An

Fri, Oct 9, 2009 : 7:47 a.m.

Can you provide a link to the so called research on WalMart and Crime? I have seen WalMart in some pretty upscale communities and I don't think that there is a lot more crime there. Dare I say you may be worried that the African American population might "taint" your mostly white Saline? I really hope that is not the case...that you are not that closed minded.

hotrod1965

Fri, Oct 2, 2009 : 11:38 a.m.

So I'm a bad person because I am worried about the safety of my family? Maybe you should do a little research on crime and walmart before you call me out. But in your mind, it's OK, because you can save $10 this week, even though you have increased your chance of being mugged.

debling

Thu, Oct 1, 2009 : 6:56 p.m.

That's right hotrod1965, "the mall is just up State street", "Best Buy", "Kohls", "Meijer" (correct spelling) on AA-Saline Rd. All of these are at least 10-15 minutes from downtown Saline. But the last sentence says it all, "You better believe I am worried about the people the Walmart will bring in. I paid a premium to live in the Saline area to live in a nice area". THERE'S YOUR SIGN!

hotrod1965

Thu, Oct 1, 2009 : 12:31 p.m.

Wow, you must not live in the Pittsfields/Saline area... Let's see... the mall is just up State street, they sell clothes, music and electronics. Best Buy, Kohls, Miejer...etc are on AA-Saline Rd. Bushes, Whole Foods, Produce Station, Miejer, all within a couple miles from the new WalMart... You better believe I am worried about the people the Walmart will bring in. I paid a premium to live in the Saline area to live in a nice area.

debling

Thu, Oct 1, 2009 : 12:07 p.m.

KUDO's to Walmart opening in Pittsfield especially in these tough economic times. Development in the greater Saline area is badly needed. I am hopeful this will spur new commercial activity along State and HWY 12. For those that oppose the new store, I'd love to know where you go to shop for electronics, clothing, music, etc. There is nothing in the Saline area so there is no competition to crush. As far as food goes, your choice is expensive Busch's or mediocre Country Market. About time there was some more competition. I am amused, however, to hear talk about how great "other" companies are. Do consumers really know where Target, Kohl's, Meijer, etc. really get their products, how they negotiate prices, treat suppliers? I think the real reason there is opposition to Walmart is that some people feel that the store will bring "the wrong people" to the Pittsfield area. Shameful.

An

Thu, Oct 1, 2009 : 9:33 a.m.

Quote------------------------------------------------------------ For those of you who wonder why Wal Mart is so bad (and why low prices are not necessarily good): Wal Mart forces its suppliers to supply their goods at the lowest possible prices. Case in point is Rubbermaid. WalMart told Rubbermaid it would pull its brands from their shelves unless Rubbermaid cut prices. Given that WalMart is the largest retailer in the world, this was not feasible. So, Rubbermaid cut prices by shipping nearly half of its workforce to Mexico and drastically cutting wages for the other half. And Rubbermaid is far from the only supplier who has had the squeeze put on it by WalMart. ------------------------------------------------------ Many big companies do this. Ford, for example, expects it's suppliers to sell to them for "below cost". I would imagine GM and Chrysler do the same.

Sam

Wed, Sep 30, 2009 : 12:05 p.m.

Cherchez la cupidit!

Alan Benard

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 1:57 p.m.

@ top cat: "But this aggressive growth plan which in some cases has entailed opening a regular-size store only to close it a couple of years later to open a Supercenter is having a devastating impact on other retailers and is annoying developers. " http://retailtrafficmag.com/mag/retail_taking_aim_walmart/Wal-Mart stores are often the size of four or five football fields - huge in scale compared to many of the small communities that they neighbor. Criticized for deserting stores that under-perform, Wal-Mart has left behind more than 25 million square feet of unoccupied space across the country (May, 2000). The company claims it tries to sell these properties, but the only potential buyers are other big retailers, and Wal-Mart will not sell real estate to its competitors. In one Kentucky town, an empty Wal-Mart was torn down at the taxpayers' expense. http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3_2.html

The Grinch

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 1:26 p.m.

Treetowncartel: the weekend predates Ford's $5 day. Prior to the late 1800s thgere was no sense of a weekend in the United States and many factories were working 6 and 7 days per week. Union organizers, primarily those from the AF of L, used work on the Sabbath (Sunday for Christians, Saturday for recent Jewish immigrants) as a wedge issue that would help create support for the uniona. Employers, sometimes voluntarily, oftentimes not, gave into the demand for the days of Sabbath being a day off.

The Grinch

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 1:15 p.m.

