Walmart deal gets the nod

So it's okay for you to get your flatsreen tv for a bit less while hundreds of people lose their jobs and as you point out smaller companies will also close down resulting in more job losses.
I also don't understand this reduced price theory, Massmart is quite successful why reduce prices when you can keep status quo and reap the profits. Look at my quoted examples vodacom and absa.

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Just to report, they did not get me ... No need to worry.
 
Nothing will change if you ask me...

Wal-Mart have bought MassMart (or at least a large stake in it) because of the profits the company makes....
 
oronte said:
So it's okay for you to get your flatsreen tv for a bit less while hundreds of people lose their jobs and as you point out smaller companies will also close down resulting in more job losses.
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Yes. Its called competition.

Too long have we been ripped off by paying astronomical prices. If this brings down prices and adds competition to force other retailers to drop their prices then all is good.
 
oronte said:
So it's okay for you to get your flatsreen tv for a bit less while hundreds of people lose their jobs and as you point out smaller companies will also close down resulting in more job losses.
I also don't understand this reduced price theory, Massmart is quite successful why reduce prices when you can keep status quo and reap the profits. Look at my quoted examples vodacom and absa.

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Vodafone and Barclays have different business models, and operate in different sectors. There is a limitation on the amount of cellular operators and banks we have in SA, and they are therefore protected. You can thank government intervention for that.

There's no such limit in the retail sector.
 
ocleroux said:
What is Massmart? I have never seen their stores anywhere?

But this sounds like a good thing. :-)
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Slaps Oc

Game, Dion Wired, Makro, Builders Warehouse, Builders Express, Builders Trade Depot, Jumbo and Shield
 
There was a discussion on 702 this morning comparing countries like the UK with very lax labour laws, but only 7% unemployment against Spain with very advanced labour laws, but 25% unemployment. The conclusion? Countries with relaxed labour laws had less unemployment because it was easier for entrepreneurs to start new business, companies fought harder to keep the employees who worked harder, and the unemployed had to get educated and get resolved to work harder for the jobs that were available (knowing the would be fired if they were lazy).

Strict labour laws only encourage laziness. How do you think Walmart went from owning 5 stores in the 1950s to being a 50 billion dollar company today? You say through exploitation, I say through hard work, effective organisation, and competitive strategy.

Note that Walmart was not the only company to provide these services in the USA... K-Mart is much older than Walmart and tried to do the same thing much earlier... but they were swept away in Walmart's wake. Why? becase K-mart unions look out for their worker's interests. Today Walmart employs a thousand times more people than K-Mart.

BTW... the Teamster's Union (aka Shelf packers) in the USA is one of the biggest strongest Unions in the world with huge ties in the mafia, massive government lobby, etc. They have become as big and lumbering as big government itself. Walmart was not prepared to deal with them, but is very willing to engage directly with the workers themselves.
 
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I doubt they will re-brand. They have not done that in other countries. They will just operate under the current names.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Ermm, that's their business model :/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart

I don't care if they won't be hiring new employees for a long time. Existing employees need to know that they are replaceable, and must therefore start performing to keep their jobs. For far too long has this country been held to ransom by the unions and incompetent employees with a sense of entitlement.

How is a reduced workforce always a bad thing? Do you really need to employ 10 people to stamp your receipt upon leaving a store? Would you do that if it was your own money?

It's not up to the private sector to ensure high employment rates. Political parties made such promises during their election campaigns, and they must therefore be the ones responsible for it.
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If I had the extra money I certainly would try to employ more people (although perhaps by creating other divisions, offering useful services, etc). So you're happy with higher unemployment then? Just don't complain about the crime rate. And by all means walk around with blinkers on and ignore starvation and the millions living below the poverty line (not just here but across the developing world). And before I hear the ill-conceived - they must be lazy speech which some of you have begun spouting I would like an explanation for how people are to begin getting a quality education if they can't afford food or a proper house in the first place? If no one offers them jobs how can they possibly hope to better their lives? The walmart brand of capitalism is exactly what's wrong with the world. Profits are the only consideration - who cares about people or the planet?
 
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oronte said:
If I had the extra money I certainly would try to employ more people (although perhaps by creating other divisions, offering useful services, etc). So you're happy with higher unemployment then? Just don't complain about the crime rate. And by all means walk around with blinkers on and ignore starvation and the millions living below the poverty line (not just here but across the developing world). And before I hear the ill-conceived - they must be lazy speech which some of you have begun spouting I would like an explanation for how people are to begin getting a quality education if they can't afford food or a proper house in the first place? If no one offers them jobs how can they possibly hope to better their lives? The walmart brand of capitalism is exactly what's wrong with the world. Profits are the only consideration - who cares about people or the planet?
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I'd rather employ 5 competent people than 20 incompetent people who have a sense of entitlement and will hold me to ransom via their union.

Call me cruel if you want, I don't care. I'd rather see people who want a job, and are willing to work for it to succeed, than those who demand one because they think it's their god given right due to some election campaign.
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I'd rather employ 5 competent people than 20 incompetent people who have a sense of entitlement and will hold me to ransom via their union.

Call me cruel if you want, I don't care. I'd rather see people who want a job, and are willing to work for it to succeed, than those who demand one because they think it's their god given right due to some election campaign.
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So your fantastic solution is to simply ignore the existence of those 20 people? Yes that will make for a better society for sure. Whether you like it or not they are out there and if we all don't take collective responsibility for educating our own citizens then we're headed for absolute disaster.
 
oronte, show me one country in the world where Walmart can be directly cited for causing unemployment?

you do realise that they are the biggest private employer in the world?
 
Why is everyone so excited over this? You expect this to miraculously bring cheap prices and better service?

Vodafone owns 65% of Vodacom (according to Wikipedia), a lot of good that does for us :rolleyes:

All this changes is where the money they milk from us goes. Now even more of it will go out of the country.
 
Maddmatt said:
Why is everyone so excited over this? You expect this to miraculously bring cheap prices and better service?

Vodafone owns 65% of Vodacom (according to Wikipedia), a lot of good that does for us :rolleyes:

All this changes is where the money they milk from us goes. Now even more of it will go out of the country.
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Refer to my comment earlier concerning Vodafone and Barclays.
 
I only hope they bring in reasonably priced iPads. :p Hopefully Walmart can get around Core's monopolistic pricing regime.
 
Walmart still need to conform to the following in SA:
1. TAX laws
2. Employment laws
3. Equity laws
4. Import duties
5. etc

So how will they undercut other businesses? If they can go the legal route, and still give better prices, then that would only mean we had been screwed for a long time by the local companies.
 
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