Wal-Mart coming to Poland?

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Jun 28, 11, 15:25 #1

The German Metro Group, which owns the Real supermarket chain, is rumoured to sell off its assets in Poland, with a possible bid rumoured to come from American shopping giants Wal-Mart.

Currently Wal-Mart owns 4,500 stores in fifteen countries worldwide, although have yet to reach out to Poland. Metro now plans to sell 54 Real supermarkets in Poland, 19 of which are part of the Geant chain which the German company bought out in 2006.
http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/46727,WalMart-coming-to-Poland
http://www.portalspozywczy.pl/handel/wiadomosci/prezes-inquiry-wal-mar t-potrzebuje-dobrej-strategii-rozwoju-dla-polski,53151.html

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 15:44 #2
PennBoy: from American shopping giants Wal-Mart. you mean Chinese shopping giant, lol

PennBoyThreads: 157 Posts: 3,443 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 15:49 #3
guesswho: you mean Chinese since when?

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 15:54 #4
PennBoy: since when? they got their money in it PB. Everyone is talking about it, I wonder why you don't know it yet.

PalivecThreads: - Posts: 333 Joined: Apr 22, 11 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 16:04 #5
After the desaster in Germany they would probably fail in Poland too. AFAIK they are only successful in GB, everywere else in Europe they are irrelevant.

George8600Threads: 20 Posts: 1,114 Joined: Feb 19, 09 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 16:08 #6
argh.... no. Tell them to stop trying to screw over Poland.

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 16:12 #7
George8600: argh.... no. Tell them to stop trying to screw over Poland. oh c'mon Georgie boy, Biedronka is Spanish (correct me if I'm wrong, that's what my Polish friends told me), why would you care who else is going to invest in Poland? Think about the amount of people they will hire in Poland too.

PennBoyThreads: 157 Posts: 3,443 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 16:16 #8
guesswho: they got their money in it PB. If 51% of their shares are still American owned technically it's still an American company. BTW half the products sold by American companies are 'Made in China'. Palivec: After the desaster in Germany they would probably fail in Poland too. What happened in Germany?

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Jun 28, 11, 16:17 #9
guesswho: correct me if I'm wrong portugal

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Edited by: guesswho Jun 28, 11, 16:20 #10
Wroclaw: portugal thanks Wroclaw. PennBoy: If 51% of their shares are still American owned technically it's still an American company. BTW half the products sold by American companies are 'Made in China'. OK PB, you're right and I got my peace and quiet :-) Btw. but almost no one sells as much of it as Walmart.

sobieskiThreads: 82 Posts: 1,143 Joined: Jun 1, 08 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 16:34 #11
I think almost everything sold in Biedronka is Polish (with the exception of the wine I guess :) )

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Edited by: Palivec Jun 28, 11, 16:38 #12

PennBoy:

What happened in Germany?

They were already running campaigns of a shopping revolution before they entered the market, but their markets weren't anything special to German consumers, and many Germans found the "American shopping experience" very awkward... employees who wished a good day or packed the bought products just smelled like fake friendliness and cheap labor to them. Wal-Mart moreover had a bad press since their guidelines (personal relations between employees) violated German law.

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Edited by: guesswho Jun 28, 11, 16:46 #13

Palivec:

employees who wished a good day or packed the bought products just smelled like fake friendliness and cheap labor to them.

well, it's hard to make Europeans act like Americans and make them look natural at the same time and the other way around. I've been to many countries and one thing is for sure, no one (in visited countries) gets even close to our customer service and this is not some kind of patriotic statement, just my personal experience (OK, never been to the UK so sorry if I did you wrong guys).

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Jun 28, 11, 16:48 #14

Palivec:

Germans found the "American shopping experience" very awkward... employees who wished a good day or packed the bought products just smelled like fake friendliness and cheap labor to them.

LOL Germans are used to higher quality products. No offense to Walmart but I only shopped there twice in my life, their products simply look terribly cheap (made in China). Target stores would be much better for Poland.

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Edited by: guesswho Jun 28, 11, 16:51 #15
PennBoy: No offense to Walmart yep, Walmart is something like Biedronka in Poland (I hope it's the right comparison :-), nothing special at all. I like shopping at Food Lion or Lowes Food.

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Edited by: Softsong Jun 28, 11, 17:11 #16

PennBoy:

Target stores would be much better for Poland.

Yes, Target is also economical, but things look nicer. Around where I live there are three Wally-Worlds as I like to call them. O.K. But, nothing special.

Like guesswho, shopping at Food Lion or Lowes Foods gives more variety. Wal-Mart has most foods, but only a few of each kind. The superstores have everything though...hardware, clothing, home decor, drugstore and other stuff under one roof.

They are open 24 hours a day and one good thing is that resort workers who often do third shift can shop when they wish.

Piast PolandThreads: 3 Posts: 272 Joined: Aug 28, 10 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 17:22 #17
guesswho: Biedronka is Spanish Portuguese Walmart in Poland will probably be a failure and we have enough hipermarekts.

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Jun 28, 11, 17:25 #18

Softsong:

Yes, Target is also economical, but things look nicer.

Yes like Lowe's over the Home Depot ;)
Is there anything in Poland these days on the lines of a Sam's Club or BJ's ? Gigantic members-only warehouse stores with everything super sized.

