Not merchandise, but rather for their 401(K) plans. The Walmart management that drives the hardest bargain in retail when it comes to merchandise, takes a lackadaisical attitude when it comes to the 401(k) plans it offers employees. From Forbes: Wal-Mart stores sells 140 different kiddie car seats, 110 TV models and 220 types of plus-size […]

Looks like it’s John Mackey week here at our blog. The New Yorker’s blog The Book Bench did a shout out to the article on Mackey I mentioned the other day which covers something both Robert and I both blogged about back when it happened in 2007. That’s when Mackey got busted by the SEC […]

How do you really feel about Walmart? Here’s your chance to express your true feelings — pro and con — about the world’s largest retailer. Write whatever you like in the comments section and engage your fellow readers in the conversation. Jeff Hess: Have Coffee Will Write.

Over at The Huffington Post, there’s a story about the Chattanooga shoplifters. That doesn’t really interest me. The reactions of readers, however, does interest me. The comments quickly move away from the theft to much larger social issues. Actually all kidding aside, the worst thing Americans can do to their economy and country in general […]

Despite my misgivings, I joined Facebook in large part so that I can read the Walmart page. Looking around a little, this appears to be a gold mine for material about which to blog. Just going through the top thread that I see there now, there’s this: I loved your store. Seems though lately i […]

Giving cash as a present is suppossed to rude, crass and just plain low class because it shows that the giver gave no thought to gift. Gift cards, however, are considered fine because you at least thought of the store where the giftee likes to shop. What feckin’ bull shit. I was always fine (ecstatic) […]

Apparently, John Mackey of Whole Foods wants to be everywhere these days. This is from an interview w/ Reason magazine: By not taking any money, it’s pretty obvious that I’m not trying to get as much money out of the company as I can. I mean, I was a co-founder. I have enough money. I’m […]

My favorite magazine, The New Yorker, has a profile this week of the CEO of my favorite grocery store, Whole Foods. It certainly serves as a reminder of why I am often embarrassed to admit that my family shops there. In fact, it comes up in the first paragraph: John Mackey, the co-founder and chief […]

In three out of four categories: cash management, profitability and growth, Gauging Corporate Financial Results puts Walmart in the red zone. It only creeps into the yellow when measuring value. And all of this was before the wonderful holiday season. Number 2 on the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations, Walmart sold over $400 […]

What do communities lose when Walmart comes to town? They lose the Ruddy Polish Farmer, the Shy Egg Lady, Mr.Marzipan and much, much more. You lose the trust that can develop between you and the person who sells you your meat and bread. Jeff Hess: Have Coffee Will Write.

Let’s play pundit…. It looks like there’s going to be a health care reform bill, a weak one without a public option or a Medicare buy-in, for which the only vehicle for driving down costs is an insurance exchange. Let’s do a thought experiment inspired by Jonathan Chait of the New Republic: Why can’t people […]

I’m catching up on comment replies. This morning I read what was to be one of Robert Feinman’s final comments on The Writing On The Wal and it gave me pause as I considered how well he defined what I, and I believe Jonathan strive to accomplish. “My experience has been that most people do […]

We have a lot of rights. Yet those who fear the exercise of those rights are able to use intimidation and fear to convince people that employing their rights is not in their onw best interst: think of every bad police interrogation you’ve watched on TV. Union busting is like that. From the Pioneer Press: […]

Non-Adiabatic Economics Most economic theories assume that the system under consideration is stable or is, at least, tending toward a stable state. I’m going to make an analogy with thermodynamics.

Another Christmas Socially Mandated Debt Season has come and gone. Is there an economist out there willing to begin the conversation about the stuff bubble? After 11 September 2001, the top fear was not more death, but that people would stop buying stuff. This trend cannot continue. Do you feel joy or relief today? From […]