Wally World gets beat-up no matter what they do...

[Okla-homey]

Corporate decision to cut fabric/sewing department draws wrath of Maw-maws everywhere.

See, this makes an opening in the market for mom&pop fabric stores, but Granma is still P.O.ed 'cause she wants low prices and convenience!


March 5, 2007, 1:08AM
Wal-Mart's plan to cut fabric departments draws critics

By LISA FALKENBERG
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

SEGUIN — On a curb across from a sprawling Wal-Mart Supercenter stands a shopper scorned.

Doreen Taft represents the newest type of critic to clash with the world's largest retailer. She's a grandma. She loves to sew. And she wants her fabric department to stay .

"I should have named this the grandmas' and mamas' revolt against Wal-Mart," said Taft, a 63-year-old with a bowl of gray hair and flag-waving teddy bears marching across her red T-shirt.

Taft is one of a legion of quilters, seamstresses and sewing enthusiasts across the country who are wound up about Wal-Mart's plan to unravel its fabric departments at many stores.

For the past two weeks, Taft has been planted at a stop sign across from the Wal-Mart parking lot, disseminating to passing cars more than 3,000 petition letters, signed "A VERY UNHAPPY Wal-Mart Shopper."

A handwritten sign masking-taped to a rusted lawn chair exclaims: "Help! Help! Save our Fabric Dept. in this store."

In places like Seguin, a South Texas town of about 25,000 and a shopping hub for surrounding communities, Wal-Mart is the only game in town for fabric, seam binding, dress patterns, lace and other sewing supplies.

Independent stores closed down when they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart, and if Wal-Mart follows suit, shoppers would be forced to drive 30 to 60 miles to San Antonio or other towns for sewing needs.

Sewing enthusiasts are blanketing Wal-Mart's Bentonville, Ark., headquarters with letters and petitions needling the retail behemoth to change its mind.

One online petition touts 27,000 signatures.

[sanantoniosooner]

Well yeah.

They already killed the mah and pah store. Now they want to quit.

They deserve to get beat up. You callously run M and P out of business than then callously decide that is wasn't a big enough piece of the pie for your trouble.

Walmart is a bunch of a-holes.

[royalfan5]

Wal-Mart never ran the local fabric store out of business up here. Wal-mart has no moral obligation to lose money to provide a service, and a fabric department is a relic from days gone by in most department stores. ALCO's and Pamida's have/had them too, but I don't see anyone blaming them for the demise of the fabric store.

[sanantoniosooner]

It's different when you do it in a smaller community VS a large city.

[jk the sooner fan]

if Abe Lincoln were alive, he'd shop at wal-mart

i'm sure of it

[royalfan5]

It's different when you do it in a smaller community VS a large city.
Beatrice, NE by where I'm from has 4 competing fabric stores/departments with a population of 12K. Downtown is more full today than when Wal-Mart came. Fairbury, NE population 4K, also by where I am from is home of the 1st Wal-Mart in Nebraska. They also have a full down town, and are attracting new retail. They never had an independent fabric store to lose because fabric was provided by Hested's and J.C. Penny prior to Wal-Mart. For people who need fabric, they will have retailers who will step in, like the large craft and sewing store downtown.

[SoonerBorn68]

if Abe Lincoln were alive, he'd shop at wal-mart

i'm sure of it

I'm willing to bet Sam Walton & Abe Lincoln are blood kin.

[sanantoniosooner]

Beatrice, NE by where I'm from has 4 competing fabric stores/departments with a population of 12K. Downtown is more full today than when Wal-Mart came. Fairbury, NE population 4K, also by where I am from is home of the 1st Wal-Mart in Nebraska. They also have a full down town, and are attracting new retail. They never had an independent fabric store to lose because fabric was provided by Hested's and J.C. Penny prior to Wal-Mart. For people who need fabric, they will have retailers who will step in, like the large craft and sewing store downtown.
yeah, somebody will step in to capitalize. But it wont me M and P.

