Shop Local
Mandi Steele/FULTON SUN photo: Walmart associates Amber Austin (left) and Nevada Wagaman help customers at the temporary pharmacy inside the Fulton Walmart on Friday. A temporary pharmacy had to be built as the other one is currently under construction.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Shoppers to the Fulton Walmart may have noticed some recent rearranging and renovating going on in the store.
The renovations are part of an extensive remodel that Walmart is rolling out at several of its stores throughout the country, according to a Walmart spokesperson. Remodeling began at the Fulton Walmart on Feb. 21 and the expected completion date is some time in April.
Fulton Store Manager Tony Loehr said the renovations, among other things, will produce an expanded pharmacy; wider, more accessible aisles; and new refrigeration and freezer units. He added that the basic layout of the store would remain the same; the renovations are just to “enhance the customer shopping experience.”
“I think the overall shopping experience for our customers will be cleaner, more spacious, a little more inviting,” Loehr said.
The bulk of the remodeling work is done during the overnight hours to limit disruption for customers. Loehr said the store has also hired about 75 more associates to help with the additional work the renovations will produce, such as reorganizing items and filling shelves.
Terri Mallioux, Walmart spokesperson, stated every department of the store will be updated “including all new shelving, signing, flooring and product assortment.”
The store will remain open during the remodel, and Loehr said the customer comments he’s had have been positive.
“Our customers seem to be very understanding,” he said.
Comments
fultonian 2 years, 2 months ago
i hope they go out front and hire that guy with the sign will work for food and diapers.
flirtmcgirt 2 years, 1 month ago
I hope Wal-Mart goes out of business and locally-owned, small businesses can thrive again.
fultonian 2 years, 1 month ago
but then all those small businesses will be in competition until one of them wins, then they will grow and become a chain, then they will be the next wal mart!! haven't you ever seen that South Park episode?
malmark 2 years, 1 month ago
Hey has anyone noticed that walmart doesn't sell for less? It seems like most of the everyday items are the same if not more expensive between walmart and some of the other big supermarkets. Why does our milk in Fulton walmart cost a dollar a gallon more than the walmart in Columbia too?
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
Why do people keep shopping at Wal-Mart? It's shocking how little people know about this, and other, large corporations and the impact they have on working families across the country.
Did you know:
So, that extra $0.30 you might save on a product, is actually costing you many times more in your tax dollars to subsidize the employees who are being exploited by this company. Wal-Mart, and similar companies, are raking in record-setting profits and paying their CEOs bonuses in the millions. Do you really believe they can't afford to pay their employees a living wage? Of course they can, but they choose to let you, the tax payer, not only shop at their stores but also subsidize their workforce. Tell me what's right about that.
Sorry, I just can't stomach shopping at these disgusting places that not only have destroyed countless jobs in this country but also continue to attack working families on a daily basis. Don't believe me about the attacks... followthemoney.org See for yourself where Wal-Mart money is going.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
Where do you recommend people shop? I'm thinking they pay what they can get away with yes. It's called free market capitalism. If you haven't shopped there lately you should know that some that work there probably get paid more than what they are actually worth.
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
I don't know about you, but I'm happy shopping at stores that pay their employees 100% from the business I shop at instead of paying them so little that part of my tax money goes to subsidize them.
mary_Q 2 years, 1 month ago
As a former Wal-mart employee I can tell you they do not pass out forms for welfare benefits in orientation. Way to fall for propaganda! I started as a simple floor associate at minimum wage but through the vesting programs, stock programs and merrit wage increases when I left after almost 7 years I took more than $7000 that walmart contributed to me in one form or another. I was a front end supervisor when I left and I wouldn't trade working for htat company. If you happen to be in retail they are the number 1 company to work for to gain experience in the retail enviroment. No I didn't stay on at Walmart but if I had I was given more than 1 opportunity to move intp store management which mininmaly was going to pay $35000 a year to start. That wage is more than teachers make in a lot of school districts in the state. Walmart provides their employees with opportunity to advance if that person shows the desire. I did interviews for new hires as well as participated in the orientation process and I can tell you one of the number 1 things we tell them is they can advance if they choose and as I said before at no point is welfare applications passed out. Like any other business they do have to fill out a paper to state if the are eligible for the welfare to work program and I can tell you that is the only paper passed out that says anything about government benefits. Stop trying to spread propaganda and get your facts straight. Yes they ship alot of jobs overseas but most all companies in this nation do. It is the way we as american people save on the product we want. We can't be happy with what we can get here locally so we have to pay for it some how. Want to stop the jobs from going overseas then start buying local and don't complain when you can't get those bananas or that pair of jeans for just a few dollars. Consumerism is to blame.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
Thank you Mary.
