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Walmart Bike Shop

8819 Views 119 Replies 50 Participants Last post by barber, Jul 3, 2006

Ultra Magnus

Discussion Starter · Jun 23, 2006

I hadn't seen a thread about it yet, so I thought I'd bring it up.

There was an article in Bicycle Retailer about a Walmart In Plano texas where they are testing the concept of having a "real" bike shop inside the store (I think they called ita "Pro Shop"). According to the article, they were carrying bikes up to about hte $500 range, and the store was very well laid out, clean, organized, and all items were divided cleanly by brand and such. The question to be asked, that they were asking, was how good could service be expected at a store that's pays its employees so poorly.

BM

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Shad6Bones

· #2 · Jun 23, 2006

Walmart is also selling musical instruments.

As you might know, guitars and trumpets (that are name brand, awesome instruments) can go for well over 1,000. But Walmart wants to compete and sell instruments for a couple of hundred... These instruments traditionally keep falling apart and are in the shop or unrepairable on repeated occurrences.

For Walmart to start selling Scott, Cannondale, Giant, whatever... I doubt it will happen...

For me to visit a Walmart shop... Well, if they ever appeared in this area I would really need to be convinced.

But why would I want to put my favorite small bike shop out of business because of Wally World?

I keep going to my small "town" guys... They know whats going on in the world, they ride themselves... And I'll keep giving them business.

-S6

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RobW

· #3 · Jun 23, 2006

I don't ever shop at Walmart, and hopefully I'll earn enough throughout my life that I'll never have to. My wife understands the social implications of spending money there, and although we pay more for essentially the same products elsewhere, it's money well spent.

baraant

· #4 · Jun 23, 2006

I used to work at the Sears Bike shop

in the late 70's. I think it was about 78 or 79 and I was just of working age then. We would assemble all the bikes the store sold and acted as an independent bike shop for repairs and maintenance. It must not have been profitable and sears shut this down in about the early 80's Seems like a wasts of time to me; you would think Walmart would study and know already that it's a losing venture.

Ultra Magnus

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 23, 2006

Shad6Bones said:
Walmart is also selling musical instruments.

As you might know, guitars and trumpets (that are name brand, awesome instruments) can go for well over 1,000. But Walmart wants to compete and sell instruments for a couple of hundred... These instruments traditionally keep falling apart and are in the shop or unrepairable on repeated occurrences.

For Walmart to start selling Scott, Cannondale, Giant, whatever... I doubt it will happen...

For me to visit a Walmart shop... Well, if they ever appeared in this area I would really need to be convinced.

But why would I want to put my favorite small bike shop out of business because of Wally World?

I keep going to my small "town" guys... They know whats going on in the world, they ride themselves... And I'll keep giving them business.

-S6

YOU many not shop there, and YOU may not buy bikes there, or anything else there, but people will. And the question isn't will Walmart start selling those brands, they already are, it's just will it stick (hopefully not). The implications are not about where the serious cyclist will shop, but where the non-cycling consumer looking for a decent bike for his kid shop. If said person has never been to a bike shop before, and already shops at Walmart, walks though with his kid and the kid says "I want this one", do you think the Dad will say, "No son, lets check lbs". Chances are, no. And if the price is lower at Walmart anway, and most non-cyclist consumer already think $200 for a bike is already way too much $$, then the bike shop will seriously start losign business. I don't think you spend enough at your lbs to keep in in business by yourself, and like all other small privately owned stores are consumed by Walmart (and other mega corporate chains), so will the LBS and you will end up buying stuff there or ordering mail order becuase no alternative will be left.

BM

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tx-xcr

· #6 · Jun 23, 2006

the wal mart your talking about is in the very upscale part of west plano, $$$$$$. supposedly, the store blends into the surronding, meaning it's not the usual big blue box store. they also sell wine, and not the box variety. bottles that can cost a couple of hundreds of $. they also sell higher end electronics, plasmas in the $2k+ range. the stories i've read and heard about, there's actually guys in suits watching the shoppers and their shopping habits. they want to know what works and what doesn't.

basically, they are trying to prove to the neiman marcus crowd that wally world can offer nice products at a cheaper cost. (there's a really upscale mall close by)

RobW

· #7 · Jun 23, 2006

Walmart is fighting for our hearts and minds. If they can pull it off, when someone says they're going shopping they will really mean "I'm running up to Walmart", 'cause there won't be anything else left...

Too Rass Goat

· #8 · Jun 23, 2006

I won't shop at Walmart, period. Everything they sell is cheapened in the maufacturing process or quality of materials to sell at their price. Anything with moving parts WILL break. It's tough to even get something simple like a car wash product that even works there. Usually the squirt bottles leak or are broken somehow. Walmart sells junk, plain and simple.

