The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart

[Jakey]

Very interesting article:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html?partner=aol

Wal-Mart seems to be making the news alot lately, especially with the "Wal-Mart Health Plan" in Maryland.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182101,00.html

[niterydr]

Good man.

[Black97civic]

It definately makes sense from his position. The end says that his tombstone could call him the "dumbest CEO ever, the man who didn't sell to wal-mart" I totally disagree.

He didn't want to sell out and tarnish his company's name. You can't sell a $500 mower next to a $100 mower when you have walmart shoppers comparing them, and to make it competative, he would have to abandone the quality associated with his brand.

Either lose 20% now, and possibly gain it back, or keep that 20% and have your product be doubted forever because you had to cheap out on materials.

[npaulseth]

Thanks for posting.

I have my opinions on wal-mart.

[TurboDomestics]

Smart man, Im personally not too big on Wall-mart.

[Steeltwo]

only the old generation would do that.

any current generation wouldn't. good ole american values.

[Halon]

I think that's cool that he's doing that.

I too have my own Walmart opinions, I love the place! If I can buy the same thing at walmart for cheaper then say Autozone, then that's where I'm going. If they are that crappy to work for, and you absolutely hate working there, well then get a different job. If you can't get a different job because no one else will hire you because you're that much of a screw up, well then I say that's your own fault. If you're only like 16 and it's the only job that you could get because it's close to home and you don't have a license yet, and you hate it, well then welcome to what prolly 90% of the rest of the nation has been through. How many people have held jobs while in highschool, and hated their jobs? I know I held a couple of those! (McDonalds, Jiffy Lube...)

[CVD]

only the old generation would do that.

any current generation wouldn't. good ole american values.
Fuck that. Would you sell out? Its not a generation thing, there just plain arent that many people like that around. That and the fact that aggressive businesses that sell cheap crap tend to try to put people like them out of business. That man will never be a Bill Gates or Donald Trump because he has morals, and because of that those kinds of people will try to buy him out of the market.

[Kracka]

I agree with what Brandon said, and also what CVD said. Certain brands just do not belong at Walmart, and frankly, if they did I'd probably stop buying them since they'd loose the image of "top quality". I go to Walmart far more frequently than any other retailer because they are cheaper and for most things the quality is the exact same. Some of their stuff is even of better quality than other generic brands (SuperTech oil and filters for example).

[Steeltwo]

Fuck that. Would you sell out? Its not a generation thing, there just plain arent that many people like that around. That and the fact that aggressive businesses that sell cheap crap tend to try to put people like them out of business. That man will never be a Bill Gates or Donald Trump because he has morals, and because of that those kinds of people will try to buy him out of the market.
I would not sell out
but that is because my friends call me "a knight of the old code"

i asked my g/f(20) and a good chunk of my friends. i'd say the average age of them is around 26ish. 90% said they'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant more money.

it's sad really, the majority of people are looking for the cheap and easy way for things. There is no denying that 95% of the companies out there would LOVE to have walmart say. "we want to make you more money"

you make a good point