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Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
I stopped by the fly shop in Lewisburg today and the guy had a
handwritten sign on the door advertising an Orvis blow out. 40% off rods & reels, Orvis flies $12/dozen and 30% off everything else. I entered and asked him what was up with the Orvis deals... He said that Orvis is going to start selling their full line at Wal-Mart and that he's dropping his Orvis dealership and shopping for new vendors. He wasn't very happy about it, I assure you. He sounded like he had considered dropping Orvis when they started selling through Bass Pro but that ~Wal-Mart~ was simply going too far. I find an Orvis/Wal-Mart marriage to be quite amusing. Orvis has spent a lot of money on their brand image--and that image was ever anywhere near Wal-Mart--indeed, the image they seek is one of folks who don't even know where the nearest Wal-Mart is. Will I be able to buy Orvis clothing at Wal-Mart too? What's next, LL Bean at Kmart? I'm not the biggest Orvis fan in the world, but this move surprises me. Somewhere in NYC somebody with a closet full of Orvis gear is panicking right now... I assured him that Sam Walton was indeed one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, grabbed a pair of Orvis 7.5' 1X leaders, a dozen Orvis flies, some Orvis strike putty and hit the road. Amazed, Tom G |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Tom Gibson" wrote in message om... ...Orvis...and...Wal-Mart... Hm......Wal-Mart AND Orvis have jumped the shark. Stupid. Wolfgang |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
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Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
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Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"rw" wrote in message nk.net... wrote: It's not that big of a surprise. Orvis bought Redington to get exposure into the lower end market. The elitist market just isn't big enough. If you could sell 10,000 high-end flyrods at $500 profit or 100,000 low-end flyrods at $100 profit which would you do? I'd sell 10,000 high-end rods and be happy with the $5M profit and my good name, thank you very much. When manufacturers make deals with Wal Mart, they often regret it. Wal Mart quickly becomes the company's biggest customer, and then they squeeze margins ruthlessly. Eventually, when the manufacturer can't keep up, Wal Mart takes the business overseas, and ****s over the original partner. And they don't only do it to manufacturers. A few weeks ago the ****ers refused to take my MasterCard......said that MC charges them too much. Wolfgang content in the knowledge that he and wal-mart can live without one another. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 16:46:47 -0700, wrote:
In article , says... He said that Orvis is going to start selling their full line at Wal-Mart and that he's dropping his Orvis dealership and shopping for new vendors. He wasn't very happy about it, I assure you. He sounded like he had considered dropping Orvis when they started selling through Bass Pro but that ~Wal-Mart~ was simply going too far. Amazed, Tom G It's not that big of a surprise. Orvis bought Redington to get exposure into the lower end market. The elitist market just isn't big enough. If you could sell 10,000 high-end flyrods at $500 profit or 100,000 low-end flyrods at $100 profit which would you do? Buy low-end flyrod futures? Anyway.... Considering your theory, what did it mean when Orvis sold Redington back? /daytripper ("economically unsafe at any speed") |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
" says... He said that Orvis is going to start selling their full line at Wal-Mart and that he's dropping his Orvis dealership and shopping for Indian Joe opines---guess this is the death of the 500$ flyrod [ 39$ product cost- 262$ cost of sales- 199$ profit] Reminds me of my old sailboat racing days--Lands End used to sell sailing hardware until they found they could sell imported dresses that cost 12$ to manufacture for $149 or in the worst case ON SALE for only 30% off !!! How can we be elitist when the fly shop gets $3.75 for an Scientific Anglers 7X leader and Wall Mart has them on sale for $1.oo? different package !!! Welcome to the MacWorld of globalization. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
And they don't only do it to manufacturers. A few weeks ago the ****ers
