Inferior ingredients. In the non Wal-Mart store you will get the same cereal that is fresher , crispier and lasts longer.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Wal-Mart to Sell iPhone Starting Sunday
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Inferior ingredients. In the non Wal-Mart store you will get the same cereal that is fresher , crispier and lasts longer.
Interesting to see the hate-on for Wal-Mart in this thread. I was a Human Resources Manager for two WM Canada stores here for the last couple of years.
I certainly don't think anyone that regularly reads at MacRumors needs a Wal-Mart employee to tell them anything about the phone. However, we had been developing some pretty innovative ideas for training associates in the last couple of years, ie. electronics associates had training available on MP3 players so that as the associate walked the mods, they would get information on each product. The information on this training would definitely be appropriate for the average WM customer. Were there issues on excecution and followup with this program? Yes. some employees wouldn't listen/take seriously/retain the information, and some managers didn't care/properly follow up. But the program was solid.
What Apple and ATT/Rogers gain with WM as a partner is distribution. There are so many people that come through WM doors each day, and although they might be shopping for something else that particular day, they might stop for one if their current contract happens to be running out. This provides a huge market for Apple.
I see a lot of comments about wages at WM. WM comp strategy is to be at the 50th percentile for wages within their market. They don't compete in the same market as Calgary Oil & Gas, they don't even compete in the same market as many other retail stores like Kroger, or Safeway, or the Bay. Their market is other low price focussed and/or small department stores that are also non-unionized. KMart. Target. Zellers. Dollar Stores. Mom & Pop shops. And yes, within this market they execute this strategy effectively.
The reason I can't do this anymore (one of the reasons, anyways) was that in my stores, I had a few genuinely good people who worked hard, cared for others, put their minds into the job and gave great customer service, who I thought (and encouraged) could go on to do bigger and better things in either other fields, or in other, higher paying jobs. What killed me was that these people didn't want to try. They didn't want to make the change. WM was good enough for them and they were genuinely frightened of leaving their group of friends at work, or leaving their familiar procedures and trying something new. Hell, for the last few years, Calgary was the hottest job market in North America! It wasn't for lack of opportunity or lack of higher paying jobs, so to answer earlier comments.... yes, the associates DO choose to work there, and it is not in ANY of our places to criticize either them or the company for them doing so.
Someone mentioned that millionaires shop there. While I am not aware of their net worth, I did have the pleasure of meeting many well off people that shopped there while working the floor. Face it. The box of Diamond Shreddies (I love that product
) you buy at WM is the same as the box of Diamond Shreddies you purchase anywhere else. I used to be of the same opinion. I would never set foot in a WM store. The person who headhunted me had to do some serious convincing for me to even think of coming on board, because if I didn't shop at WM, I sure as hell wasn't going to work there. Now, I do shop at WM. For basic non-perishable food they are almost always significantly cheaper than the Safeway across the street. But other than basic non perishables (there is no supercenter near me) paper towels, zip lock containers, Tide, Sunlight, scrounges, Pantene, Dove, and Blu Rays/video games, I don't feel the need to go there. But that's my decision. For those that either can't afford/aren't aware/don't value higher quality products out there for other departments, WM does just fine.
I certainly don't think anyone that regularly reads at MacRumors needs a Wal-Mart employee to tell them anything about the phone. However, we had been developing some pretty innovative ideas for training associates in the last couple of years, ie. electronics associates had training available on MP3 players so that as the associate walked the mods, they would get information on each product. The information on this training would definitely be appropriate for the average WM customer. Were there issues on excecution and followup with this program? Yes. some employees wouldn't listen/take seriously/retain the information, and some managers didn't care/properly follow up. But the program was solid.
What Apple and ATT/Rogers gain with WM as a partner is distribution. There are so many people that come through WM doors each day, and although they might be shopping for something else that particular day, they might stop for one if their current contract happens to be running out. This provides a huge market for Apple.
