Financial Report: Wal-Mart Profits Up, Sales Decline

Though the international division had a “great quarter,” according to Scott, and the Sam’s Club division posted its seventh straight quarter in which profit growth outpaced sales growth*, problems at Wal-Mart’s namesake stores in the U.S. continued to dog the company…

What a difference a month or two makes.  Doesn’t this represent a 180° flip-flop?

When the existence of Project Red became known, analysts speculated it contained plans to shed Sam’s Club, a perennial drag on Wal-Mart’s numbers and “also ran” to competitor Costco.

Meanwhile the international division’s record was “spotty” at best. Successes in Mexico and South America were pretty much offset by failures in Germany, South Korea, and Japan.

Now all of a sudden it’s Sam’s and the overseas units that are supporting the U.S. operation.

Has Sam’s and the international numbers gotten that much better in the past couple of months or has the Wal-Mart U.S. numbers gotten so bad the others look good by comparison?

*one of the major weaknesses of the “record” numbers posted by Wal-Mart for ‘06 is that sales growth far outpaced profit growth. (by a multiple of 1000)

What does it matter where Wal-Mart gets their growth? GE has bet billions on growth in China. If GE manages to add 25% to revenues and 20% to profits through the Chinese market, are they somehow failures? This is like saying Wal-Mart’s same store sales in Arkansas were flat; they had to go to Oklahoma to boost sales, therefore, they are in bad shape. This is such a ridiculous argument! You guys must be truly desperate, grasping at straws. Most analysis I’ve read points to huge international potential for Wal-Mart. Most US companies earn lower returns on sales abroad simply because of the differences and distances involved in overseas operations. Most impartial viewers feel that Wal-Mart has nothing but potential overseas. If they ever get their international operations up to the efficiency of their domestic operations, look out. I don’t think it’s a stretch to look for net profit margins of close to 4% on $500 billion in revenues by 2012.

WMW has finally run out of gas...............

I have to admit, Nick, you had me puzzled with this new-found emphasis on GE. Then it occurred to me.....

General Electric is an Edelman client also!

Suddenly your new tact becomes abundently transparent.

WalMart is no longer growing in the United States. They have worn out their welcome and Americans have pushed back with a threshold of acceptance and a developed understanding that WalMart is a Judas to the American workforce.

The ‘love of money’ slobs creating propaganda video stinkfestivals within the WalMart culture. Bentonville must now feed their own associates a baloney cultural sandwich they never asked for.

But still, there are plenty of suckers/victims yet overseas.

WalMart- “living wages”? We don’t understand. And we don’t want to either.

SDV

Wal-Mart has “worn out its’ welcome” here in the US? Is this the same Wal-Mart that posted RECORD sales of more than $345 billion in 2006? Is this the same Wal-Mart with higher sales than the combined totals of Target, Costco, Sears Holdings, Kroger, Safeway, Supervalu and Federated Dept. stores? Judging by sales, if Americans are tired of Wal-Mart, they must really hate Target.

This “living wage” concept is something I could spend days tearing apart yet no amount of factual evidence will convince you strange people who believe in things as you want them to appear and not as how they really are. So, I will devote one paragraph to blowing up the “living wage” theory.

“Living wage” is a concept whereby people are not paid on the basis of their education, training, skills, customer service, achivements, references, personal performance, company performance, attitude, attendence, local job market, company requirements or any other measurable factor. Rather, living wage demands that workers be paid on the basis of the workers, not the company’s, NEEDS. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”. Sound familar? When you pay people on the basis of needs and not on real economic factors, people will work less and need more. Simple fact of life. If a company in Connecticut has to pay $30 per hour to satisfy “living wage” requirements, what’s to keep them from relocating to Mississippi and paying $12 per hour? This will keep a lot of people in Blue states unemployed, which increases tax burdens and makes the state poor. This is the end result of “living wage”.

“you strange people who believe in things as you want them to appear and not as how they really are”

We are all entitled to our opinions and I AM not going to change my beliefs because of same PAID HACK.

“Wal-Mart has “worn out its’ welcome” here in the US?”
Nick in denial.

From Augusta, Maine to San Diego, California-

Anti-Wal-Mart bill strikes a chord in Augusta
By Victoria Wallack
State House News Service
http://www.keepmecurrent.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=36877

San Diego bans WalMart Supercenter expansions-

San Diego to ban Wal-Mart Supercenters
Posted 11/29/2006 3:02 AM ET
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The City Council here voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores,
dealing a blow to Wal-Mart’s potential to expand in the nation’s eighth-largest city.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-11-29-wal-mart-san-diego_x.h]

Walmart’s empty store/building numbers now exceed 400 or more than 10% of its stores in the U.S.-

http://walmartrealty.com/Buildings/PrintableBuilding/BasicBldgListOnly.html

“Is this the same Wal-Mart that posted RECORD sales of more than $345 billion in 2006?”
Nick again not paying attention.