Don't get me wrong. Walmart is perfectly within their rights to be a-holes.

[royalfan5]

yeah, somebody will step in to capitalize. But it wont me M and P.

Don't get me wrong. Walmart is perfectly within their rights to be a-holes.
The craft and sewing store in Fairbury is owned by a single woman, so I guess you are right.

[sanantoniosooner]

The craft and sewing store in Fairbury is owned by a single woman, so I guess you are right.
The M and P of today is a far cry from the M and P of yesterday.

Maybe it's better. I don't know. The internet and ebay generation of M and P is a different animal though.

[royalfan5]

The M and P of today is a far cry from the M and P of yesterday.

Maybe it's better. I don't know. The internet and ebay generation of M and P is a different animal though.
It's not an ebay store, it's located in the cities downtown in a real building. But things will always change and evolve. As families have moved off the farm there are less people to support these mom and pop stores. Farm size has grown because of technology. Food is a lot cheaper for everyone now because of that. Is that a bad thing? How about for workers, what is better working for a Mom and Pop store, or a large chain that has the possibility of advancement? Yesterday doesn't automatically equate to better.

[sanantoniosooner]

It's not an ebay store, it's located in the cities downtown in a real building. But things will always change and evolve. As families have moved off the farm there are less people to support these mom and pop stores. Farm size has grown because of technology. Food is a lot cheaper for everyone now because of that. Is that a bad thing? How about for workers, what is better working for a Mom and Pop store, or a large chain that has the possibility of advancement? Yesterday doesn't automatically equate to better.
I didn't say ebay store. I said "generation".

And I think the class action lawsuits against Wally indicate how a lot of their workers feel.

[royalfan5]

I didn't say ebay store. I said "generation".

And I think the class action lawsuits against Wally indicate how a lot of their workers feel.
A lot people will complain about any job they have. My roommate likes working full time and Wal-Mart. One of my other roommates mom has been able to rise up the food chain at Wal-Mart through hard work, and is now quite successful. There are a lot of people out there that expect to go to work, but not to actually have to work. If they don't like working at Wal-Mart they can quit, and go get another job.

[yermom]

grandma needs to learn how to shop on the internet ;)

[royalfan5]

grandma needs to learn how to shop on the internet ;)
Mine has.

[yermom]

heh, mine sells crap on the internet

[sanantoniosooner]

A lot people will complain about any job they have. My roommate likes working full time and Wal-Mart. One of my other roommates mom has been able to rise up the food chain at Wal-Mart through hard work, and is now quite successful. There are a lot of people out there that expect to go to work, but not to actually have to work. If they don't like working at Wal-Mart they can quit, and go get another job.
I'm not saying there aren't some tag-a-longs, but the lawsuits weren't started by "lazy" people originally.

As to "moving up the ladder" that all depends on the local situation. Some are fortunate to be in a place where the people over them are good and promote in an effective manner and some aren't so lucky.

My dad worked his butt off at Tinker AFB and got to train all of his bosses because he was in a position that wouldn't promote unless you were a minority of some sort. (female, ethnic) Hard work encounters brick walls sometimes.

[royalfan5]

I'm not saying there aren't some tag-a-longs, but the lawsuits weren't started by "lazy" people originally.

As to "moving up the ladder" that all depends on the local situation. Some are fortunate to be in a place where the people over them are good and promote in an effective manner and some aren't so lucky.