I see a lot of comments about wages at WM. WM comp strategy is to be at the 50th percentile for wages within their market. They don't compete in the same market as Calgary Oil & Gas, they don't even compete in the same market as many other retail stores like Kroger, or Safeway, or the Bay. Their market is other low price focussed and/or small department stores that are also non-unionized. KMart. Target. Zellers. Dollar Stores. Mom & Pop shops. And yes, within this market they execute this strategy effectively.
The reason I can't do this anymore (one of the reasons, anyways) was that in my stores, I had a few genuinely good people who worked hard, cared for others, put their minds into the job and gave great customer service, who I thought (and encouraged) could go on to do bigger and better things in either other fields, or in other, higher paying jobs. What killed me was that these people didn't want to try. They didn't want to make the change. WM was good enough for them and they were genuinely frightened of leaving their group of friends at work, or leaving their familiar procedures and trying something new. Hell, for the last few years, Calgary was the hottest job market in North America! It wasn't for lack of opportunity or lack of higher paying jobs, so to answer earlier comments.... yes, the associates DO choose to work there, and it is not in ANY of our places to criticize either them or the company for them doing so.
Someone mentioned that millionaires shop there. While I am not aware of their net worth, I did have the pleasure of meeting many well off people that shopped there while working the floor. Face it. The box of Diamond Shreddies (I love that product
) you buy at WM is the same as the box of Diamond Shreddies you purchase anywhere else. I used to be of the same opinion. I would never set foot in a WM store. The person who headhunted me had to do some serious convincing for me to even think of coming on board, because if I didn't shop at WM, I sure as hell wasn't going to work there. Now, I do shop at WM. For basic non-perishable food they are almost always significantly cheaper than the Safeway across the street. But other than basic non perishables (there is no supercenter near me) paper towels, zip lock containers, Tide, Sunlight, scrounges, Pantene, Dove, and Blu Rays/video games, I don't feel the need to go there. But that's my decision. For those that either can't afford/aren't aware/don't value higher quality products out there for other departments, WM does just fine.
How terrible, the precious iPhone is sold at Walmart. Clearly evil for being too successful.
Thank Gaia too!
While AT&T makes underhanded deals with the Government to illegally monitor all of my phone conversations, I'll be whining about economics because I heard someone spout off some unbacked information about EVIL CORPORATIONS.
I will be that hypocrite that owns two iPhones, and won't share any of my wealth because I feel the Waltons need to share theirs. Why? Because they were too good at business and deserve to bend to my stupid thought process. Sure I don't understand simple supply/demand relationships; but I will judge everyone who works at, or shops at Walmart as ignorant and unworthy of my pretentious controlling lifestyle. Lets even go a step further and polarize this into a sudden political battleground because I couldn't get enough of the last presidential campaigns.
Why all this effort?
Because I heard someone passionately say things that I never bothered to research correctly myself. And if you don't like it, I will just continue to repeat and confuse the argument until you give up or get a gun. They sell guns at Walmart, right? Good, that means my side is obviously better. I am better, you lose.
Thank Gaia too!
While AT&T makes underhanded deals with the Government to illegally monitor all of my phone conversations, I'll be whining about economics because I heard someone spout off some unbacked information about EVIL CORPORATIONS.
I will be that hypocrite that owns two iPhones, and won't share any of my wealth because I feel the Waltons need to share theirs. Why? Because they were too good at business and deserve to bend to my stupid thought process. Sure I don't understand simple supply/demand relationships; but I will judge everyone who works at, or shops at Walmart as ignorant and unworthy of my pretentious controlling lifestyle. Lets even go a step further and polarize this into a sudden political battleground because I couldn't get enough of the last presidential campaigns.
Why all this effort?
Because I heard someone passionately say things that I never bothered to research correctly myself. And if you don't like it, I will just continue to repeat and confuse the argument until you give up or get a gun. They sell guns at Walmart, right? Good, that means my side is obviously better. I am better, you lose.
Not everyone can jump in their car and drive around the block to Whole Foods or an Apple Store.
I live in a small town with a Walmart. I predominately shop there. Sure, there are a few other stores in my town, but they cannot come to match the availability of products, including groceries, food, and electronics. And I'm not poor. Far from it. At this Walmart, the people there are willing to help and are courteous. This is obviously very variable, but Walmart is just another American corporation like Apple.
