That Maine college girl's welfare column

That is correct. My liberal leanings also suggest another path in this. If Walmart made 17 Billion in profit they could give 14 of that to their employees(as an investment in a strong future workforce) rather than the stockholders. Some of that would come back in savings on reduced turnover and stronger customer loyalty. What company (other than the oil companies, drug companies ,insurance and banking) wouldn't be thrilled with 3 billion in net profit each year? Corporate greed and success of the current path suggests this will not happen.

 

Hope all that makes you feel better? Here are the reasons why I think you and I will be replaced at some point in all of this. You are wrong to assume shipping to stores gives them an advantage. Internet warehouses enjoy the same advantage and can save money by locating in low-rent locations(as opposed to prime retail locations$$$). While shipping costs are high they will always be cheaper than hourly associates. Payroll is the highest cost in retail business(like all business) and all of these retailers are looking to place more product in homes at a smaller cost. Your participation in this process is not required, resistance is futile. What is holding them back now? Customers opposition to this new buying pattern? No, as we age the younger segment of society is pushing this forward. What is limiting this right now is not shipping costs, but shipping time. When they shorten that(and they will) this will happen as a natural process. I have been in retail management for 35 years and am waist-deep in all of this. Again its not about paying $8 an hour associates less, its about needing less of those associates.

 

Or if Wally World did, then the rest of us low-paying employers would have a lot harder time paying the low wages we get away with now.

 

They had over 350 billion in sales for the year...nearly 200 billion in assets...and you think 16 billion is too much profit?

 

I've been in Maine most of the time since 1987, Maine has the heartiest workers I have seen in the 7 states I have lived in. These people don't care if it's 95 degrees outside or 30 below, they do what needs to be done. On the other hand there are few opportunities in this state. The 30% on assistance is an accurate number but this number can be laid at the feet of the legislature, they seem to think the state should be a National Park and do not encourage business. We have some very wealthy people up here who are stonewalled by rules and regulation when trying to create jobs. The legislature has created a generational welfare problem. That's just the way it is here.

 

for what it's worth, I no longer work in retail

here's another reason I don't think retail will go the way of the online-click-and-ship model: Because the primary sales point of retail is still big box stores, not their online sites.

It's not that buyers don't like the convenience of online, it's that more of them still turn up in person to buy stuff than online overall... and businesses are not as well managed online. Look at Best Buy's recent holiday snafu (although I think they have one of these every year) for an example.

It might be cheaper for businesses to go online-only and that might make some thing that businesses will force its buyers to go online-only, but remember when Netflix tried to push all of its customers to do what it wanted them to do, rather than what customers wanted in their service. Mass exodus. Plunging stock prices. I think the CEO just took a $1.5 mil paycut for the "Qwikster" crap as well.

So... no worries. I think retail jobs are safe for now.

 

I don't think anyone familiar with profit ratio's would think the percent of profit to sales is high here. However using your numbers I have made a pretty solid case to show that most of their success on the bottom line comes on the back of $8 and under labor.In fact given their pricing structure it is the foundation of their business model. Would you disagree with that? All I am saying is that if they pay $10-$12 an hour they must raise their prices and hope for the best or they can take less profit and grow the business over time with better qualified workers. The numbers(your numbers) clearly show this. I do agree with Midtowner that sadly we as taxpayers are subsidizing what they pay as a wage because the majority of these workers receive assistance.I have daily personal experience with these scenarios.Nothing is likely to change with Walmart as the model is wildly successful. They are also very ripe for union activity...

 

Almost all retailers have a huge internet presence and you would be surprised to learn what percent of the business currently comes from there. I would make an overall generalization you can check out. Same store sales(big box or otherwise) are down and internet sales are up.This applies to almost any retailer you want to look at. The internet is a big opportunity for those that know how to run an enterprise to succeed, it is also a place where malfeasance can ruin a business. This is what you are seeing with Best-Buy. I am referring to something in the future here, but I think it will happen in the next 20 years.

 

It all starts with how people are raised, and whether or not they use the brains God gave them and the compassion God demands of them. That is my opinion, and that's why I generally vote Democrat.

 

It amazes me how republicans think they are the only ones who were raised with morals and/or values. We on the left were raised with morals and values like you. We are just not so self pious and conceited to think that only we have morals and values. I love when right wing morals and values when applied to their own like McCain and Newt. Tell me again about those values and morals,for two cheaters, I remember the total complete self righteous melt down you folks had when Clinton cheated and now newt has been forgiven for his multiple affairs and mccain for dumping his wife for a younger, richer model.

 

Compassion with other peoples money is not really "compassion"...

 

How is it other peoples money? Do you really think that if your taxes were cut you will become wealthy?

 

No but I do think we would be more independent if we were to cut taxes and drastically reduce the size and scope of the federal government...wealth is always better in the American peoples control than the governments...

 

Who exactly is we? Why is it that you are fighting for tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent while admitting that it would not improve your life. How is the government controlling your money? It amazes me how you have bought the Koch's bu!!**** about how the government controlling your life through taxes. Look at your tax cut from bush...you probably had your taxes cut by 1/2 of one percent, while you will fight to the death for tax cut that benefits the wealthy.



What services do you want cut when you say you want to drastically reduce the size and scope of government?

 

That's the thing with most folks who think they're right wingers--they are excellent at spouting the kid tested/mother approved platitude and pablum of their talking points, but it's really pretty hard to nail 'em down on specifics. For example, take the recent Republican debates. Two words we have heard a lot of have been "entitlement" and "opportunities," as in we need to be providing opportunities, not entitlements. Sounds great. It's probably been favorably responded to by various focus groups.

But what the hell does it mean? Answer: Absolutely nothing. It's pablum. It's a phrase (or really a couple of words) which are designed so candidates can move their mouths and make noises without actually conveying anything other than warm fuzzies to their base.

And that all entitlements are bad is just silly, and many, if not most actually create opportunities. How about head start? Yikes, does that entitlement fly in the face of the pablum. Getting preschoolers from disadvantaged families ready for kindergarten. What a waste. How about rural electrification?

And before anyone accuses me of building a straw man, just Google any candidate with the words entitlement and opportunity. It's a bigtime campaign theme. All the candidates are fighting over just how much they are representative of the pablum as compared to the other candidates. It's a silly exercise which would only be practiced by a bunch of campaigns who know for a fact that their voters are not interested in specifics, just warm fuzzies.

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...ome&ie=UTF-8&q=romney+entiltement+opportunity

 

Hope and Change

 

LMMFAO!!! I HOPE we get some CHANGE...lol

 

All of them except what is actually in the constitution...remainder returned to the states to decide...hope and change...

 

Good thing they're all constitutional...

 

So, we do away with the FDA? The transportation dept? How about the national weather service? FEMA? The only dept that is mentioned in the constitution is defense.