Dagny, they are not making money in the short run. They are making it in the long run. WalMart can bully P&G into lower prices but WalMart's competitors cannot. Those competitors will eventually be driven out of business because they cannot match WalMart's prices. When that happens--when K-mart, etc.... close their stores in an area--WalMart, no longer faced by competition, will raise their prices making an even larger profit. John D. Rockefeller did exactly this with Standard Oil in the late 1800s and early 1900s, driving his competition out of business and then raising his prices because he had cornered the market. WalMart has turned this into an art form. As for the stockholder who thinks this is fine so long as his dividend check keeps coming--well, what can one say, except that we now know what you value most in life.

hotrod1965

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 12:34 p.m.

dagnyj, The problem is that an average P&G employee makes $70K per year. So P&G has to cut those employees so that Walmart can sell at lower prices. SO now that $70K per year person, has to settle for $40K per year because all the jobs are gone. Which is causing the "rich get richer, poor get poorer" effect that is happening in the USA. Now, you are thinking that the $70K per year person was over paid to start with, which you don't really know at all. But let's say that person lives next door to you and loses thier house. Now YOUR home is worth $15K less. So, that $500 you saved last year shopping at Walmart, cost you $15K. Not even counting the amount of tax dollars that is spent on unemployment, healthcare...etc...

DagnyJ

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 11:34 a.m.

I wish I had enough money to spend whatever I pleased on everything I need. Sadly, I have to count my pennies, and I will probably count them at Walmart. Here's what I don't understand though: If Walmart bullies P&G into lowering the price of some soap by 10% so I can also pay 10% less, then how is Walmart making more money than if it paid P&G more, and I paid Walmart more?

The Grinch

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 10:14 a.m.

DagnyJ: I did not say anyhing about the quality of the products at Walmart. My posts were precisely about the way they bully suppliers who, in turn, ship jobs out of the US and screw their remaining workers in order to meet WalMart's price demands. And please note that my first, the third in this string, advocates boycotting WalMart. I have never set foot in one of those stores and never will.

amlive

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 10:03 a.m.

In terms of local, small town economic interests, places like this can be devastating. Go take a trip up to Big Rapids some time. When I lived there, there were 3 local groceries, a few pharmacies, furniture and clothing stores, fabric stores and various others. Since I've left there has been a Walmart, Meijer, Menards and Lowes that have moved in, and what used to be nice downtown has become a ghost town. All three grocery stores have closed, the pharmacies, fabric and furniture shops, everything is pretty much gone. Now anything that I used to be able to walk downtown to get, I would have to drive 2 miles from town out M-20 to get at Walmart or Meijer. The few vacated buildings that have been reoccupied, now house things like dollar stores or college bars. It's sad, and the town is become a hollow shell of what it used to be. Perhaps Saline's proximity to all the box stores around Ann Arbor has already buffered the effect, as many who would switch from local vendors may have already done so long ago. Still, the temptation to save $30 on your weekly groceries can very easily bite you in the rear when you find your long time local establishments shutting down in a few years. We'll see, and good luck Saline.

ownrdgd

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 8:40 a.m.

I hope they build one on every corner of every city in every state.I am one of those GREEDY stock holders and I just love all those hugh dividen checks.Ha Ha Ha.

Alan Benard

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 7:22 a.m.

A typical Walmart move is to saturate an area with its stores until it has destroyed all locally based competition. And then close half of the stores it opened so they do not compete with one another. Communities are left with un-rentable big-boxes with huge impermeable surfaces which destroyed the local ecosystem, a devastated small-business community and much less choice for consumers. I don't know why people are being kind to this fictional "corporate person," which is permitted to lay waste to local economies and ecologies because it happens to be ruthless and cutthroat. If that's the kind of America you want, you deserve it.

Laura Bien

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 6:52 a.m.

Whole Foods sells New England cod, which is an endangered species, per Wikipedia: "All of these factors have reduced the once abundant eastern freshwater cod to an endangered species with a limited distribution in the Clarence River System." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_freshwater_cod) Wal-Mart sells 22 types of seafood certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. They're also working to make their fleet of trucks more environment-friendly. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart and never shop there. But the picture isn't black and white.

DagnyJ

Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 6:48 a.m.

David, I read this and then googled rubbermaid and walmart. There's nothing that says that Rubbermaid products sold at Walmart are not the same as the products Rubbermaid sells in other stores. I can see Walmart has a lot of power to push around other companies, but so what? Don't shop there. Simple.

The Grinch

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:58 p.m.

Google Walmart Rubbermaid and find many links. One is: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-01-28-walmartnation_x.htm This link talks about more than Rubbermaid. Also, see the book _Deer Hunting with Jesus_ for the impact of this policy on blue collar workers in one town in Virginia.

DagnyJ

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:40 p.m.

Can someone point to some evidence, or some other link or source for the statement about Walmart forcing manufacturers to produce inferior goods under the same brand name? I'd like to learn more.

The Grinch

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 7:03 p.m.