refused to take my MasterCard......said that MC charges them too much. I had the same damn thing happen to me. Walmart got Visa to lower its rate to them, MasterCharge wouldn't follow suit so they banned 'em. Here's an elitist question. Its already been brought up here, in that many of Orvis' customers wouldn't know where a Walmart is. Walmart does the FLW tour for bass fishermen. Bass fishermen also go in to get parts for their boats. There's two hooks for the bass fishermen. Where's the hook to bring in a fly fisherman? We go to the fly shops to get that detailed knowledge. Its a whole different market than fly fishing. I equate it to the quilters market that Wally World tried to get into. There are a few folks who will make a quilt out of the 99 cent a yard fabrics that WM sells, but from the get-go, its going to be an inferior product. Same amount of work as a quilt made with 10 dollar a yard fabric, but the colors fade, the fabric dyes break down the fabric, the texture is not the same. Walmart lost out on that one. I think this will be the same. Yes, it will bring in some people who've never fly fished before, but they'll spend the money, not get the expert advice and end up with a fly rod in the back of the closet or a spinning reel on the thing for crappie. Right now, I think they just want to associate themselves with a "high-class" name, aka KMart's work with Martha Stewart. Luckily, Orvis won't have its namesake going to prison. -- Frank Reid Reverse email to reply |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Wolfgang" wrote in message ... "Tom Gibson" wrote in message om... ...Orvis...and...Wal-Mart... Hm......Wal-Mart AND Orvis have jumped the shark. Stupid. Wolfgang " says... He said that Orvis is going to start selling their full line at Wal-Mart and that he's dropping his Orvis dealership and shopping for Indian Joe opines---guess this is the death of the 500$ flyrod [ 39$ product cost- 262$ cost of sales- 199$ profit] Reminds me of my old sailboat racing days--Lands End used to sell sailing hardware until they found they could sell imported dresses that cost 12$ to manufacture for $149 or in the worst case ON SALE for only 30% off !!! How can we be elitist when the fly shop gets $3.75 for an Scientific Anglers 7X leader and Wall Mart has them on sale for $1.oo? different package !!! Welcome to the MacWorld of globalization. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Frank Reid" wrote in message different market than fly fishing. I equate it to the quilters market that Wally World tried to get into. There are a few folks who will make a quilt out of the 99 cent a yard fabrics that WM sells, but from the get-go, its going to be an inferior product. Same amount of work as a quilt made with 10 dollar a yard fabric, but the colors fade, the fabric dyes break down the fabric, the texture is not the same. Walmart lost out on that one. Indian Joe evokes---quilting must have really changed from grandmother's days--she made quilts out of old pieces of cloth -a piece of overalls, part of material left from making Aunt Sally"s wedding dress--even a piece of old Great Grandfather's civil war uniform. A recently read story by a southern author made a reference to a quilt made of remnants of old men"s suit coats-- "That quilt has alot of funerals ." |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
Indian Joe evokes---quilting must have really changed from grandmother's
days--she made quilts out of old pieces of cloth -a piece of overalls, part of material left from making Aunt Sally"s wedding dress--even a piece of old Great Grandfather's civil war uniform. A recently read story by a southern author made a reference to a quilt made of remnants of old men"s suit coats-- "That quilt has alot of funerals ." And the fabric used in the old flour sacks, due to the nature of weight it was designed to carry, was a very good fabric by today's standards. We, as a society, either throw away or donate our old clothes. The marketing genuises have made us a throw-away society, so, when we're making a quilt, we use new fabric. Many of the older, more valuble quilts were made in the same way. Just a smaller percentage than today's quilts. Its all in manhour costs vs making beauty out of frugality. Right now, you can buy a goose down comforter that will keep you much warmer than 99% of the quilts in the world. The materials in that down comforter may be 5 times more expensive, but the 15 minutes of manhours that it take to make it blows away the hundreds of manhours required of the quilt. Quilting is now a hobby, not a necessity. -- Frank Reid Reverse email to reply |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Frank Reid" wrote in message ... And they don't only do it to manufacturers. A few weeks ago the ****ers refused to take my MasterCard......said that MC charges them too much. I had the same damn thing happen to me. Walmart got Visa to lower its rate to them, MasterCharge wouldn't follow suit so they banned 'em. Here's an elitist question. Its already been brought up here, in that many of Orvis' customers wouldn't know where a Walmart is. Walmart does the FLW tour for bass fishermen. Bass fishermen also go in to get parts for their boats. There's two hooks for the bass fishermen. Where's the hook to bring in a fly fisherman? Orvis and Wal-Mart are betting that Orvis is that hook. We go to the fly shops to get that detailed knowledge. Its a whole different market than fly fishing. I equate it to the quilters market that Wally World tried to get into. There are a few folks who will make a quilt out of the 99 cent a yard fabrics that WM sells, but from the get-go, its going to be an inferior product. Same amount of work as a quilt made with 10 dollar a yard fabric, but the colors fade, the fabric dyes break down the fabric, the texture is not the same. Walmart lost out on that one. I think this