Yes. This is the same WalMart that…

“Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted its worst monthly same-store sales results in at least 28 years, tallying a 3.5% decline in April…”
Wall Street Journal, 5/10/07

compared to Costco in the same month....

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results
ISSAQUAH, WA, May 10, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network)—Costco Wholesale Corporation
("Costco") (NASDAQ: COST) today reported net sales of $4.94 billion for the month of April, the four weeks ended May 6, 2007, an increase of 12 percent from $4.43 billion in the same four-week period last year.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=998447&highlight;=

WalMart/Judas/Nick-“living wages”? We don’t understand. And we don’t want to either.

<H1>MONOLITH</H1>

SDV,

“compared to Costco in the same month.... “

Funny that you would choose Costco to compare Wal-Mart with, as they were the only one that didn’t have ‘worst monthly same-store sales’, besides that, Costco is a Wholesale Club and Wal-Mart is a retailer, so it is not a very good comparison!!  Why didn’t you compare them with Target or K-Mart?  Maybe because that wouldn’t fit into your anti Wal-Mart propaganda, now would it?

Costco is known in retail as one of the anti-WalMarts. They are doing very well under the leadership of Jim Sinegal and their business model of treating employees with union wages and a 92% healthcare coverage plan. They are profiting when WalMart isn’t.

The union contract covers all their stores and America just loves shopping there. Costco is in the retail group of every retail business analysis and industry comparison I’ve ever seen and most recently the Forbes comparisons.

Costco is simply far better. WalMart is a hell hole that customers and associates would prefer to avoid if they could afford it. WalMart claims their demographics are the very poor they helped to create. People know that often WalMart’s own impoverished ‘associates’ can barely afford to shop at where they work because of how poorly they are paid.

Costco pays on average $17.46/hr for their labor. WalMart pays squata and is hostile to labor and treats people like crap. Costco profits while WalMart stumbles.

Treating employees well is good for business. WalMart is very very afraid of the Costco model and rightly so. Costco has a great reputation while Bentonville has placed WalMart’s reputation and image into the toilet under the ‘treat associates like crap’ business model.

WalMart- Treating employees ruthlessly and dumping the majority of them onto the state healthcare programs. Maybe nobody will notice- like Bob.

Nick is a typical Republican, always in denial.

Nick says Republicans value life.  LOL

Over 3400 died for a lie.  He is denial.

HUGE deficits brought on by Republicans’ wasteful spending. He is denial.

Nick is paid to post his vile on this site. He is denial.

Nick NEVER says anything bad against his employer. He is denial.

Nick is a typical Republican, always in denial.

“The road to hell is paved with Republicans”

Nick is a kook with the basic propaganda talent of a scarecrow. Sideshow Bob helps to maintain the scarecrow.
WalMart uses Nick and Bob as aroma therapy from the WalMart/Edelman ‘war room’ to cover over the bad smell reputation that Bentonville makes for itself.

WalMart- We are culture frauds. It is not just a ‘job’ it is impoverishment, state healthcare and the toilet of anti-unionism.

Ellen

Do you mean the same “lie” that was strongly supported by EVERY PROMINENT DEMOCRAT who saw the same information as the President? The “lie” that had, as some of its supporting evidence, data from our own intelligence agencies and every intelligence agency on the planet? Do you mean the “wasteful spending” like the New Deal (FDR) and the Great Society (LBJ) which right now have us facing an unfunded liability of $45 TRILLION?

I am not employed by Wal-Mart. Why is it that pro-capitalist people must be Wal-Mart employees but anti-Wal-Mart people have no agenda beyond the happiness of Wal-Mart’s employees? The truth is, I am a supporter of a free market and not Wal-Mart specifically. I have no loyalty to Wal-Mart but I am sick of people posting lies to further their agenda, which is to unionize or hurt Wal-Mart.

I have called Wal-Mart out on a number of items and, if they break the law or engage in unethical behavior, I will be the first to criticize. I am not a blind partisan like the WMW folks.

You judge a person by their political party? I thought liberals were supposed to be the party of “tolerance” and “open-minds”? In fact, Republicans, with a few notable exceptions, are much more tolerant than Democrats. Democrats shout down people with whom they disagree, physically attack conservatives, vandalize Republican campaign HQs, rig elections and blame Republicans and generally bully, berate, criticize and sue people who do not share their viewpoints. They are deranged Socialists who would be more at home in France.

Ellen,

“HUGE deficits brought on by Republicans’ wasteful spending.”

Do you mean “wasteful spending”, like aiding the people of 2 hurricanes and rebuilding Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama?

