Introducción
La división de Adquisiciones Globales de Wal-Mart fue creada en el 2002 para administrar los negocios de importación directa de Wal-Mart y las adquisiciones directas al fabricante. Adquisiciones Globales es responsable de supervisar la compra de mercancía a miles de fabricas proveedoras en el mundo.
Esa división también es responsable de identificar nuevos proveedores, de formar sociedades comerciales con proveedores existentes, y de administrar la cadena global de suministro de las importaciones directas de Wal-Mart. El objetivo de Adquisiciones Globales es trabajar en asuntos relativos a garantía de calidad, realizar inspecciones a fábricas proveedoras, y suministrar capacitación de estándares de lugar de trabajo para proveedores y fábricas. El equipo de la división es de 1700 personas, localizadas en su mayor parte en Shenzhen con oficinas adicionales en 50 países.
Establecido en 1992 para mejorar las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores de las fábricas proveedoras de Wal-Mart, el Programa de Valores Éticos es una subdivisión de Adquisiciones Globales. El equipo de Programa de Valores Éticos es responsable de verificar el cumplimiento de los Estándares de Wal-Mart para Proveedores, así como de las leyes locales aplicables. El programa coordina la administración y ejecución de auditorías a las fábricas proveedoras de las que Wal-Mart compra directamente y es el importador nominal.
Esta introducción examina los sistemas de procuración y adquisición de Wal-Mart, así como algunos de los problemas con fábricas en China, Bangladesh, y otros países donde su modelo de suministro ha fallado al proteger los derechos de los trabajadores y cumplir con los propios estándares de Wal-Mart.
Como la compañía más grande del mundo, y como miembro de proyectos de estándares laborales tales como la Iniciativa de Comercio Ético (Ethical Trading Initiative) y el Programa Global de Cumplimiento Social (Global Social Compliance Programme), es responsabilidad de Wal-Mart dar un paso al frente y ser un líder e innovador en cuestiones de suministro, como lo ha hecho en cuestiones de menudeo. Al estudiar los diversos casos sobre abusos en fábricas de explotación y Wal-Mart, tres patrones notables salen a la luz:
1.) La incapacidad de Wal-Mart para aplicar sus propios Estándares de Proveedores
2.) La incapacidad de Wal-Mart para implementar un sistema de responsabilidad con los dueños y gerentes de fábricas
3.) La perpetua insistencia de Wal-Mart en conseguir el precio más bajo posible de sus proveedores
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简介
沃尔玛的全球采购部创建于2002年，管理沃尔玛的直接进口业务和工厂直接采购。 全球采购部负责监管全球数千家供应商工厂的商品供货。
该部门还负责鉴别新供应商、寻找新产品货源、与现有供应商建立伙伴关系以及管理沃尔玛直接进口的全球供应链。 全球采购部的职责是解决质量保证问题，对供应商工厂进行检查以及为供应商和工厂提供工作场所标准培训。 部门1700名员工主要位于深圳，另外在50个国家/地区设有办事处。
道德标准计划是全球采购的一部分，制订于1992年，旨在改善沃尔玛供应商工厂的工人条件。 道德标准团队负责验证工厂是否遵守沃尔玛的供应商标准以及适用的当地法律。 该计划协调管理和执行对沃尔玛直接采购供应商工厂进行的供应商工厂稽核，且是记录的输入者。
这篇短文自查了沃尔玛的采购系统，以及中国、孟加拉国及其它国家/地区的工厂出现的一些问题，在这些国家，他们的采购模式无法保护工人的权益且达不到沃尔玛自己的标准。
作为全球最大的公司以及公平劳动标准计划（如道德贸易运动和全球社会责任计划）的成员，沃尔玛有责任在采购领域建立它的游戏规则并成为领先者和革新者，如同它在零售行业取得的成就一样。 然而在研究涉及血汗工厂和沃尔玛的各种案例时，发现了三种值得注意的情况：
1.) 沃尔玛没有充分执行它自己的供应商标准
2.) 沃尔玛无法实施与工厂老板和经理之间的责任系统
3.) 沃尔玛继续坚持从供应商那里获得最低廉的价格
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue begins with a new study from the group Good Jobs First, which reveals that cash-strapped states are forgoing a total of roughly $1 billion annually in tax revenue because of little-noticed laws that permit retailers to keep a slice of the sales taxes they collect for the government. In fact, the study finds thirteen states do not cap the amount that a retailer can receive as vendor compensation for collecting sales tax, resulting in millions of lost tax dollars.