will be the same. Yes, it will bring in some people who've never fly fished before, but they'll spend the money, not get the expert advice and end up with a fly rod in the back of the closet or a spinning reel on the thing for crappie. Right now, I think they just want to associate themselves with a "high-class" name, aka KMart's work with Martha Stewart. Luckily, Orvis won't have its namesake going to prison. Point taken, but it's stretched a bit. In fact, a lot of the fabrics sold by Wal-Mart are identical to those found in dedicated quilt shops......same manufacturers, same product codes and, frequently enough, same dye lots. Sometimes it takes a bit of sleuthing, but generally it's easy enough to figure out.....all the information is typically on the bolt ends. Um......yeah, I checked. :) I suspect that, as has been said here often enough, it's much the same with fly fishing gear insofar as one will find identical products in both high and low end shops. The difference is that a lot of this stuff is sold under a variety of different labels, making identification of the manufacturers and products specifications more difficult. Whereas one can usually trace a bit of fabric back to it's manufacturer (and even to the date of manufacture.....if you know what bolt it came from), doing the same with fishing gear is virtually impossible for the average consumer without access to specialized knowledge of the byzantine relationships between manufacturers and their various clients. For example, the printed design on a piece of fabric is generally proprietary....if you find out who owns the copyright, you know who made it, or can find out easily. Conversely, most fly rods have no distinctive features that readily identify them as being made by a particular manufacturer. The distinctive natures of the two industries are such that while the labels on the goods of one tell you a lot, those on the products of the other may or may not tell you anything at all. Wolfgang |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"rw" wrote in message
nk.net... wrote: It's not that big of a surprise. Orvis bought Redington to get exposure into the lower end market. The elitist market just isn't big enough. If you could sell 10,000 high-end flyrods at $500 profit or 100,000 low-end flyrods at $100 profit which would you do? I'd sell 10,000 high-end rods and be happy with the $5M profit and my good name, thank you very much. When manufacturers make deals with Wal Mart, they often regret it. Wal Mart quickly becomes the company's biggest customer, and then they squeeze margins ruthlessly. Eventually, when the manufacturer can't keep up, Wal Mart takes the business overseas, and ****s over the original partner. I suspect that the Orvis equipment you buy at Wal Mart will in no way resemble what comes from the actual Orvis factory. And, your typical Wal Mart customer won't know or care, either. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... I suspect that the Orvis equipment you buy at Wal Mart will in no way resemble what comes from the actual Orvis factory. And, your typical Wal Mart customer won't know or care, either. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't know or care either......but then, maybe I'm a typical Wal-Mart customer. What are the diagnostic features? Wolfgang |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Wolfgang" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ... .......said that MC charges them too much. Wolfgang It´s a foul slander! They never give me any of it! TL MC |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 05:40:13 -0500, "Wolfgang"
wrote: "Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... I suspect that the Orvis equipment you buy at Wal Mart will in no way resemble what comes from the actual Orvis factory. And, your typical Wal Mart customer won't know or care, either. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't know or care either......but then, maybe I'm a typical Wal-Mart customer. What are the diagnostic features? Wolfgang A lot of us are missing our front teef. g.c. And don't forget the gall bladder scars and whining kids. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Wolfgang" wrote I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't know or care either......but then, maybe I'm a typical Wal-Mart customer. What are the diagnostic features? a rather sardonic attitude, curly hair, and large, round eyeglasses. yfitons wayno (they are often found in the hinterlands of wisconsin, as well) |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
????? So are they going to put Orvis labels on their Hodgeman stuff, or
just start up a whole new production facility for Walmart? And, your typical Wal Mart customer won't know or care, either. Damned low-lifes. I wish they'd just get outta town. Tim Based upon a recent forerunner of this discussion on another forum, Orvis intends to market only their entry level items via WalMart. Even that is bad enough in my estimation. As for the "typical customer," I avoid the place like plague so I no longer have any idea who might be typical. But a guess would include all the poor *******s who've been downsized, outsourced, laid off, and underpaid to the point where they can't afford to shop where they might prefer. -- Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69 Drowning flies to Dark Star http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"slenon" wrote in message