Do you mean “wasteful spending”, like aiding the people of 2 hurricanes and rebuilding Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama?

Bob in

what a terrible thing to say about your fellow amercian I hope this never happens to you

I am going out on a limb here but I’ll bet (based on Bobs posts) that if his home was destroyed by Hurricane he would not need Government help.  He sounds like he is a responsible person and smart enough to never depend on the US Government for anything other than military protection.

It’s a shame that the only way to get rid of government funded welfare housing is to have a Hurricane come through and destroy it. I don’t have any sympathy for people who have been on the dole their whole lives. If you look at the aftermath of Katrina, you will notice a familar pattern. Working families had insurance, planned ahead of time for such emergencies and coordinated their efforts in order to get out of town and find a cheap place to stay. The welfare people (half the city) stayed behind and spent their last food stamp before looting the city and crying out for SOMEONE to come help them. They acted as if they had some right to be saved. They are leeches and they contribute absolutely nothing to our society. Mayor Ray “Chocolate City” Nagin failed to follow his own evacuation plan, leaving hundreds of city buses to be destroyed. He then called Americans “racist” because they weren’t so quick to throw good money after bad and rebuild the slumhole that is New Orleans.

Are there good people in New Orleans? Undoubtedly. The people who purchased insurance, planned ahead, took care of themselves and didn’t wait for someone to tell them what to do-these are good people. The people who purchased insurance and were actually ripped off by the insurance companies (not the people who didn’t read their policies) deserve our help as well. The criminals and thugs who turned New Orleans into a rathole? Let me give you an example of the kind of self-sufficiency created by generations of government handouts. A black man, taken to Houston with hundreds of other folks, on buses paid for by taxpayers, yelled at a TV camera “This is racism.....these buses ain’t no different than slave ships we come on......JUST PAY US WHAT THE F--K YOU OWE US!” This comment sums up the attitude of self-sufficency among welfare bumbs. I think most Americans have no desire to support shiftless layabouts. I think many Americans, myself included, would have no problem if new welfare housing was ever built for such ungrateful people. I also think most Americans would love to see these wards of the State out digging ditches and doing the work that they have avoided for decades.

It’s about time, don’t you think?

By the way, Big T, I think you are right about Bob. People like him are a dying breed. It used to be that you depended on yourself, family, friends, neighbors, churches, charities, communities, counties, states and the federal government, in that order. Now, people skip the self-reliance part and go straight to taxpayer handouts. People like Bob plan ahead and arrange their affairs accordingly so as not to have to rely on others or, failing that, the government. I wish there were more people who believed in personal responsibility, individual effort, planning, budgeting, self-reliance and morality.

morality.
of which you and Bob have none of

Guest, I dont think you understand the definition of “Morality”.

“He sounds like he is a responsible person and smart enough to never depend on the US Government for anything other than military protection.”

Big T in AR

So Big T, would he be one of those people seen on CNN from the air sitting on the top of his roof with the dog, while his window and doors are under water? People do silly things in the name of pride. I think that those people just have an larger than life view of themselves.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

guest,

“what a terrible thing to say about your fellow amercian I hope this never happens to you.”

Ellen was the one who said that the Republicans had a lot of ‘wasteful spending’, not me, all I was doing, was asking her if she considered spending money to help the hurricane victoms, was ‘wasteful’!!

Alex,

“So Big T, would he be one of those people seen on CNN from the air sitting on the top of his roof with the dog, while his window and doors are under water?”

No, I would have been one of the ones who left early, a building is just a building and can be rebuilt, but you can’t bring someone back from the dead!!  Then, when the water subsided, I would be back there, clearing rubble and rebuilding.  Example:  We had an apartment house we owned, burn partially, my wife and I tore the remaining structure down by hand, instead of waiting for the city to have it torn down as a hazard!!

“People do silly things in the name of pride.”

And, some people, have no pride at all and are willing to take anything they can get for FREE!!

Example:  We had an apartment house we owned, burn partially, my wife and I tore the remaining structure down by hand, instead of waiting for the city to have it torn down as a hazard!!

Why wouldn’t your insurance pay for that mine did

Nick is paid to post his vile on this site.

You know I love you dearly, Ellen, but I must take exception to your statement. Nick isn’t paid*. That’s the glorious hypocrisy of it all. Nick constantly espouses the profit motive and wealth creation and then he blogs for free. Altruism at it’s finest! I suppose we should admire his sacrifice.

*It’s my theory that Nick is bucking for a job with Edelman, not Wal-Mart at all.

It is my theory that Nick is a Scientologist.

guest,

“Why wouldn’t your insurance pay for that mine did”

So did ours, but we paid ourselves, instead of paying someone else to do our dirty work!!