For those of you who wonder why Wal Mart is so bad (and why low prices are not necessarily good): Wal Mart forces its suppliers to supply their goods at the lowest possible prices. Case in point is Rubbermaid. WalMart told Rubbermaid it would pull its brands from their shelves unless Rubbermaid cut prices. Given that WalMart is the largest retailer in the world, this was not feasible. So, Rubbermaid cut prices by shipping nearly half of its workforce to Mexico and drastically cutting wages for the other half. And Rubbermaid is far from the only supplier who has had the squeeze put on it by WalMart. Such is the cost of "low prices". Time to wake up folks. The Waltons and their greedy stockholders are making money while middle class America disappears under WalMart's boot.

Salineman

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 4:47 p.m.

I for one am glad this is coming. I hope it crushes Buschs and that higher then mighty attitude run ACO. Saline is in for a nice wake up call to reality.

treetowncartel

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 3:24 p.m.

Henry Ford is known for his $5 a day 5 day work week. However, you didn't get Saturdays off to just to attend Temple. The weekend actually helped sell cars, since you could take a trip out to the Irish Hills or maybe even a park off Ford Lake in your new Model T.

Barb

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 3:13 p.m.

Good thoughts, we're both right: http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/11/24/a_weekend_history_lesson/

Old Salt

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 3:05 p.m.

I'm happy to see Walmarts opening,it has been a long time in coming,I just hope they have wide isles, there is a new store coming to Ann Arbor soon also it's Aldi it is going up on the corner of Maple and Dexter

PittsfieldTwp

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 2:46 p.m.

Rolled20 - Its not really the Walmart brand that is made cheaper, but Walmart (and also a few other big box/ home centers), will cut deals with name brand MFG's to produce a cheaper product to be sold exclusively at Walmart or [fill in the blank home center] with the same MFG name brand. Just because you see an Xbrand DVD or lawn mower at the super center, you cannot assume its the same quality as sold in other stores. Good or bad? Depends. You pay less, but sometimes many of us would rather pay a little more to get something that lasts a little longer. I can now get an oscilating fan for around $10 when I use to pay $20. Unfortunately, the $20 fan would last decades. Not the $10 one.

goodthoughts

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 2:31 p.m.

Actually, with all due respect Barb, historically speaking I believe Henry Ford, who was a brutal employer, was the first, if not one of the first to implement a five-day-work week. He implemented it in the spring of 1926, three months before it was adapted by office workers. I don't think the weekend was created by unions, but please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. For many people it isn't greed that pushes them to shop at a discount retailer, but simply a budget. Many Americans do not have the cash flow to pay more for basic items.

treetowncartel

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 2:30 p.m.

Eryn, I put that link in here earlier but it did not get to stick around that long. I don't know how looking a fool is somehow a protected class as is suggested in comments to your post. If you want a little bit of the same effect with some nostalgia added in go to keggars(sp) of yore.

Bob Needham

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 2:26 p.m.

(Comment removed because it contained personal attacks.)

Barb

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 2 p.m.

"And unions have done so much to make our world a better place?" Guess who created the "weekend"? Yeah, not much, those worthless unions.

amlive

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 1:24 p.m.

Joe used to work at a shoe factory. Joe earned a decent hourly wage, fair health benefits, 20 years with the company had earned him a few weeks paid vacation, and decent time for sick leave. Joe's family was still running on a tight budget, and decided they would try and save a few bucks by getting their kid's shoes at the local WalMart this year. A few hundred thousand other people made the same choice. Now Joe doesn't work at the shoe factory. The factory has closed, and now Joe works second shift at WalMart, stocking shelves with the cheap imported shoes that put his factory out of business. Between WalMart and his working mornings at a restaurant, he makes less than half of what he used to. Since they keep his hours under 28 hours per week, he is not full time, and no longer gets any sick days or paid vacation. With the drop in income, the family can no longer shop anywhere other than WalMart, which helps ensure other working families are soon to see the same fate as Joe's, and the cycle continues. At least Joe's children qualify for state health care, which since the tax structure does not hold Joe or WalMart responsible, falls on the shoulders of the rest of the State. They make just enough money that Joe and his wife don't qualify for Medicaid though, so they just have to cross their fingers and hope for the best. For those who can still afford to shop elsewhere, even if it takes a little planning of their budget to do so, I strongly recommend you make the effort. Even if you can't find shoes made in America, you can still buy them at a locally owned place like Mast Shoes, who aside from knowing more about feet than anyone around, have been rumored to be contemplating a shoe factory in Detroit (admittedly just a rumor, don't know if it's true). Food at the local farmer's market may not be as cheap as WalMart, but if you plan your meals carefully doesn't come out that expensive either. What I can't find there I'll try to get at Sparrow, which is locally owned and at least most of the meats are local or regional. I buy my lumber at Fingerle, locks at Vogel's, Camden Rose makes some great kid's toys - the options of locally owned or produced are still out there if you take the time to look. Yes, I know Walmart, Target, Toys-R-Us are all cheaper, but I believe going to them as our first option is short sighted, and for the nation as a whole, penny wise but pound foolish. Joe's kids' shoes have fallen apart by the way, but the new ones from Walmart should last another 6 months or so....

djm12652

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 1:21 p.m.