om... ????? So are they going to put Orvis labels on their Hodgeman stuff, or just start up a whole new production facility for Walmart? And, your typical Wal Mart customer won't know or care, either. Damned low-lifes. I wish they'd just get outta town. Tim Based upon a recent forerunner of this discussion on another forum, Orvis intends to market only their entry level items via WalMart. Even that is bad enough in my estimation. As for the "typical customer," I avoid the place like plague so I no longer have any idea who might be typical. But a guess would include all the poor *******s who've been downsized, outsourced, laid off, and underpaid to the point where they can't afford to shop where they might prefer. Actually, I wasn't referring to someone's economic position or job status. The store attracts customers who find ONE thing cheaper there than elsewhere, and blindly assume that EVERYTHING is cheaper. Groceries are a perfect example. Anyone who follows their grocery bills the RIGHT way will find that they're not saving anything, at least anyplace there's decent competition. Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent in that category. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Wolfgang" wrote in message
... "Frank Reid" wrote in message ... And they don't only do it to manufacturers. A few weeks ago the ****ers refused to take my MasterCard......said that MC charges them too much. I had the same damn thing happen to me. Walmart got Visa to lower its rate to them, MasterCharge wouldn't follow suit so they banned 'em. Here's an elitist question. Its already been brought up here, in that many of Orvis' customers wouldn't know where a Walmart is. Walmart does the FLW tour for bass fishermen. Bass fishermen also go in to get parts for their boats. There's two hooks for the bass fishermen. Where's the hook to bring in a fly fisherman? Orvis and Wal-Mart are betting that Orvis is that hook. Cripes....the WM employees can't put 10 boxes of cereal on display neatly. Imagine a rack of 100 different flies..... |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't know or care either......but then, maybe I'm
a typical Wal-Mart customer. What are the diagnostic features? A lot of us are missing our front teef. Walmart customer or hockey player? -- Frank Reid Reverse Email to reply |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Greg Pavlov" wrote in message
... On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:52 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent in that category. That's because Wegman's is in town, which is probably the best there is in the supermarket business, and Tops also competes very well. True. But, Wal Mart's got grocery problems elsewhere, too. There's been a huge amount of consolidating in the wholesale end of the grocery biz. Almost any sizeable wholesaler can buy as good as, or better than WM these days. So, even smaller stores who buy through wholesalers end up with the benefits. It's not that hard to torture the manufacturers for better pricing. I don't know about WM anywhere but here, but in our 2 stores, the produce is really lousy, and much of the meat is treated with some sort of tenderizing agent. It's right on the label. I don't recall the name of the stuff, and it's probably safe, but who cares? So, if you happen to like fruit & vegetables, and meat without stuff in it, you have to go to two stores to do your shopping. As soon as that happens, you're not saving money any more. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:20:05 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote: "Greg Pavlov" wrote in message .. . On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:52 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent in that category. That's because Wegman's is in town, which is probably the best there is in the supermarket business, and Tops also competes very well. True. But, Wal Mart's got grocery problems elsewhere, too. There's been a huge amount of consolidating in the wholesale end of the grocery biz. Almost any sizeable wholesaler can buy as good as, or better than WM these days. So, even smaller stores who buy through wholesalers end up with the benefits. It's not that hard to torture the manufacturers for better pricing. I don't know about WM anywhere but here, but in our 2 stores, the produce is really lousy, and much of the meat is treated with some sort of tenderizing agent. It's right on the label. I don't recall the name of the stuff, and it's probably safe, but who cares? So, if you happen to like fruit & vegetables, and meat without stuff in it, you have to go to two stores to do your shopping. As soon as that happens, you're not saving money any more. Our Walmart doesn't carry many groceries yet. But the stuff they do carry is more expensive than the local grocery stores. The Walmarts that I've been in that do carry produce don't seem to take very good care of the stuff. A lot of brown lettuce and wrinkled peppers. g.c. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Tom Gibson" wrote in message om... The organization is huge and ruthless. If they don't get what they want, they will find a way. Wal-mart sells a "product" $100-120.00 (for non-disclosure reasons I can't give the product description) that is only sourced from one supplier. Wal-mart had beat the supplier down so far on price, they were almost giving the item away trying to make it on volume with small margins. My understanding is the supplier finally got tired of Wal-mart pushing their weight around and increased the price 5 % and said if you don't like it find someone else, knowing they had no other suppliers. Wal-mart has gone out and procured a supplier to manufacture a similar product at 75 % of the cost. This will likely squeeze the other company out of business within 3 - 5 years. JT (who drives past Wal-mart if I can help it) |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
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Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"George Cleveland" wrote in message
... On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:20:05 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: "Greg Pavlov" wrote in message .. . On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:52 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent in that category. That's because Wegman's is in town, which is probably the best there is in the supermarket business, and Tops also competes very well. True. But, Wal Mart's got grocery problems elsewhere, too. There's been a huge amount of consolidating in the wholesale end of the grocery biz. Almost any sizeable wholesaler can buy as good as, or better than WM these days. So, even smaller stores who buy through wholesalers end up with the benefits. It's not that hard to torture the manufacturers for better pricing. I don't know about WM anywhere but here, but in our 2 stores, the produce is really lousy, and much of the meat is treated with some sort of tenderizing agent. It's right on the label. I don't recall the name of the stuff, and it's probably safe, but who cares? So, if you happen to like fruit & vegetables, and meat without stuff in it, you have to go to two stores to do your shopping. As soon as that happens, you're not saving money any more. Our Walmart doesn't carry many groceries yet. But the stuff they do carry is more expensive than the local grocery stores. The Walmarts that I've been in that do carry produce don't seem to take very good care of the stuff. A lot of brown lettuce and wrinkled peppers. Here, the fishing tackle's just as cheap at Gander Mountain, Galyan's and Dick's, and the selection is MUCH better. Motor oil is cheaper at Advanced Auto Parts. Batteries are cheap anywhere if you take 3 seconds to clip the endless stream of Duracell coupons. I'll go to WM for some stuff - they had a great selection of Igloo coolers last summer, and they were much cheaper than at Wegman's. But meanwhile, K-Mart polished up their stores and they are excellent. In 4 visits, every single person I spoke to knew where things were, and behaved as if they WANTED customers. At WM, they act like you're bothering them if you ask for the location of something exotic, like Rubbermaid storage containers. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Greg Pavlov" wrote in message
... On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:20:05 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: True. But, Wal Mart's got grocery problems elsewhere, too. .... That's true as well, but there was a major labor action in California over the past 6 weeks or so that revolved around WalMart's impact on the grocery business, so it must be having a significant effect. I've wondered whether WM has the same kind of influence on our local newspaper (a Gannett rag) as other deep-pockets businesses. Every so often, the paper will do a comparison of grocery prices between our two chains, Wegman's and Tops. They never include WM. If they did, the game would be over for WM. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed
it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If people dislike them so much, why do they shop there? - Ken All too often, because it is the only store left in many small towns. And, again, all too often because they can't afford to shop where they might find better made merchandise. -- Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69 Drowning flies to Dark Star http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 18:15:10 GMT, "slenon"
wrote: I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If people dislike them so much, why do they shop there? - Ken All too often, because it is the only store left in many small towns. And, again, all too often because they can't afford to shop where they might find better made merchandise. Our town (Merrill, WI) is probably pretty typical. Before Walmart moved in we had a couple department stores, a half dozen clothes stores and other small businesses (cafes etc.) downtown. After Walmart we lost both of the department stores and most of the clothing stores. The other small businesses regularly change owners as they find it impossible to make enough money to stay in business in that location. Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift. g.c. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
