I'm not saying Dave's is some plush foo-foo experience, but Marc's is just downright unpleasant. Does Marc's even take debit/credit cards yet?

 

some do. If you knew how much say a credit card merchant charges for transactions (flat fee + sometimes %), you'd know how bernie keeps costs down. When a mom & pop says "credit minimum charge, $5" its literally that they won't make money on the transaction, i.e. the credit fees eat away all or more of the profit they have built into the price.

 

that is illegal.  you cannot set price floors on credit card transactions.  if a merchant tries to do this, you need to report them to the BBB.

Seems reasonable to me.

Not illegal, just goes against the merchants agreement with credit card companies. Complaining to BBB would be usless, should complaint to the credit card issuer.

 

No 'minimum purchase' requirements allowed

By Laura A. Bruce • Bankrate.com

 

You stop at the neighborhood grocery store on the way home from work to pick up some milk, fresh spinach, tomatoes and a chunk of Parmesan cheese. The tab comes to $11.24; you've only got $10.

 

No problem. You whip out the credit card and hand it to the cashier.

 

He points to the small sign taped to the side of the register that says, "Credit card purchases -- $15 minimum." Great. Now you either have to drop an item or buy more than you want so you can use the card.

 

Read More...

^yeah, if you want to help out mom & pops, ALWAYS pay in cash.

Peabody is this what you were looking for? If not still a good read, and does a nice job showing what Wal-Mart needs to do/change to survive.

 

 

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/TheEndOfTheWalMartEra.aspx?GT1=10522

 

 

If a small retailer is losing money doing $5 credit card transactions, it seems only reasonable to me to respect their wishes not to do $5 credit card transactions.  It may violate their credit card contract, but it is fair.  It falls under the more important social contract clause of "don't be a d_ck".

It falls under the more important social contract clause of "don't be a d_ck".

 

A contract far too many people do not honor!!!!!!

Peabody is this what you were looking for? If not still a good read, and does a nice job showing what Wal-Mart needs to do/change to survive.

 

 

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/TheEndOfTheWalMartEra.aspx?GT1=10522

 

 

exactly thanks! the second page illustrates my point about the  giant being too slow to respond to quickly shifting marketing changes as well as other flaws in McMarketing. I could sit here and gush all day with examples about the better service and experience you get from supporting the local guy (and if for any other reason supporting our neighbors that  make their home here, spend money here etc) but why bother, some are going to choose what they choose.

 

 

Every business has to find the right mix of quality, service and price.  Apples to apples, businesses will not beat Wal-mart on price.  But on variety, service, convenience, etc, there is a lot to compete against them

ok I'm officially depressed: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-4/119606989156620.xml&coll=2 (full sory)

Summary:

Wal-Mart draws huge crowd - of applicants

Posted by nbye November 26, 2007 05:51AM

Categories: Top Story

 

 

As the world's largest private employer, Wal-Mart is used to being greeted by large numbers of applicants almost every time it opens a new store.

 

But the 6,000-plus people who applied for jobs at the new Supercenter in Cleveland's Steelyard Commons took everyone, even Wal-Mart, by surprise.

 

"We had to recount [the applications] three times," said Mia Masten, Wal-Mart's director of corporate affairs, Midwest division.

 

When thousands of people compete for a few hundred ordinary jobs, trend watchers say it's an indication not only of a less-than-stellar economy but also of a workforce short on marketable skills.

 

Will someone with some power do something for God's sake! Our workforce is too unskilled to attract modern "lower-skilled" jobs. This region is built on a model that's practically medieval! Just think about all the computers and technology the average member of the Army learns how to use and compare that to our educational system here and the average "low-skill" worker.

 

English, algebra, geography... OK, you're done, get to work!

 

 

We only need 17.15 Walmarts to provide enough jobs to fill the demand for jobs at Walmart.

Unfortunately, this story has been picked up by USA Today. It does seem like a cheap shot.

 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/11/in-cleveland-60.html#uslPageReturn

Will someone with some power do something for God's sake! Our workforce is too unskilled to attract modern "lower-skilled" jobs. This region is built on a model that's practically medieval! Just think about all the computers and technology the average member of the Army learns how to use and compare that to our educational system here and the average "low-skill" worker.

 

English, algebra, geography... OK, you're done, get to work!

 

I'm so frustrated with Clevelanders. Why the fuck are people crying about their lost industrial jobs and settling for shit like this?? Go to school and fucking do something with your life instead of being stuck as an ignorant person.

 

Obviously, again, to most people here I'm preaching to the choir. Unless you're an ignorant person. Then, go to school.

