"Art is subjective, but I didn't mean to cause offense in any way," said Jeremy. "People were shopping at the Wal-mart the next day as if nothing had happened. I was appalled at the events that happened and this was my reaction."

Black Friday [jeremyscheuch]

It's not a new concept — the Chicago Tribune says that lots of towns and neighborhoods relied on their own local currency during the Great Depression. It's also perfectly legal.

So what's the advantage for shoppers? Well, the currency could offer incentives — trading $100 US for $110 in the local currency would give shoppers a 10% bonus, for example.

What do you think? Would you use a local currency in order to support your community? Or are you going to shop at Walmart until they pry the cart from your cold dead hands?

Milwaukee Neighborhoods Could Print Own Money [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo: sfxeric )

Newsday reports that the claim, which is for $2 million, says that officers on the scene "stood outside their vehicles drinking coffee while the crowd became more and more unruly."

$2 Million Sought In Store Stampede [Newsday]
(Photo: Getty)

(Thanks, Evan!)

When she brought it back to the store, workers reportedly "giggled" and joked about how "cool" it would be to find a scorpion. The ASDA manager offered the not-amused mother of a 6-month old toddler a "double refund." The type of scorpion is not deadly, but has a very painful sting.

Scorpion found in bananas [The Sun] (Thanks to Matthew!)

At 4:55 this morning, a group of 2,000 shoppers began pushing at the doors of the Walmart in Valley Stream, NY. The mob broke the doors off of their hinges and pushed inside the store, knocking down Jdimypai Damour, 34. No one helped him as he lay on the floor.

The NYT says:

People did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground, and they pushed against other Wal-Mart workers who were trying to aid Mr. Damour. The crowd kept running into the store even after the police arrived, jostling and pushing officers who were trying to perform CPR, the police said.

“They were like a stampede,” said Nassau Det. Lt. Michael Fleming. “Hundreds of people walked past him, over him or around him.”

Mr. Damour was taken from the Wal-Mart to nearby Franklin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m., the police said.

The NYT said that crowds were allowed to begin forming at 9pm the previous night. The police were called at around 3:30 AM, but were apparently overwhelmed by calls from other stores.

At the time the doors were broken, several Walmart employees, including the one who died, were trying to hold the doors in place but were overwhelmed by the crowd.

Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death [NYT]

They even let him keep his hard drive from the first one so he wouldn't lose all his games. And when it turned out they only had cheaper bundles available, they refunded him the difference. Virg says the key was, "the often mentioned Consumerist advice of dealing calmly and courteously with store employees and asking for a reasonable resolution to my problem. It scored a direct hit and got me a fantastic end result. Thanks guys!"

(Photo: naviniea)

"Officers: Wal-Mart Guard Slammed Woman To Floor" [WYFF4.com] (Thanks to Jeff!)

WTAE in Pittsburgh says:

On Monday morning, Wal-Mart decided not to fight Bach's latest lawsuit, so District Judge Charles Conway ruled in her favor and awarded Bach $100 for being overcharged on a $2 purchase at the company's Delmont store.

This is Ms. Bach's second judgment against this Walmart. In May she won $100 after suing Walmart over some $5 pants that were supposed to be $3. Before that, she won a lawsuit against Kmart for charging sales tax on toilet paper.

She says the money isn't important, (she always sues for the minimum amount) she just wants shoppers to be more careful and pay attention.

Murrysville Woman Beats Wal-Mart In Court Over $2 Error [WTAE] (Thanks, Tim!)
(Photo: genebob )

“Sales for the month of October were very disappointing, with continued volatility in daily results,” said Gregg Steinhafel, president and CEO of Target Corp. “We expect the recent challenging sales environment to continue into the holiday season and beyond as a result of the economic factors currently affecting consumer spending.”

Walmart is apparently benefiting from a new found frugality among American shoppers.

Are you abandoning Target for Walmart? Or just spending less at Target? What's up?

Wal-Mart sales up, Target down [Bizjournals]
(Photo: fleamobile )

A statement on their website reads:

We are lowering hundreds of prices in anticipation of our costs dropping in the future, and we intend to bring more prices down as soon as we can. These are uncertain times, and we know our employees and customers are very concerned, and so are we. During difficult times like these, it’s okay with us if we make a little less money. And, as always, we are committed to offering the lowest price in the market on the items most important to families. We hope these savings will help you enjoy your time with family even more this holiday season.

This attitude flies in the face of the "sticky price" effect — the tendency for retailers to hold on to higher prices even after their costs have dropped.

