Sprawl-Busters

10/03/2018

WALMART EXPANDS ITS WARDROBE TO PLUS SIZE

In an ongoing attempt to escape its “low-income, frumpy” clothing image, Walmart plans to acquire Eloquii, an apparel company that sells plus size clothing for women. This acquisition will round out WMT’s other online clothing companies, Modcloth and Bonobos.

According to WMT, more than half of women between the ages of 18 to 65 wear size 14 or larger. WMT says it wants to offer “a unique assortment you can’t find anywhere else."

The deal is reportedly valued at $100 million, as WMT desperately chases Amazon to gobble down more e-commerce sales.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mattressfirm-bankruptcy/exclusive-mattress-firm-planning-bankruptcy-filing-as-soon-as-this-week-idUSKCN1MC2PW

10/03/2018

WALMART CANADA FINED $20K FOR SELLING CONTAMINATED FOOD AFTER WILDFIRE

Walmart admitted in provincial court that it “didn’t adequately carry out an order from Alberta Health Services” to destroy food possibly tainted by a wildfire in Fort McMurray. WMT said it “has learned from the experience and will be better able to respond in future crises.”

Two Walmart employees were fined $2,000 each for their actions. These fines are all minor wrist slaps.

That burning smell is from WMT's reputation in Canada

Walmart Canada has been ordered to pay a $20,000 fine for selling contaminated food after a devastating wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta. two years ago.

10/02/2018

AMAZON BUSTS OPEN THE ‘FIGHT FOR $15’ WAGE MOVEMENT

American workers at Amazon, who have long agitated for living wages, will see their hourly wage rise to $15 and hour on November 1st. This puts Amazon miles ahead of competitors like Target, which announced in late September that it would lift wages to $15/hour—but not until 2020---and Walmart, which pegged its wages at $11/hour, with no promise of $15 in sight.

Amazon’s $15 wage will apply to full and part-time workers, as well as temp workers and seasonal workers. Many warehouse workers who are employed by subcontractors, will get the higher wage in about a month.

"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us."

Even better: “We will be working to gain Congressional support for an increase in the federal minimum wage. The current rate of $7.25 was set nearly a decade ago,” an Amazon spokesman added. “We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country.”

New $15 minimum wage is effective beginning this November 1. New $15 minimum wage includes associates employed by temp agencies. More than 250,000 Amazon employees, as well as more than 100,000 seasonal holiday employees, and their families will benefit from the new, higher pay.

10/02/2018

WALMART MAY HAVE SETTLED CANADIAN CHARGES THEY SOLD GOODS DAMAGED BY A WILDFIRE

In January of 2017, Walmart was accused by a Canadian health agency of keeping and selling food that was potentially contaminated by a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Health officials said WMT failed to dispose of food items, such as candy, potato chips, and beans. Food exposed to wildfires can be damaged by unsafe temperatures, smoke, ash, soot, fire retardants, water and loss of power.

These charges have badly burnt its corporate image in Canada.

Alberta Health Services says it has reached an agreement with Walmart Canada in a case where the retailer is accused of keeping and selling food that was potentially contaminated by the Fort McMurray wildfire.

09/27/2018

WALMART BAILED IN BRAZIL, BUT IS EXPANDING IN CHILE

WMT is building a $180 million distribution center in San Bernardo, an area in Santiago, Chile, despite objections from community members and local officials over pollution, noise and traffic. The Mayor of San Bernardo still seeks to block the project.

Walmart entered Chile in 2009, and has 380 stores there today, mostly supermarkets, operating under different banners, the largest being the Lider chain. Earlier this month Walmart spent $225 M to buy the food delivery service Cornershop, which serves Mexico & Chile, for $225 million.

The Chilean government said on Wednesday it had approved the construction of a d...

09/26/2018

WALMART BODY COUNT

A 20 year old suspected shoplifter was shot and killed Monday night around 6 pm in the parking lot of a Walmart in Peoria, AZ. Police say the suspect pulled a gun when approached by two police, and then fired at police.

"The investigation is in its early stages. Detectives will determine if their officers were justified in the use of force," said a spokesman for the police. "Initial reports indicate they were...."

But was deadly force necessary against this young man? And isn’t an independent investigation called for?

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/peoria/peoria-police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-near-walmart

09/26/2018

HOME DEPOT IMITATES AMAZON WITH “FULFILLMENT CENTERS” AND 100 MORE DISTRIBUTION SITES

Home Depot is now offering online shoppers “express same-day and next-day local delivery,” but for only 20,000 items in 35 major metros areas. HD says the delivery fee “starts at $8.99” but warns “the delivery fee will vary.” HD is partnering with car and van providers like Roadie and Deliv to deliver smaller items.

The terrible news is that HD will need to make “ongoing investments” to build “additional direct fulfillment centers and more than 100 new distribution sites.” Sprawl-Busters don’t like the sound of that.

ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot® has rolled out express same-day and next-day local delivery for more than 20,000 of its most popular items to 35 major metros across the U.S. The new service is part of the company's overall five-year expansion of its delivery offerings for DI...

09/25/2018

WALMART "BONUSES" ARE AN INSULT TO WORKERS

Media across the nation are running WMT's PR releases which say "More than 915,000 Walmart employees in the nation received their share of more than $200 million in cash bonuses based on their stores' Q2 performances." That's a bonus of $218--the equivalent of an extra $4.18 per week.

What workers need is a floor of $15 an hour, not a one-time bonus. Give these workers enough pay to get off Medicaid, food stamps and section 8 housing.

09/25/2018

IVANKA TRUMP GOES TO WALMART ACADEMY TO LEARN WHAT?

Donald Trump’s “presidential assistant” Ivanka Trump spent two hours recently at a Walmart near Dallas, Texas, visiting one of six divisional training academies for the company.

Fox News said Ivanka visited the academy "because of the company's commitment to train one million employees in five years with the skills they need to advance both within the company or elsewhere.”

These “academies” are only for Walmart’s “front-line hourly supervisors, department managers and assistant managers,” who receive two to six weeks of training. It is not for the hundreds of thousands of hourly workers in the stores who barely hang in there for $11 an hour and Medicaid health care.

The plight of underpaid front line workers was definitely not on Ivanka’s curriculum:

First daughter and presidential assistant Ivanka Trump visited a Mesquite Walmart on Friday as part of her workforce development initiative.

09/25/2018

HOME DEPOT EASES UP ON ITS ASSAULT ON AMERICAN RADIO WAVES.

The media buy news this past week is that Home Depot fell from #1 in radio ad frequency across America, to #4. Based on the number of ads HD ran last week, it would air 1,374,635 ads per year.

I refuse to shop at Home Depot, so they can cut their ads to zero as far as I'm concerned. Their ads are a form of air pollution:

https://radioink.com/2018/09/24/the-home-depot-takes-a-breather/

09/25/2018

WALMART BODY COUNT
A man who tried to steal a gun from a Walmart in Oak Harbor, WA was shot and killed by police when he refused to drop his weapon. Shoplifting is now a crime punishable by death.

Walmart is the most dangerous place in America to shop:

An Island County deputy shot the man after he "failed to comply" with commands, according to the Skagit Multiple Agency Response Team.

09/25/2018

IF SEATTLE, WA. IS THE PLACE THE GO TO SEE 'WHAT AMAZON HAS UP ITS SLEEVE,' the answer is: 'The sleeve has nothing much in it.'

Amazon's experiments with stores with no cashiers, or grocery pick up locations, or book returns, are not particularly exciting or dramatic.

The e-commerce giant uses its headquarters city as a living laboratory, trying out new retail and logistics models.