What quality bike manufacturer is going to cheapen their product in order to be sold at Wallyworld?

iviguy

· #9 · Jun 23, 2006

RobW said:
I don't ever shop at Walmart, and hopefully I'll earn enough throughout my life that I'll never have to. My wife understands the social implications of spending money there, and although we pay more for essentially the same products elsewhere, it's money well spent.

I don't understand why some people seem to think that Walmart is somehow bad. Yeah, they are a giant and they come in and a lot of small businesses can't compete but that is the way America is setup. Should Walmart just stop doing business because the small guy can't keep up?

Walmart is great. I doubt I will be doing my bike business there but it is so nice to fill the basket with groceries and pay 20% less than going to a grocery store. Sorry, but that is business. Competition is what keeps the prices down.

That said, a few that decide not to shop at walmart for "social" reasons really doesn't do anything to impact them whatsoever. It's futile unless there is a mass boycot or something.

Oh, this was a thread about bikes, right...

ferday

· #10 · Jun 23, 2006

Too Rass Goat said:
What quality bike manufacturer is going to cheapen their product in order to be sold at Wallyworld?

ha! the one that realizes they can sell more bikes at walmart in a month than they do at all the LBS's in north america in a year...(for some reason i keep visualizing mongoose...)

RobW

· #11 · Jun 23, 2006

iviguy said:
I don't understand why some people seem to think that Walmart is somehow bad. Yeah, they are a giant and they come in and a lot of small businesses can't compete but that is the way America is setup. Should Walmart just stop doing business because the small guy can't keep up?

Walmart is great. I doubt I will be doing my bike business there but it is so nice to fill the basket with groceries and pay 20% less than going to a grocery store. Sorry, but that is business. Competition is what keeps the prices down.

That said, a few that decide not to shop at walmart for "social" reasons really doesn't do anything to impact them whatsoever. It's futile unless there is a mass boycot or something.

Oh, this was a thread about bikes, right...

I didn't say Walmart was bad, just that I don't like it. Shop at the 'mart if it floats your boat, it doesn't float mine. I guess my decision was "futile" and I should just shop there, after all, that is the way America is set up. So much for individual freedom of choice.

OregonXC

· #12 · Jun 23, 2006

Ever here of Vlassic Pickles? This is why I don't believe WalMart will last.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
They are the modern day Kmart, except they tend to destroy the brands they sell. Has anyone looked at the crappy BFGoodrich tires they sell? You can only get them at Walmart and that should tell you something about the quality of the products they carry.

iviguy

· #13 · Jun 23, 2006

RobW said:
I didn't say Walmart was bad, just that I don't like it. Shop at the 'mart if it floats your boat, it doesn't float mine. I guess my decision was "futile" and I should just shop there, after all, that is the way America is set up. So much for individual freedom of choice.

Ok. You said "social implications". I heard "walmart is bad". My bad. There is nothing wrong with someone choosing not to do business somewhere. There are a lot of walmart sucks websites and walmart is bad, yada yada yada out there. Some seem to make it their personal cause to be a walmart hater... But apparently that wasn't your agenda....

Cheers.

RobW

· #14 · Jun 23, 2006

iviguy said:
I don't understand why some people seem to think that Walmart is somehow bad.

I don't think you need to be a mental giant to understand this:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

Edit: Not meant as a putdown to ivi, but an illustration of the reasons why some people may hate Walmart. I think most people who shop there do so due to economic restraints which make it hard to pay a little more for something elsewhere and believe it fills a need for some.

iviguy

· #15 · Jun 23, 2006

OregonXC said:
Ever here of Vlassic Pickles? This is why I don't believe WalMart will last.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
They are the modern day Kmart, except they tend to destroy the brands they sell. Has anyone looked at the crappy BFGoodrich tires they sell? You can only get them at Walmart and that should tell you something about the quality of the products they carry.

LOL.. That story cracks me up. Lets see, Vlassic sells their gallon pickles to walmart and then somehow gets mad that walmart sells them for under $3? Wait a second here? How much did Vlassic sell them to walmart for? It has to be way under the $3 price for walmart to turn a profit. Make no mistake, walmart turns a profit. Besides, it's a stupid arguement. Who buys a gallon of pickles? I certainly don't and I love eating pickles. I simply don't have room for a freaking gallon of pickles. I bet that if Vlassic is loosing somehow its certainly not because Walmart sells their pickles by the gallon. It's likely more due to all the cheaper brands like Safeway or the other value added brands that will take business away from Vlassic.

