The Cellar - View Single Post - Debate: Wal-Mart

Undertoad · 05-31-2003, 01:02 PM

The suppliers have to understand the rule changes too. Of course there is danger in selling a huge percentage of your sales to a single customer without a good contract involved.

But when you think about it, all Walmart has done is to speed up the economic process.

The customer doesn't want Tupperware; the customer wants "cheap unbreakable containers to hold their stuff". If the raw materials to produce Tupperware are too expensive, it is of benefit to the whole economy if people stop buying it and start buying cheap unbreakable containers made of something else. Walmart sends that message faster than the consumers by being relentless about its choices.

Also, frankly, Tupperware sucks. It is not air-tight and so the whole "burping" concept is useless marketing fluff. Most stuff that needs to be stored also wants to be air-tight. If people don't prefer the brand maybe something is wrong with the brand.

05-31-2003, 01:02 PM	#24
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The suppliers have to understand the rule changes too. Of course there is danger in selling a huge percentage of your sales to a single customer without a good contract involved. But when you think about it, all Walmart has done is to speed up the economic process. The customer doesn't want Tupperware; the customer wants "cheap unbreakable containers to hold their stuff". If the raw materials to produce Tupperware are too expensive, it is of benefit to the whole economy if people stop buying it and start buying cheap unbreakable containers made of something else. Walmart sends that message faster than the consumers by being relentless about its choices. Also, frankly, Tupperware sucks. It is not air-tight and so the whole "burping" concept is useless marketing fluff. Most stuff that needs to be stored also wants to be air-tight. If people don't prefer the brand maybe something is wrong with the brand.