My dad worked his butt off at Tinker AFB and got to train all of his bosses because he was in a position that wouldn't promote unless you were a minority of some sort. (female, ethnic) Hard work encounters brick walls sometimes.
Hard work can also dig a tunnel or find a ladder. Life is going to throw challenges at you. You can either bitch or find away around it. I want to farm for a living. But things have changed to the point where I can just go out and start farming like you could 30 years ago. I could either complain about how things have changed, and work very hard as a hired hand for someone, or I could do what I am doing now, and work hard for an education that will give me the skills to make the capital to farm on my own down the road. By working and being creative, I've given myself the chance to achieve what I want. Life isn't fair, and sometimes extra challenges will get thrown your way, and you just have overcome that. I could have let losing my dad to cancer, and having a POS stepdad get me down, but I left home as soon as I could and worked my *** off to get an education. I've seen a lot of people from less difficult situations than mine just sit around and wallow because of their attitudes. I guess I just have a hard time developing sympathy for people who let life get them down. I don't want this to seem like a personal attack but rather a reflection of how I approach life.

[sanantoniosooner]

I'm happy that you are at the beginning of a career and able to make decisions that will give you the best possible opportunity for success.

For some that hit the brick wall 30 years in it's a different story. (like my dad) He's retired now BTW.

I've went back to school to change vocations because of circumstances, but it's a bit easier for a fella in your position than a guy with wife, kids, and car/mortgage payments to choose your plan of attack.

I've been working full time in construction, going to school full time, being a parent and a spouse full time for a few years now.

I'll listen to life lessons from you after a few more years if you don't mind.

[TUSooner]

if Abe Lincoln were alive, he'd shop at wal-mart

i'm sure of it

Yeah. And he would have sent Gen. Sherman to burn down all the Mom & Pop places, too.

[FaninAma]

Independent stores closed down when they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart, and if Wal-Mart follows suit, shoppers would be forced to drive 30 to 60 miles to San Antonio or other towns for sewing needs.

Granny needs to look in the mirror and come to the realization that she is part of the problem.

[FaninAma]

I'm willing to bet Sam Walton & Abe Lincoln are blood kin.
You make a good point.

Except Walmart wants to sell the goods produced by slave labor in China and Lincoln and his gang(the Northern Industrialists) wanted to be able to use and resale the cheap raw materials produced by slave labor in the South.

The difference is Sam Walton was a free trader. Lincoln and his supporters weren't.

[yermom]

Granny needs to look in the mirror and come to the realization that she is part of the problem.

heh.

[royalfan5]

I'm happy that you are at the beginning of a career and able to make decisions that will give you the best possible opportunity for success.

For some that hit the brick wall 30 years in it's a different story. (like my dad) He's retired now BTW.

I've went back to school to change vocations because of circumstances, but it's a bit easier for a fella in your position than a guy with wife, kids, and car/mortgage payments to choose your plan of attack.

I've been working full time in construction, going to school full time, being a parent and a spouse full time for a few years now.

I'll listen to life lessons from you after a few more years if you don't mind.
Believe me, I have plenty of debt from 7 years of college. Just because I don't have a wife and kids doesn't mean I get to live for free. Plus taking a double load of graduate credits isn't a cakewalk either. Having a wife and kids is choice as well. If you want a family it requires additional sacrifices, but most life choices do. Hell you could argue that Wal-Mart has made it easier for people to pursue your path, because of the convience factor and deflationary effect they have had on the economy. I certainly appluade your efforts, but it doesn't change my beliefs.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Yeah. And he would have sent Gen. Sherman to tell all the Mom & Pop places they had better get ready to compete, because competition will soon be VERY necessary..Corrected a few typos.

[sooneron]

if Abe Lincoln were alive, he'd shop at wal-mart

i'm sure of it
Cuz he's a fascist and all?

[tommieharris91]

You make a good point.

Except Walmart wants to sell the goods produced by slave labor in China and Lincoln and his gang(the Northern Industrialists) wanted to be able to use and resale the cheap raw materials produced by slave labor in the South.

The difference is Sam Walton was a free trader. Lincoln and his supporters weren't.
I knew you'd chime in.

Fact is, there is nothing wrong with a practice that allows a firm to take advantage of cheap labor, especially when the people doing the work are allowing it to happen. Even in communist China, people are allowed to leave and move out of the country, where they can do the same job and get paid 10x as much.