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
LOL...yes, thank you for not reading my factual comment thoroughly enough. "In most Wal-Mart stores, 60-70% of their employees qualify for government assistance - AND, in orientation they are provided by management with the forms to apply for food stamps and other assistance programs!" Most stores...did you catch that this time around?
I too am a former Wal-Mart employee at the Fulton store. While this store isn't as egregious in this area as most other Wal-Mart stores, it still has its issues. Also I agree with you, Mary, about consumerism being to blame. Our society has been consumed with materialism fueled by capitalism, and greedy people don't even care that buying the shiny toys made in Taiwan are destroying the job market for people in their own socioeconomic class in this country! It's stupidity, really.
Where do I suggest people shop? Well let's see what some of the better options are that exist... When Gerbes was still in town, that was a great option. Mosers is the next best in terms of affordability and variety in selection. There are other options, but people just don't want to be inconvenienced by going to a grocery store for groceries and then somewhere else for toys or sporting goods. Way to go people...keep killing American jobs!
mary_Q 2 years, 1 month ago
I don't think you have to be as rude as to question my throughness in reading your comment. The first line in your reply was enough to point out my error i did not need it drawn out in crayons with that last remark of the first paragraph. I know first hand that in the Fulton store as well as the ones in Columbia and Jefferson City also the lake and eldon area that they do NOT pass out welfare forms. I also recently went to work at a store in an entirely different state and was never given said documents. That being said I agree that Walmart could and should pay their associates more money when job performance entitles them. I had people work under me who I wouldn't have given a nickle to but there was also people who deserved and needed more money to survive and who cam to work on time and didn't steal from the company whom I went to bat for anytime I could to try and get raises for them. I saw a cash office employee and a assistant manager get caught stealing thousands of dollars yet charges were never really filed on them and they made more than the prevailing wage and that was before the i.o.u.s in the cash office yet there were single mothers trying to care for their kids who couldn't get out of the projects. I understand everyones frustration with walmart totally but to say they have nothing to offer is absolutely ignorant. They are one of the largest employers in the Fulton area. Without walmart where are all these poeple who work there now going to work? You think the economy is bad there now imagine what it would be like without Walmart to provide the jobs they do. Talk about ALOT of welfare recipents! Fulton doesn't have much to offer in jobs and I think that partly has to do with the Chamber not doing its part to enitce other companies to come in to town. Target pays much better than Walmart and would employ as many employee's as Walmart and provide much needed competition but the Chamber does nothing to bring them in instead they continue to let Walmart rule the community. If you want change try enticing businesses who relate with your core values to come to town. Target has said in the past they would happily come to Fulton if they could gain the support and a petition drive would garner that proof for them. Just an idea. I have no issues saying Walmart doesnt pay enough but to say they bring nothing good to the table is where I have an argument. I imagine you and I probably worked there about the same time and the Fulton store certainly had its issues but it was a job and a paycheck and with todays economy not many would turn that down unless they wanted the welfare program to begin with.
mary_Q 2 years, 1 month ago
People have forgotten old virtues like hard work, honesty and integriety. Parents are too busy working jobs to make money to put the latest gadgets in their kids hands instead of putting their time into the kids and nobody thinks they have to work for anything. People want it all and are willing to get it but at what cost is never really considered until it is often too late. We as a nation are getting a wake up call about our deservant nature but few are heeding the warnings. We keep companies large and in charge and they pay no taxes while we as working men and women struggle to pay the taxes and put a roof over our head. In the end I say people need to inact change in themselves if they want the corporations to change. Walmart is not the only company who doesnt pay their employees what they are worth. Want to keep jobs in America? Stop buying products that don't say they are made in America! It's simple supply and demand. Buy American and you will find more of it will appear and the other poision laced junk will go the way of the dodo bird. Don't believe me? Just how do you think all that junk got on the shelves to begin with? Because we quit caring where it came from and only about how much we had to pay for it
flirtmcgirt 2 years, 1 month ago
While it's true that Wal-Mart provides jobs for many people in the Fulton area, for every 1 job Wal-Mart creates, 2 jobs are eliminated from the community. This is a very interesting article: pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/2011-01-11/new-study-wal-mart-means-fewer-jobs-less-small-businesses-more-burden-taxpayers
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
Yep. There it is. Finally the anti-capitalism comes out. Was just a matter of time. Let me guess. If wal-mart was unionized they would be a much better company...