See what third-party retailers did for the iPod? The iPhone is next.
And to those who say that Walmart's full of Chinese crap.. Have you ever read anything on an Apple box?
I live in a small town with a Walmart. I predominately shop there. Sure, there are a few other stores in my town, but they cannot come to match the availability of products, including groceries, food, and electronics. And I'm not poor. Far from it. At this Walmart, the people there are willing to help and are courteous. This is obviously very variable, but Walmart is just another American corporation like Apple.
See what third-party retailers did for the iPod? The iPhone is next.
And to those who say that Walmart's full of Chinese crap.. Have you ever read anything on an Apple box?
I understand your concern. Let me shed some light on it for you. I have been through Supply Chain Management here in Calgary. This is WM's largest distribution center in western Canada. Although WM is SCM's largest client, it is definitely not it's only client. When product comes in from the Kellogg's plant, it goes to a certain spot in the 210,000 sqft warehouse. When orders get picked, they get taken from that exact spot. The product WM gets is the same thing anyone else gets.
Sorry to burst your elitist bubble. Next?
The only one that is losing is you, because you are the one that is ignorant with your stupid posted.. I think you are confuse yourself then others... But keep making a fool out of yourself and looking total ignorant and stupid at the same time...
I actually like Wal-Mart. It's by far the cheapest place to purchase groceries (particularly boxed and canned goods) here. I don't buy produce or meat there (prefer my local guys), but for everything else it's great.
I suppose you could spend the extra 30 percent at other stores like Kroger, but why pay more for the same products?
And the "slave labor" comment is out of line. The people that work at Wal-Mart choose to work there. I worked there for about a year in high school, and they paid quite a bit above what others were offering for the same type of employment. Not to mention, I received regular raises (every 60-90 days) and a yearly $2000+ profit-sharing "bonus."
That's not bad for a 16 year-old. I suspect that the majority of people that look down at discounters like Wal-Mart either have too much money or are just jumping on the "I hate" bandwagon. Everyone hates a winner (just look at the sheer amount of Microsoft bashing on this Web site).
It has nothing to do with "hating a winner". Although Walmart has participated in certain shady employment activities, their negative affects on the labor and retail markets go far beyond their own store employees. Because Walmart has consolidated so much of the market, they not only destroy small businesses who cannot compete with their volume, they also have huge influence on manufacturers and distributors which are forced to cut costs wherever possible in order to survive from the razor thin margins. You may love saving a few dollars on cans of tuna, but don't think it doesn't have a cost to society. While the popularity of Walmart is certainly not the only force, this cheap-at-any-cost-or-quality mentality is exactly what has driven manufacturing, assembly, and distribution out of America and into cheap labor markets like China, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, etc. I'd like to think that many people would rather purchase more expensive goods if they knew both the quality was higher and that their purchases were not supporting the outsourcing of America ---- particularly building up the economy of a nefarious communist country that actively supports genocide and other human rights violations..
Kellogg's Corn Flakes is sent from Distribution Center (DC) to Retailers.
DC ----shipping to----> Wal-Mart
DC ----shipping to----> Non Wal-Mart
Amount of time during transport is equal.
How is my box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes from "non Wal-Mart" any better than the one I pick up from Wal-Mart???
Outsourcing of America/Canada/Western World? Please. This is a worldwide trend that thousands of companies are embibing in to save money and be competitive in the new World. WM is no more guilty here than Apple itself.
Glad I'm not the only one amused by the $2 savings. You know they worked so hard to negotiate their supplier down, too.
Ahhh, Walmart... Cutting prices as low as possible, and devastating regional employment so people need them to be. Have to admit that the business plan has a certain elegance to it.
Ahhh, Walmart... Cutting prices as low as possible, and devastating regional employment so people need them to be. Have to admit that the business plan has a certain elegance to it.
1. There is a film previously mentioned that will elucidate points as to why you should not shop at walmart. While some of it is a little personal-drama hokey, there is some pretty egregious
2. people who own apple products have just as much right to want to maintain the image as those who don't have apple product to want the right to have that image. Don't pretend the apple is an everyman company.
