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<Lupine> occ: well.. for a business? it generally is success
<bud``> All Sam Walton did was go to the BIG stores, buy their special sale items, like pantyhose for 99 cents a pack, sell them in his own stores for 75 cents a pack, therebye luring in people who would buy other items as well
<Lupine> er.. generally is profit
<occ> but as lupine says, we're talking about corporations here
<Lupine> bmc: eh? there is a maximum amount of dollars/profit that can be generated from one single store location
<occ> so generally-speaking, we're talking profit versus cost
<bmc> Lupine there is a maximum amount you can make from any number of stores, until you figure out how to make more off of them
<Lupine> occ: no.. just that in order to make even more money, you need to expand the number of stores
<bud``> walmart still does it today, they'll have sales on items like DVD players for $24.99. they are LOSING money on these endcap items but are banking on you filling your cart with other crap that is the same price anywhere else
<occ> well, thats one variable, obviously, lupine
<bmc> you dont have to expand nationally to be a successful business and keep increasing profits
<occ> of course not
<Lupine> so back the original claim: remaining a single store location puts a maximum upper limit ont he amount of success/profit one can generate
<occ> nah
<bmc> bud`` thats not how it works
<Lupine> bmc: ah, but obviously more than a single store
<occ> you can always alter the characteristics of a store
<bmc> bud`` they buy in volume
<occ> there no inherent relationship between "number of stores" and "profit"
<JanetB> Lupine.. no any more.. I have a web page, I get business from all over the country :)
<bmc> bud`` they can afford to profit less of each item, so they are able to undercut everyone elses prices
<JanetB> no=not
<Estuary> bud`` - i think that's only part of their strategy. their prices seem to be universally low, if only marginally. their sheer volume and strategically positioning themselves in americans' lives as virtually indispensible is more noteworthy, i think.
<bmc> the same with the larger gas stations
<occ> economy of scale is obviously a major thing
<Estuary> yes
<bmc> more volume = lower prices for you
<bud``> bmc actually they dont generally sell at any less than ___ retailor.. they do make insane profits on many items, like as much as 70%, wheres avg retail is like 35% profit?
<occ> you can't beat wal-mart on prices for, say, inexpensive kitchen appliances
<occ> so you don't try to compete in that area
<bmc> na, thats not it
<bmc> i bought a coffee pot at wal mart
<bmc> it lasted a year, bought one at kmart this time
<bmc> about the same price
<bmc> same brand
<occ> you mark-up as high as you can, while undercutting competitors
<bmc> there was no benefit to buying that at wal mart
<bmc> cause wal mart hasnt extinguished the competition there yet
<occ> anyoen "competing" with walmart has had 50 years of warning ;)
<bmc> but for example, hunting items
<occ> like what?
<bmc> i dont know of anywhere within 20 miles of me BUT wal mart and kmart that even has hunting ****
<occ> thats true
<bmc> and kmarts **** ****s
<Lupine> Janet: but wait.. I thought internet sales hurt small "mom and pop" stores!
<occ> kmart crapped out because their stores were so much crappier than wal-marts
<occ> and they were serving the same market
<bud``> you can compete against walmart by playing them at their own game, if you own a ma&pop store, go into walmart and buy 50 'sale' items at walmart, then sell them all at your own store for less that walmart sells them, advertise the price in the paper, and wait for ppl to flock in, many of whom will by many other items as well.
<bmc> i dont think the merge with sears will save either of them
<bmc> give it a years time
<bmc> both will go under
<Katey> independant book stores have been pretty well crushed by amazon and the big chains
<occ> just like target tries to beat walmart by offering the same prices in a slightly more "upscale" atmosphere
<Katey> they're dropping like flies
<Lupine> well, book pricing is outrageous.. IMHO
<bmc> hey go to jib-jab.com
<bmc> and watch 'BIG BOX MART'
<bmc> haha
<bmc> its pretty funny
<Katey> occ, well, Target's stuff generally looks nicer too. I dunno if the actual quality is different
<occ> bmc runs Bonsai Buddy
<Katey> So it's not just the shopping atmosphere that seems upscale
<Katey> it's the merchandise too
<occ> yeah
<Lupine> katey: yea, I hate going into walmart.. dirty, dingy, etc
<occ> ill generally agree
<occ> (target and walmart just opened here in the last two years, right next to each other)
<Katey> And they've made clever partnerships with various designers, etc
<occ> we were about the last place in the lower 48 to have a walmart store
<Lupine> the *ONLY* think I am glad about walmart is.. they carry guns and ammo. they're the only "big box" retailer still doing it
<Lupine> katey: surpised that Martha Stewart hasnt' jumped kmart for target
<Katey> Everyone around here goes to Greentop Sporting Goods for they guns
<Katey> :)
<occ> walmart's handy if you want something "domestic" quickly, and cheaply
<Katey> Or they go to small, independant gun shops
<occ> ie, i broke our gl*** coffee decanter
<praxis9> Walmart sells food now.
