Wal-Mart in Russia - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

	The Russian Meeting Place: A place to meet people and talk about all things Russian... International Discussions about Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Travel, Music, Russian News, Ukrainian culture, Belarusian Dating, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev and other intelligent topics about life in the former Soviet Union.

Pages: 1

Wal-Mart in Russia
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: grhodes2

I'm not trying to be funny here, but I would really honestly like to know this. I was on a service call about a week ago, and I was talking to a NCR Bentonville TSS analyst in reference to a call I was on, and I popped the question is Wal-Mart looking to go into Russia. He told me that the Wal-Mart Home Office is actually looking into this. Now my question is, has anyone here also heard about this? If they can go into China, they probably could go into Russia, and it would be one heck of an event, I would think.

Greg
>Inquiring minds has to know<

Posted by: Jill

I actually did hear this rumor a while back, but also wasn't sure if I should take it seriously....

Posted by: Vyesna

Ikea's done it with great success, but it's northern European. I think Target would do better than WalMart.

Posted by: Pin Boy

why do you say that? have no vested interest, just curious

pb

Posted by: gino

heard this rumor also. i think they are trying to get something built near the city limits of Moscow. However, returning from my last trip i sat next to a man that worked for Wall mart, and he said that were starting to build a store in Poland or the Czech republic.
Gino

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

Yeah, all we need in Poland is more foreign-owned supermarkets to kill-off our Polish capital, so better take it to Russia ... the only question being - will the Russians want Walmart there ?

Posted by: grhodes2

That will be the $64,000 question. If Wal-Mart has growing opposition here, will they be wanted there in the FSU? Oh brother, what will the world be coming to.

Greg

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

As my lady likes to quote: "as the blind man said - we shall see"

Posted by: Cheburashka

Yes it is true. The folks from Bentonville, Arkansas were in St Pete a few months ago. They will go in with five stores, starting in St Petersburg. Everyone is being very "hush hush" about it, but I know a senior buyer from their company who says it's a done deal. Of course I promised not to tell anyone but a small, elite group of friends.

Posted by: grhodes2

Well just think folks, when the days comes that I want to visit Moscow or St. Petersburg, I will have the comforts of home knowing Wal-Mart is in town.

But then I keep forgetting, we're talking about world domination for Wal-mart, but then thats another thread all together. Anyway, it will be interesting to hear the reaction, much less if this makes any of the world news organizations, like CNN, ABC and such. It would be pretty historic.

Greg

Posted by: povlhp

I also heard the rumor. But WalMart is afraid the Russian government would take all their profits. I think The Excile had a funny article about this.

Povl - Working at HQ at a danish supermarket chain with polish stores.

Posted by: Vyesna

Quote:

Originally posted by Pin Boy
why do you say that? have no vested interest, just curious

pb

Target has higher quality products generally and the style of the stuff they sell is closer to European tastes. Russians, like most Europeans, aren't thrilled with anything that smacks of middle America. Wal Mart clothes would definitely bomb there. They probably would change their style to fit Europe some, but considering they don't do that great a job of changing their style for more urban areas, I have my doubts about how well they would do. They would have to concentrate on non-style oriented stuff, probably.

Posted by: grhodes2

I read somewhere in a business journal that WM was going to partner with some chain out of Turkey (I could be wrong on this), and introduce themselves that way. I guess they would learn then how to market to the European community.

I remember watching a special on CNBC on "The Age of Wal-Mart", which their CEO Lee Scott always wanted to keep their core customer in mind. So, when WM does go to St. Petersburg, what would be the definition of the "core customer" there. Like I said before, should be pretty historic when its all said and done.

Greg

Posted by: ConnerVT

Quote:

Originally posted by Vyesna
Russians, like most Europeans, aren't thrilled with anything that smacks of middle America. Wal Mart clothes would definitely bomb there.

I don't know, my wife seems to enjoy shopping there. She likes to empty off the clearance racks and ship it home to her family, who haven't had much problem finding Russian folks more than happy to buy.

Of course, she would much rather spend her time at Marshall's.

Posted by: Pin Boy

i'm not particularly enthused with wal mart's business practices, but i just think it is all low quality...call me crazy, but i prefer k-mart...maybe it has to do with the physical environment and signage, but i just can't take a liking to wal mart

i agree vyesna that target merchandise has a more upscale look...sometimes it's very surprising how interesting and different the merchandise is for a mass, low-mid budget retailer

bu,t as much as i can, i shop at the local non-chain stores for my "stuff" i even prefer my neighborhood hardware store and buddy who owns it to lowes or home depot

pin boy

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

Well, my lady does hate anything that smacks of "middle America", but most Polish people in the States, or in Poland for that matter, are very much into "middle America"

... and as usual, there is a political theme to it all. My dad says he loves almost everything American, but that's because he just hated the Soviets so much.

Posted by: kevin m

Quote:

i'm not particularly enthused with wal mart's business practices, but i just think it is all low quality...call me crazy, but i prefer k-mart...maybe it has to do with the physical environment and signage, but i just can't take a liking to wal mart

I am a Union Pipefitter from local 525 in Las Vegas and I am not a big fan of Wal-Mart either, Union support is very important for me. I beleive in a better quality of life for my family (when I have one), and Wal-Mart is anti-union 100%. So no Wal-Mart for me.

Kevin M

Posted by: gino

Kevin be realistic. if and when you have a family you will buy food and clothes from wall mart. reason being is because they are less expensive than anywhere else. i live and grew up in the rust belt.
i work in the automotive industry. do you know how many u.a.w. brothers drive foreign cars these days? let alone the American population? i agree i don't like wall mart either. but when you lose your o/t for a few years and you have 3 or 4 mouths to feed. I'm sure you will think differently. Gino

Posted by: kevin m

let's put it this way...I have spent money at Wal-Mart. I just don't support them. If they went out of business I wouldn't cry. Another store chain would pop up overnight. Trust me. That's the American way.

Kevin M

Posted by: gino

it's cool kevin!!! i understand what you mean. gino

Posted by: wchever

Quote:

Originally posted by Pawel_PL.USA
As my lady likes to quote: "as the blind man said - we shall see"

Pawel, is your girlfriend black?

The only time I have ever heard a similar expression was from my mother and her girlfriends when I was growing up in the 1950's and 60's.

"I see", said the blind man.

Said when one has just had some new idea or item introduced to them.

Posted by: Pawel_PL.USA

Unions may have been useful in the 19th century, but these days all they do is raise the prices of everything. If you want everything unionized - prepare to pay for it.

Posted by: wavetossed

I've never been in a Wal-Mart supermarket in the USA, but I have had a look at ASDA here in the UK. Cheap boring stuff. I can see how they manage to attract suburban housewives but the masses can find plenty of cheap and better quality stuff in the street markets or on sale at BHS, or M&S.

Since Russia has even more street markets than the UK, how can Wal-Mart possibly compete?