looked forward to getting the new Sears catalog, it was a big deal. They had the balls to rebadge the Atari and Intellivision consoles of the day just to stroke their own ego, and Atari and Mattel eagerly complied. Their "Craftsman" brand? They rebadge other people's products.

Do you realize how much power the Wal-Marts and K-Marts of the world have? Do you realize that music labels have to press alternate, family friendly versions of their albums for Wal-Mart and the normal version for everybody else? Some products are kept off the market entirely if they can't get shelf space at Wal-Mart. I went through this experience personally around 10 years ago with an edutainment software title I worked on.

At the end of the day, they will fail and crumble just like Sears did, because they become rigid and arrogant and will no longer "get it".

Now, Wal-Mart should feel threatened by iTunes selling movies. So should Blockbuster, DVD Empire, heck the entire physical media industry and foodchain should be worried. But the movie studios love it no matter what they say in public, because it opens the door for more oppressive DRM, which is what they wanted all along -- the ability to control your media and charge you every time you watch it.

[janstett]

I hope that this pisses off the studios royally. The sooner we shift to a purely electronic method of distribution, the better everything is.

Be careful what you wish for, and which Devil you find yourself in bed with. Remeber Divx, the original Circuit City Divx. The studios want to protect our media FROM us and they want us to forget "fair use" ever existed. Their dream is to restrict access to our media and make us pay for each access to it.

Divx charged you to watch DVDs you "owned" for 48-hour time windows, and you couldn't go from one player to another. Digital media is great, but always remember the studios don't like that you can buy a movie for $20 and watch it as many times as you want or do things like ripping it to an iPod. DRM will creep in and protect your media from you, online distribution only ensures this will happen sooner rather than later.

Not to mention the quality problem. When will iTunes offer 1920x1080 movies with Dolby Digital Plus sound? That's right, never. When physical media goes away, we are all stuck with low quality -- thanks in large part to iTunes and paying for 128 kbps songs and then 320x240 videos. Sonically, we have a generation of people listening to heavily compressed music on crappy earbuds. We've gone backwards from CD, not forward. Rather than going to 24-bit sampling, 192kHz sampling, and 6 channels, at best we get lossless that's still the same as a CD. The high-res audio formats (DVD-A, SACD) failed miserably. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are just launching but will not grow like DVD did. And here we have people flocking to buy movies with inferior quality to DVD.

[janstett]

The New York Post.....hahaha

Only a bunch of idiotic liberals would believe anything that comes out of that rag.:D

No, the New York Times, under the idiotic and bumbling leadership of Pinchy Sulzberger, is the leading liberal rag. The Post is the Neo-con rag of Rupert Murdoch, you know, Fox News.

[kingtj]

IMHO, this isn't an issue of Wal-Mart feeling 'threatened" at this point. Rather, it's one of many early indicators you're going to see of digital movie distribution overtaking/eclipsing physical DVD movie sales.

The future is online movie distribution. People think devices like Tivo are "groundbreaking" because they give TV viewers a new level of control over when and what they want to watch. But ultimately, these devices are little more than work-arounds for an outmoded delivery system. (It makes little sense to pipe 100 channels of streaming content, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to every subscriber - forcing them to do the work on their end of sifting through it to watch the segments they're personally interested in.) By the same token, this outdated system helps drive physical DVD sales - because again, consumers feel like the only way they ultimately have control over the ability to watch and re-watch a specific, favorite movie of theirs is to buy a copy of the thing and keep it on their shelf!

When you look at the "big picture" - the only reason stores like Wal-Mart are still so successful in *both* music and movie sales is because digital distribution still hasn't matured enough yet. (EG. It requires a computer, a fast Internet connection, AND a lot of knowledge.) John Q. Public knows he can buy a DVD movie at Wal-Mart, throw it in his $30 DVD player he probably also bought at Wal-Mart a while ago, and watch the movie. No monthly broadband Inet bills or computer knowledge necessary.

But this can and will change. Cable companies and other broadband Inet providers are looking at the future. It's only a matter of time before they leverage the "set top converter boxes" to deliver all of this to people with no more knowledge required than ability to work a remote control and read the prompts on the TV screen.

