[Vision2020] Palouse Monopoly Empire Mall; Gas/Food prices

Sat Apr 21 14:53:19 PDT 2007

Wal-Mart uses the "Just In Time" (JIT) inventory system.  This system
eliminates warehousing of inventory.  JIT requires extensive coordination
between Wal-Mart and its suppliers.  Suppliers must be able to ship required
amounts of merchandise to specific locations at the time the products are
required.

Wal-Mart's "inventory" is either on the shelves in the store or on the road
in transit.  As such, any increase in gasoline prices drastically effects
costs to Wal-Mart.

Guess who ultimately pays the difference in increased gas prices?  It ain't
Wal-Mart.

Arnold goes on to state:

"With no other discount grocery stores in the area, like say a Super
Wal-Mart, Winco can raise its prices with no consequences, everybody has to
eat."

Since WinCo is, as Arnold suggests, a "discount" grocery store, wouldn't it
lose its "discount" status if it were to raise its prices to (or above)
those of Rosauers or Safeway?

Or is Arnold suggesting that Winco undercuts their competition (Rosauers and
Safeway) that they (WinCo) can charge whatever price they want?  HUH?!?!?

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007) 

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From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Paul Rumelhart
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 2:21 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Palouse Monopoly Empire Mall; Gas/Food prices

I could have sworn I bought food at a massive chain store the other day in
the other mall.  Anyway, I don't think the Winco retail chain is being
overly hurt by UI and WSU student population declines.  Maybe this branch,
but I'd like to see some figures first.  I'm also wondering if large
supermarket chains, such as Winco, aren't just raising prices all over in an
attempt to cover losses in other places.  Anyway, there are alternatives to
Winco.  There must be, because I rarely shop there (except to buy the
occasional Pocky sticks) and I need food to survive just like everybody
else.  I'd be interested to find out if local stores, such as the Co-op, are
having to raise their prices more than the big-name stores.  Presumably,
this same rise in prices due to gas prices will affect everything that is
shipped by truck - not just food.  Walmart is basically built on the idea of
massive transportation of goods quickly.  I'd imagine that the rise in gas
prices will affect it more than most stores.

As for the honey bee problem, I'm hoping that it will work itself out the
natural way.  The 40% of bees that are left will breed resistance to
whatever it is that is killing them off, and the survivors will flourish
because there is now so little competition for them individually.

Also, the Palouse Mall does not have a monopoly.  There is nothing that they
are doing that would stop another developer from building their own mall.
If you want to protest the high prices they charge for rental space, don't
shop there.  You'll find there are a number of alternatives out there.

Paul

Donovan Arnold wrote: 

Food prices are only going to go up even more for several reasons;

1) The massive extinction of honey bees has created a void in pollination of
1/3 of the US food supply. 60% of honey bees have died, with no cure or
solution in the near future.

2) Increases in fuel prices increase the shipping costs of food. 

3) Many crops were wiped out this year due in the freakish winter storms.
For example, oranges had a massive freeze.

4) The UI and WSU student populations have decreased, the main income for
Winco. With a reduced volume in sales, Winco has to raise prices to cover
losses in volume sales.

5) No competition. With no other discount grocery stores in the area, like
say a Super Wal-Mart, Winco can raise its prices with no consequences,
everybody has to eat.

6) The owners of the Palouse Empire Mall are raising their rents. 

I think it is obvious, Moscow needs competition in the area to curve rising
prices. It also needs to do some sting operations on gas price fixing which
obviously is going on. 

Maybe, many of you guys should call Pat Vaughn and ask him to reassess the
property value of the Palouse Empire Mall, which is monopoly. Perhaps if the
mall can make such huge increases in their leases, the value of the only
active retail mall on the Palouse is much higher than what the County
Assessor has it listed as. 

If I had the time, and a personal interest at stake, like so many of you do,
I would contest the taxable value of the Palouse Empire Mall. It is clear
that it has a really high value since it is able to charge so much for its
lease spaces and has no real competition. Moscow is probably losing
$100,000s in tax revenue that could go to things like finding a new space
for the public bus to park on the west side of town, and to give property
tax breaks to locally owned businesses that are having a hard time due to
the fact no mall will let them conduct business on their property. Just a
thought to those litigious and want what's best and for our community.

Best,

Donovan

Ellen Roskovich  <mailto:gussie443 at hotmail.com> <gussie443 at hotmail.com>
wrote:

As the cost of gas continues to climb at the pumps, the price of food starts
to rise at the grocery stores.  Has anyone else noticed this recently?

Ellen Roskovich

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