It's entirely possible that some of the applicants ARE in school or trying to retrain for a different career but in the meantime, they need to put food in their childrens' mouths. Hearing some of the comments on this forum (not just yours, jpop - I'm not singling you out), I have to wonder how many have actually been in a situation where you have to choose between feeding your children or paying bills. I have to wonder how many have had a decades-long career pulled out from under them (along with the pension/benefits that came with it) and had to retrain and adapt, all the while dealing with the shame that's synonymous with receiving assistance, etc.. Obviously there's no choice for many people BUT to retrain but it's not always a matter of taking out a loan, going to school and voila, happy middle-class lifestyle.

Poor Chicago, how will the city ever survive :roll:

 

Chicagoans flock to Wal-Mart jobs: 24,500 apply for 325 spots at new Wal-Mart

Chicago Sun-Times, Jan 26, 2006 by Leslie Baldacci

Eighteen months after the Chicago City Council torpedoed a South Side Wal-Mart, 24,500 Chicagoans applied for 325 jobs at a Wal-Mart opening Friday in south suburban Evergreen Park, one block outside the city limits.

The new Wal-Mart at 2500 W. 95th is one block west of Western Avenue, the city boundary.

Of 25,000 job applicants, all but 500 listed Chicago addresses, said John Bisio, regional manager of public affairs for Wal-Mart.

"In our typical hiring process, you're pretty successful if you have 3,000 applicants," he said. "They were really crowing about 11,000 in Oakland, Calif., last year. So to get 25,000-plus applications and counting, I think is astonishing."

Assistant manager Rachael Fierro, who was still interviewing prospects Wednesday, said "we saw a little bit of everything -- people who hadn't worked for a long time, people who saw an opportunity to do something with themselves. That's the information I got from applicants."

The 141,000-square-foot store has 36 departments, a "tire and lube express," vision center, Subway restaurant, pharmacy, garden center and drugstore. It will sell some groceries but no fresh produce or meats and no liquor. It is expected to generate $1 million in sales and property tax in the first year -- a windfall in a village that collects about $3 million a year in sales taxes, said Evergreen Park Mayor James J. Sexton. Evergreen Plaza, with 100 stores, generates about $2 million.

 

Anticipating the usual protests over wages, benefits and anti- union practices, the Evergreen Park store was union-built. A protest over minority set-asides was defused in one day. Wal-Mart also came bearing gifts -- Tuesday night, the corporation donated $35,000 to the village library, local hospital, churches and other village institutions, Sexton said.

'WE CAN'T BEAT THEM'

 

Read More...

that is so awesome punch thanks. (Not in the spirit of bashing chicago, but in the spirit of the media being completely "doom and gloom" when 6,000 applied for the SYC walmart)

Thanks Punch. Sometimes it takes people looking from the outside to show others the world outside of their plastic bubble.

That definitely puts things in perspective - hopefully we can all put this thread back on topic :-)

:weird:

It's entirely possible that some of the applicants ARE in school or trying to retrain for a different career but in the meantime, they need to put food in their childrens' mouths. Hearing some of the comments on this forum (not just yours, jpop - I'm not singling you out), I have to wonder how many have actually been in a situation where you have to choose between feeding your children or paying bills. I have to wonder how many have had a decades-long career pulled out from under them (along with the pension/benefits that came with it) and had to retrain and adapt, all the while dealing with the shame that's synonymous with receiving assistance, etc.. Obviously there's no choice for many people BUT to retrain but it's not always a matter of taking out a loan, going to school and voila, happy middle-class lifestyle.

 

What I'm trying to say is we are letting our community down by not providing adequate educational opportunities. I'm not saying everyone should go to college and study classics. I'm saying that we need a sophisticated workforce that can attract good middle-class jobs. No one is going to put an advanced factory here if it'll cost them hordes of money just to get the workers up to snuff to do the work.

 

I'm not judging anyone at Wal-Mart. I was 22 years old nearly finished with college and washing dishes because I needed money. You do what you gotta do.

Thanks Punch. Sometimes it takes people looking from the outside to show others the world outside of their plastic bubble.

huh- we should be comforted that the ecomony sucks everywhere? talk about living in a bubble

^ No, that is not what I was implying. I'm talking about a global economy and those that don't have the skills to be competitive in it. It is happening everywhere.

Thanks Punch. Sometimes it takes people looking from the outside to show others the world outside of their plastic bubble.

huh- we should be comforted that the ecomony sucks everywhere? talk about living in a bubble

But the Chicago economy doesn't suck, Yet had 4 times as many applicants as Cleveland.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4971286/

 

its retarded, phase two introduce a food supply? 

