Wal-Mart's "Project Impact": Retailer's New To Crush The Competition

TIME:

The company is in the beginning stages of a massive store and strategy remodeling effort, which it has dubbed Project Impact. One goal of Project Impact is cleaner, less cluttered stores that will improve the shopping experience. Another is friendlier customer service. A third: home in on categories where the competition can be killed.

Read the whole story: TIME

Comments

[ladyvader]

03:17 PM on 10/05/2009

Maul-Mart has always treated their employees like dirt, even when Sam Walton owned the company. I don't shop there. I have plenty of other stores near me to shop at, so Maul-Mart is out.

There are three Maul-Marts within a five mile radius from my house and I go to Target for things I can't get at Save-A-Lot.

[yourlibral]

05:13 PM on 09/13/2009

Everyday it's the same old rethreads. NO change form Washington.

good articles: http://www.iamned.com ........

[sski74]

03:10 PM on 09/13/2009

I have not spend a single PENNY in a Wal Mart in several years, and I continue to stand by my word. I would rather pay 10 cents more for an item and go to Target or KMart. Wal Mart has does nothing but pollute America with terrible business practices and cheap products from China (that are literally KILLING us) and driving our US based companies out of business. Remember, Sam's Club is also owned and operated by Wal Mart. Wal Mart does not care about their employees, the folks that shop in their stores or the "good" of healthy competition and the American economy - they only care about the money in their pockets. Until Americans wise up, they will continue doing what they are doing...polluting and destroying America.

[BikeFreak]

03:55 PM on 09/13/2009

Agreed and co-signed.

However, I have little faith in Americans (as a whole) to "wise up".

Walmart is like a big Orwellian shopping nightmare.

[mick7191]

11:55 AM on 09/13/2009

This makes me want to retch. I have seen more Walmarts in the midwest than I care to admit. The towns in which they build their stores are destroyed. No dress stores, no grocery stores, no pharmacies, no hardware stores. Just empty downtowns, just shells of small shops that once flourished. They kill the mom and pops and don't give a second thought. Some put up the argument that it's just "competition". Sure, if you are in the position to compete. When I start my third career, I will never,ever set another foot in a Walmart, ever. It almost makes you wish for the end of civilized society just to see them implode. That is what it would take to end their destruction.

[royevatom]

11:18 AM on 09/13/2009

I like the people who work at Wal Mart. I am glad that China is able to supply so many cheap products to us, we should be grateful for that. It is their nation they are polluting and their people they are exploiting, the result is that we have many products that help us live better lives.
Modern Corporate Philosophy I think causes our companies to seek immediate profits over long term gains and sustainable economics. This is real obvious since companies started moving out, fleeing Environmental Laws and rising Employee demands. Someone else did not do this to us. We did it to ourselves.
Once an institution like Wal Mart becomes viable it always makes workers rights, laws, the environment, fair trade and much more subservient to profit taking. Any one who has studied business knows this.
But then who are the shareholders? Who benefits from these cut throat business practices?
Already our government is run by business men and they work continuously to pave the way for entities like Wal Mart. We have seen the results of the combination of Communism and Human nature. We are now seeing the results of the combination of human nature and Capitalism.

[SEQUOIABISON]

08:53 AM on 09/13/2009

"New" approach by Walmart to "Crush" the competition.

This has been part of their corporate mission statement since day one. Just ask the millions of "mom and pop" stores formerly on main street USA how they were squeezed out of business by the unfair competition practices of Walmart.

They have been known to come into a town, drop prices below cost until they force local competitors out of business. This is the future of America, a rising middle class in China and a decreasing middle class in America.

Every single item sold at Walmarts is made in China. We are losing our manufacturing base because Wall Street hates unions and they love cheap labor, soon most workers in America will be working for the minimum wage and will no longer be able to afford the high ticketed items union workers were once able to buy.

[drymartini1]

01:24 PM on 09/13/2009

what unfair competition?

if you have huge scale and can dictate what your suppliers can make when they sell goods to you, thats unfair?

or take advantage of capital and labor all around the world is unfair?

[4TJefferson]

10:21 PM on 09/12/2009

I don't shop at Wal-Mart; never will. However, is this another "to big to fail" coming down the road?

[Skeetshooter]

12:46 PM on 09/12/2009

Oh, and I also don't shop there because they sell cheap poorly made crap!

[Skeetshooter]

12:45 PM on 09/12/2009

I never shop at Walmart specifically because I would like to continue to have other choices. Does anyone really think Walmart prices will stay low once they've destroyed all competition?

[Dbos]

11:28 AM on 09/12/2009

Wallmart = more $to China less for USA

[NoSillyName]

01:20 AM on 09/12/2009

"... to home in..." That should be "to HONE in"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I hate Walmart. Whatever happened to the supposed increase in ORGANIC produce and products?

[onwisconsin]

03:23 PM on 09/11/2009

We don't shop at Wal-Mart because we have other choices. We have nice selection of other stores which we may easily choose to frequent that match our values much more closely. However, I grew up in Arkansas and my parents still live there. In their town, they have one choice: a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Sure, they'd love not to shop at Wal-Mart but where will they go each time they need basic supplies? Drive 45 miles to the closest Target? I don't think so.

It isn't as simple as people would like to have you believe. Wal-Mart is a monopoly in a lot of places. Its business practices have put many people out of business. My parents' downtown was decimated when Wal-Mart first came in (70s). My grandfather made a great deal of money from Wal-Mart stock but that was back when that store's public statement was "Buy American". Now, it is simply lowest cost/quality. Workers are not treated well by management nor are they paid well. Benefits are horrible. But for workers in this economy in that little town, many with only high school diplomas (if that), a job is a job. Much of their paycheck gets plowed right back into the company store.

It's a sad statement on what we've become. I hear people decrying unions all around me but I can't help but think about people who really need unions to protect them. Until then, I'll be thankful for other options.

[liberal politics]

02:59 PM on 09/11/2009

This more than anything else is why I don't trust Obama anymore.

The moment it became clear he wasn't going to fight to actually clean up the financial industry is the moment it became clear that the hope and change rhetoric was just that, rhetoric. All he cares about is keeping corporate money in dem hands, he doesn't dare anger his corporate sponsors.

good articles 4 slow news day: http://www.iamned.com

the system needs to be overhauled cuz nothing seems to change ...

[royevatom]

11:38 AM on 09/13/2009

You might consider that Obama and the people who want change are up against the ones who have the most to lose if this nation is to adopt a more humane philosophy towards ourselves and others. The outrageous number of special interest groups and lobbyist needs to be addressed. There is a continual assault on our Government. The people who chose to work for the benefit of equality and justice are overwhelmed at every turn by the insanity produced from Entitlement and Privilege. Influence is power and power unused is no power at all.

[Brian Englert]

12:45 PM on 09/11/2009

Customer service? I quit shopping there 5 years ago after a cashier yelled at me for not notifying him of a free item coupon. He also bagged two items per bag. He also drooled. Customer service? People who are paid well for the work they do are generally happy. Does that sound like a wal Mart employee? I can't bring myself to shop there ever again. I did hear they are building a giant space station. It can destroy entire planets almost as if it were . . . A death star! Viva le Tarjay!

[Deborah]

12:34 PM on 09/11/2009

our