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<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT><FONT size=4>Gary asks:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=4>"</FONT><FONT size=3>Art, is there any
chance that you would be willing to provide a list of the "compitition"
<FONT color=#ff0000>[sic][sic]</FONT> that Wal-Mart "drove out?"<FONT
color=#ff0000>[sic][sic]</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Here's a start:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>J. C. Penny</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sears</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>K-Mart</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>University Drug & Gift</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Husky/Gun Shop</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Army Surplus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>This is not a claim that the advent of the current WalMart was
the <STRONG><FONT color=#0000ff>sole</FONT></STRONG> cause of the above
businesses going out, but it certainly was a factor as WalMart competed head-on
with much lower prices on some or many of the items sold by all six
businesses. Most likely the advent of WalMart reduced the net income of
the above businesses enough to make then not viable in the eyes of the owner or
corporate management.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>In the case of the first three, Lewiston/Clarkston with its
larger marketing area continues to support all three in addition to a
WalMart about the same size as the current Moscow WalMart, although there are
questions as to how long all of the three will stay in Lewiston.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>In the case of the last three small local businesses, the
owners were unable to sell their businesses even though some gave "retirement"
as their reason for going out. I assume that a rational business owner
having spent years building asset value in a business would try to redeem as
much of that as possible. Selling a <FONT
color=#0000ff><STRONG>viable</STRONG></FONT> business is generally the most
effective means of maximizes the asset return. Going out of business is
not.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><BR>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)<BR><A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message -----
<DIV>From: "g. crabtree" <<A
href="mailto:jampot@adelphia.net">jampot@adelphia.net</A>></DIV>
<DIV>To: "Art Deco" <<A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A>>; "Vision 2020" <<A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 10:32 AM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Wal-Mart to Hire up to 150,000</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>> Part of<BR>>> their strategy locally and nationally
has also been to drive out <BR>>> competition<BR>>> with low prices,
then gradually increase their prices (and profit margins)<BR>>> in those
areas where they think competition has been weakened.<BR>> <BR>> Art, is
there any chance that you would be willing to provide a list of the <BR>>
"compitition" that Wal-Mart "drove out?"<BR>> <BR>> gc<BR>> -----
Original Message ----- <BR>> From: "Art Deco" <<A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A>><BR>> To: "Vision 2020"
<<A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>><BR>>
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 7:47 AM<BR>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020]
Wal-Mart to Hire up to 150,000<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>> Matt Decker
asks:<BR>>><BR>>> "What is a Super Wal-Mart? I think we have talked
about a grocery store, <BR>>> gas<BR>>> station, tire shop, and the
regular Wal-Mart. Is there anything else?"<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>
Good question.<BR>>><BR>>> It would be interesting to find out
exactly what the SWM would be offering<BR>>> if it initially opens.
Perhaps Matt you or someone else could find out <BR>>> and<BR>>>
tell V 2020 and the local media (who seem always to be behind on this
<BR>>> issue<BR>>> [and others]).<BR>>><BR>>> Wal-Mart
is a very smart marketing and sales organization. They (and <BR>>>
other<BR>>> big box stores) keep changing what they carry based in part on
what sells,<BR>>> the profit margin of what sells, cooperative advertising
agreements, and<BR>>> other factors. What they offer initially will
change then as they gain<BR>>> experience with the area
market.<BR>>><BR>>> However, your question is good. If it is
known what they are going to <BR>>> carry<BR>>> initially, their
impact on local merchants, especially those who are<BR>>> generous in
their support of local organizations, care be more clearly<BR>>>
estimated.<BR>>><BR>>> Perhaps then Matt, you (or some interested
party) can the find answers to<BR>>> your
question.<BR>>><BR>>> Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)<BR>>> <A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>
PS: Here is another matter, Matt (no alliteration intended): When
the<BR>>> present local Wal-Mart first opened, they were the price leader
on many<BR>>> types of products. Not anymore. After basically
dumping for a period of<BR>>> time and inculcating by practice the "We are
the lowest priced, most<BR>>> convenient store" mantra in area shoppers,
the prices at the local <BR>>> Wal-Mart<BR>>> have crept up
disproportionately so that many products are available at <BR>>>
the<BR>>> same or lower prices elsewhere in Moscow. While there are
some areas <BR>>> where<BR>>> Wal-Mart is still the price leader, in
many areas they are not. Part of<BR>>> their strategy locally and
nationally has also been to drive out <BR>>> competition<BR>>> with
low prices, then gradually increase their prices (and profit
margins)<BR>>> in those areas where they think competition has been
weakened.<BR>>><BR>>> Perhaps, Matt in this regard you remember the
lawsuit over Wal-Mart's<BR>>> previous motto: "Always the low
price." They were sued over the<BR>>> truthfulness of that
motto. They lost. Now they have an ambiguous,<BR>>> basically
meaningless motto about low prices.<BR>>><BR>>> Rose Huskey posted
several weeks ago about the experience of the company<BR>>> that makes
Snapper lawnmowers. Wal-Mart wanted that company to value<BR>>>
engineer their products (read: offer a cheaper product of a lesser
quality<BR>>> made by someone else but with the Snapper label).