From: George Cleveland
Our town (Merrill, WI) is probably pretty typical. Before Walmart moved in we had a couple department stores, a half dozen clothes stores and other small businesses (cafes etc.) downtown. After Walmart we lost both of the department stores and most of the clothing stores. The other small businesses regularly change owners as they find it impossible to make enough money to stay in business in that location. Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift. Just the opposite in the town of my birth, Ware, MA. They lost all the department stores and all but one specialty clothing store by the early nineties. The main street had several empty stores, and the restaurants, auto parts, and other surviving small businesses moved to the outskirts of town. Most of the locals shopped in Springfield, the nearest city. There was only one supermarket, part of an area chain, and they took full advantage of their monopoly status. Enter Wal-Mart. They built near the businesses that had moved south of town, and in time added a full grocery store. They provided much needed jobs, and widened the tax base. Business interest in the town increased, specialty appliance and electronics shops opened on Main Street. The one remaining specialty clothing shop flourished. Professionals moved their offices into the remaining empty storefronts. A new auto parts shop opened down the road, and another new one is opening this summer directly across the street from W.M. This isn't a bad idea, as folks looking for auto pats at W.M. are likely to be disappointed, and there will be a full service shop across the steet. In addition, Home Depot has taken notice of what happened here, and will likely be building a new store on the W.M. property. Conclusion is that W.M. can kill thriving small businesses, but if these enterprises are already gone, a big box store can be a real boon to a depressed community. George Adams "All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of youth that doth not grow stale with age." ---- J.W Muller |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
In article ,
wrote: In article , says... The organization is huge and ruthless. [snip] JT (who drives past Wal-mart if I can help it) I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If people dislike them so much, why do they shop there? - Ken First, it was Mr. Taylor that made the 'huge & ruthless' comment. The fact that I agree with him doesn't make the quote mine... Second, you are correct--Wal-Mart and Kmart are strikingly similar from the consumer POV. From the wholesaler POV, Wal-Mart is very different. Wal-Mart owns very little inventory. Think of it as the world's biggest consignment shop. Manufacturers/Wholesalers/Distributors put their stuff on Wal-Mart's shelves and Wal-Mart pays for them after they've sold. If they don't sell, it's not Wal-Mart's problem. An interesting business model that has been incredibly successful. Success often breeds despite, deserved or otherwise. They are extremely competitive price-wise because they don't own billions in inventory. They are very aggressive when it comes to negotiating with the suppliers of their merchandise. IMO, they would prefer to sell total junk for the lowest possible price than to sell a product of reasonable quality for an additional 5%. Kmart is slightly better when it comes to quality on many items. Target is better yet (quality-wise) but has an anti-gun/hunting/fishing stance I don't care for. IME, Wal-Mart is the kind of place that if you go there looking for something specific, they won't have it. OTOH, if you go to Wal-Mart uncertain about what you're looking for, you'll buy *something* while you're there. I rarely go to Wal-Mart as a first choice. Tom G |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique
shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift. g.c. This matches my experience in two small towns. Store after store closed and the buildings remained empty when I was last in either town. Fortunately, both were county seats so there remains a small population of attorneys, bail bondsmen, and various other occupations common to courthouse squares that still occupy some of the store fronts and upper floor offices. People who once walked to full-time jobs with benefits must now find transportation to the far edges of town to work part-time jobs with no benefits. People who once proudly made and bought products made in the USA now make nothing and buy poorly made Chinese copies of the shoes, shirts, pants, and other products they no longer manufacture. Sponsoring a little league or soccer team doesn't quite make up for the way that small town squares look at 3:00 PM on a weekday. -- Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69 Drowning flies to Dark Star http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