Wegmans says that their price reductions would save the typical family between $40 and $60 a month in grocery spending.

From the Morning Call:

The move comes as low-cost retailer Wal-Mart boasts October sales that beat expectations. The Bentonville, Ark., company promoted low-cost Doritos, frozen pizzas and flat-screen TVs to cater to customers who are spending more time at home and eating out less.

And retail analysts expect Wal-Mart is poised to grow as it retains its core customers and gains shoppers who are trading down from higher-priced stores to save money.

At Wegmans Allentown store on Thursday, Boyertown resident Cal Emerich was pleased to find that his favorite Cranberry Walnut muffins were marked down to 99 cents from more than $1 during his last trip. He shops there about once a month.

''This is wonderful,'' he said of the lower prices. ''I might make the trip more often.''

Wegmans lowers prices on hundreds of items [Morning Call](Thanks, Liz!)

The New York Times says that DisplaySearch, a market research firm, says that so-called "Black Friday" prices "could go as low as $400 for a 32-inch LCD, and $600 for a 42-inch plasma set — about $200 off current prices."

From the NYT:

Many retailers are cutting costs because they expect a lighter selling season. Best Buy announced that it would hire 16,000 to 20,000 seasonal employees, a hefty drop from last year’s 26,000 seasonal hires.

Best Buy’s comparable-store sales in September dropped 2 percent from the year before. “We’ll see less traffic,” Brian Dunn, Best Buy’s president, said. “We’ll grow our share by offering the right solution, product and service. We’re not looking to get every dime out of you. If a customer just wants the lowest price on a TV set, we’ll give it to them with a smile.”

And to increase the likelihood that customers will pull out their wallets, several manufacturers, including Panasonic and Sharp, are working with retailers to offer extended financing with either same-as-cash interest or deferred payment plans.

Some believe that bundling items, like a flat-screen TV with a Blu-ray player or an audio system, will provide that extra value that will push consumers to buy.

Best Buy will offer a bundle “targeted to middle America,” Mr. Dunn said.

Hefty Discounts Could Arrive on Big-Screen TVs, but Buyers May Be Resistant [NYT]
(Photo: Clean Wal-Mart )

Wal-Mart Selling Lead Paint…To Put On Your Kid’s Face! [Wal-Mart Watch]

6 "Disturbing Behaviors" Walmart has noticed:

1. Cash-strapped consumers are buying baby formula at the beginning of the month, when they have more money.
2. A double digit decline in the use of credit cards in the second quarter.
3. 80% of consumers surveyed by Walmart say "personal financial security" is their top concern. Formerly, it was the price of gasoline.
4. Purchases of generics have doubled.
5. Shoppers are changing how often they visit the store. Some come more often because they have less money and can only afford small purchases. Some come less often to save gas.
6. Walmart now sees a 2.5% sales increase in the middle of the month, when paychecks are handed out.

Wal-Mart sees shifts in shoppers' buying habits [USAToday]
(Photo: genebob )

She didn't want to tote it back across to the floral section when she replaced the scented oil. I was standing there looking when all of a sudden a man named Larry (who worked in the automotive section I assume) grabbed the trash can that I could feel touching my leg, yanked it up, and did a half slide/half throw toward the hardware side of the store. Well, that made the empty trash fly and crash in a loud kinda empty trash can sound way, very loud, almost 2 1/2 to 3 aisles down from where I was standing. As if my embarrassment wasn't enough, he left it in the middle of the aisle and started to return to the Automotive counter.

Surely you didn't expect him to go retrieve it, Ricky? Crazy and manners don't often go together.

Ricky, who incidentally worked for twelve years in a big box retail environment, writes:

I walked past him and said, "Thanks Larry for throwing my trash can," while 10 to 15 people just stared in amazement... It was very embarrassing. I hurried to where the can was lying in the middle of the floor and tried to pick it up without being looked at like a three-armed sideshow freak.

Larry was also trying to beat me to the trash can, the whole time saying that an "old woman" just left it there. I then politely said that "old woman" was my mother, and it was right beside me the whole time within 2 inches of my leg. He then ran back to the automotive sales counter where they change the oil, but never apologized as if he did nothing wrong. By that time I was so mad my head was throbbing, I was so embarrassed by how I was treated that I took the 2 wire items I needed and replaced the trash can back on the counter and said Wal-Mart will not get a trash can sell from me today.

Ricky went out to the parking lot to cool off, then called the store phone number that was printed on a receipt.

