el_richo

Aaaah and people say the class system doesn't exist in Canada

dbd33

Refer Costo and Target, profitable companies and yet reasonable employers. AFAIK neither even has a company cheer.

Partially discharged

If Wal-Mart is doing that, more power to them....I, however, realize that their paranoia about unions is unbelievably extreme.....as you can imagine, unions and I aren't exactly on each others Christmas card lists.

Brownstar

Target are a competitor but Costco are not really...............and to be honest I prefer to shop in Target when in the US and Zellers here but if the exact same item is cheaper in Wal Mart then that is where I shall purchase it.

G77

Next time I'm in Wal-Mart, I'm going to get one of the "Made in Canada" signs off the Chinese tat and post it to DBD

dbd33

Isn't Sam's Club a direct knock off of Costco?

Brownstar

Maybe...........don't know what Sam's Club is

G77

It's Wal-Mart's version of Costco

Partially discharged

From what I've heard they have not been as successful as your bog standard sprawl mart and Costco has the bulk item market cornered.

dbd33

That's my understanding. My (sort of) parents-in-law live in a town with a Sam's Club but think it pays to drive five hours to Costco and stay overnight rather than shop at Sam's. (I think the calculation is valid but only if you consider that Costco is next to Applejack's discount liquor barn and they buy a lot of premium liquor).

scrubbedexpat091

I worked for Target and they get better press but are not much better, difficult to qualify for benefits as you have to average 32 hours a week or more which the store makes sure most wont acheive.

And although we did not cheer, it was all about target pride and pro-Target in the breakroom and how unions are bad and how Target is good etc etc etc.

Wages vary by location depending on local market, in California in 2003/2004 it was min. wage of 6.75/hr, Wal-Mart down the street (about 1 mile away) paid 9.15/hr.

Wal-Marts wages are very much in line with retail wages if not a little higher then the competition. I know my local Wal-Mart starts out at 8.75/hr vs 8.00/hr at Zellers, and most stores in the mall.
Target is smaller and thus gets less bad press then Wal-Mart but their core business is pretty much the same, sell lots of stuff for cheap.


I dont buy anything at Wal-Mart but dry goods (soaps, fish supplies, soda, etc) none of which is made in China except the fish filter stuff but same brand the pet store sells for double, why pay 6 bucks when I can pay 2.98?

Soda (coke pepsi) is 1.27 at Wal-Mart a little over 2 dollars at the grocery store.

Shoppers Drug mart, zellers etc dont exactly pay well or offer much in the way of benefits.

Retail in general is a crappy job that doesn't pay well.

Costco may pay better but they likely have better profit margins then a retailer not selling in bulk.

Wal-Mart, Targets etc have a think profit margin, and having to read the novel that was loss leader products at Target, they dont make anythng of some products but it gets you in the door.

dbd33

Can't argue with that.

Reason enough for me to shop there (as much as I shop anywhere, my business won't make or break any store).

scrubbedexpat091

Wal-Mart does buy alot from China but go to Canadian Tire and they dont exactly have shelves filled with Made in Canada or US.

Wal-Mart sells many products made in North America, most foods, soaps, paper products etc are all made in North America.

But I dont see Wal-Mart selling anymore made in China, Korea, insert county here then most other retailers.

I haven't seen a piece of clothing in years that was made inside North America, same with electronics most are made in China now it seems, even the companies from Japan.

Heck even Airbus have a production line in China now.

scrubbedexpat091

And I dont have the funds to buy at Coctco as buying a variety of smaller packages is better then a few bulk items.

I can get more for a dollar at Wal-Mart so thats where I go. Plus Zellers and Superstore not much better and higher prices.

No costco or bulk stores here.

dbd33

Please, please, do not for a moment think that I venture into Canadian Tire. Narrow aisles, filth, few English speaking employees, racks and racks of crap. Just another dollar store.