John Kuthe wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 09:21:54 -0700, "Cheri" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Although I had read something about this, I did not understand the full
>>> ramifications of this until I tried to place an order. Even then, they
>>> are not being totally forthcoming.
>>>
>>> I have been ordering from Amazon Fresh for some time now. I think when I
>>> first started ordering, there was a small delivery fee, but maybe I am
>>> remembering this wrong. For some time, delivery has been free for Prime
>>> members, although they do suggest a tip for the driver and you had to
>>> place a $50 minimum order.
>>>
>>> I loved it because if I realized at 9:00 p.m. that I was out of eggs or
>>> meat or something, I could quickly place an order and get it by 6:00 a.m.
>>> The meat was very high quality, the produce fresh, they sell bread that I
>>> can eat, they sell all sort of items that we want but I can't find
>>> anywhere else and best of all the prices overall were as good or better
>>> than I could do in brick and mortar stores.
>>>
>>> But when I tried to place this last order, I was told that delivery is now
>>> only for Prime Fresh members. Membership is $299.00 per year but is pro
>>> rated for Prime members. What does this even mean? Even if it means that
>>> they will take the $99 off that I pay for Prime, they want another $200
>>> for me to get their grocery delivery. Now technically, I can still get
>>> free delivery for the next 30 days but at the end of that, I am
>>> automatically signed up for membership. No thanks!
>>>
>>> I can't believe that they will have many takers now. What will they do
>>> with all that produce, meat and other perishables? Hmmm... I did call to
>>> arrange for them to pick up my totes as they are no longer needed and the
>>> woman who answered the phone sounded dejected. Clearly I was not her
>>> first such call.
>>>
>>> At present, Safeway does still deliver so I can use them if I have to.
>>> But I suspect that might change as well since they have morphed and they
>>> seem to have no difference now than Albertsons. Same brands, same ads,
>>> etc. Bah! I am especially annoyed about some of the special items that no
>>> other store around here seems to sell. Guess we won't be having those
>>> now.
>>
>> Of course, once they have people hooked, they raise the prices...it's the
>> way of the world. 
>>
>> Cheri
>
> It's the rich capitalist's stupid game!!
>
> Only way to win the game is to NOT PLAY!!
>
> John Kuthe...
>
You're as mad as a hatter!
http://fee.org/freeman/wal-mart-is-g...r-the-economy/
Wal-Mart and Small Communities
The claim that Wal-Mart “disregards the concerns of small communities”
is also contradicted by the evidence. If Wal-Mart’s stores were not in
tune with the concerns of shoppers in small communities, the stores
wouldn’t make a profit and would eventually shut down. If Wal-Mart’s
stores were not in tune with the concerns of job seekers in those
communities, the stores wouldn’t be able to staff their operations. The
concerns that Wal-Mart rightly disregards are those of local businesses
that would prefer not to have to deal with new competition. The absence
of rigorous competition leads to high prices in many small communities.
While this may be good for the profit margins of established businesses,
it is not necessarily a condition to be preferred over the benefits for
the majority of the inhabitants of the community that result from robust
competition.
Wal-Mart runs the largest corporate cash-giving foundation in America.
In 2004 Wal-Mart donated over $170 million. More than 90 percent of
these donations went to charities in the communities served by Wal-Mart
stores.7
From an economic perspective, when all the claims are dispassionately
evaluated it looks like Wal-Mart promotes prosperity. The company is
helping consumers get more for their money. It is providing jobs for
willing employees. It is stimulating its suppliers to achieve greater
economies in manufacturing. It is encouraging trade with less-developed
economies, helping the inhabitants of Third World nations to improve
their standards of living. Far from “disregarding the concerns of small
communities,” Wal-Mart offers an appealing place to shop and work.
Wal-Mart is doing all these good things and making a profit of around $9
billion a year.This is a profit margin of less than 4 percent.That’s
mighty efficient. To call Wal-Mart a “corporate criminal” is slander.
Wal-Mart is a model of how successful capitalism is supposed to work. It
is a company that should be emulated, not reviled.
http://business.time.com/2012/06/04/...oming-to-town/
Homeowners, local chambers of commerce, and town planners alike all have
some assumptions about Walmart. It’s often assumed that when a new
Walmart opens in town, it’ll kill small businesses and may even hurt the
local real estate market. But researchers say the effects of Walmart on
a surrounding town are sometimes surprising: The numbers indicate that
the presence of the big-box retailer may actually be good for home
values and some small businesses—though not so good for waistlines.
In a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research,
Devin Pope and Jaren Pope, economists from the University of Chicago and
Brigham Young University, respectively, investigated what the
introduction of a Walmart store did to nearby home values in communities
around the U.S. After analyzing 600,000 home purchases between 2001 and
2006 in the vicinity of 159 new Walmarts, they found that homes located
within half a mile of the Walmart rose in value 2% to 3% more relative
to homes that weren’t close to the mammoth retailer. Homes located
between .5-mile and one mile from Walmart also saw a boost in value,
though it tended to be slightly smaller, with prices increasing 1% to 2%.
But the study also revealed that many other businesses were given a
boost by the presence of Walmart. A CBS News story about the research noted:
Those selling products and, especially, services that Walmart doesn’t
will tend to do well. Again, because shoppers arrive near Walmart ready
to spend, they tend to leave their money with whomever nearby is selling
what they want.
Researchers noted that over time—often, a LONG period of time—the
storefronts shuttered as a result of an inability to compete with
Walmart tend to eventually be occupied by restaurants, boutique
retailers, professional offices, and other services and businesses that
do not try to compete with Walmart.