3. While it's true that many companies go through terribly shady business practices, some are far worse than others (walmart) and chances are if you don't care, you're probably supporting many of the others without thinking about it. And if you do care, minimizing the support of damaging companies is always beneficial. Buy less, buy better.
4. elitism is not intrinsically a problem. What it is, generally, is actually a population being more proactive about their actions. if there is something offensive being done (spending money on inexpensive items produced immorally), of course those who can avoid it will not want to be associated with it. The egalitarian principle is just plain faulty and you shouldn't attempt to reconcile it. Not everyone is the same.
2. people who own apple products have just as much right to want to maintain the image as those who don't have apple product to want the right to have that image. Don't pretend the apple is an everyman company.
3. While it's true that many companies go through terribly shady business practices, some are far worse than others (walmart) and chances are if you don't care, you're probably supporting many of the others without thinking about it. And if you do care, minimizing the support of damaging companies is always beneficial. Buy less, buy better.
4. elitism is not intrinsically a problem. What it is, generally, is actually a population being more proactive about their actions. if there is something offensive being done (spending money on inexpensive items produced immorally), of course those who can avoid it will not want to be associated with it. The egalitarian principle is just plain faulty and you shouldn't attempt to reconcile it. Not everyone is the same.
I wonder if Walmart is making any profit on their iPhone sales. If not, what's the incentive for them to go through the hassle? Perhaps they're just hoping to capitalize on the accessory sales likely to accompany the purchase of an iPhone.
I know you're trying to be funny, but this is not effective.
Sam Walton's "business plan" allowed him to go from one store in 1964 to 7,608 stores in December 2008. Let me restate that for you. "Over SEVEN THOUSAND" stores.
His business plan allowed him to go from nearly losing his SHIRT when he was working under the Ben Franklin franchise in 1962 to the Walton family having a total net worth of over $100B in 2008. 5 of the members of the Walton family INDIVIDUALLY are each ranked 4th on Forbes' World's Richest People list.
I'd say that's a pretty good business plan.
No, I'll judge everyone who shops at Wallmart and complains about the decline of American manufacturing, the decline of customer service, the decline of social mobility, the lack of jobs for anyone with less than a college education, the quality of Chinese manufactured goods, the inability to establish a strong foreign policy regarding injustices in Asia, and... shall I go on? It's not that I've got anything against Wallmart, I've just got issues with people who shop there and then complain about how the world is changing.
Just a newbie too... Banned before even becoming a regular. Such a shame, such a shame...
Oooohhhh... There's a lot of meat here! Lets start with this:
1. You are correct. There is a film out there. Actually that film is part of a MUCH LARGER marketing campaign aimed at being anti-WM. If you do a little bit of research, you will see that this campaign is put on by an organization that wants to unionize WM. This organization is in turn funded by the largest union in North America. They want to raise public opinion (and thus WM employee opinion) that WM is the root of all evil. Now WHY would a union want to portray WM as evil? Well, unions collect union dues from their members, a fee for their "representation". WM currently employs about 4 MILLION employees worldwide. Can you even BEGIN to imagine the amount of MONEY the unionization of WM would bring in to this union? Where do you think this organization's philosophies REALLY put the individual WM employee that they so forcefully say they are campaigning for when they are making BILLIONS of dollars annually off of WM employees? Is the unionization of WM REALLY in the best interests of individual WM employees? Think of that next time you see Garth Brooks singing about employee wages at WM, or "the high cost of low prices" or any of the other films, tv specials, infomercials, news stories, or likewise any other public communication from this group.
Sorry, you misread my tone... I don't find anything funny about Wallmart.
Their business plan is brilliant-- I really do believe that. And, aside from a few labor issues here than there, and the occasional discrimination issue, I believe what they're doing is perfectly legit. I also believe that it's completely gutting the country's economy and is leading us to ruin.
It's amazing to me what the average American is willing to sacrifice to save a nickel on peanut butter.
I also give the Walton family tremendous credit for converting that cultural tendency into great personal wealth. I don't consider that an indicator of personal merit, but I do agree it shows they had a working business plan.
But when I was in Germany they had an Aldi - that is the Walmart of Europe.