I was like, "I can't let this pass." I phoned and asked for the Store Manager, and the operator said she was on vacation. I then asked for the co-manager, [and the operator] said he was not there. I then politely asked, "Can I speak to whoever is in charge of the circus there?" She transferred me to Assistant Manager Mike.

Well, I told him my complaint and he never really said too much, said he would be mad too if it happened to him. [I felt] I was given the ole' "I don't have time to speak to you because I have to get back to setting the Christmas department planogram" song and dance—he was very rushed and short.

Ricky told the assistant manager the approximate time it happened and suggested he check the store security tapes for confirmation, and he left his number and asked that the store manager call him back upon her return from vacation. We hope at the very least Ricky receives an apology for how he and his mother were treated, and that Larry is "retrained" (to use a recently popular corporate term) to not throw the merchandise until after it's paid for.

(On a related note: Ricky, learn to write in paragraphs! With punctuation! Yes, I am wagging my finger at you now! It took me three days to figure out how to edit your story down to a readable level. This isn't just me being a jackass—you'll be taken far more seriously by companies if you can make a concise, well-written argument on your own behalf. Maybe not by Walmart, which has a reputation for ignoring customer complaints, but there are certainly other companies out there who actually respond to customer feedback on occasion.)

(Photo: Getty Images)

Here are a few choice goodies found in the water: Coliform bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium.

All brands met the federal standards for drinking water, though researchers were concerned enough about two of the brands to release their names.

Sam's Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets contained chlorine byproducts above California's (stricter) standards, according to the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation.

From USAToday:

In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California requires 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.

Water researcher Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment of the University at Albany, who had no role in the study, singled out trihalomethanes as the biggest concern because of strong research links to cancer.

"These are levels that should not be in bottled water," he said.

Giant Food officials declined to comment. Instead, company officials released a brief statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards.

Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand exceeded California's limit by five times for a second chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane.

The Environmental Working Group said it notified California's attorney general of its intent to sue Wal-Mart. The group wants the company to label its bottles in California with a warning of cancer-causing chemicals. Wal-Mart did not respond to a request for comment.

Ultimately, the researchers concluded that bottled water was, in some cases, no less polluted than tap water, and a waste of money. They recommended filtering tap water yourself.

Group: Wal-Mart, Giant bottled water shows more contamination [USAToday]

Bonus Hilarity: Summer's Eve Feminine Spray. [Best Week Ever] (Thanks, Eric!)

When the police arrived on the scene, one of the three men ran away, dropping credit cards on the ground. It turns out that these credit cards were fakes encoded with real stolen credit card numbers. The men were arrested and there's now an ongoing investigation as to the origin of the numbers... but here's the hilarious part — Walmart actually did sell these guys an empty box instead of a laptop.

The AP says:

The counterfeit credit cards were encoded with valid stolen credit card numbers and police say an investigation is ongoing to identify the account holders.

Store employees later discovered they had indeed sold an empty box to the three men.

Walmart Busts Three Men for Fraud After Accidentally Selling Them Empty Computer Boxes [Fox News] (Thanks, Tom!)
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

I am attracted to the moment when consciousness ceases: the moments of survival, of animal intensity, of violence, when there is no multiplicity, no potential for different levels of thought: there is only one—the present in its absoluteness.

Violence is one of the most intensely lived experiences and, for those capable of giving themselves over to it, is one of the most intense pleasures. There on the streets of Fulham, I felt, as the group passed over its metaphorical cliff, that I had literally become weightless. I had abandoned gravity, was greater than it. I felt myself to be hovering above myself, capable of perceiving everything in slow motion and overwhelming detail. I realized later that I was on a druggy high, in a state of adrenaline euphoria. And for the first time I am able to understand the words they use to describe it. That crowd violence was their drug.

NOTE: This is a follow-up to our email titled "Important Information About Your Digital Music Purchases" from 9/26/08.

Based on feedback from our customers, we have decided to maintain our digital rights management (DRM) servers for the present time. What this means to you is that our existing service continues and there is no action required on your part. Our customer service team will continue to assist with DRM issues for protected windows media audio (WMA) files purchased from Walmart.com.

While our customer support team is available to assist you with any issues, we continue to recommend that you back up your songs by burning them to a recordable audio CD. By backing up your songs, you insure access to them from any personal computer at any time in the future.

We appreciate your support and patience as we work to provide the best service possible to you. As we move forward with our 100% MP3 store, we'll continue to update you with key decisions regarding our service and your account via email.