A large focus this week is also on Wal-Mart’s announcement that Lee Scott will step down as CEO in February 2009, to be replaced by Michael Duke, Wal-Mart’s Vice Chairman of its International Division. In addition to the CEO change, you’ll find stories on the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act, how Wal-Mart will deal with the Obama Administration from a labor perspective, and related news on Wal-Mart’s labor battles in Canada.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe. Wal-Mart has founded a new consumer group in New England geared towards fighting Wal-Mart opponents, and has purchased its own wind-energy supply based out of Odessa, Texas
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [November 21, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
The other day, a Wal-Mart buyer who received a supply trade bribe was arrested by the Shenzhen prosecutor’s office.
The buyer had been with Wal-Mart for many years, revealed the “Daily Economic News”, making known for the first time a large scale bribery case. The incident also airs Wal-Mart interior staff’s employment of “secret service” to monitor and investigate Wal-Mart staff.
Information from Shenzhen’s Futian police illustrates that the local police station has gathered two months worth of evidence to successfully uncover a 20,000 RMB bribery case. At present the suspect as been arrested.
In September, the local police station received the case from Wal-Mart’s investigations department reporting a Wal-Mart buyer and a Shandong egg supplier. Wal-Mart buyer Liao Mou demanded 20,000 RMB from the egg supplier as an “entrance fee”.
The police investigation discovered that last year Liao Mou indeed demanded 20,000 RMB from a Shandong egg supplier, having the money transferred to a far away relative’s bank account. Moreover, one Wal-Mart staff also discovered that Liao Mou met a supplier in a park to receive a bank card with 100,000 RMB.
On October 15, police detained Liao Mou as a criminal. On October 23, Liao Mou was arrested by the prosecutor’s office as a suspect in business bribery.
Wal-Mart’s public relations department staff told the “Daily Economic News” that honesty is Wal-Mart’s number one principle. Wal-Mart welcomes the supply trade investigation and will work to create a series of mechanisms to prevent bribery cases from happening. “The ways this incident was handled first gives a warning to employees and second gives the supply trade something to think about.”
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MANUAL INTRODUCTORIO SOBRE EL MENUDEO DE WAL-MART WATCH
“Todo alrededor del mundo, le ahorramos dinero a la gente, para que puedan vivir mejor. Esas son buenas noticias – en cualquier lenguaje.” – Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
La Expansión Internacional de Wal-Mart
A mayo del 2007, las 7,343 tiendas de Wal-Mart y establecimientos de Sam’s Club en 14 mercados emplean más de dos millones de Asociados a nivel global, sirviendo a más de 179 millones de clientes al año. Wal-Mart no es sólo una compañía más, sino el menudista más grande de los Estados Unidos y del mundo entero.
Desde el 2002, Wal-Mart ha encabezado la lista de las 500 principales compañías de EU de la revista Fortune, excepto en el 2006, cuando quedó en segundo lugar detrás de Exxon-Mobil “pero sólo debido a que el precio mundial del petróleo había subido en un 50 por ciento” ese año. Los ingresos anuales de Wal-Mart en el 2008 fueron de $378 mil millones.
A lo largo del mundo entero, Wal-Mart explota personas y recursos para su propio beneficio. Esas son malas noticias – en cualquier lenguaje. Mientras Wal-Mart busca capitalizar su estrategia internacional, trabaja para construir nuevos imperios de menudeo en otros países, en particular en India y Rusia.
Este manual introductorio tiene el propósito de educar activistas de todo el mundo acerca de las estrategias de desarrollo de Wal-Mart y de su impacto en la cultura menudista local. Las tácticas principales usadas por la compañía antes de entrar a un país incluyen 1.) crear sociedades con organizaciones y empresas locales. 2.) trabajar con funcionarios gubernamentales y 3.) aprovechar el creciente poder adquisitivo de la clase media. Hemos escogido México e india como dos casos de estudio internacionales para remarcar lo que sucede antes y después de que Wal-Mart entra a un país.