Snapper refused. Many<BR>>> other companies don't, hence don't
expect some of the products offered at<BR>>> Wal-Mart to be the same
quality as what appears to be the same product <BR>>> with<BR>>> the
same packaging offered at other area stores. Wal-Mart is not the
only<BR>>> store that does this, but they seem to be the most aggressive
about it.<BR>>><BR>>> This post is not intended to be an argument
for or against a SWM, but is a<BR>>> suggestion that not all the important
facts are on the table yet.<BR>>><BR>>> ----- Original Message -----
<BR>>> From: "Art Deco" <<A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A>><BR>>> To: "Matt
Decker" <<A
href="mailto:mattd2107@hotmail.com">mattd2107@hotmail.com</A>><BR>>>
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 7:44 AM<BR>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020]
Wal-Mart to Hire up to 150,000<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>>> Matt
Decker asks:<BR>>>><BR>>>> "What is a Super Wal-Mart? I think
we have talked about a grocery store, <BR>>>> gas station, tire shop,
and the regular Wal-Mart. Is there anything <BR>>>>
else?"<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>> Good
question.<BR>>>><BR>>>> It would be interesting to find out
exactly what the SWM would be <BR>>>> offering if it initially
opens. Perhaps Matt you or someone else could <BR>>>> find out
and tell V 2020 and the local media (who seem always to be <BR>>>>
behind on this issue [and others]).<BR>>>><BR>>>> Wal-Mart is
a very smart marketing and sales organization. They (and <BR>>>>
other big box stores) keep changing what they carry based in part on what
<BR>>>> sells, the profit margin of what sells, cooperative advertising
<BR>>>> agreements, and other factors. What they offer initially
will change <BR>>>> then as they gain experience with the area
market.<BR>>>><BR>>>> However, your question is good. If
it is known what they are going to <BR>>>> carry initially, their
impact on local merchants, especially those who <BR>>>> are generous in
their support of local organizations, care be more <BR>>>> clearly
estimated.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Perhaps then Matt, you (or some
interested party) can the find answers to <BR>>>> your
question.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Art Deco (Wayne A.
Fox)<BR>>>> <A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>>
PS: Here is another matter, Matt (no alliteration intended): When
the <BR>>>> present local Wal-Mart first opened, they were the price
leader on many <BR>>>> types of products. Not anymore.
After basically dumping for a period of <BR>>>> time and inculcating by
practice the "We are the lowest priced, most <BR>>>> convenient store"
mantra in area shoppers, the prices at the local <BR>>>> Wal-Mart have
crept up disproportionately so that many products are <BR>>>> available
at the same or lower prices elsewhere in Moscow. While there
<BR>>>> are some areas where Wal-Mart is still the price leader, in
many areas <BR>>>> they are not. Part of their strategy locally
and nationally has also <BR>>>> been to drive out competition with low
prices, then gradually increase <BR>>>> their prices (and profit
margins) in those areas where they think <BR>>>> competition has been
weakened.<BR>>>><BR>>>> Perhaps, Matt in this regard you
remember the lawsuit over Wal-Mart's <BR>>>> previous motto: "Always
the low price." They were sued over the <BR>>>> truthfulness of
that motto. They lost. Now they have an ambiguous, <BR>>>>
basically meaningless motto about low prices.<BR>>>><BR>>>>
Rose Huskey posted several weeks ago about the experience of the company
<BR>>>> that makes Snapper lawnmowers. Wal-Mart wanted that
company to value <BR>>>> engineer their products (read: offer a cheaper
product of a lesser <BR>>>> quality made by someone else but with the
Snapper label). Snapper <BR>>>> refused. Many other
companies don't, hence don't expect some of the <BR>>>> products
offered at Wal-Mart to be the same quality as what appears to be
<BR>>>> the same product with the same packaging offered at other area
stores. <BR>>>> Wal-Mart is not the only store that does this, but they
seem to be the <BR>>>> most aggressive about
it.<BR>>>><BR>>>> This post is not intended to be an argument
for or against a SWM, but is <BR>>>> a suggestion that not all the
important facts are on the table
yet.<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>> -----
Original Message ----- <BR>>>> From: "Matt Decker" <<A
href="mailto:mattd2107@hotmail.com">mattd2107@hotmail.com</A>><BR>>>>
To: <<A href="mailto:joekc@adelphia.net">joekc@adelphia.net</A>>; <<A
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com</A>><BR>>>>
Cc: <<A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>><BR>>>>
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:31 PM<BR>>>> Subject: RE:
[Vision2020] Wal-Mart to Hire up to
150,000<BR>>>><BR>>>><BR>>>>> Question for
all,<BR>>>>><BR>>>>> What is a Super Wal mart? I think
we have talked about a Grocery store, <BR>>>>> gas station, tire
shop, and the regular walmart. Is there anything
else?<BR>>>>><BR>>>>> Thank you<BR>>>>>
Matt<BR></BODY></HTML>