Walmart observations

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
storewanderer
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

veteran+ wrote: August 25th, 2021, 6:59 am

Also do not forget their Public Relations campaign of boosting hourly wages and then clandestinely cutting payroll (the latter done post haste).
I won't explicitly draw any conclusions regarding that, but I have observed Wal Mart was putting up hiring banners at $15 or $16/hr for swing shift stocking positions a number of months ago. There seemed to be quite a few employees stocking the shelves during swing shift. Those banners are gone. There seem to be fewer employees stocking the shelves now. I heard they are hiring for front end and certain other departments at $12/hr now.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by veteran+ »

Well, it was front page news just about everywhere for quite a while about Walmart raising wages along with commentaries from Walmart officials.

Meanwhile, payroll was being cut throughtout the chain.

;)
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by mjhale »

veteran+ wrote: August 26th, 2021, 6:22 am Well, it was front page news just about everywhere for quite a while about Walmart raising wages along with commentaries from Walmart officials.

Meanwhile, payroll was being cut throughtout the chain.

;)
Good PR for Walmart on raising wages.  But a net wash for the company by cutting hours. And a net loss for everyone else.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: August 25th, 2021, 5:45 pm
veteran+ wrote: August 25th, 2021, 6:59 am

Also do not forget their Public Relations campaign of boosting hourly wages and then clandestinely cutting payroll (the latter done post haste).
I won't explicitly draw any conclusions regarding that, but I have observed Wal Mart was putting up hiring banners at $15 or $16/hr for swing shift stocking positions a number of months ago. There seemed to be quite a few employees stocking the shelves during swing shift. Those banners are gone. There seem to be fewer employees stocking the shelves now. I heard they are hiring for front end and certain other departments at $12/hr now.
I have not noticed drastic changes in staffing levels at the local Walmart stores. Perhaps they are doing things differently in other areas based on the local minimum wage. In Washington it is now $13.69 an hour.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

The minimum wage in some areas in California is around $16 or more. That is the starting wage. You also have long time Walmart employees pushing over $20 an hour. In high minimum wage areas the store managers are under extreme pressure to cut long time employees. They are finding any minor reason at all to fire as many of them as possible. This is causing a staffing shortage in high minimum wage areas.

Other areas where wages are lower do not have this pressure.
Last edited by Alpha8472 on August 27th, 2021, 7:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by DFWRetaileWatcher »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 27th, 2021, 4:21 pm The minimum wage in some areas in California is aroundb$16 or more. That is the starting wage. You also have long time Walmart employees pushing over $20 an hour. In high minimum wage areas the store managers are under extreme pressure to cut long time employees. They are finding any minor reason at all to fire as many of them as possible. This is causing a staffing shortage in high minimum wage areas.

Other areas where wages are lower do not have this pressure.
Low wage areas have the opposite extreme going on.

That is, they can't find anyone willing to work for minimum wage in a pandemic other than the crappiest of people who have no pride what so ever in their work.

Source: I live in a low-wage area and have observed the degradation in service levels even at places that were previously on the ball.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by Alpha8472 »

Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, Walmart pays less than many other stores. Walmart still seems to get the worst job candidates that have poor work ethic and no motivation.

Once September 4 comes along and unemployment benefits end for millions of people, then you will see more people applying for jobs. Right now it is only the desperate who are even applying for jobs. It is truly the worst of the worst.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 27th, 2021, 7:20 pm Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, Walmart pays less than many other stores. Walmart still seems to get the worst job candidates that have poor work ethic and no motivation.

Once September 4 comes along and unemployment benefits end for millions of people, then you will see more people applying for jobs. Right now it is only the desperate who are even applying for jobs. It is truly the worst of the worst.
You are assuming those benefits will actually be ending. We will see. The states can use various funding streams including various money that has been created out of thin air this year/last year and allocated to states, to keep the benefits rolling, even if the Federal level does not call an extension. So I would expect some states will do that.

I am hearing that additional applications are starting to flow in at some businesses. This may be some people who are trying to get something lined up before the unemployment extensions end. I have commented that is great news, however, the response I get back is, well, we also have had more people quit in the past couple weeks than had been quitting so we are actually still down more help now than we were a month or two ago...

So it is also possible the new applicants are just folks who are looking to switch jobs.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by jipper »

The Walmart Supercenter in my home town was built about 25 years ago. When it opened, the store did not have a food department, just some snacks. About five years later, food was added, then liquor and, in the past two years or so, a car delivery area. The staff is generally friendly and helpful now, unlike the old days.

In the past few weeks, the store has been undergoing a renovation, including painting the outside and removing the tile floor inside, replacing it with polished concrete. It is the latter on which I will comment. I went a few weeks ago and then again this past week to see the progress.

The store is in a total state of chaos, not only with the usual stuff stacked and waiting to be shelved, but stuff is moved around and shoved in places; it seems like randomly. Trying to get through an aisle (they kind of have them some places) is difficult, particularly when an associate is trying to get by with a cart; it is a game of chicken.

Rather than getting better, the store seemed worse the last time I went. Now most of the checkout stands are gone (there were maybe 5 left; one or two manned) and the lines were quite long, even at the self checkout. I left both times without buying anything. I wonder how many other potential customers did the same. I guess this is all short term inconvenience, but that remains to be seen.
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Re: Walmart observations

Post by storewanderer »

Wal Mart did quite a few reset/remodels to stores in my area earlier this year. These resets/remodels were okay and generally preserved product selection. A few departments moved here and there but nothing too major was done in terms of the layouts. No changes done to impact traffic flow in the store.

Maybe 3 years ago now Wal Mart did a remodel/reset to one store in my area and drastically cut down the number of SKUs in many departments. This store has not been the same since to me (seems as busy as ever though).
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