Comments on: WalMart Shuts Down Unionized Canadian Store

By: David G

David G — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 04:26:55 +0000

used to be there were 2 ways to get big returns – a) grow revenues efficiently b) reinvent yourself (innovate) …. while brilliant at (a), walmart’s learning that option b is no longer an option … shame on them for not using some of that cash to disrupt a few other value chains on behalf of the consumers they claim to advocate for …

By: Scott M

Scott M — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 22:44:39 +0000

Maybe success bring pRoblems too, but size certainly plays a factor. The aformentioned pRoblem with growth is one example.

Isn’t there a business model that recognizes the fact that companies can’t grow forever? Seriously, nothing is infinite. Every company has to slow down at some point.

As far as the union is concerned, I hold nothing against Wal-Mart or the unions. There is nothing wrong with a company shutting down a store in order to avoid being unionized. It’s the companies that try to have it both ways, keeping the business going while excluding the union, that I have a pRoblem with.

There are thousands of Wal-Mart stores. If the employees really wanted to be unionized, there would be a lot more stories like this.

By: Bill Wells

Bill Wells — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:10:37 +0000

Walton, a radical retailer was working on continuous improvement before it was popular. Always looking at ways to economize in order to bring value to the customer, the rural folks.

By: laurence haughton

laurence haughton — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:15:46 +0000

…and when you think about the massive size of the task Wal-Mart faces it would be leadership malpractice to try it dragging a bunch of dead weight (bad attitudes, (c)knucklehead rules, union bureaucracy, etc.).

By: laurence haughton

laurence haughton — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:36:59 +0000

The biggest pRoblem size brings (and there are several I can list) is the “size” of the increases you have to deliver in real $. For Wal-Mart to grow 10% (and last year sales increased 11.41%) it has to find tens of billions in additional sales. That means selling lots more customers and/or lots more to each customer.

What would we say to any group who found a way to sell $10-$20 billion more? I’d say, “Wow.” But for Wal-Mart that’s not even a 10% improvement.

So when you consider the task put it in real $ not just in a percent.

By: Director Mitch

Director Mitch — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 15:00:22 +0000

It’s not size that brings pRoblems, it’s success.

The U.S. is considered a politically risky place to do business since successful businesses are targeted by everyone from trial lawyers to government regulators, to “consumer advocates”.