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
WAL-MART WATCH: ОБЗОР РОЗНИЧНОГО РЫНКА
«По всему миру мы экономим людям деньги, повышая их уровень жизни. Это хорошая новость, на каком бы языке она ни сообщалась». – Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Международная экспансия Wal-Mart
В мае 2007 года в сети Wal-Mart, насчитывающей 7 343 магазинов и оптовых центров Sam’s Club в 14 странах, работало свыше двух миллионов сотрудников, которые обслуживали более 179 миллионов клиентов в год. Wal-Mart – это не просто компания, это крупнейшая розничная сеть в США и во всем мире.
Начиная с 2002 года, Wal-Mart возглавляла список 500 крупнейших компаний мира, ежегодно публикуемый журналом Fortune, за исключением 2006 года, когда первое место заняла компания Exxon-Mobil, «но только из-за двукратного повышения мировых цен на нефть», произошедшего в том году. Годовой оборот Wal-Mart в 2008 году составил 378 млрд. долларов США.
По всему миру Wal-Mart эксплуатирует людей и ресурсы, получая от этого прибыль. Это плохая новость, на каком бы языке она ни сообщалась. Стремясь извлечь выгоду из своей международной стратегии, компания Wal-Mart работает над созданием новых розничных империй в других странах, а именно в Индии и России.
Цель настоящего обзора – рассказать активистам из разных стран мира о стратегиях развития розничной сети Wal-Mart и о том влиянии, которое эта компания оказывает на местные рынки. Три главных тактики, используемых компанией для выхода на новый рынок, включают в себя: 1) установление партнерских отношений с местными фирмами и организациями 2) работу с представителями государственных структур, и 3) использование покупательской способности формирующегося среднего класса. Мы рассмотрим последствия появления Wal-Mart на рынке на примере двух стран – Мексики и Индии.
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
CARTILHA DOS VIGILANTES DO WAL-MART
“Em todo o mundo, fazemos com que as pessoas economizem dinheiro, para que elas possam viver melhor. Isso é bom – em qualquer idioma.” – Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Expansão internacional do Wal-Mart
Em maio de 2007, as 7.343 lojas do Wal-Mart e as unidades do Sam’s Club em 14 mercados empregam mais de dois milhões de Associados em todo o mundo, servindo a mais de 179 consumidores por ano. O Wal-Mart não é só mais uma empresa, mas a maior rede de lojas a varejo dos Estados Unidos e do mundo.
Desde 2002, o Wal-Mart está no topo da lista Fortune 500 - exceto em 2006, quando ficou em segundo lugar, atrás da Exxon-Mobil, “mas apenas porque o preço mundial do petróleo subiu 50 por cento” naquele ano. A receita anual do Wal-Mart em 2008 foi de US$ 378 bilhões.
Em todo o mundo, o Wal-Mart explora pessoas e recursos para obter lucro. Isso é mau – em qualquer idioma. Enquanto o Wal-Mart busca beneficiar-se de sua estratégia internacional, segue trabalhando na construção de novos impérios de lojas a varejo em outros países, mais especificamente na Índia e na Rússia.
Esta cartilha tem o propósito de informar aos ativistas ao redor do mundo sobre as estratégias de desenvolvimento de vendas a varejo do Wal-Mart, e o impacto da empresa nas culturas varejistas locais. As três principais táticas usadas pela empresa antes de entrar em um país são: 1.) construir parcerias com empresas e organizações locais; 2.) trabalhar com oficiais do governo e 3.) explorar o poder de compra da classe média emergente. Escolhemos os estudos de caso internacionais do México e da Índia para exemplificar o que acontece depois que o Wal-Mart entra em um país.
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
वॉलमार्ट वॉच खुद्रा प्रवेशिका
“हम संसार भर के लोगों के पैसों की बचत करते हैं ताकि उनका जीवन स्तर अच्छा हो सके. संसार के सभी भाषा-भाषियों के लिए यह एक अच्छी ख़बर है.” – वॉलमार्ट स्टोर्स इंकोरपोरेटिड
वॉलमार्ट का अंतर्राष्ट्रीय विस्तार
मई 2007 के आँकड़ों के मुताबिक, वॉलमार्ट के कुल 7,343 स्टोर हैं और 14 बाज़ारों में सैम्स क्लब स्थित है. इनमें विश्व भर के उसके 20 लाख सहयोगी कार्यरत हैं, जो हर साल 17 करोड़ 90 लाख से ज़्यादा ग्राहकों के लिए काम करते हैं. वॉलमार्ट कोई ऐरी-गैरी कंपनी नहीं है. ये संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका और संसार की सबसे बड़ी खुद्रा कंपनी है.