Apple is simply an "early adopter" of things to come, and THAT is what should scare Wal-Mart.


How could Wal Mart feel threatened by anything.

They are more powerful than most countries.

the ITMS has been kickin in full swing for years now, and Wal Mart still leads in CD sales, and music distribution by a long shot.

I hope this goes really public and gets exposed through the media, so everyone knows what WM is trying to do.


I would have loved to hear the phone call between Jobs and Lee.

[thewaydownmusic]

Wal-Mart uses loss-leading priced CD sales to draw people into the store.

I work for Target... while we do not always underprice CD's, in many products, that is the case. If someone goes to buy that one product (that the store takes a loss on) the store hopes that they will pick up other items while they are there.

Target sells a lot of the iTunes pre-paid cards... and TONS of iPod accessories.

Wal-Mart... Learn to swim, dude. oh... and Grow Up.
Threats are not what good businesses are built upon...especially if publically known!

The bigger threat would be Apple not letting Wal-Mart sell any iPods. Or maybe Since Apple owns Disney... not letting Wal-Mart sell any Disney, or Disney owned movies.

So... Wal-Mart... Are you going to start threatening Blu-Ray manufacturers... because the demographic that shops wal-mart typically cannot afford things like this. Blu-Ray and online movie distribution are both going to cut into the DVD market share... so... Adapt and survive.

Sink or Swim.

[SodaPopMonster]

Apple is the only The Man that can stick it to The Man.

[xsedrinam]

Sink or Swim.
Apple is the only The Man that can....
...walk on water? :)

[mashny]

Here's an idea:

I can't imagine Target, Best Buy, Circuit City... have any great love for Wal-Mart, and I'd imagine that between them, they represenent a reasonably large slice of the DVD-sales market. Not only that, but as ubiquitous as Wal-Mart is, the other big-box stores also have quite a large footprint. So, what if Apple teams up with them in some way? Of course the movie studios would need to be convinced that such an idea would work.

For instance, if you buy a DVD at any of those places, you receive a code number on your receipt that would allow you to buy any other movie, produced by that studio, for $11.99 (or some price that represents a discount from iTunes's standard pricing). You would enter this code when purchasing the film from Apple's store. To prevent someone guessing or making up a valid code, perhaps there would be two codes that would be entered -- The code(s) would be sent to iTunes by the retailer's computer at the time of purchase, and the consumer would be prompted for them at the time of his or her iTunes purchase.

People would probably be inclined to choose Target (or whatever the retailer) over Wal-Mart for DVDs because they get the DVD they want as well as the option of downloading an iTunes movie at a discount. They could even give a friend or family member the code(s) if there are no movies they themselves are interested in downloading. The retailer, of course, benefits from added sales and the knowledge they've taken business away from Wal-Mart.

This is just a rough example of something Apple might consider doing. I'm sure there are many other methods of Apple teaming with retailers--perhaps even online retailers--to overcome Wal-Mart's bullying and economic fascism.

There's also the American panacea: have Steve Jobs go on Oprah and explain to America what Wal-Mart is doing...

mashny

[donlphi]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

The New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/business/retail_iation_business_tim_arango.htm) reports that Wal-Mart is warning Hollywood studios against partnering with Apple's iTunes Store for movie distribution.

According to studio executives, "Wal-Mart has overtly threatened to retaliate if [studios] go into business with Apple."

While Apple has only signed one movie studio (Disney) to the iTunes store, the early success (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060919142943.shtml) has caught the attention of other studios. One executive is quoted as saying "We all want to be in the Apple business".

The threat of Wal-Mart repurcussions, however, may temper enthusiasm as Wal-Mart controls a large portion of the retail market for DVDs.

HA HA HA :D

[dante@sisna.com]

The New York Post.....hahaha

Only a bunch of idiotic liberals would believe anything that comes out of that rag.:D


Liberal = Open mind

Critical Analysis to keep society free and governed by the people.

[janstett]

Liberal = Open mind


Some people who call themselves liberals are just as closed-minded and intolerant as the worst on the right. See most college professors.

[ruy]

Nobody can stop the tide of technology, not even Walmart.