Why I am Boycotting Wal-Mart--A message to all artists

[Zivia]

Sadly, my mother works at walmart. She almost quit because the managers were being dicks. She was a CSM, now she's back to being a cashier.
Most things bought in this house are from walmart because of that. :0(  

[Lumicran_Minamoto]

Dear lord, Walmart seems horrible. I've just started knitting, so my mom bought me materials from Wal-mart. I thought they were pretty good, but... sweatdrop  

[kliah]

I had much the same experience with Toys R Us when they moved into Canada. I understand that they were actually TOLD that they would have to take the place of at least one Toy store ... in other words, put them out of business.
That is what they did, all right ... The targeted the BIGGEST ... and BEST Toys and Games store in the area, Mr. Gameways Ark, and together with inside information, bought out ALL the Christmas goods that we were planning to get, priced it ALL at 20% BELOW WHOLESALE, and put ALL FOUR stores out of business, and almost 1000 people out of work.
I fail to understand WHY stores use these tactics, unless it is GREED, and I will continue to use WalMart and Target ONLY as ABSOLUTELY needed, when there is no other place to get what I need.

Kliah Denise
Toronto, ON Canada  

[atticus_blackwolf]

I know how you guys feel....The wal mart near my house is always crouded and when I last went there with my dad it was horrible. We founds a hanger the said Mark's Work Wearhouse, dad tried on some shoes before relizeing that the had been returned, we found two shirts on the SAME rack that had also been returned the first one was ripped at the shoulder seem and the other had a gigantic stain that was the size of my hand!!! I just go there for seasonal stuff, laundry soap, epson salts for my mom and the occasional canned goods that come on sale near food drive season.  

[CassieConnors11]

Since we are talkign Wal-Mart horror stories. I used to live in Woonsocket. A Wal-Mart came in about 6 years ago. I bought out a piece of property nobody was on and the property is on a mainroad where alot of business are. No problem. Its chugging along not hurting anybody. I think about two years ago it began talking about expanding. Now to the left of Wal-Mart was a roller rink and to the right is a chunk of woods. In the woods is wetlands and right next to the wetlands is the suburbs.
So they try to buy up the Roller Rink and they try to buy up the woods. They talk about how great their expansion will be and all that jazz. Well eventually they buy Roller rink. At this point I was scared. I practically grew up in those woods and I knew what a large store would one do to that neighborhood and to the wildlife in the area. Now the city council is suppossed to have meetings to talk about these things. Nobody in town knew it was happening. Now everyone is in a big legal battle or something. Its very aggrivating. I know its nothing compared to what others have gone through but that is freakign ridiculous.
Currently they are doing nothing. I think they are hopping that everyone will kinda forget what happened before they start to try to expand. Hopefully no one forgets. I have seen what happens when Wal- Mart bullies around. Before Katrina I went to New Orleans, and saw three abandoned Wal-Marts. They were not profitable enough so they were shut down. Freakign crazy. Business has ups and downs. some years are great some years not so good.....Sorry I ranted way to much. Just Wal-Mart agrivates me.  

[onnawaffle]

I understand boycotting someplace because you don't believe in it's tactics but the sad fact is that Walmart isn't the only one doing it. Walmart isn't the only place causing local businesses to close down and treating it's employees like dirt.

Of course Starbucks is famous for using similar tactics, but what about Blockbuster? How many local video rentals have closed down because if it? (I've personally seen two just in my city alone.) If you had any idea how poorly they treat their employees and how they're told to try to convince customers to buy their specials you'd probably hate them just as much as Walmart! I have seen customers finally give in and buy whatever the cashier was selling simply to make them shut up. Blockbuster loves this stuff! It's what the employees are told to do! Push until they break down.

My point is it's not just one company. Yes I understand that Walmart is evil but on the same token how many people would be out of a job if every Walmart in America suddenly closed down? And how long would it be before someone else came along and took their place? Someone has to be at the top of the pile if it wasn't Walmart it would be some other discount store that could possibly be even worse.  

[Lee Kushrenada]

I don't normaly give threads like this a 2nd look, but I can not believe what they have done to yyou!
I can not say that I will stop shoing there, but I will NEVER have them do any sort of costom thing done for me!
I am truly sorry for every thing that happened to you!! sad  

[woodydachs]

I am boycotting WalMart, and have all my life (if I could help it). WalMart is an EVIL corporation that doesn't pay people what they are due. Like the old saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." WalMart is like that. The low prices show it. They have factories in China, Indonesia and other places where the people are basically wage slaves. They aren't treated like people but like machines and worse. I would never support WalMart and hope no one else does either.  

[11amagirl]

that would so suck if that happened to me so i'll sympathize with you.  