सन् 2002 से आज तक वॉलमार्ट फ़ॉर्चून 500 सूची में सबसे ऊपर रही है. सिर्फ़ सन् 2006 में ही वह इस सूची में दूसरे स्थान पर लुढ़की थी. उस समय पहले स्थान पर एक्सॉन-मोबिल कंपनी का नाम आया था. “उस साल तेल की विश्व कीमतों में 50 प्रतिशत की बढ़ोतरी की वजह से ही यह संभव हुआ था. सन् 2008 में वॉलमार्ट की सालाना आमदनी 3.78 खरब डॉलर थी.
वॉलमार्ट संसार भर के लोगों और अपने स्त्रोतों को अपने फ़ायदे के लिए इस्तेमाल करती है. संसार के हरेक भाषा-भाषी के लिए यह एक कटु सत्य है. जैसे- जैसे वॉलमार्ट अपनी अंतर्राष्ट्रीय नीति पर और आगे बढ़ना चाह रही है, वैसे-वैसे वह अपने खुद्रा बाज़ार के साम्राज्य को भारत और रूस जैसे अन्य देशों में बढ़ाने की कोशिश कर रही है.
इस प्रवेशिका का उद्देश्य संसार भर में फैले कार्यकर्ताओं को वॉलमार्ट के खुद्रा विकास रणनीतियों और स्थानीय खुद्रा संस्कारों में कंपनी के प्रभाव के बारे में शिक्षित करना है. किसी भी देश में प्रवेश करने से पहले यह कंपनी तीन काम करती है: 1) पहला, वो स्थानीय व्यापारियों और संगठनों के साथ साझेदारियाँ कायम करती है, 2) दूसरा, वह सरकारी अफ़सरों के साथ काम करती है और 3) तीसरा काम, कि वह उभरते हुए मध्य वर्ग की क्रय क्षमता में अपनी पैठ बना लेती है. वॉलमार्ट के किसी देश में घुसने से पहले और बाद में, उस देश में क्या-क्या होता है, इसको प्रकाशित करने के लिए हमने एक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय केस अध्ययन करने के लिए दो देशों को चुना है. वे देश हैं: मेक्सिको और भारत.
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
沃尔玛观察网零售期刊
“我们为世界各地的人们省钱，因此他们能够生活得更好。 这是个好消息 – 无论以任何语言。” – Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
沃尔玛的国际扩张
截止 2007 年 6 月，沃尔玛在 14 个市场中的 7,343 家分店和山姆会员店地点雇用了来自世界各地的 200 多万名员工，每年服务于超过 1.79 亿个顾客。 沃尔玛并不仅是又一家公司，而是美国及全球最大的零售商。
自 2002 年起，沃尔玛就一直位于财富 500 强之首，除了 2006 年位居 Exxon-Mobil 之后排在第二位，“但这仅是由于世界油价在当年上涨了 50%”。 沃尔玛在 2008 年的年收入达 3780 亿美元。
沃尔玛充分利用全球的人力与资源，因此获益。 这是个坏消息 – 无论以任何语言。 就在沃尔玛试图利用其国际策略时，它正努力在其它国家/地区（即印度和俄罗斯）构建新的零售帝国。
该巨头计划培训世界各地的积极分子有关沃尔玛的零售发展战略以及公司对当地零售文化的影响。 在进入某个国家之前该公司采纳的三大战略包括 1.) 与当地企业和组织建立合作关系 2.) 与政府官员一起合作 3.) 激发新兴中产阶级的购买力。 我们已选择墨西哥和印度作为两大国际案例研究，以强调沃尔玛在进入某个国家前后所发生的事件。
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
WAL-MART WATCH RETAIL PRIMER
“All around the world, we save people money, so they can live better. That’s good news – in any language.” – Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Wal-Mart’s International Expansion
As of May 2007, Wal-Mart’s 7,343 stores and Sam’s Club locations in 14 markets employ more than two million Associates world wide, serving more than 179 million customers a year. Wal-Mart isn’t just another company but it is the largest retailer in the United States and in the world.
Since 2002, Wal-Mart has topped the Fortune 500 list, except for in 2006, when it trailed in second place behind Exxon-Mobil “but only because the world price of oil had risen 50 percent” in that year. Wal-Mart’s annual revenue in 2008 was $378 billion.