 

I'm confused. Is the link incorrect? I don't see anything about Steelyard Commons in that story.

Thanks for posting the Chicago story. Can someone forward that to the PD writer and to the USA Today to put things in perspective? I would like to, but I have a job I'd like to keep.

For undereducated or disabled, intelligent people, a Wal-Mart job is a good job, no matter what you think of the company.  Besides training for entry level positions, Wal mart does a great job of hiring from within.  They also make health insurance available for every employee, part time or full time. 

A lot of the criticism of Wal-Mart is well earned, but sometimes it just sounds a bit over the top.

funny how the Sun-Times doesn't compare this to The Great Depression

I wonder how many people applying at Wal Mart actually have loftier ambitions? I'd love to see the numbers on that one.

Chnaging the subject slightly, does anyone know how Steelyard is doing overall?  I thought it had been doing well, but was a little surprised when I was there over the weekend.  I was there, eating at IHOP, Friday morning.  The previous night on the news were numerous stories about Black Friday and how crowded outlet malls were and how people were camping out in front of Best Buy in Macedonia for stuff.  At 10 AM Friday morning, the Best Buy parking lot at SYC was about half full.  The shopping center in general was certainly not empty, but not nearly as crowded as I would have expected considering what day it was.

 

Also, IHOP apparently is changing its menu for the worse - they got rid of the Big Country and some other menus items, no a la cart was another.  Anyway, I was disappointed.

 

 

Uh, Chicago's population is AT LEAST 5x greater than Cleveland's--and that's just the city proper.  6,000 x +/- 5 is way more than 24,500.  I know simple propotion don't always tell the truth but just by the size of that city alone, OF COURSE it will have more applicants than SYC.  I doubt all 6,000 or 24,500 applicants came from the city propers but in any case +/- 1% of the respective populations applied. 

SYC always seems normally crowded whenever I am there, but I have no knowledge of how they're doing.  One thing I will say about black friday, though, is that there is definitely a lull from like 8am to 10 or 11.  The crazies get there by 5, but are gone by 7 and the normal shoppers don't get going until 11 or 12.  Its still more crowded than a usual day, but not as crazy as earler or later in the day.

I was in line at Target at 5:30am friday in the snow blizzaard, and was probably 300 or so people back.  I can tell you at that time in the morning, you couldn't of found a parking spot at Best Buy or Super Walmart.  By time i bought my new TV at 6:15, the Target parking lot was full as well.

 

I haven't seen numbers on the retail center, but all indications from discussions "in the field" is that SYC foot traffic has well exceeded initial estimates.  Overall crime is below expectations as well.  The SYC security staff and CPD have done a good job on catching thieves and agressively detering it. 

^Yeah channel 3 had a report Friday evening about how Crazy Steelyard was on Friday morning.

 

Can't wait 'til Steak & Shake opens up so when its late, after going out, I can get one of those shakes. They can keep their grease-burgers though :-P

I am also wondering if SYC is going to exceed expectations. I admit, I only used to go to a Target when I was really desperate as I hated shopping out of the city on principle. I am probably spending more now b/c it is there and easy. I wonder how many other shoppers are fitting this profile-if anything they do not want to travel far b/c of gas prices. I did notice for a short time hoards of teenagers unintentionally  blocking entrance (due to sheer numbers!) by loitering in front of a certain store. That issue seems to have stopped. I thought the Steak and Shake was open, but could be wrong.

Thanks Punch. Sometimes it takes people looking from the outside to show others the world outside of their plastic bubble.

huh- we should be comforted that the ecomony sucks everywhere? talk about living in a bubble

But the Chicago economy doesn't suck, Yet had 4 times as many applicants as Cleveland.

sadly Chicago's economy is "sucking " more these days. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_re_us/mayors_foreclosures

okay, off of the chicago tromping parade.

I am also wondering if SYC is going to exceed expectations. I admit, I only used to go to a Target when I was really desperate as I hated shopping out of the city on principle. I am probably spending more now b/c it is there and easy. I wonder how many other shoppers are fitting this profile-

 

I am using SYC way more than I thought I would. I shop at Target a lot more now than I did when Rocky River was the closest option. I probably use Home Depot just as much (I used to go to the West 117th store). I have not and do not plan on going to Walmart.