Michael Moore???? oh great, another publicity hungry political know-it-all. Now it's greed and capitalism...then it's gonna be Walmart? Please...do we really need this guy to explain how all of us are stupid in comparison to Moore and his cronies?

An

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 1:15 p.m.

I'd like to know why they did not provide left turn lights when turning from Michigan Avenue onto State Street. I have had to wait 3 light cycles to turn left onto State Street to get to work, this is going to be worse when WalMart opens!

treetowncartel

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 1:12 p.m.

I believe Michael Moore has them in his cross hairs. With all due respect, it is a good place to people watch and see the fabric of America.

ownrdgd

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 1 p.m.

Say what you want about wall mart.Fact is I bought some of there stock 30 yrs ago and its SPLIT 24 times since then Love you Sam Walton$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

djm12652

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 12:14 p.m.

And unions have done so much to make our world a better place? How about people being paid a fair day's wage for a fair day's work because that's what they deserve? All of this "I'm entitled" attitude is really getting old...

bunnyabbot

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 12:13 p.m.

it's rather simple, shop there if you want to and don't if you don't want to. While I don't shop there, I don't need to feel I am saving the world by preaching about the evil of walmart.

Mike Hulsebus

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 12:11 p.m.

People talk about Walmart items being of inferior quality. I wasn't aware that there was a Walmart brand of goods (not counting Wal-Mart brand groceries). What kind of items do they sell? /Meijer shopper

GoblueBeatOSU

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 11:48 a.m.

"opening hinges on road construction at the State Road and U.S.-12 "..Realistically, Oct. 14 is the date, but thats up to Walmart and their contractor,..that seems odd. Walmart is in control of a State Highway....hmmm....not heard that before. I have to wonder if this is true, or is it the Washtenaw County Road Commission trying to avoid blame. Don't know what the truth is..but I'm having a hard time buying Walmart is responsible for a state highway.....

Bill

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 10:30 a.m.

@Barb: I'd gladly pay a few dollars more for something that won't fall apart after one use.

Barb

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 10:15 a.m.

The real world? In our greed, we've come to favor the retailers that have the lowest prices but you know what? Sometimes getting what you think you deserve for the cheapest price possible has a negative effect on the world around you, including decent companies who do business with them. Just google "walmart pickles" and get an example of how they play ball. This is just a sample but this is should not be how America does business. I'll gladly pay a couple cents more for things to encourage fair business practices.

goodthoughts

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 9:28 a.m.

jrigglem is right-have you ever talked to a Buschs' employee? In addition, they the Buschs' employees are treated poorly by the "elite" of Saline. If you don't like Walmart, or their products, don't shop there. For the rest of us, who live in the real world, it is a welcome addition to the area.

treetowncartel

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 9:16 a.m.

Unfortunatley, I sometimes find myself in a Wal-Mart when I am up north. Most of the products are pretty inferior and cheaply made. That is the mantra of Wal-mart, they force the company supplying the product to take a cheap commission and then make a cheap product. And you don't get the kind of service in the hardware section that you do at a local hardware store, or home depot for that matter. big box stores are pretty sterile in genral, but Wal marts seem to be the most sterile of all. Not to mention the data mining they are doing on their consumers. They know more about you than the government.

jrigglem

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:59 a.m.

For those of you who say to boycott WalMart, have you ever worked for a WalMart? I have, the pay is based on experience which I know for a fact that other stores in the Saline area do not pay you on, they offer you benefits just like other big retailers, you have to pay for them. And as for not being unionized, neither is CVS or Busch's. Two companies I have worked for in the Saline area and had to hear from customers all the time complaining how WalMart doesn't allow unions. I was paid better at WalMart and got the hours I needed/wanted. I can't say the same for CVS or Buschs.

Jon Saalberg

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:28 a.m.

If you want to shop at the largest supplier of foreign-made goods in the U.S., by all means shop at Wal-Mart. Also the chain that pays its workers poorly, crushes efforts to unionize those workers, and grudgingly affords any type of health benefits. Is this what America has come to? Hypocrites who complain about foreign competition and goods, but shop at Wal-Mart because they undercut most stores' prices? Every time you shop at a Wal-Mart, you hurt local businesses.

The Grinch

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 8:02 a.m.

Boycott Wal Mart!

mtu98

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 7:51 a.m.

$190 billion retailers development agreement. Is that a typo or is this an Obama store?