All around the world, Wal-Mart exploits people and resources, so Wal-Mart can profit. That’s bad news – in any language. As Wal-Mart seeks to capitalize on its international strategy, it is working toward building new retail empires in other countries, namely India and Russia.
This primer is intended to educate activists around the world about Wal-Mart’s retail development strategies and the company’s impact on local retail culture. The three primary tactics used by the company prior to entering a country include 1.) building partnerships with local businesses and organizations 2.) working with government officials and 3.) tapping into the burgeoning middle class’s purchasing power. We have chosen Mexico and India as two international case studies to highlight what happens before and after Wal-Mart enters a country.
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Posted by Michael Mignano | Permalink
Last Friday, Wal-Mart Watch had the opportunity to attend a presentation on “Wal-Mart, China and Responsible Sourcing” at Johns Hopkins University. Beth Keck, the senior director of international sustainability and strategy for Wal-Mart, was there to represent Wal-Mart.
Keck’s presentation primarily focused on sustainable buildings, plastic bags, and packaging, but also mentioned Wal-Mart’s new supplier standards.
After Keck finished her 28 slide PowerPoint presentation, she fielded questions from the audience. A great majority of those present wondered if Wal-Mart’s “always low prices” mantra is inherently contradictory to sustainability. Keck replied that it is not and talked about packaging.
Regarding the new supplier standards, I pointed out to Ms. Keck the reaction Wal-Mart’s sustainability summit had received in the news and I asked her how Wal-Mart suppliers were to supposed to pick up the costs of improving standards when many of Wal-Mart suppliers are forced to supply Wal-Mart with little or no profit.
Keck talked about packaging…
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Posted by Research Team | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue begins with a Bloomberg report of Wal-Mart being placed on a list of most controversial companies. Also named - the company responsible for producing melamine-tainted milk in China. The list includes companies criticized for producing negative impacts on communities, health, and the environment, and was based on a study by RepRisk, a consulting firm that analyzes companies’ exposure to controversial issues and news.
You’ll also find stories from BusinessWeek and the Financial Times on how corporate giants like Wal-Mart are gearing up to battle potential pro-labor legislation in 2009. With President-Elect Barack Obama and the Democrats taking over next year, retailers are bracing to fight the Employee Free Choice Act – or EFCA – which could make it easier to organize unions in the workplace.
In addition to EFCA, you’ll find stories on Wal-Mart and the economy. And from the legal front, read about a $19 million discrimination lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart and Pepsi in West Virginia. Plus, in the world of product safety, read more about questions raised by the controversial chemical BPA, as well how Wal-Mart has been selling lead-tainted face paint for kids…a no-no anytime, and especially around Halloween.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe. Chicago city aldermen have a wish list for an Obama presidency; the fight continues over whether Wal-Mart can build near a Civil War battlefield in Virginia; and towns in California and Nevada deny Wal-Mart the ability to sell alcohol on its store shelves.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [November 12, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
Nov06
Look Out, Sweden!
Wal-Mart’s latest conquest:
Wal-Mart eyes Sweden [The Local (Sweden)]
US retailing giant Wal-Mart is in talks about opening a store in Sundsvall in northern Sweden, officials from the city report.
“Wal-Mart is interested in establishing a test-store in northern Europe, and if they do it will be Sundvall’s Östra Birsta shopping area,” said Gerhard Larsson, a former governor of Västernorrland and one of those involved in the discussions, to the Dagens Handel newspaper.
A spokesperson from Wal-Mart declined to confirm or deny the report.
“We are always looking to establish in new areas. But we don’t comment on where or how,” Wal-Mart’s Kevin Gardner told the newspaper.
Should plans for the store move forward, Sweden’s first Wal-Mart store would beside an Ikea store and an Ica Maxi supermarket.
The negotiations come several years after the creation of a partnership between communities in Västernorrland and the town of Madison, Mississippi in the United States.
During a visit to the US, officials from the Sundsvall business community met with their Madison counterparts, which included representatives from Wal-Mart.
Officials from Sundsvall hope now that the partnership will bear fruit which can help the new retailing area gain traction.
“One can assume that in order to further develop, Birsta needs to have some kind of really exciting customer magnet which hasn’t previously been established in Sundsvall,” said one official to Dagens Handel.