Thank you for using Walmart MP3 Music Downloads.
The Walmart Digital Music Team

They could still turn it off in January, or next summer, or hell, the day after Thanksgiving next month, and we're not naive enough to think Walmart will follow Yahoo's footsteps and offer DRM-free replacement tracks, so take the extra time you've got to back up those tracks if you don't want to be at Walmart's mercy in the future.

"Walmart has a change of heart, decides to maintain DRM servers" [Engadget]

In June my wife and I bought a queen size air mattress for some friends who were going to stay with us for three weeks in July. We tested it and found that because the edges of the mattress are higher than the middle, once two people lie in it, they slide towards each other almost like in a hammock. It was inflated as much as I deemed safe and was quite hard, so that was not the reason. As the mattress is basically defective, we go to Walmart and buy two twin air mattresses ten days later. We did not think to return the first one at that time because, as Walmart advertises, they have a 90 return policy.

After our friends had left, in early August we went to Walmart here in Ames, Iowa (the newer Super Center - yes, we actually have two in a town of 50,000) and attempted to return it. We were flat out denied by the co-manager, who claimed that a 15-day limit for air mattress returns are in effect. She had various ridiculous excuses, one of which was "the federal government's rules, because of the bed bugs, you know". When I asked if the government really controlled Walmart return policies, she answered yes, almost defiantly. Apparently, if an air mattress spends 16 days in anyone's house, but not 15 or less, it will get infected with bed bugs. She did say, though, that she would exchange it with another air mattress... So what's the point of the bed bug excuse?!

We declined, as we already had bought two new twin mattresses in the same Walmart, even within the 15 day period. I offered to bring her the receipt so she could verify this and just return our money for the queen size one. This she also refused. I took down the names of everyone involved, and went home to write the store's manager and ask him to set it right. In my letter I made it clear that Walmart's own website does NOT ention anything about return limits on air mattresses, and that, in fact, if I had bought the mattress online, I would not have this limitation. Furthermore, in the store there is now a sign to this effect in the sporting good section, though it was not there when my wife and I bought ours, but not in the Home section, where there are also air mattresses. Thus, a customer can still go into Walmart today and buy one without knowing about this limit. It also isn't printed on the receipt. The store manager completely ignored my letter.

I then submitted a complaint to the BBB and sent the original complaint to Walmart national customer service. Walmart proceeded to ignore both this letter, as well as the BBB complaint.

I do not think it is right that customers are treated differently. In the store, they claim 15 days. Online, they have general return guidelines for all Walmart stores that list a few limitations for returns, but not for air mattresses. The return policy for the online store has a more specific return policy with more limitations, but still no mention of air mattresses. It even says I can return any online-bought product to any store. So had I bought the mattress online they would have had to take it back in the store!

I want Walmart to take my complaint seriously and not just think if they ignore me I will go away. I also want my money back. My wife and I give them hundreds of dollars of business every month, which I pointed out in my letters, and they don't give a damn.

Where do I find executive contact info for Walmart? I have looked around online but not found anything. Please give me some hints here and help turn on the heat on Walmart.

Jacob, this post links to over 700 phone numbers at Walmart. It's nearly a year old so we're not sure how up-to-date it is, but it's a good place to start.

"Reach Walmart Vice Chairman John Menzer And 742 Other Walmart Employees"
(Photo: CipherSwarm)

Airblown Inflatable Light Show Scene [Walmart] (Thanks to Paul!)

"Wal*Mart shutting down DRM server, nuking your music collection — only people who pay for music risk losing it to DRM shenanigans" [BoingBoing]
(Photo: Kamoteus and Joe Mad)

It's hard to think of an object that isn't made of wood or packaged or encounters wood at some point in its journey through the economy. Any number of household items that you can buy at Walmart, like a toilet seat for instance, may very well be made from Russian wood.

"Hot Seats" [NewYorker.com]

Don't fall in!

NBC Action News Investigators poured through more than 2,000 state inspections of Jackson County cash register scales conducted in 2007 finding 30 scales so far out of calibration, agents shut them down.

In addition to reviewing the state inspections, NBC Action News went undercover in 30 grocery stores testing scales all over the metro.

We used a scientifically calibrated weight certified as 2 pounds by nationally known Rice Lake Weighing Systems.

“Two pounds,” said a clerk recorded on hidden camera after accurately weighing our metal cylinder at his register.

Only 25 out of the 30 cash register scales we tested were accurate.

Wal-Mart was the worst offender. According to state inspectors, one of their scales claimed items were 5 lbs heavier than they actually were. The Department of Weights and Measures shut the register down.