So - it is a distinction without a difference.
D
That same toy that you see people buying at WM which is made in China, Thailand, or worse is actually sold in KMart, sold in Target, sold in mom & pop shops, sold online, sold at Toys R Us, sold at...... so while you so vociferously are blaming WM, you might as well blame alllll these other companies too.
Ohh... and that same zip lock container you see people buying at WM which is made in China, Thailand, or worse is actually sold in Kroger, Safeway, Target, KMart, mom & pop shops, online.........
Ohh... and that clock....
Ohh... and that little trunk....
Ohh, and that windshield wiper.....
Ohh, and that bird house.....
which leads me to wonder... WHY are you focussing all your anger at WM?
You know that Walmart sells more iPod's and accessories than almost any retailer in the United States? Last I checked the iPod was a heck of a high margin item - and if Apple sells many iPod's through Walmart doesn't that mean Walmart and the customers there in help support Apple?
D
Yes, but you see.... it's not ONLY WM. Sure, many of us THINK it's only WM because WM by FAR has the biggest Negative marketing campaign targeted against them, and because they're the BIGGEST of the companies that are doing this, but the "outsourcing of america" as someone earlier called it... is a worldwide trend that THOUSANDS of companies are participating in.
The hate should NOT be focussed on just WM alone.
Which it seems to be.
Hate to burst your bubble, but Apple doesn't give a crap about your privilege of owning an Apple product, or about the community as a whole. They care about what all companies (Wal-Mart included) care about...wait for it...
money, and profits. That's it. They want to make money. Not just internetmachine, but everyone who is getting ticked off over this needs to chill. Wal-Mart sells a bunch of iPod's for Apple, and that hasn't tarnished the image, it just gives Apple more money. This is just more of the same. It's not really a big deal, and it doesn't tarnish Apple's image at all. If you think it does, you need to get over yourself, and stop thinking that Apple is an elite thing. The point is, they want to make money, plain and simple, and viewed this as a good way to make more money.
First, read my posts. I'm not mad at WM at all. Actually, I don't think I've shown any of the passion you're crediting me with. I'm not going to repeat my point here...
Why do I give special attention to Wallmart? For the same reason I give special attention to sharks-- there's a lot of predators out there, the shark just happens to be among the best evolved.
I think wal-mart makes an easy target because of their size (their success). Everybody "knows" Wal-mart.
You raise a very important issue - where is the mind of the consumer? It is not on the entire impact their choices make. It is much more narrowly focused than that. It comes down to "what is in it for me?" Very simple indeed. When things are out of sight, or the impacts are not immediate, they are not thought about. Of course there are those that care deeply, and those that could not be brought to care if their life depended on it. Of course, most likely both ends could be found in a wal-mart somewhere. This is because the measures are relative.
When it comes to the global economy however, how many sit back and take note of how at a national level "socialism is a failed experiment" (pure socialism), at a global level key elements of it are what enable the pockets of capitalism to "thrive"?
what ever happened to fair price for suitable quality? (suitable quality meaning product lasts for a suitable period of use - a garbage bag has to not burst only until it is taken away, a macbook "a wee bit longer"
) This problem is that to drive up sales, you need more "consumers" and/or more rapid return of said consumers. For items of short lifespan (think food for example) you can cut costs and raise profits by cutting the quality of the ingredients. In the case of food the shelves are stocked with nutritionally deficient foods at cheap prices, yet the people are cheating themselves - out of health. And as goes the health of the person so goes the health of everything else. In a society that has short term, constant growth, measures as success is it no surprise it is having the same effects as something else that constantly grows - malignant cancer?
*skims last few pages without reading*
In other news, an expansion of market penetration that can only be deemed as good for Apple is turned into a resoundingly pointless e-bicker on MacRumors:Forums, where the semantics of corporate policy are thrown back and forth.
I believe I've summarized that fairly well.
In other news, an expansion of market penetration that can only be deemed as good for Apple is turned into a resoundingly pointless e-bicker on MacRumors:Forums, where the semantics of corporate policy are thrown back and forth.
I believe I've summarized that fairly well.