Posted by Research Team | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue begins on Wal-Mart and the economy, and whether Wal-Mart sales statistics can be used as a new barometer for the U.S. economy. You’ll also find stories on changes in shopper behavior, now that consumers are faced with less disposable income. And, you’ll find stories on Wal-Mart’s slowed growth, and the switch to smaller store formats by retailers across the country.
In addition to the economy, you’ll find stories related to next week’s election. Barack Obama highlighted the story of a 72-year-old man forced to go back to work for Wal-Mart in his half-hour special this past Wednesday night. Meanwhile, according to Reuters Wal-Mart vows to remain non-partisan in the 2008 election season, while the Financial Times reports on the candidates attempting to woo the so-called “Wal-Mart Moms.” Plus, there are suspicions that Wal-Mart is behind a new grassroots group recently set up to fight the Employee Free Choice Act, as reported in The National Journal.
Also: Find out whether a Wal-Mart case in Montana could lead to changes in that state’s campaign finance law.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe. A California ballot measure could lead to increased demand for more humane animal products, while citizens in Virginia continue to fight Wal-Mart’s attempt to build near an historic Civil War battlefield.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [October 31, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue begins with news of Wal-Mart’s closing of a Quebec Tire and Lube Express, just two months after workers there won a precedent-setting collective bargaining agreement. The move has been wildly denounced, although Wal-Mart officials maintain that Wal-Mart is not anti-union. Following up on that, BloggingStocks.com asks whether it’s wise that the retailer would rather see an operation shut down entirely than have employees with any kind of power.
In addition, the Hartford Courant has been following an issue in Connecticut - it seems the CT Consumer Protection Department will review Wal-Mart’s double tax policy to see if it violates state tax law. And on the International side, read more about Wal-Mart’s new green store in Beijing, China, and how the retailer is claiming it will toughen standards on its Chinese suppliers.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [October 22, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
AP ran a story this weekend about Wal-Mart’s expansion into China’s hinterlands. The story reveals how in China, Wal-Mart is being forced to change how it does business.
First, it has welcomed Chinese organized labor into their stores to represent its workers. Wal-Mart’s opposition to unions in North America is so strong that just last week Wal-Mart chose to close a Tire and Lube Express in Quebec rather than accept a union contract in that shop.
Second, it is being forced to grow faster in China than the infrastructure it needs for support is developing. As Emek Basker, a University of Missouri economics professor points out in the piece, Wal-Mart had a conscious policy in the United States to only open stores that were within a day’s drive of a distribution center. Facing pressure from French giant, Carrefour, and possibly the demands of the Chinese government, Wal-Mart is being forced to abandon that policy in China. In addition to a less convenient distribution network, add a less developed Chinese infrastructure of highways. Now pile on top greater pressure to localize store purchases and that gives you the third way Wal-Mart has been forced to do things differently in China: buy local.
As Dean Xu, professor of strategy and international business at the University of Hong Kong, points out in the article, Wal-Mart will have to source many goods from local suppliers, potentially raising quality issues. “If there is one incident, it can ruin your company’s reputation,” Xu said.
And we know that Wal-Mart’s inability to “go local” is part of the reason it failed in South Korea and Germany and is performing poorly in Japan.
China is so much larger than any of those three countries and therefore the problems associated with going local are larger too. If Wal-Mart succeeds (and it’s a very big “if” - the last we heard, Wal-Mart China still wasn’t profitable), it will become a very different from what we see today. And it certainly won’t look anything like company that Sam Walton passed down to his children.
Posted by David Nassar, Executive Director | Permalink
Wal-Mart doesn’t have a bank yet in the U.S., but that isn’t stopping ‘em from forging full-steam ahead in Canada and Mexico.
In classic shrewd fashion, Wal-Mart seems to be using the financial crisis and the credit crunch to its advantage. Today’s story in PR Week isn’t the first to imply that Wal-Mart’s application for a bank in Canada might be “received favourably” by officials in a weak economy.
The story also noted for the umpteenth time that:
Wal-Mart Canada did not return calls for comment. In its notice, the retailer did not disclose what kind of banking services it would provide, but it is expected to offer credit card, mortgage, and investment products.
Meanwhile, a Bloomberg News story today tells us that Wal-Mex’s bank is growing. Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB is charging ahead south of the border and planning to unload 100,000 credit cards on Mexicans, targeting primarily the 75 percent of the population who’ve never had a bank account.