There is a silver lining in this story, however. All of the registers that NBC tested itself were weighted in the consumer's favor.

Scale Inaccuracies Exposed in Stores [KSHB] (Thanks, Bladefist!)

Local 6 says:

"When we see that a nearby competitor might temporarily lower a price on an item, our stores have the authority to adjust their price lower. This can happen in a very small vicinity of stores," the company said in a statement to Local 6.

However, the Problem Solvers found that the prices concerned were not temporary as Wal-Mart described, but consistent over a period of at least two months.

Barnaby [a consumer who reported the price differences] said she thinks that Wal-Mart is charging more for the same products in poorer neighborhoods than in neighborhoods with higher incomes.

"It disgusts me that the people who can least afford to buy the food have to pay more money than everyone else does," Barnaby said.

That’s a serious accusation and the Problem Solvers probed further, Cooper reported.

First, Cooper looked at the most recent census data, which showed the median household income is highest in Apopka — where the prices were the lowest, compared to incomes in Mt. Dora and Clarcona/Pine Hills where the prices were higher.

Cooper brought that data to Wal-Mart's attention and a spokeswoman for the company said she was offended by the suggestion that the company was charging more in poorer neighborhoods.

She insisted that Wal-Mart does not price by demographic, that it remains the low price leader in every market — and that the three stores we visited represent entirely different markets with different sets of competition, Cooper reported.
But when the Problem Solvers checked the competition, they did not find a similar pattern of pricing, Cooper said.

They visited Publix stores in the Windermere/Ocoee area, the Rosemont neighborhood of Orlando, and Altamonte.
The prices of the sugar, condensed milk and asparagus were consistent at all three stores. Visits to different Winn-Dixie stores generated the same results, according to Cooper.

Here are the prices they checked:

Sugar
$2.38 Mt. Dora
$2.36 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.76 Apopka

Condensed Milk
$1.54 Mt. Dora
$1.56 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.04 Apopka

Asparagus
$2.42 Mt. Dora
$2.54 Clarcona/Pine Hills
$1.86 Apopka

Congratulations, Central Florida. You've realized that Walmart's pricing is shady and inconsistent.

Wal-Mart Price Discrepancies Investigated [Local 6] (Thanks, pattie-anne!)
(Photo: RowJimmy )

The insider writes:

I work in a Walmart store in KY, and I'm writing in to let you know that my store has raised the prices on all of its cell phone chargers by almost 50%. These price changes were automatically put into effect in our system by Home Office. This, I feel, is in direct response to Hurricane Ike.

Here in KY, we didn't get the rain, but we did get high winds on Sunday morning, which knocked out power to some 300,000 people here. The next day when we opened, people bought every car charge and battery we had because they were still without any power. Now today all of our car chargers go up nearly 50%. In fact, every charger, car or wall, in our store is a flat $19.00, when car chargers were $10.00 and wall chargers were $15.00 yesterday. This is hardly a coincidence, and it's so blatently obvious to our customers. I can't believe Walmart would do something so totally against their own mantra of Save Money, Live Better. This is more like "Raise Prices, Screw Suffering Customers!"

It could be a coincidence, maybe not. Either way, the timing is certainly suspicious.

(Photo: chasingfun)

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All tires bear a Department of Transportation number hidden on the inner wheel wall. At the end of the number is a four-digit sequence that shows the week and year the tire was made. Tires with the notation 3502 were made in the 35th week of 2002. If you only see three digits, get new tires immediately; your tires are from the 90's and are way past their effective lifespan.

Listen as the mustachioed John Stossel explains:

Check Your Tires [The Kim Komando Show]
Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard? [YouTube]
(Photo: zorilla)

“The average person goes shopping for 22 minutes,” said Phil Lempert, who edits Supermarketguru.com, a Web site that tracks retail trends. “You can’t see 30,000 or 40,000 products. We are moving into an era when people want less assortment.”

"Miles of Aisles for Milk? Not Here " [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

...there is no way to describe these lists except as ones that are trying very hard to look official. They have a fax send line at the top of the page (who on earth faxed these, if not the schools?). They not only state the school, but also the grade level and they have various lists based on teacher. Each teacher has slightly different supplies required. If that doesn’t look like something official from the school, I’m not sure what would. Perhaps adding a medieval wax seal to each list?

Kelby was told by her daughter's school that Walmart just makes up the lists on its own. That's twisted.

Is this one rogue Walmart or some kind of systematic evil?

Truth About Wal-Mart Back to School Lists [Kelby Carr via BoingBoing]
(Photo: cupcake revolution )