I went to the Walmart to check it out and was surprised that it was very trashy looking, even for a Walmart.  It looks like they used old store fixtures.  The whole thing has a sort of ramshackle look about it- almost wholesale clubish, but without the oversized tubs of Fluff or socks by the crate.  Target feels like a luxury dept store in comparison.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4971286/

 

its retarded, phase two introduce a food supply? 

 

I'm confused. Is the link incorrect? I don't see anything about Steelyard Commons in that story.

 

That SYC is to me so insane, corporate strip mall, in a hazardous site? 

 

In the new experiments, biologist James Quinn and colleagues housed two groups of mice near the steel mills for 10 weeks. One group breathed outside air, while the other was housed in a chamber equipped with HEPA filters — high-efficiency air filters designed to catch microscopic particles.

Then, the mice were bred and their offspring checked for specific DNA mutations that are passed through the father’s sperm.

Mice that breathed filtered air had mutation rates 52 percent lower than the mice exposed to full-strength steel mill pollution.

The specific sperm changes measured aren’t linked to disease, but they’re similar to a type of DNA damage that is. Quinn said more study is needed to see if they’re a marker for potential health problems, and whether pollution-spurred mutations in disease-causing genes could be inherited, too.

The way I see it is that 300 people, just the Wall Mart employees, just were handed the potential or genetic mutation in their offspring.   

 

Ahh, I hope that was sarcasm.  The area has been cleaned up and they would not build there if they were going to put 1000's of employees at risk and many more visitors.  Or are you one of those people from Cleveland.com that has come here to start shit?

 

I come here to get correct and up-to-date information about things taking place at home, not read BS.

[That SYC is to me so insane, corporate strip mall, in a hazardous site? 

 

 

Wow, next time post the entire article.  It clearly says soot downwind from active steel mills.  Are there active steel mills at SYC?  Seems to me, the DNA damage has already been done.  There was a day, when you couldn't travel I-77 (or the "Willow Freeway") without passing through a thick cloud of black smoke!

 

 

[That SYC is to me so insane, corporate strip mall, in a hazardous site?

 

 

Wow, next time post the entire article. It clearly says soot downwind from active steel mills. Are there active steel mills at SYC? Seems to me, the DNA damage has already been done. There was a day, when you couldn't travel I-77 (or the "Willow Freeway") without passing through a thick cloud of black smoke!

 

There is an active steel mill next to SYC. However, SYC is not downwind from it.

Residential areas of North Broadway/Slavic Village are downwind. A number of residents have enlisted the help of Citizen Action to get Mittal to reduce its emissions and improve air quality. Mittal says they are complying with air quality standards, but the EPA monitors are in the wrong place to accurately measure the impacts.

 

I realize this is off-topic, but I wanted to reply to the earlier posts and note that there is an effort underway to get Mittal to address residents' concerns.

 

Now, if you want to tackle air quality issues that affect employees at SYC, then discuss the emissions from vehicles on Interstate 71 and Jennings Freeway (where one of the air quality monitors is located and shows spikes of poor air quality during the rush hours. Hmmm....).

what are you, the free times?

Many of us set the cars air to re-circulate, when in the area.  I typically avoid breathing air pollution.      

 

I love this statement!!!!!!

more info on link below. I do not follow this as well as I should, but it would hardly be the first time people were poisened by a factory-that has actually happened before  :roll:

http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/isg/isg.html

if your so worried about disease don't shop their. Heck i don't shop there when i can shop in the suburbs and i don't have to worry about my car getting stolen, getting mugged or picking up some weird disease.

"if your so worried about disease don't shop their...  i don't have to worry about my car getting stolen, getting mugged or picking up some weird disease...

 

Don't forget picking up grammar skills. :roll:

 

Folks, for the love of all that's holy - get back on topic.

 

 

if your so worried about disease don't shop their. Heck i don't shop there when i can shop in the suburbs and i don't have to worry about my car getting stolen, getting mugged or picking up some weird disease.

 

Please, that's BS. Did you know Beachwood has one of the highest crime rates in the area. Not because of shootings, stabings or drugs, but because of the car break-ins and shop lifting that occurs at the Beachwood Place Mall. I'm sure this is reflectied in all of the areas shopping centers. For example, didn't a nanny get abducted (kidnapped) from Crocker Park in crime free :roll: Westlake last year? You sir/mam need to check your facts and read up on some things before you go popping off at the mouth about things you CLEARLY know nothing about.

 

Question to you Cleveland, though I doubt you'll answer. If the burbs are where you love to be so much, why are you here, and why do you care so much about highrises and condos being built in downtown as evidenced in your frequent postings about those subjects in other threads?