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Jun 28, 11, 17:43 #19

I have a warning for Poles about this chain of stores known as Wal-Mart. I went to one once to purchase an everyday item which I assumed that they would carry as they are giant stores. The Wal-Mart I visited was in a coastal community in Southern California but despite this location almost all of my fellow shoppers looked like the fat ugly losers that infest the less favored parts of the USA. I wandered the aisles, for what felt like hours, becoming more and more disgusted by the assortment of sweat-pants clad obese diabetics amidst me, and all for naught, because it turned out that Wal-Mart doesn't carry the item I was seeking. What was this item? It was a chess set! Wal-Mart carries numerous other board games, but the noblest board game of all is not stocked by this abomination.

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,432 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 18:07 #20
Poland will love Wal Mart, especially if they can get in on those super low prices. Wal Mart is great for a place that doesn't have a lot of extra cash.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 18:17 #21
guesswho: Think about the amount of people they will hire in Poland too. Hopefully it will make up for all the little mamo / tato shops they put out of business.

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,432 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Edited by: PlasticPole Jun 28, 11, 18:19 #22
Working for Wal Mart isn't as dandy as shopping there. Wal Mart is a hideous place to work. Saying Wal Mart will hire a lot of people in Poland might not be such a great thing. As for those Mom and Pop shops, a lot of times their food is stale and their prices are high. That's the real reason they cannot compete.

PalivecThreads: - Posts: 333 Joined: Apr 22, 11 ♂	Edited by: Palivec Jun 28, 11, 18:26 #23
PlasticPole: Poland will love Wal Mart, especially if they can get in on those super low prices. Wal Mart is great for a place that doesn't have a lot of extra cash. Europe already has Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Penny and so on. When Wal-Mart started in Europe they weren't cheaper than the more expensive Europans markets.

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,432 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 18:27 #24
Palivec: Aldi, We have Aldi and they are tiny stores. Wal Mart is much bigger. Strange that they are so high in Europe.

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Jun 28, 11, 18:37 #25

PlasticPole:

a lot of times their food is stale

That's a pretty broad stroke of the brush. Some are and some aren't...

PlasticPole:

their prices are high. That's the real reason they cannot compete.

But why is their price high? They don't get the best prices because their volume / turnover is lower. When you are as large as Wal Mart, you get to beat the suppliers down in prices (because you are the biggest game in town) and you have a remarkably lean distribution system, minimizing freight costs to get the stuff to store. The mom and pop shops either do their own pick-up and delivery from a wholesaler (a middleman who also takes a cut!) or get it delivered at a premium. Those costs have to be borne by somebody.

With the Wal Mart model, you can operate on thin margins, because you have the sales volume.

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Jun 28, 11, 18:37 #26

They have low prices but the price to your local economy is going to be very high. The jobs at Walmart are the worst you can get, low pay, no benefits, it's the last resort for anyone.
Walmarts are not like Aldis at all. Aldis are limited a assortment chain, that's how they keep prices low. Walmart is so big, it puts tremendous pressure on manufacturers and producers (think sweat shops in China and grape pickers in Chili), logistics, store employees, everyone. It trumps competition so badly, there is nowhere to hide. And the "jobs" it's going to create will replace the much better jobs in local businesses, so you might save some money on groceries and sweatshirts but the net result to your economy will be negative. Walmart will not buy from your local distrubutors, either, so here's another line of business heavily affected there for ya.

And Des is right. If you ever step in a Walmart, for some reason, you'll see the ugliest, fattest, weirdest people ever. It's got this gravitational field for ugliness.

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Edited by: PlasticPole Jun 28, 11, 18:42 #27

Actually, Wal Mart can create a HUGE amount of economic prosperity and my suburb is proof of that. We were built up by Wal Mart. It attracted millions if not billions of dollars of businesses that have mushroomed around it. If it were not for this Wal Mart, this town would not have nearly as many retailers as it does now. It's a myth that Wal Mart devastates communities.

Wal Mart came, made a lot of money. Investors saw how much then wanted to invest in businesses around the Wal Mart and that's how the billion dollar boom started.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 28, 11, 18:46 #28
PlasticPole: It's a myth that Wal Mart devastates communities. Tell that to the rust-belt communities...

PlasticPoleThreads: 10 Posts: 5,432 Joined: May 28, 09 ♀	Jun 28, 11, 18:47 #29
ShawnH: Tell that to the rust-belt communities... If you want to see retail prosperity just visit the town I live in. And it all began with one Wal Mart Super Center. No lie.

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Jun 28, 11, 18:50 #30

The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets - by David Neumark (University of California-Irvine), Junfu Zhang (Clark University), and Stephen Ciccarella (Cornell University), IZA Discussion Paper No. 2545, Jan. 2007

"This study presents the most sophisticated analysis to date of Wal-Mart's impact on retail employment and wages. Analyzing national data, the study found that the opening of a Wal-Mart store reduces county-level retail employment by 150 jobs. Because Wal-Mart stores employ an average of 360 workers, this suggests that for every new retail job created by Wal-Mart, 1.4 jobs are lost as existing businesses downsize or close. The study also found that the arrival of a Wal-Mart store reduces total county-wide retail payroll by an average of about $1.2 million."

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