You may be a loyal Wal-Mart shopper, but is Wal-Mart loyal to you?Wal-Mart will open the first of a series of Hispanic-focused supermarkets this summer in Arizona and Texas. The first stores, named Supermercado de Walmart, will open in Phoenix and Houston in remodelled locations previously occupied by two of the company’s Neighborhood Market stores.
Wal-Mart said the stores are in 'strongly Hispanic neighbourhoods' and will feature a 'new lay-out, signing and product assortment designed to make them even more relevant to local Hispanic customers'. The staff will be bilingual. The company’s Sam’s Club warehouse store also plans to open a 143,000 sq ft Hispanic-focused store called Más Club in Houston.
Several leading regional US supermarket chains already operate Hispanic store brands, including Publix in Florida, which operates three Publix Sabor markets, and HEB in Texas, which opened a Mi Tienda store in Houston in 2006. The markets include elements such as cafés serving Latino pastries and coffee, and full service meat and fish counters.
Eduardo Castro-Wright, the head of Wal-Mart’s US stores since 2005, raised the idea of turning the Neighbourhood Market into a Hispanic-style bodega concept several years ago. Castro-Wright was previously head of Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary, whose store network ranges from large US-style Supercenters to small local bodegas, an upmarket supermarket chain and two restaurant chains.
there goes the neigborhood. I never wanted to live in Communist mexico
ReplyDeleteI live in Arizona and can say that I'm not really looking forward to this. Our walmarts are already terrible and nobody speaks English in them...now this? We have people in this country from all walks of life and different ethnicities so why do we go out of the way to put everything in Spanish? Is English not the official language in this country? It's be like me going to Germany and expecting everybody to speak MY language. Won't happen.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, English is not the official language of the United States. Second of all, the first European Language in the United States was Spanish. "America" was discovered under the Spanish crown and Florida was the first successful European colony in the continental US. (years before the British arrived.) I digress. Wal-Mart, first of all, isn't an "amazing" place. They are pretty much terrible everywhere. Targeting specific demographics is key in marketing. Especially the Hispanic market in the southwest. It wouldn't make sense to have a Wal-Mart in Arabic in the middle of Montana. And finally, being a US citizen/English-only speaker does not entitle you to preferential treatment around the world. The US, in order to successfully compete in this unified world market, needs to grow more open-minded and cultured. Especially the South and MidWest.
ReplyDelete(Sorry for any misspelled words or grammar. English is not my native language.
- Marco (A 22 year old Mexican with a BA in Marketing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California . Speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and in the process of learning Arabic. Well-traveled and cultured.)
- Marco (A 22 year old Mexican with a BA in Marketing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA . Speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and in the process of learning Arabic. Well-traveled and cultured.)
ReplyDeleteAmnesty on the way!! E- verify and other programs actually help illegals from being deported. These programs only terminate them from the work place not deport them. You see the thing is to get them out of the work system to avoid raids and etc, with that done they are still free in just moments the bill will come to pass and they go back to work. The thing is cheap labor is sort after by companys for years thats why they went to china, with mexico being our next door neighbour and in need of work it is a great investment, besides the hispanic community is good for business in many ways. Its not in the interest of the people but more likely to the government and big business such as walmart etc. Besides they have nothing to do with our economy going broke they never where and they never will, if they leave all 12 million not 20 million then we be stuck with the fact that we americans are our own problems. You see the dont have the houses and the credits and such like we do, they dont invest in buy things they cant hold on too besides they pay mostly cash on anything they buy so there you go we reck the country not illegals. lou dobb spend time on terror blasting mexicans when he dont even talk about the fact that americans kill more americans day to day, well i guess its ok as long as its an american killing an american and destroying the community. illegals or no illegals we are our own problem besides we take in ton of ppl from enemy countries give them home and put them on programs why they can t do the same for mexicans besides the just next door send some companys over there so they dont have to jump our borders thats why they are coming here for the jobs so put a couple of walmarts and target or whatever and pay them they will stay. We are ignorant to the issue because we are not suffering if mexico was rich and america poor we would be jumping the border as well and they probably feel the same about the issue like we do, but i truly believe something must be done to help or something for these people. America will remain america all this fear of change and white or black population minority thing is crazy if you fear that its too late because if you check this is multi race culture and the fact is that soon its not going to be once but mix race. Amnesty on the way!!! hooray if you think the government is going to get rid of cheap labor your making a sad mistake.
ReplyDeleteWhat most of you do not realize is that the single biggest reason for the "hispanic" push, comes from non-other than Eduardo Castro-Wright, the president of Walmart who hails from somewhere in South America, I'm not sure which country. As an "ex" Walmart associate, I watched Eduardo disassemble what it took Sam Walton years to build. I am an ex associate because after 20 years of loyal service, Walmart decided this year under their new "re-structure", I was no longer of service to them. I was a field level manager who met all of my financial numbers and in fact, achieved a maximum bonus this year because of my performance. However, that was not good enough for Eduardo and crew. Three weeks after they informed me that I was officially "displaced". They hired a female, at least 20 years younger than me, with absolutely no experience doing my job. This happened to several hundred of us and was kept "hush hush" to the general public. Most of the folks that were let go were middle age, white, males with 20+ years with the company. To me this was blatant over compensation for the Susan Dukes case that is about to go to trial for Walmart's alleged discrimination against women in upper level management positions. With all of that said, I now find myself for the first time in my life, unemployed and searching for a job at 50 years of age in the worst economy we've seen in years. Is Walmart loyal to you? Walmart is loyal to only one thing my friends, the almighty dollar. Personally, I will never step foot in another one.
ReplyDeleteWell said anonymous!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, "a" I agree with you. There are also lots of Spanish speaking citizens that are completely, bi-lingual and happy speaking more than one language. Perhaps, these racists comments reflect the fear and insecurity that some Americans feel about the "other," types of people living amongst them. Please know that if you leave the USA with the exception of big cities e.g., NY, Chicago etc. you will experience people speaking more than one language. If people all over the world are fine with learning English why not some one here living in a country north of the Spanish speaking cone try understanding those cultures and people with less hate.
ReplyDeleteThey hired a female, at least 20 years younger than me, with absolutely no experience doing my job. This happened to several hundred of us and was kept "hush hush" to the general public.
ReplyDelete