Last Updated on November 29, 2022 by Lily Connel
Besides supplying groceries for American families, Walmart also sells a variety of other products including appliances, home furnishings, clothes (under the subsidiary brand “George”), electronics, automotive parts, toys, and sporting goods. On the other side, Walmart’s investments outside North America have had mixed results: its operations in the United Kingdom, South America, and China are highly successful while ventures in Germany and South Korea were unsuccessful.
Pros and Cons Of Walmart – The Differences
| Serial | Pros Of Walmart | Cons Of Walmart |
| 1. | Walmart is an e-commerce site. | Walmart Customer Service is Poor. |
| 2. | Picking out groceries is a time-consuming process. | The minimum wage at Walmart is one of the lowest in America. |
| 3. | Walmart helps the average household save $2,500 per year in food costs. | Walmart is problematic for the local economy. |
| 4. | Walmart supports computers, laptops, Anoidoit Phones, tablets etc. | The quality control of products is an issue with Walmart. |
| 5. | People who buy their laptops at Walmart are rarely disappointed. | Walmart has been accused of hurting local communities. |
| 6. | Walmart sells many other electronic devices at affordable prices. | Various groups across the political spectrum have expressed the belief that Walmart is greedy. |
Pros Of Walmart
1. Pick Up Groceries
Picking out groceries can be a very time-consuming process. Most Americans would rather spend that time with their families and doing recreational activities, but simply do not have enough time in the day to accomplish all household tasks. Luckily, there is Walmart, which makes it easier and more efficient for people to pick up groceries. With over 4,000 locations in the U.S., it is very common for Americans to shop at Walmart every week because they know they will save money.
2. Low Price
The average household that shops at Walmart save $2,500 per year because of lower food prices. Many individuals also purchase their groceries at Walmart because they believe that the food is fresher than at other grocers. The store carries many name-brand products, including Doritos, Tide detergent, and Gatorade.
3. Availability Of Computer
Computers are not only used for work; nowadays most families own multiple computers for personal use. Many of these devices are laptops that are used for playing games, doing work, and connecting with family or friends across the country. Unfortunately, technology does not come cheap. Walmart knows that many Americans do not have an extra one-thousand dollars to spend on a computer, which is why they offer computers at affordable prices.
4. Variety Of Laptop Brand
People who purchase their laptops at Walmart are rarely disappointed. There are many models of computers to choose from, including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba. These devices range in size and function; some laptops offer HD cameras with 5 speakers, while others provide excellent security features with fingerprint scanning capabilities.
5. Electronic Devices At Affordable Prices
Walmart also offers many other electronic devices at affordable prices. These include, but are not limited to Apple TV, Blu-ray players, iHome clock radios, Kindle E-readers and tablets, iPod touches and Shuffles, Beats by Dre headphones and speakers, GoPro action cameras and accessories, Samsung smartwatches, Xbox 360 consoles, and PlayStation 3s.
Cons Of Walmart
1. Poor Customer Service
One con of doing business with the famous company is that it has a lot of complaints regarding customer service and staff courtesy.
2. Low Wages
Walmart has one of the lowest worker salaries for full-time employees in the United States. A study by Conrad Research Corp in 2009 found that Walmart’s average full-time hourly wage is $12.00, which is 17% below the retail industry average of $14.26 an hour and 32% less than Sears department store employees’ average hourly wage of $17.08. A 2013 study by Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce found that if Walmart raised its starting wage to $12.00 and passed all the benefits onto consumers, it could stimulate the economy enough to create 100,000 new jobs in a year.
3. Negative Impacts On Local Businesses
Similar concerns surrounding a negative impact on local businesses have been expressed about Walmart’s rapid growth in China, which forced many mom-and-pop shops to shut down. Walmart’s corporate practice of purchasing its merchandise from sources in China has been criticized by activists and U.S. politicians, who cite United States National Security concerns over working conditions and safety issues in Chinese factories that supply Walmart goods.
4. Issues With Quality Control
In 2003, Walmart was forced to discontinue the sale of a gun in its Canadian stores following a fatal shooting. The series of events surrounding the sale and Walmart Canada’s initial defence of them brought much negative attention to Walmart, demonstrating poor quality control.
5. Health Concerns
In 2007, Walmart unveiled an initiative that it calls “Produce with more vitamins.” Walmart’s store-brand tomato paste, apple juice, grape juice, and vanilla ice cream were found to contain levels of lead that are considered hazardous under Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Walmart representatives claim to have been aware of the issue for some time but have failed to correct it.
6. Environmental Damage
The environmental impact of Walmart is significant. A 2011 report by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that much of Walmart’s environmental damage stems from the company’s practice of importing thousands of products from China, an estimated 60% of items sold in its stores. These goods are frequently produced by factories that are known to have poor environmental standards and/or use environmentally damaging chemicals during the manufacturing process.
7. Overall Negative Impact On The Community
Walmart has been criticized for hurting local communities. Walmart’s strict price controls and policy of purchasing from China have forced many U.S. manufacturers to move overseas or go out of business entirely, which critics blame for high unemployment rates and reduced economic growth in the United States. Walmart has further been criticized for bribing officials and pushing out local businesses, creating food deserts in less profitable areas, and for using other unethical practices to achieve its goals of low prices and high revenue.
8. Corporate Greed
The belief that Walmart is a greedy company has been expressed by many across the political spectrum, from small business owners to labour unions and community action groups. The “corporate greed” argument against the company typically presents the following points:
– In 2003, Walmart refused to allow employees at its stores in Jonquil,
– Walmart has refused to pay employees for their time in cleaning out when they fall ill, sometimes resulting in high hospital bills.
– Walmart has been accused of using public subsidies, which were meant to support small businesses, for its gain.
– Walmart has been accused of locking their employees into a “Walmart” with the implementation of services such as buying online pick up in-store and then forcing employees to meet sales goals that would not be possible if they had access to those same services for themselves.
Everything You Need To Know About Walmart
Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue, according to Fortune Global 500 list in 2017. Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated on October 31, 1969. They are headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, and have 11,144 stores worldwide as of 2018. Walmart is also the biggest private employer in the world with over two million workers.
Walmart’s success can be attributed to its merchandise mix, low prices, and efficient management. The company has grown into the largest U.S. retailer, the largest employer in the world, and one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Conclusion
Walmart’s practices have been criticized for negatively impacting local communities. Since Walmart is a large corporation with most of its locations under one roof, it has the capability to negotiate favourable terms with suppliers thus allowing them to ship in goods from China at dramatically lower prices than traditional American retailers. Because the company only seeks the highest possible profit margin, local manufacturers are no longer able to compete and must either relocate or go out of business. As a result, the company’s affordable goods have been linked to forcing many American manufacturers offshore.