Issuing more credit cards as Mexico’s economy slows would allow Walmex, as the company is known, to collect annual interest of as high as 75 percent and encourage purchases of more expensive appliances and furniture at its stores, the only place the cards can be used. Walmex is preparing more financial products aimed at customers who have never had a bank account, about 75 percent of Mexico’s 103 million people.
In case you missed that: Wal-Mart is encouraging Mexicans to go in debt at 75 percent interest.
Presumably, Wal-Mart is trying to set up working bank operations in Canada and Mexico before trying again to apply in the U.S. And now they seem to be using the financial crisis as another tool to get into the banking game.
They certainly can’t expect us to keep quiet about any it.
Posted by Eric Bull | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue centers on a new website launched by Wal-Mart Watch which details the retailer’s political contributions, positions on specific legislation, and spending on lobbyists and industry trade groups. The website, Walton Influence, also includes similar information on the Walton family and the family’s related enterprises.
In addition, you’ll read about a number of legal issues, the most important of which could be affecting the health of millions of Americans. Bloomberg News and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others, are reporting on how tests of several of the best-selling brands of bottled water (including Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club private label brands) have been found to contain mixtures of at least 38 different pollutants, including bacteria, fertilizer, and industrial chemicals. These findings could result in a lawsuit against the retail giant.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe. You’ll read about how Maryland’s closing of certain corporate tax loopholes has resulted in millions of dollars in increased state funds, and why employees in Illinois are protesting Wal-Mart’s electioneering activities.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [October 16, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
Check out this week’s issue of the Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials – a compilation of Wal-Mart news from across the country and beyond.
This week’s issue focuses on Wal-Mart and the current economic crisis. You’ll find stories on how Americans are shifting to thrift stores in order to save money, and whether September’s retail sales figures reflect a downturn in consumer spending. You’ll also find an article from CNN Money discussing whether the state of the economy will affect Wal-Mart’s hiring, especially with the holiday season coming up.
In addition to the economy, you’ll find stories on Wal-Mart’s move to small stores. Are Wal-Mart’s Marketside Stores the wave of the future? And in health care news, Wal-Mart is rolling out electronic personal health records to all of its employees, and has announced changes to its health plan for 2009.
And finally, check out our “Stateside” and “Wal-Mart International” sections to find out what’s going on with Wal-Mart around the country and across the globe.
Wal-Mart Watch Weekly Update for Elected Officials [October 10, 2008]
Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
SweatFree Communities, an anti-sweatshop activist group, went undercover in Bangladesh to examine working conditions in Wal-Mart’s supplier factories. The resulting report (PDF) paints a heart-wrenching portrait of the poverty and abuse that make Wal-Mart’s low prices possible.
BusinessWeek’s article on SweatFree’s findings is equally troubling. The piece highlights problems at Wal-Mart that enable sweatshops: preannounced factory inspections mean managers can hide violations, and fewer corporate reports on the state of its supply chain means Wal-Mart executives are turning a blind eye. Wal-Mart also tried to suppress SweatFree’s report, alone a worrysome fact. SweatFree Communities Executive Director Bjorn Claeson is quoted in the article saying, “Wal-Mart has incredible economic muscle in that country. If it takes the leadership position as a retailer and works with other brands, there is no question that it can really have an impact.”
Wal-Mart Supplier Accused of Sweatshop Conditions [BusinessWeek]
The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), is being accused of buying school uniforms that were made under extreme sweatshop conditions at a factory in Bangladesh.
The JMS Garments Factory in Chittagong, Bangladesh, produces school uniforms that are sold in Wal-Mart stores under the Faded Glory brand name. A report from SweatFree Communities, an anti-sweatshop activist group based in Bangor (Me.), found that workers at the factory work up to 19-hour shifts to finish Wal-Mart’s orders under tight deadlines; are made to stand for hours as punishment for arriving late to work; and are frequently subject to verbal abuse and kicking or beatings. Some workers earn as little as $20 each month, the group says—even lower than the country’s legal minimum wage of $24 per month.
The report is based on interviews with more than 90 workers conducted away from the factory in workers’ homes by a Bangladeshi nongovernmental labor research organization on behalf of SweatFree Communities, a five-year-old nonprofit group funded by activist foundations such as the Solidago Foundation, CarEth Foundation, and Presbyterian Hunger Program. The group works to get commitments from schools, cities, and other employers to buy goods with employee rights in mind.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
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