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Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:36:08 GMT, "slenon"
wrote: Now we have several empty storefronts and a bunch of antique shops who never seem to have anyone inside when I go in. Development in the town has shifted to the area around Wallyworld, with several fast food places and motels being built in the last few years. It has brought growth to some parts of the community but it seems to have removed any sense of community from the growth, if you get my drift. g.c. This matches my experience in two small towns. Store after store closed and the buildings remained empty when I was last in either town. Fortunately, both were county seats so there remains a small population of attorneys, bail bondsmen, and various other occupations common to courthouse squares that still occupy some of the store fronts and upper floor offices. People who once walked to full-time jobs with benefits must now find transportation to the far edges of town to work part-time jobs with no benefits. People who once proudly made and bought products made in the USA now make nothing and buy poorly made Chinese copies of the shoes, shirts, pants, and other products they no longer manufacture. Sponsoring a little league or soccer team doesn't quite make up for the way that small town squares look at 3:00 PM on a weekday. Merrill is the county seat of Lincoln county. I can vouch for the attorney offices. As far as bail bondsmen...I think they take chickens and other produce in trade for prisoners at the county jail. g.c. |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
In article ,
"Doug Kanter" wrote: Cripes....the WM employees can't put 10 boxes of cereal on display neatly. Imagine a rack of 100 different flies..... THey already do have flies. At least our WM does. They have the same plastic compartmental type do hickey that some fly shops use. They also sell scientific angler flyrods, flyreels, combo's, fly line, leader, etc. I saw a okuma sierra fly reel at walmart for $30. -- Bush is a disgrace to the constitution. See http://www.amconmag.com/12_15_03/feature.html http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=...ticle&sid= 39 |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
wrote in message ... In article , says... I don't believe I've ever been in a Wal-mart before (I just assumed it was like a giant K-mart) since there isn't one anywhere nearby. If people dislike them so much, why do they shop there? - Ken Your correct, they are a large K-mart. In part, WM has become a one stop shop, they carry most everything the average person needs at a reasonable price (quality is another issue). I see many people drive in for an oil change, do their odds and ends shopping and pickup the groceries required for the week. Personally, not my bag. It comes down to convenience. I am not so sure "most" people don't see what WM does. They moved in and the K-mart and Rite Aid down the block both went out of business.... JT |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
Merrill is the county seat of Lincoln county. I can vouch for the
attorney offices. As far as bail bondsmen...I think they take chickens and other produce in trade for prisoners at the county jail. g.c. I was fortunate to escape that locale before the loss of currency as a means of exchange. However, there was the time the truck carrying a load of frozen hams broke down and the local hospital wound up somehow destributing them as holiday bonuses. Not wanting one, I, of course, received two. They had an off odor and a green sheen through the plastic wrap that somehow suggested Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They somehow went missing between work and the house. Nor did I ever eat ham in that hospital cafeteria after that time. -- Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69 Drowning flies to Dark Star http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
Greg Pavlov wrote in
: On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:52 GMT, "Doug Kanter" wrote: Around here (Rochester NY), Wal Mart hasn't made much of a dent in that category. That's because Wegman's is in town, which is probably the best there is in the supermarket business, and Tops also competes very well. Wegman's is great, but also not so great for the small business owner. They compete with pharmacies, dry cleaners, video rental places, pet stores, and some restaurants. Scott |
Orvis + Wal-Mart = Angry local shopkeep
"Steve Sullivan" wrote in message
... In article , "Doug Kanter" wrote: Cripes....the WM employees can't put 10 boxes of cereal on display neatly. Imagine a rack of 100 different flies..... THey already do have flies. At least our WM does. They have the same plastic compartmental type do hickey that some fly shops use. They also sell scientific angler flyrods, flyreels, combo's, fly line, leader, etc. I saw a okuma sierra fly reel at walmart for $30. Well, if fly shops begin to vanish the way gun shops do when Wally World comes to town, and new anglers can't get advice, there should be some excellent streamside comedy in the future. |
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