Wal-mart stampede

[Ps104_33]

"I’ve seen people get into shoving matches and fistfights, and I’ve heard of injuries, but a death and a miscarriage? This didn’t happen because of a fire erupting or a terrorist/hostage situation, as we have seen in Mumbai. Hundreds of people trampled others to death so that they could get to cheap retail goods the fastest — presumably to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ."


This is disgraceful! These people are animals!
Pictures: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/ga...es/walmart_stampede_captured_in_pictures.html

 

[Ps104_33]

How much is Wal-mart responsible for this fiasco.

 

[LeBuick]

How much is Wal-mart responsible for this fiasco.

Does Walmart really have sales, I thought they advertised the "everyday lowest price"?

 

[sag38]

Surely WalMart does share some culpability. And, yes they do have sales. Where I lived the lower prices were only good as long as the merchandice lasted or until 11:00AM.

 

[donnA]

Wal Mart does have sales. Every store does. And here the black friday prices last all weekend as long as the merchadise lasts.
What responsability does a store have when it's customers act like animals, all they can do is not sell merchandise. Which every store sells merchandise, it's the reason any store exists.
Not to mention, doesn't a thread like this one already exist?

 

[LeBuick]

What responsability does a store have when it's customers act like animals, all they can do is not sell merchandise.

I was wondering the same thing expecialy in the light of the ToysRUs where the two guys shot and killed each other. What if innocent bystanders had been hit, would it be the stores fault.

The union, who wants Walmart workers to join, seem to think they should have had more security.

 

[annsni]

Well, a friend's mom works at Walmart and said that she had only 2 ride on Jeeps for kids when it was advertised at a very low price. I understand that's typical. They do major sales on the hot merchandise but then only have a few of the items in stock. So people rushed to get in and get what they wanted. If the store opens at 5AM and you get there at 5:05AM, they're gone. So that's why people rush.

I do think Walmart is partly responsible. They had no way to control the crowd which they should. I understand that it was over 2 thousand people. That's enough to have called in extra people.

 

[LeBuick]

Well, a friend's mom works at Walmart and said that she had only 2 ride on Jeeps for kids when it was advertised at a very low price. I understand that's typical. They do major sales on the hot merchandise but then only have a few of the items in stock. So people rushed to get in and get what they wanted. If the store opens at 5AM and you get there at 5:05AM, they're gone. So that's why people rush.

So they killed a man to save a few bucks on a ride on jeep for kids? This story keeps going down hill. And it started at an all time low.

 

[windcatcher]

Surely WalMart does share some culpability. And, yes they do have sales. Where I lived the lower prices were only good as long as the merchandice lasted or until 11:00AM.

I agree:

WalMart plans its ads ahead of time. They print in bulk and are delievered to PO and local papers for inclusions.

The products featured are preordered, stocked and shipped to individual stores and inventories are computerized from arrival to their distribution centers to shipping inventories and sales at their stores.

By selling extremely low priced 'lost profit' items but limiting the numbers available in inventory just to tease the crowd into the store they have encouraged this crazy crowd/mob behavior.

 

[donnA]

I was wondering the same thing expecialy in the light of the ToysRUs where the two guys shot and killed each other. What if innocent bystanders had been hit, would it be the stores fault.

The union, who wants Walmart workers to join, seem to think they should have had more security.

Normall you wouldn't think you needed security for protection in stores, but prehaps on black friday it's not such a bad idea. Might not be needed in most stores but might have helped this time, or maybe not, the security would have to be right there when it happened. I guess if you look at it, both those guys participated, not like the person who was trampled, they both shot each other.

 

[donnA]

It sounds as if it's all wal marts fault, and people have no responsibility for themselves, they can just blame wal mart for their behavior.
I don't buy it.

 

[windcatcher]

It sounds as if it's all wal marts fault, and people have no responsibility for themselves, they can just blame wal mart for their behavior.
I don't buy it.

Nope.... already 'plained that.

 

[queenbee]

Well, I am absolutely horrified. Now I know why I avoid shopping on major sale event days like the plague.

I do feel WM should bear some responsibility for this. Clearly 2000+ people waiting outside your door and a couple dozen employees creating a human chain inside the door just isn't going to cut it. Tight security should have been the order of the day and a numbering system as well. It certainly is around my neck of the woods. You can bet there'll be a lawsuit in the works on this one.

 

[donnA]

They start handing me a number to shop in a store and I'll shop else where.
Our WM is open 24 hours, they didn't close before black friday, impossible to give out numbers when shoppers might not even be visiting for black friday, but a lot of people normally shop late at night or early morning. sale or not.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Wall Mart has never had a reputation for ethical business practices. They really are a bad outfit and people should stop buying there, even if it does cost a bit more elsewhere. The old boy who started the chain believed people's greed was the way to success and I guess he was right.