If you shop at walmart then you have to understand it isn't Dillards. It's not a high end place. You can get some high end stuff there. The iPods are the same ones that are sold everywhere else. The Toys are the same ones sold in Toys R Us. The Wrangler jeans are the same ones sold at Gebos. But there are some cheap stuff and you have to expect that if you buy a cheap pair of shoes, you are getting a cheap pair of shoes. Period. People go to Walmart for convenience and price. If you want high end, you don't go to walmart.

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Lumbee1

· #16 · Jun 23, 2006

Walmart is run by robots out to take over the world. Spawlmart is very bad and I refuse to shop there.

OregonXC

· #17 · Jun 23, 2006

iviguy said:
LOL.. That story cracks me up. Lets see, Vlassic sells their gallon pickles to walmart and then somehow gets mad that walmart sells them for under $3? Wait a second here? How much did Vlassic sell them to walmart for? It has to be way under the $3 price for walmart to turn a profit. Make no mistake, walmart turns a profit. Besides, it's a stupid arguement. Who buys a gallon of pickles? I certainly don't and I love eating pickles. I simply don't have room for a freaking gallon of pickles. I bet that if Vlassic is loosing somehow its certainly not because Walmart sells their pickles by the gallon. It's likely more due to all the cheaper brands like Safeway or the other value added brands that will take business away from Vlassic.

If you shop at walmart then you have to understand it isn't Dillards. It's not a high end place. You can get some high end stuff there. The iPods are the same ones that are sold everywhere else. The Toys are the same ones sold in Toys R Us. The Wrangler jeans are the same ones sold at Gebos. But there are some cheap stuff and you have to expect that if you buy a cheap pair of shoes, you are getting a cheap pair of shoes. Period. People go to Walmart for convenience and price. If you want high end, you don't go to walmart.

Are you sure the iPods and toys are the same? I agree they do look similar. Tires aren't why wouldn't iPods. You missed the point about Vlassic. Vlassic didn't majically get angry. To meet the requirements that Walmart had meant that Vlassic had to ignore their long-term bread and butter markets. The point is that lowest prices will often not be the best for consumers. An example, if the products are only available until the company can no longer make a profit, are we as consumers really benefiting? I like Vlassic Pickles. I wish I could cruch one right now.

Too Rass Goat

· #18 · Jun 23, 2006

iviguy said:
Walmart is great. I doubt I will be doing my bike business there but it is so nice to fill the basket with groceries and pay 20% less than going to a grocery store.

20% off for bad cuts of meat and old vegetables? Nah, pass. Google "grocery game" since joining it, we save ~50% a month off our groceries and shop at Giant Eagle and other stores that used to be too expensive. My wife is very happy to say we have been Walmart free for nearly a year now. Better food, better selection, better prices.

iviguy

· #19 · Jun 23, 2006

RobW said:
I don't think you need to be a mental giant to understand this:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/open_snapper.html

Edit: Not meant as a putdown to ivi, but an illustration of the reasons why some people may hate Walmart. I think most people who shop there do so due to economic restraints which make it hard to pay a little more for something elsewhere and believe it fills a need for some.

So what is to understand? A business that makes quality mowers (Snapper) decided not to sell their mowers in volume at Walmart because their mowers were going with a High Quality(low volume)-High Price strategy of sales and marketing. Walmart's stragegy is High Volume-Low Price. The strategies are not compatable. It's simple business economics. I learned this stuff in high school and it's not that hard to understand. You can be a Ray Ban company that sells sunglasses for $80 and people pay that because they are getting "quality" but Ray Ban doesn't sell in high volume so the price is raised. Raising the price allows them to build a better product BUT it also makes the customer feel like they are getting a better product because "why else would the price be so high?". You can go into any 7-Eleven and get sunglasses for $5. But they aren't Ray Ban's are they?

Walmart is a high volume-low price business. That is what they are all about. That is their strategy and you won't go to Walmart and find Yeti bikes or Specialized there. You will find whatever they can sell at high volume for a low price. They aren't bad because they do that. It's just their business strategy and any business supplier that doesn't want to be a part of that doesn't have to be. The Snapper guy chose not to do business with Walmart and so can anyone else.

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ferday

· #20 · Jun 23, 2006

OregonXC said:
Are you sure the iPods and toys are the same? I agree they do look similar...To meet the requirements that Walmart had meant that Vlassic had to ignore their long-term bread and butter markets.

so now wallymart has somehow rebaged a bunch of crappy electronics as iPods? do you envision some sort of walmart brand sweatshops where they make crappy versions of brand name stuff, just to sell at walmart? you really believe that large companies (like apple and BFG) would accept this type of practise, i'm sure it would reflect well on their products...

and Vlasic (and ALL the companies that sell thru walmart) are fully aware of wallymarts requirements before they strike an agreement, so it was their choice to agree to those terms.

i have no love lost for wallymart, but some of this paranoia is rather extreme and entertaining....

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