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  • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 2 2004 7:58 AM

Wal-Mart and 7-11: Election X-Factors?

Submitted by Infra

Edited by legionnaire

Election Day is usually bad news for retailers. It's especially bad news this year, given the projections about voter turnout -- although there may be increases in sales of diapers, milk and "libations," according to Wendy Liebmann of WSL Strategic Retail. Yet some retail chains are adding their own spin on the day's events.

Wal-Mart, for example, is broadcasting election coverage in its stores throughout the day, with the coverage being provided by Fox News.

Shoppers at any of 2,620 Wal-Marts tonight will see live election coverage via a link with Fox News. The coverage is a way to keep shoppers and employees informed, says Charlie Nooney, CEO of Premier Retail Networks, the nation's largest in-store TV network.

By broadcasting Fox's election returns, Wal-Mart may be showing a Republican point of view to shoppers, Liebmann says. "Most retailers tend to keep political affiliations to themselves," she says.

Wal-Mart is simply broadcasting the schedule pre-arranged by Premier Retail Networks, says Wal-Mart spokesman Gus Whitcomb.


There's no word on any chain broadcasting CNN, but this author's projections are that the highest rated in-store broadcast will probably be Word of Mouth Networks, the official news outlet of Sneakernet, anyway.

The 7-11 retail chain is taking a different tack. They're allowing voters to vote twice, or even more, without even having to register. Just pull out your wallet, raise your voice and choose the java receptacle that you'd like to see holding your coffee today.

Patrons can choose either an "I'm Voting for Bush" or "I'm Voting for Kerry" cup when filling up on their drink of choice. Word is still mum on whether or not any third-party beverage producers have made it onto the ballot.

But all is not lost. After all, if you vote with your cup and don't like the taste, you can always throw it out -- and if you do that properly, no one is going to complain.

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Comments
Icantplayguitar

Icantplayguitar

Memphis, TN
July 2004

NOV 02, 2004 08:06 AM

fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.

Wren

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

NOV 02, 2004 08:07 AM

Holy shit, I'm so glad I don't have to work today. No customers AND Fox News. puke

Vampirate

Vampirate

Durham, NC
October 2004

NOV 02, 2004 08:10 AM

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.

Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

NOV 02, 2004 08:10 AM

I may have to walk to 711 in a bit. biggrin

Mike11

Mike11

Titusville, FL
OLD SKOOL

NOV 02, 2004 08:12 AM

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.


And some of shop there twice a day so Wren and thousands of others will have a job.

SirPsychoSexy

SirPsychoSexy

Ridgewood, NJ
January 2004

NOV 02, 2004 08:27 AM

Mike said:

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.


And some of shop there twice a day so Wren and thousands of others will have a job.


Because walmart displaced all of the other jobs that have benifits and pay more.

Mike11

Mike11

Titusville, FL
OLD SKOOL

NOV 02, 2004 08:28 AM

SirPsychoSexy said:

Mike said:

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.


And some of shop there twice a day so Wren and thousands of others will have a job.


Because walmart displaced all of the other jobs that have benifits and pay more.


Maybe in NJ, not here.

Wren

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

NOV 02, 2004 08:30 AM

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.



I keep telling you guys, if you just have patience, the company will collapse from within.

SirPsychoSexy

SirPsychoSexy

Ridgewood, NJ
January 2004

NOV 02, 2004 08:39 AM

Maby not in Florida, but in most of "small town america" that is the case, the way Sam Walton grew his empire was by steam rolling over thousands of mom&pops stores in all the little towns they existed in.
It was an untapped mountain of gold since all the little communities had pretty town centric economies.

Walmart moves in, competes with 20 small mom&pops at close to half price and all the money of the town gets sucked dry once all the local business close and all the towns income goes to filling the pockets of the Waltons instead of becoming recycled around the town.

Since Walmart pays less than all the mom&pops and it just put them all out of business the town workforce is forced to take a no benefits/lower pay job or move out of the town.

Some stay - most leave, town collapses.
Walmart shuts down and moves away.

Walmart even has a creepy name for the stores that have sucked a town dry and are no longer worth keeping open, they call them "Dark Stores" surreal

whoshouldibe

whoshouldibe

Denver, CO
April 2004

NOV 02, 2004 08:50 AM

fuck walmart
And, as for 7-11, having worked there on two different occasions now, both times, during an election, the last time, they had bush and gore cups and many people complained, not only to this humble employee, but apprently higher up, so this time around, they are allowing you to choose the regular 20oz coffee cup if you like, in case you don't want to share who you're voting for, don't agree with either kerry or bush, or just don't care(fuck you). They actually found that the results from last time fairly accurately mirrored the popular vote results. There have been some stores that have been getting lots of shit for just having the kerry or the bush cups out, fortunately mine wasn't one. But, gladly, we've sold a lot more kerry cups at my store than bush ones, so hopefully that means colorado is swing just a bit left of the middle this time.

Scorpio

Scorpio

Everett, WA
April 2004

NOV 02, 2004 09:08 AM

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.



I work for Costco. whatever Wal-Mart is a Republican company, and Costco is a Democratic company. I'm much happier where I'm at....believe me. You know, a member came in a few weeks ago and said that they were going to stop shopping at Costco because of the fact that we were a Democratic company and that we support John Kerry. How low can you stoop? Really.....

MisterSatan

MisterSatan

Portland, OR
August 2002

NOV 02, 2004 09:12 AM

Shalome said:
I may have to walk to 711 in a bit. biggrin


Hell yes.

Wren

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

NOV 02, 2004 09:13 AM

SirPsychoSexy said:
Walmart even has a creepy name for the stores that have sucked a town dry and are no longer worth keeping open, they call them "Dark Stores" surreal



No they don't.

masseffection

masseffection

Atlanta, GA
October 2002

NOV 02, 2004 11:11 AM

Wren said:
Holy shit, I'm so glad I don't have to work today. No customers AND Fox News. puke



Yeah, definitely happy I don't have to work today, too.

legionnaire

legionnaire

Belgium
November 2003

NOV 02, 2004 11:25 AM

Scorpio said:

StackedUpXXII said:

Icantplayguitar said:
fucking boycott walmart, as hard as that might be.


Some of us have been doing this for quite some time.



I work for Costco. whatever Wal-Mart is a Republican company, and Costco is a Democratic company. I'm much happier where I'm at....believe me. You know, a member came in a few weeks ago and said that they were going to stop shopping at Costco because of the fact that we were a Democratic company and that we support John Kerry. How low can you stoop? Really.....



Funny - there was an article in yesterday's New York Times business section comparing Walmart with Costco and saying that Walmart's decreased labor costs as a result of encouraging employees to seek state health insurance rather than providing it themselves resulted in a much more favorable Wall Street analysis than Costco, which provides health insurance, because of the increased cost in labor. The CEO of Costco said something to the effect of "we believe in treating our workers well" while Walmart just denied it. And now, of course, I can't find the damned article.

What I think is missing from that sort of analysis though is the inherent cost of employee turnover in an unsatisfactory job environment. One would assume that a happy employee is more likely to stay in the same job. Which would mean fewer new employees, which means less time spent training them and more productive hours per employee. Or maybe my analysis is screwed up.

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