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
Being a union shop has nothing to do with capitalism, although I understand your ignorance about the labor movement in general and its benefits we enjoy today. That being said, changing corporate policies to stop intimidating employees who want to unionize wouldn't even really make a dent in reversing the adverse impact Wal-Mart has on our country and economy. The first step toward that would probably be carrying products made here. People may pay a few cents more on some items, but the notion that prices are always lower at Wal-Mart is nothing more than a small-town fairytale.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
So most Walmart stores hire people who qualify for assistance but Mosers, Gerbes, and CR do not? That's interesting. Maybe Gerbes closed shop because they wouldn't hire poor people. That would be interesting too.
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
@rock1853 Yes, if you research for all of five minutes online, you can find out what 90% of businesses pay their employees. So, I absolutely use that research to find a good place to shop.
@Graceful I would suggest moving outside of Callaway County, Missouri for a while...just to get some perspective. The other right-wingers who commented here even agree on the basics, but you seem to be still sipping the kool-aide. Yes, it is responsible to sometimes pay ten cents more if that helps keep jobs in this country. (Same goes for cars, but I'll bet you agree about the cars.) And, yes, it is because of Wal-Mart's practices. Their business model is to be the super store that consumes all others in every community they build in...to do that, they must stock their shelves with the absolute cheapest (price and quality) items made in other countries. Hy-Vee (where I shop) is doing just fine from a business stand point, and they don't follow the same principles. Schnucks, another store I frequent (and also a union store), avoids stocking foreign-made goods...and they too are a thriving business. They wouldn't make it in a small town, because the people wouldn't understand the benefits or reasons of choosing them instead of Wal-Mart, but they do much better than Wal-Mart in bigger areas.
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
You're right, Graceful, the cost is much more.....but it's jobs not dollars that it's costing us when we shop at Wal-Mart. Just do a quick Google search for some facts about this corporation's history if you don't believe me. Keep in mind I used to shop there and I am a former employee of the store, many years ago. So much of what I'm telling you is not only based on solid facts that anyone can research but also first-hand knowledge.
You're also right about capitalism, to some extent. However, what part about Wal-Mart's history do you not understand? Fair competition...Wal-Mart...really? Those words aren't even known by their executives, and that principle isn't in their business model. I'm not suggesting socialism, so let's not reach from one extreme to another please. Take some deep breaths and go back and read over what I've posted earlier. My posts are filled with solid and irrefutable facts that can easily be verified by doing proper research, but I understand not everyone will want to accept them even when staring them in the face. That's ok, we don't have to agree. Thanks for the debate.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
I took your advise to do some research. The store websites do not show their wages. Forgive my ignorance but might you post the links that have their wage info?
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
@rock1853 I use a mix between resources I have available through my job and keeping an eye on employment ads in the papers and online. Although I do have an edge with a research department at work, you can find all the same information if you keep track of what people are advertising through job ads. Sadly, the wages being offered an employee this week are often the same pay being earned by an employee who has been with a store for over five years...so it's pretty accurate.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
If what you say is true then action is needed. I support the reduction of government assistance.
workingclass 2 years, 1 month ago
I'm glad to hear that! If you think about it, any employer that pays the bare minimum they can get by with or just a bit above and doesn't provide benefits, is contributing to this problem. Naturally, I don't think students who work part-time need much more than minimum wage, but anyone working full-time absolutely does. Not providing benefits means those benefits must be purchased individually and paid for out of the already low paychecks these folks receive. In most cases, they simply can't afford to buy insurance, so they go without. Now we have a person who not only qualifies for general welfare assistance and food stamps, but also a person who qualifies for Medicaid and will probably have to use it.
I understand many businesses truly can't afford to pay their employees better or provide benefits. However, Wal-Mart is certainly not in that category. Their top people make 500 times what the average store associate makes, and they have a nasty habit of keeping most people scheduled for 30 hours each week so they can avoid having to provide benefits. If there was ever a business who could afford to provide better pay and benefits, it's Wal-Mart.
Some may say, "oh sure, pay them more and our prices will go up!" Not true, at least it doesn't have to be true. When a business is raking in record earnings in the middle of the worst recession in our history, I don't know about you but I don't really believe they're hurting for money. If they raise prices after giving moderate raises and paying benefits, we can be certain that it's only because their greed wants to maintain the millions flowing into their own pockets.
I'm glad we agree on the issue of at least paying someone enough to live on so they don't have to be a drain on government assistance programs. I think it's just sick when businesses expect the general public to subsidize their workforce. I hope we could agree about all businesses doing what they can to provide their employees with a living wage...something a family could actually live on. I know many businesses simply can't, but there are several who can and choose not to.
It's been a great debate, rock1953, and I appreciate the civility we've maintained. Cheers.
rock1853 2 years, 1 month ago
Cut government spending. Cut taxes. Cut benefits for mouchers. Reward producers. Prosecute the looters. I also appreciate your civility. You do know we will be having future "debates". grin
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