I read a year or so ago that WM was putting pressure on Chinese manufacturers to lower the wager to the Chinese workers ... who were already not getting much ... so prices could be kept low here.

WalMart used to advertise they sold onnly American made products. I doubt you can find an American made produce in their stores now. I may be wrong, probable some of the food products come from the USA.

I saw an interview with the owner of Snapper, the lawn mower manufacturer. WalMart wanted him to build a low quality mower for them to sell, but would advertise the quality that Snapper has had for years. He turned them down telling them that was unethical.

Wal-Mart was directly responsible for Rubbermaid filing for protection under the bankruptcy law some years ago when Rubbermaid refused to cut quality and prices. WalMart stopped all orders for Rubbermaid products. Here is a quote I happened to run across:

yea because of wal-mart, alot of USA manufacturers are going out of business alot of american people are losing their jobs and the jobs are going to China, for example, Rubbermaid products were made in USA after Wal-Mart started demanding a lower price, Rubbermaid was forced to file bankruptcy and now Rubbermaid products are made in China and alot of clothing that was sold at Wal-Mart was made in USA and now it's made in China because Wal-Mart was demanding a lower price.

The sad part is that no one could stop them.

Wal-Mart is killing the USA economy
http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cach...rmaid+file+bankrupt&hl=cs&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=cz

Most of us do not need most of the junk we have now. How do I know? Easy, look as all the self storage facilities. If you have so much stuff you need to pay to store some, that you do not use, you really do not need it in the first place.

Ok, Ok, Ok ... I'll put up my soap box.

 

[Palatka51]

Wall Mart has never had a reputation for ethical business practices. They really are a bad outfit and people should stop buying there, even if it does cost a bit more elsewhere. The old boy who started the chain believed people's greed was the way to success and I guess he was right.

I read a year or so ago that WM was putting pressure on Chinese manufacturers to lower the wager to the Chinese workers ... who were already not getting much ... so prices could be kept low here.

WalMart used to advertise they sold onnly American made products. I doubt you can find an American made produce in their stores now. I may be wrong, probable some of the food products come from the USA.

I saw an interview with the owner of Snapper, the lawn mower manufacturer. WalMart wanted him to build a low quality mower for them to sell, but would advertise the quality that Snapper has had for years. He turned them down telling them that was unethical.

Wal-Mart was directly responsible for Rubbermaid filing for protection under the bankruptcy law some years ago when Rubbermaid refused to cut quality and prices. WalMart stopped all orders for Rubbermaid products. Here is a quote I happened to run across:



Most of us do not need most of the junk we have now. How do I know? Easy, look as all the self storage facilities. If you have so much stuff you need to pay to store some, that you do not use, you really do not need it in the first place.

Ok, Ok, Ok ... I'll put up my soap box.

Crabby,

You are absolutely right. I work with Wally World (aka Wal~Mart) on an every day basis. As such I know first hand just how demanding they are. It will be a glorious day when another chain comes to knock them off their mountain. That day will come soon enough and then you can start again with a new evil chain fashioned and built after the order of American Capitalism. (sarcasm should be duly noted)

Actually Wally World does indeed share culpability. Management of this story did a very poor job in crowd control. Wally World corporate created the frenzy and store management failed in it's responsibility to their customer's and employee's safety.

In all reality, mob control should be required training for all employees. When a company sets the stage for frenzied shopping all shoppers should be issued numbers for the product they seek. When the allotted numbers are distributed to the last then the rest of the mob would not be as eager to force itself. Then you offer coffee and donuts and everyone goes home happy.

 

[LeBuick]

Actually Wally World does indeed share culpability. Management of this story did a very poor job in crowd control. Wally World corporate created the frenzy and store management failed in it's responsibility to their customer's and employee's safety..

I heard today that the crowd broke through the door. Can anyone confirm or deny this rumor?

 

[donnA]

even if it does cost a bit more elsewhere

I guess it depends on if you have ' a bit more', most people do not, paying ' a bit more' would mean going without needed items, like food, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc . For my son and his family 'a bit more' would mean not being able to feed the babies.
So it's easy to make a statement like, ' a bit more', when you ahve 'a bit more', but if you didn't, the statement wouldn't be as easy.
Have you investigated the business pratices of every company you deal with, how about the suppliers of your gasoline, electric, gas for heating, how about the manufacturers of your food stuffs, the other stores you shope, have you investigated any of these parent companies to make sure they have good sound business pratices?

 

[Revmitchell]

Small businesses have no alternative but to charge 25 to 40 % more that stores like WalMart, Home Depot etc. To suggest that it would just be "a bit more" is to not understand this.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Seein's how rock concerts kill more people in crowd rushes, than evil Wal-Mart, how about we ban them ? And how about that pilgrimage to Mecca ? Or a papal visit to a South American town ? Should we ban those as well ?

CTB hatin' on Wal-Mart.....didn't see that coming.......

How about we blame the people who trampled this young man, mob or not ?