A discussion about retailing, retailers, and merchandising

Who Else? Wal-Mart. I worked for Wally for a few years and I have to say that it was hard work! But they aren't what the naysayers want them to be nor are they perfect by any stretch.

They certainly messed up with this though;

"In an attempt to put a smiley face on its tarnished image, Wal-Mart hires heavy-hitting public relations firm Edelman, which sets about using tactics derived from political races to reverse public perceptions of the giant retailer."

Not knowing what was tarnished about their image (they're always being taken over the coals for something) I'll assume they felt the need to hire Edelman who proceeded to make a not so wise decision to name the new public relations campaign "Candidate Wal-Mart." 

Now, to their credit, Edelman picked out some of the better features of the Wal-Mart way by choosing to promote "new Wal-Mart initiatives: improved employee health-care benefits, higher starting pay levels, new stores in downtrodden neighborhoods, reasonably priced organic foods, and a flat $4 fee for hundreds of generic prescription drugs."

At the same time that may have been their downfall because those are precisely what many folks complain about relating to the retail giant. Subsequently;

"candidate Wal-Mart quickly becomes, well, the most popular politician since Spiro Agnew. By year's end Wal-Mart suffers its first quarterly profit drop in a decade, sees same-store sales decline in November's run-up to the crucial holiday shopping season, and suffers a series of public relations gaffes so stunning that it lands six spots in this year's edition of the 101 Dumbest Moments."

Spiro Agnew? Wow - yes, that was really dumb!