[Trekkette]

I don't actually have any problems with Wal-Mart and I havn't heard any employee horor stories, so I guess that my local Wal-Mart isn't that bad. I only go for books 'cause their better for getting the monthly romance novels out on time. Everything else, i go to Zellers or a dollar store.  

[sakurachan61123]

despite the fact that MANY of you enjoy walmart for the low prices, think of the quality you're getting with that low price. IT'S A S*** quality! Why not spend the few extra dollars somewhere else to get something that you're gonna keep for MANY years more than what you plan to get at walmart? Say you buy a steroe 20 dollars cheaper at walmart than say . . . bestbuy. It breaks 4 months later. Where are you gonna go to get a new one? Walmart. Why? It's cheaper. Had you ACTUALLY GONE to bestbuy, I can guarantee you would STILL have that stereo. People sometimes make me sick when they complain about a few pennies. Money is money. I know it counts for a lot, but you honestly can't B**** about things like this. We have SO much more than other people do.

As far as doing things like getting getting prints, can't you go to Kinkos? They would most likely do it for you without hassel. If I were you, I would borrow money from someone, go get the prints from Kinkos instead of waiting on Walmart. Payback whoever gave you the moeny once your art sells, then when you have more money, file a suit against their dumbasses.

Personally, I'm glad I don't have a walmart near me . . . . I think I would burn it down. I'm not going there again because of the story I have just heard. That is flat out bull crap and people don't need S*** like this when they're in a time of need.

As far as people treating others like crap when working. . . . every plaec is gonna do that. I HATE working for food places because people complain ALL THE TIME!
OMG! YOU DON'T HAVE THE BREAD I LIKE? *b**** whine*
It's ridiculous. Honestly. Would you do what you're doing to that worker if you were in their situation? I worked at a subway and had a lady call in about me saying I told her we were out of pickles rudely. HOW DO YOU TELL SOMEONE YOU'RE OUT OF PICKLES RUDELY?
ummmm . . . excuse me B****, we're out of F****** pickles
People are stupid and I stay away from them at all costs. I quit subway because the managers thought they were entitled to do as they pleased. Why? because I'm a worker and they have athourity over me. The thing that REALLY got me was how there's the no call no show thing and you get fired right? Well they would change my schedule without telling me and then complain about how I was late or something stupid. In my opinion, I just think people need to have more respect beaten into them. If I start a commissioning service and someone even THINKS about harassing me just because I am a worker . . . I'll explode . . . I'm an angry person. Can't you tell?  

[Chibi Kiku-chan]

Now that I know what goes on there, I don't wanna shop there unless I absolutely have to (and there are times when I HAVE to, they're the only people that carry something I really really really need at a low price that's the right kind. I can get them at Target too, but it's not the kind I need. (dont ask, but the kind from target, I figured eh what the heck, I'll try it and hope for the best, and it caused me problems, so I had to stock up from Wall-mart and the rare trips to costco) ) A girl that ges to school with me, her mom worked there and they wanted to sue her cuz a box w/ stuff in it fell on her and hurt her baddly and her only options were apparently suffer for the rest of her life or get a surgery w/ a high risk of death. also, since i go to my g-ma's every other week with my mother and aunt, we usually go to wall-mart, and i buy little things like candy, notebooks, or a keychain, and sometimes my mom and/or g-ma will buy me something like a shirt, and they carry something i sometimes need that actually fits me right. other than that, i'm trying to avoid them now (i am buying my art suplies from michaels cuz they have prismacolor markers and colored pencils and sketchbooks [ride-aid has sketch books too] and i need that kind of stuff. as for fabric for my sewing, i started out using an old towel (dont ask) and then my mom started buying me fabric remnants from wall-mart, and that's something i will saddly have to continue purchasing from there, i can't afford to buy big things like yards-worths of fabric from jo-ann fabrics and places like that) well, i'll stop talking now. ^^;  

[...dinah wherever...]

termisu

I only shop there for fabric and even then it isn't spectaular...


Did you know a majority of sexual assults on childeren take place in Wal-marts?

ewww. how perverse.  

[[ the.knitting.ninja ]]

Something similar to that happened to me in the photo department

I brought in my pictures from my brand spanking new camera, from a role of film i bought from a new york modeling place, that this guy there said would help my photography.
they said they had seen a professional picture similar to this and through away my expensive role of film for "copywrite infringement"
how could i have gotton a professional picture on a role of film.  

[NightRainSpirit]

MY sister had the similiar problems, u should never take ur art to a place like walmart, take it too a more proffessional place, like Ritz, they do fabulous jobs for art type stuff like that.

But I will always luv walmart for their cheap prices on supplies for my prodjects and UFOs.