This is why Walmart is winning.

[Crunchtime]

So, I was in town today and decided I must check the air pressure in my tires.

 

I pull into CarQuest and as soon as I walk in the door a guy asks what I need. I tell him I need a cheapo air pressure gauge. He takes me to the gauges and of the six he has the cheapest is $8.00. Mind you it was the super cheap made in China junk gauge. I tell him that's more than I want to pay for one and he looks at me like I slapped him in the face.

 

I go down the road to Napa. I know they have a bucket of cheapies on the counter. Wrong. The Napa guy shows me his selection. Nothing in the store is priced. WTF? I ask how much the cheapo is and he looks insulted that I would ask and not just buy it. He takes it to the counter all pissed off he has to price check it. $7.49. I tell him it's too much and I'll just wait till I get home to check my tires. The guy looked like he wanted to choke slam me.

 

WTF? Those cheapo pen style gauges are .98 at Walmart. {censored}, for $8 I can get the round cased needle gauge. WTF?

[madryan]

Or... you do what I do and buy one good one that lasts years and carry a cheapo in the car...

 

Avoid walmart and the rest entirely... Profit...

 

I totally get what you're saying tho.

[Crunchtime]

 

Or... you do what I do and buy one good one that lasts years and carry a cheapo in the car... Avoid walmart and the rest entirely... Profit... I totally get what you're saying tho.

 

 

I've got a few nice ones at home. I just wanted a cheapo in my truck. My cheapos always disappear.

[Kardula]

if it's the exact same type of guage then yeah, that's effing stupid. I think it's retarded that people piss and moan about the lack of hands on knowledge and experience with walmart employees and they're putting small shops out for only a few cents more on items....I'm sorry, but unless I'm buying a guage used on christina hendrick's boobies, I'm not paying more than a couple bucks including tax

[madryan]

I won't buy from Walmart if it's something I care about with regards to quality. The {censored} they sell is built to meet a price point. Often it looks like a similar model from the same manufacturer but it's a walmart only model and is missing features.

 

I prefer to buy specialized stuff from specialized shops but I don't really "consume" much.

[Crunchtime]

I don't mind paying more for quality but, I'm not going to pay out the nose for cheap Chinese junk and that's what it was. I also avoid Walmart but, today just made me think about Walmart. A lot of places get under cut and can't compete with Walmart prices but, $8 for the cheapest quality air gauge on the planet is pure greed. Those types of establishments deserve to fail and they eventually will.

[isvoid]

 

I'm why wal*mart is winning.

 

 

yep

[JR13]

People complain about Walmart, but ultimately aren't willing to pay more to get the items from somewhere else. Their choice.

[cdstrings]

Kind of had a similar experience today, just a tad different. I had a 10$ Kohl's cash coupon and I needed some underwear. Go there and the 4-packs are $38 for a damn pack of underwear. Even with a free 10$ wasn't going to pay $28. Go across the parking lot to Target(Walmart's are to nasty), $11 for the same exact pack. WTF!

[Ron Burgandy]

People complain about Walmart, but ultimately aren't willing to pay more to get the items from somewhere else. Their choice.

 

 

exactly.

 

 

how does wal mart keep their prices so low? people undervaluing their time, products and customers that would rather save $7 by spending $1 on a product they didn't need in the first place.

[dicky sofa]

and then you wonder why there's no jobs in amerikkka...

[Ovid9]

exactly. how does wal mart keep their prices so low? people undervaluing their time, products and customers that would rather save $7 by spending $1 on a product they didn't need in the first place.

 

This is what I was thinking. Wal-mart is out of my way. Its a minimum 45 minute ordeal to go there. Even if I value my time at $10/hr, I can still go to the hardware store up the street, pay more for the item, but still be money ahead.

 

And not have to deal with the creeps at walmart.

[K-Bizzle]

 

exactly. how does wal mart keep their prices so low? people undervaluing their time, products and customers that would rather save $7 by spending $1 on a product they didn't need in the first place.

 

 

And thats the problem right there on the whole.

The real negative about it is people end up just buying tons of cheap garbage simply because its cheap never thinking about or realizing that NOT buying {censored} you don't need actually saves you a lot more.

[~Abstract~]

Yeah well if Napa and Carquest gave a {censored} about you and pressed the supplier to give them the BEST COST, they could pass that on to you.

 

That's what you're seeing here.

 

Options which help to create an efficient supply chain which combines with economy of scale to provide you a choice between two great options at a lower cost than competitors.

[diocide]

So you spent 7 dollars in gas to save 7 dollars. Makes sense.

