If Wal-Mart "lost" $20-$40 on every $99.99 Wii, but got every person picking up those blue Wiis to blow an extra $100-$500 at their store on Black Friday rather than going somewhere else .... who really comes out on top there?

Once you've waited in line for 2-6 hours in the freezing cold, you're not just going to buy a Wii in 5 minutes and leave to go lineup somewhere else. Wal-Mart knows once they get you in the store -- they got you, and your credit card with the "well I lined up long enough, now that I'm here I got this Wii, I might well pick up one of these ... and one of these ... and oooh, this is on sale, I always wanted this on Blu-Ray, so many people are fighting over this game, maybe I should buy one too while I'm here ... etc. etc.".

Also they know if the store only has 80 Blue Wiis but 500 people lined up outside .... the other 420 people are going to be dissapointed, but after waiting several hours, people need to feel like the wait wasn't for nothing so they'll buy something else just for the sake of having something. No one wants to come home from Black Friday with nothing after putting in all that effort.

They know damn well what they're doing, lol. It's all psychology and it's all calculated.

I went into a Walmart once before when I was visiting the US. It was a really weird store.... They had the lights on blindingly bright, and it looked really barren inside (not very professional at all), they even had retarded people working at the one I went to - it was really sad. Although the non-retarded people working there seemed to be very dumpy and rude... as though it was some great burden to them to answer questions and do their job.

I left at the first possible excuse I could make. I am not sure if it was the particular store I was in, or if there are lots like this. I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about Walmart; in my experience, it is one of the worst stores I have ever been in.... At least the one I was in, I wouldn't expect any others to be like that.

No, that's more or less Wal-mart.  To be fair though the workers probably act that way because of the shoppers at Wal-mart.

I HATE going there because the parking lot traffic always seems to be about 5 times worse then anywhere else as far as people almost hitting you and shit.  Doesn't matter what part of the country either.  There is even a website that (kinda cruley) makes fun of the people who shop there.....

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

What's the big deal about it?  It's cheaper then eveyrwhere else.

Shoppers might have a big influence in the way they act but the job itself probably has more influence.  When you consider most Walmart employees aren't even allowed to work full time and their pay is usually around $10 max (if that) then you can see why they just don't give a fuck.  If the company actually gave them a wage they could live semi decently on then perhaps they wouldn't be so pissed off and be more willing to help the customer.  Would you really give a damn about some random person if you were making less than 10 a hour?  Nope and that is why most customer service at stores suck because their employees are treated like shit.  Poor customer service is what you get with Walmart's business philosophy.

Walmart to go Third Party confirmed.

Actually I think there national average is more around 12 an hour.  Which ain't bad when you consider all the turnover.

This might of changed since way back when i used to pay there, but they used to start out your pay a dollar over minium wage with a 5 cent raise withing 2 months, and a raise a quarter a year after that.

Not great, but not awful compaired to other like retailers.

The real killer is the lack of hours they give to most of their employees.  They would rather have more part-time than full-time employees.

"Wal-Mart says that "Wal-Mart's 'full time' status begins at 34 hours per week, not 28, for associates hired after 2002." Before 2002, however, Wal-Mart's definition of full-time WAS 28 hours per week, and was raised in 2002 to 34 hours per week in order to raise the bar for healthcare eligibility for their employees - as the raise in hours coincided with the increase in eligibility requirements for healthcare."

"5. Capture savings from current initiatives to improve labor productivity. These initiatives include reducing the number of labor hours per store, increasing the percentage of part-time Associates in stores, and increasing the number of hours per Associate."

http://www.walmartmovie.com/facts.php

It is easy to see what Walmart's real thoughts are towards their own employees by looking through the facts from the Walmart documentary.  Everyone knows in the USA that full-time is 40 hours and any company stating otherwise obviously is looking to short change their workers.

As a rule I tend to not trust documentaries... to many Michael Moore/Ben Stein documentaries... and sometimes just as bad, movies like "Super Size Me" where the uncontroversial is often presented as outrageous.  (Eating fast food only and from one restraunt will make you sick after a month, when your used to NOT eating fast food ever?)

It's funny stuff though.  Way back when I worked at Walmart my issue was TOO MANY Hours.  I worked 36 to 44 hours a week when I put in to work 26.

Of course I was working the unglorius job of "Cart guy".

You should be pretty good at Mario Kart considering navigating carts was once your profession.  Anyways, I always enjoy watching a cart crash into a car on a windy day.  Just seeing the cart lurking around like a shark until it finally finds it's victim.

I actually am.  Although Battlemode is more my style then standard mode.