<occ> and wal-mart had cheap replacements
<Katey> Target is closer to my house than Walmart or Kmart.
<Lupine> katey: sure, but it is still amiable to see a national company standing up for 2nd amendment
<Katey> And their store and their stuff seems nicer
<Katey> so I generally go there when I need a big store that has lots of stuff
<occ> brb
<Lupine> praxis: i saw a "Walmart FreshMart" in orlando the other weekend. never seen one. Was like a semi-gourmet place
<BauB> i go to warm out when i need a **** load of things that i'd usually have to go to different stores for
<BauB> ie: car battery, tennis racket, underwear, and some oreos
<praxis9> Actually, it's pretty good. They've got a good deli.
<bud``> I just bought a new hard drive today.. and actually Walmarts prices were outrageous.. WAY more than at best buy etc..
<BauB> thank god for walmart
<BauB> meh
<praxis9> Black angus roast beef. Yum.
<Lupine> bud: i didn't even knew they sold internal parts for computers
<bud``> left the store in disgust
<BauB> if you buy hardware at best buy you're getting screwed, too
<Lupine> praxis: out of the mainstream brands, Boars Head is what is good here
<bud``> BauB well, i got a 160gb hdd for $49 so im happy
<BauB> with the right coupons
<bud``> yup
<BauB> sounds like a slickdeal to me
<bud``> online rebate
<Lupine> I go to a local shop that caters to gamers/overclockers/etc
<Lupine> real selection of memory, motherboards, etc
<bud``> not only did wally worlds prices ****, so did the selection.
<BauB> they usually overcharge as well
<Lupine> bud: yea.. i am shocked about that they even had harddrives.
<BauB> bud``: that's one thing about wal-mart. it's not specialized
<bud``> they didnt even have any hdd's over 160gb.. bestbuy you can go and pick up a 400gb drive
<BauB> you don't go to wal-mart for circutry unless it's pretty main stream
<BauB> for isntance, the wal-mart in my city doesn't even carry hard-drive
<BauB> s
<BauB> when i checked a couple months ago anyway
<Lupine> i must say thou.. i miss the old radioshacks.. before they just turned into a cheesey electronic device store.. i.e. cellphones, etc
<Lupine> used to be able to pickup a wide range of op-amps, resistors/etc..
<Lupine> barely anything anymore at ours
<bud``> the superwalmarts carry everything.
<bud``> and their website tricks you into thinking hey they must have a great selection at my local superwalmart
<bud``> you get there and it just blows
<BauB> Lupine: the internet seems to have taken over in that secotr
<occ> yeah, theres a super-walmart down the road from work, here
<BauB> sector
<occ> basically, big grocery, plus the standard walmart
<occ> i bought hard liquor at 2am at wal-mart in indiana
<bud``> walmart just isnt as cheap as everyone believes
<occ> for some reason, i felt like i was about to get arrested or something
<bud``> like coke/pepsi and walmart is $1.07 or something, you can always find local grocery stores selling on sale for 89 cents or whatever
<BauB> meh
<BauB> I live around Wal-Mart capitol of Earth and it's always cheaper to go to Wal-Mart.
<Lupine> Baub: well.. it always ****s that when you just need something immediately..
<Lupine> years ago, just go to radioshack.. and they'ld probably have it.
<bud``> Lupine i used to work there
<BauB> Then again, it's a college town, so ****ty price gouging stores like Harps can stay in business because of anti-corporatism.
<bud``> the business is BAD
<bud``> or was
<Lupine> yea, not much market anymore for that stuff I guess.
<Estuary> yet, radioshack is still inexplicably in business
<Lupine> everything now is "disposable".. or non-user workable
<Lupine> need a 50uF polypropelyne bipolar capacitor? don't go to radioshack anymore for that..
<Lupine> er.. well.. hmm.. not sure if they ever sold Polycaps
<Lupine> but the points there.. somewhere :-)
<bud``> Lupine they still do..
<Estuary> they sell consumer goods and less sophisticated electronic parts/supplies now
<occ> college anti-corporate rhetoric
<occ> awwww yeeeeAHHH
<bud``> just better places now.. most towns have real electronics stores tucked away in some backalley somewhere
<occ> "...and their coffee is TERRIBLE!"
<Katey> Estuary, yes, Radioshack is a strange phenomenon. :)
<Katey> I can't figure out how they stay in biz
<Estuary> yeah
<occ> haha, radioshack
<occ> exactly
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