[kissmyace]

 

Yeah well if Napa and Carquest gave a {censored} about you and pressed the supplier to give them the BEST COST, they could pass that on to you. That's what you're seeing here. Options which help to create an efficient supply chain which combines with economy of scale to provide you a choice between two great options at a lower cost than competitors.

 

 

 

They mark their stuff up a ton and usually have several different prices for different customers

[PDbyS]

$8 doesn't seem expensive for a tire pres gauge, unless it was the pen type.

 

Edit: Looking at the prices for gauges on Amazon confirms that. $8 is very reasonable for a non-digital gauge.

[The Anomaly]

Me and Mrs. Anomaly don't go to Walmart that much, just for little household stuff, but I don't feel any less 'patriotic' buying my toothpaste and deodorant there, vs. the supermarket or drug store. It's the same exact brand, made in the same place. Walmart just has slightly better hours than our drug store does.

[gspointer]

Looks like the NAPA one is made in USA.

[SteveiJobzz]

There's some people in here who have no {censored}ing clue how retail works.

 

Manufacturer>Vendor>Retailer (Walmart)>Customer.

 

Those of you who think that the brands that Walmart sells (excluding their store brands, which I think is called "Mainstays") are any different than those from Target, Best Buy, Costco, whatever. You would be dead wrong.

 

"American components, Russian components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN."

 

Seriously, all Walmart does is sell.

[Ovid9]

 

There's some people in here who have no {censored}ing clue how retail works. Manufacturer>Vendor>Retailer (Walmart)>Customer. Those of you who think that the brands that Walmart sells (excluding their store brands, which I think is called "Mainstays") are any different than those from Target, Best Buy, Costco, whatever. You would be dead wrong. "American components, Russian components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN." Seriously, all Walmart does is sell.

 

 

You're wrong in a way. Wal-mart is famous for approaching established brands, saying "We want to carry your product." Then putting out the price point. Brand says, "We can't hit that price point." Walmart says, "No problem, here is how you get hooked up with suppliers in china."

 

Is everything they sell that way? Nope, but plenty of it is. Might it be similar to other big box stores? Yeah, but the name brand stuff is not the same as what you would have bought at a smaller retailer most times.

[knucklefux]

Seriously, {censored} walmart.

 

I am totally willing to pay more to avoid epic lines, screaming children, yoga pants on hardtail's bitches, and the general dregs of society.

[SteveiJobzz]

 

You're wrong in a way. Wal-mart is famous for approaching established brands, saying "We want to carry your product." Then putting out the price point. Brand says, "We can't hit that price point." Walmart says, "No problem, here is how you get hooked up with suppliers in china." Is everything they sell that way? Nope, but plenty of it is. Might it be similar to other big box stores? Yeah, but the name brand stuff is not the same as what you would have bought at a smaller retailer most times.

 

 

For their store brands, yes.

 

But for already established brands (Hamilton Beach, Crest Toothpaste, Iams dog food, etc.) it's the same stuff. Walmart only controls how much they buy, which is the only factor that reduces the price.

 

What irritates me is when someone returns a product to a retail store instead if calling the manufacturer when it's defective.

[~Abstract~]

 

You're wrong in a way. Wal-mart is famous for approaching established brands, saying "We want to carry your product." Then putting out the price point.

 

 

 

Sort-of.

 

Walmart sets either the cost or the retail. The supplier sets the other.

 

example.

Walmart says I want to sell your tire gauge for $0.97...the supplier then gives Walmart a price. Which Walmart may or may not accept.

OR...the supplier says I want you to sell our tire gauge for $0.97...Walmart then tells them the cost they need to provide it at. Which the supplier may or may not accept.

OR...the supplier says I need to sell this tire gauge to you for $0.50...Walmart then determines the Retail price. (Most likely scenario)

OR...Walmart says I need you to sell these tire gauges to me for $0.50...then the supplier then has leeway with regards to pricing or promotion. (we'll sell them to you for that price...but we need endcaps and displays in all stores for 6 weeks to move enough product to justify that cost) (Happens often with "rollback" merchandise)

 

But then after that you're correct. Walmart will actually bring suppliers together to maximize benefit for everyone.

 

Another example is a candle manufacturer. The brand was well known and shoppers wanted that particular brand. Walmart told them the cost they needed to hit...the supplier couldn't hit that with current manufacture techniques and materials so Walmart found them a new parafin supplier which COULD get them quality product at a cost which allowed them to produce and sell candles at the determined cost to Walmart.

 

 

Is it right or wrong?

 

You don't have to play the game.

[yanktar]

I won't buy from WalMart if I can get it anywhere else. But if WalMart is the only place, THEN I'll buy it there.