Wal-Fart Tries again for New York

[AlphaFrog]

I think one of the major logic flaws here on Walmart's part (besides the real estate issue) is the fact that their business model heavily relies on the "one stop shopping" pitch (along with the low prices). People who ride the subway/use taxis don't need one-stop shopping, because then they have to figure out how to get all that crap home. It takes me 2-3 trips to unload the car after a box-store trip. I sure as Hell wouldn't want to be doing that at a 10th floor walkup with the meter running....

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I think one of the major logic flaws here on Walmart's part (besides the real estate issue) is the fact that their business model heavily relies on the "one stop shopping" pitch (along with the low prices). People who ride the subway/use taxis don't need one-stop shopping, because then they have to figure out how to get all that crap home. It takes me 2-3 trips to unload the car after a box-store trip. I sure as Hell wouldn't want to be doing that at a 10th floor walkup with the meter running....

It all depends on where they are in NYC. In Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx enough people have cars and/or parking near their home, so it wouldn't be an issue. In Staten Island it's suburban enough where virtually everyone has a car. In Manhattan, chances are they'll deliver like Target, Costco, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Other box stores have been extremely successful. Also, with the advent of Zipcar and other cheap car rental services not having a car isn't that big a deal.

They could succeed in Staten Island, and the far reaches of The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. Enough people out there live in single-family houses and have cars. I hate Wal-Mart but I think they know what they're doing. I wonder how they'd do since NYC is pretty strong union-wise, but I'm not so concerned real-estate wise.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I hate Wal-Mart but I think they know what they're doing.

Yep.

Also, people don't always go to Wal-Mart to get bags upon bags of things. Sometimes they want to pick up a loaf of bread, get their prescription from the pharmacy, and check out the new Wii game, all while waiting for their oil change at the Tire Lube Xpress (for the Wal-Marts that have that).

I hate Wal-Mart but it is capitalism at its finest (minus the fair employment model that smart capitalists would use).

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Yep.

Also, people don't always go to Wal-Mart to get bags upon bags of things. Sometimes they want to pick up a loaf of bread, get their prescription from the pharmacy, and check out the new Wii game, all while waiting for their oil change at the Tire Lube Xpress (for the Wal-Marts that have that).

Sometimes that one thing grows into 5 or 6 things. I suffer from Target Disease big-time. I go in to pick up a video game for my nephew or a movie, and I walk out with $80 worth of stuff. Damn damn damn!

Does Wal-Mart disease work the same way, or is that just Type 2 diabetes and hypertension? I kid...

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Sometimes that one thing grows into 5 or 6 things. I suffer from Target Disease big-time. I go in to pick up a video game for my nephew or a movie, and I walk out with $80 worth of stuff. Damn damn damn!

Does Wal-Mart disease work the same way, or is that just Type 2 diabetes and hypertension? I kid...

Stores, particularly superstores, love shoppers like you. I call that the "damn, I spent a lot" recipe once you get to the register.

I'm more of a planned shopper especially when it comes to superstores. If I go to SuperTarget for a couple of items, I usually only get the couple of items. I don't browse the store and pick up stuff unless I intentionally allotted a few extra minutes and extra dollars to pick up stuff.

[33girl]

I used to be like that with Target when it first came here, but now I'm more "go in, get it, get out."

I'll go there and K-Mart (the K Mart is the nearest and least stressful) but I avoid Walmart like the plague, unless it's 1 AM and I need Nyquil or something. The nearest Walmart to me supposedly is the one with the worst shoplifting rate in the land.

Target is going into East Liberty (where many of the shoppers don't have cars) and it will be interesting to see. Finally a replacement for the Sears that closed in the 1980s.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Target is going into East Liberty (where many of the shoppers don't have cars) and it will be interesting to see. Finally a replacement for the Sears that closed in the 1980s.

That certainly is interesting. Do you usually go to the Target in Homestead? I used to work there.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I hate Wal-Mart but it is capitalism at its finest (minus the fair employment model that smart capitalists would use).

Just curious what you mean about "fair employment model"...if you're talking about the legal problems the individual stores get themselves in (hiring illegals, racial/sexual discrimination suits, etc) fair enough...but if you're talking wages/benefits, when I worked there in high school, starting wages for my department -shoes (which was actually one of the lower paying departments, because we never had to mess with the register) was about $1 above minimum wage. Cashiers started at $2-3 above minimum wage. True, that's not great money, but it's also not rocket science. I personally don't see a problem with jobs that require very little education/experience paying much lower wages than jobs that require more qualifications. Also, they actually do have pretty good benefits.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

In Manhattan, chances are they'll deliver like Target, Costco, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Other box stores have been extremely successful.

Our local grocery store started a delivery service in the last year. The weird thing is that I'm on the outskirts of Suburbia, and the only excuse for having your groceries delivered is if you are extremely elderly or disabled....other than that I would just consider people lazy that use it. I guess they have enough demand to keep It going, though.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Our local grocery store started a delivery service in the last year. The weird thing is that I'm on the outskirts of Suburbia, and the only excuse for having your groceries delivered is if you are extremely elderly or disabled....other than that I would just consider people lazy that use it. I guess they have enough demand to keep It going, though.

I say most of the people who use that service are just lazy. The elderly or disabled will be a relatively small percentage of the users.

I like that some stores have the curbside service. You order online and they get the groceries to you. I have never used it because I have no reason to. It is mostly used by parents of young children, elderly, and disabled. I guess some lazy people also use it but lazy people may also be too lazy to place an order and sit on a curb for it.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I wonder how they'd do since NYC is pretty strong union-wise

Probably pretty good, just as they have been in other strong union areas such as Detroit. The "buy American" or "shop union" types pretty much ignored the Walmart expansion in MI.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Probably pretty good, just as they have been in other strong union areas such as Detroit. The "buy American" or "shop union" types pretty much ignored the Walmart expansion in MI.

It's like they've loaded a plane full of Wal-FART stores and dropped them all over Michigan!



eta: I just wish they would explode as they hit the ground.

[PiKA2001]

I remember a pre-Wal-mart metro Detroit, when we all had to do our shopping at either Meijer, Target or K-mart.

The good ole days...