WalMarts Future!

Their next target is the Convenience (C-Store) store, the recently opened an experimental "WalMart on Campus" on the Univesity of Arkansas campus (Fayetteville);  Have not actually visited the store, this is based on a front page article in the local paper.

Honestly, other than as another demonstration of their domination of the retail space, it really will not make much difference in the short term.  They can't roll this concept out that fast.

C-Stores workers are already on the WalMart level, low pay and poor or non-existent benefits, mandatory night shifts and often one deep when there really should be two present in the store, double shifts (with no overtime) when someone calls in sick, etc.

I wrote a paper on the topic at one point.

("Have you ever been robbed?"- several said yes.)

But, do we really want them controlling all the retail space in America?

(More refereces and data from the article in the future)

Used Books and Everyone Wants a Bargain (The $.01 book on Amazon)

The whole "Every Day Low Prices" mantra of WalMart seems to have corrupted our whole culture.

I am particularly familiar with the used and remainder book business, which has moved online through the Amazon Marketplace venue.  This is the "Buy Used and New" Link on any Amazon catalog page, let's you see any "Third Party" (3P) seller who cares to list a copy for sale.

It's a low cost of entry business, you can list for "free."  

Amazon takes a $1.99 fee plus a 15% commission off the top when you (I) sell an item.

You can get a lower per item cost ($1) by becoming a pro merchant for $39.95 a month. 

I have had an Amazon sales account since 2006.  Never sell enough to justify the Pro Merchant account, I did create an Alibris account last year but am not even selling enough to justify the $19.95 annual fee.  (Two sales in six months- do the math).

But, you might ask, why are their all these books for sale for $.01;  Well, there is a standing thread on the subject, (Amazon does provide a couple of discussion boards for sellers, but there is NOT a sticky thread provision).  There are just enough foolish people out there, a regular feature on the help threads is - Why am I not making any Money? 

Enter the "MegaSeller."  Specifically "Better World Books" (BWB) and your local Salvation Army. 
There are others (Idaho Youth Ranch and Thrift Books), but BWB is the most prominent actor in ruining the secondary book market (aftermarket) in the United States. 

They get their merchandise for FREE (It's Charity you know) (well, at least a portion of it goes to a worthy cause, see their website), and (Salvation Army) has FREE LABOR to Pick & Pack.  Not sure how BWB does that.  And they all skimp on Packaging (An unfortunate experience with the Idaho Youth Ranch).

And they (the Megasellers) use Automated repricing software, in some cases hourly, to make sure they have the lowest price.  So any used book in moderately good supply can rapidly crash in price to $.01.

Now, if I sell an item for that price, I would lose money on every sale.  But some people don't figure that out as quickly as I did, so I have listings that will probably never recover to the price I have them listed at. 

OK, VCR tapes are as dead as Eight Track;  And used DVD prices have crashed in the last year, too many people picking them up at Garage sales as the affluent switch to HD. 

But everyone looses a price war.  A Bargain where I lose money on commission, packaging and Shipping is merely a direct transfer of money from my pocket to Amazon.

Please, if you are buying (Used) books from 3P sellers on Amazon, avoid BWB etc;  Look at the number of feedback they have received, look for smaller sellers with LOW (total) numbers of feeedback.   

The only major sellers I endorse are "GoHastings" and "Powell's." I know they actually pay people for their merchandise.

Cultural Diversity

Is the code phrase these days for "Middle Aged White Guys Need Not Apply"

Just wanted to rant about that someplace.

We're Doomed

Listening to NPR this morning (A Second Consecutive Snow Day- More on that later)

About Citizens United and Republican efforts to remove campaign finance limitations.

I actually found a new book I was interested in at the Public Library, Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy (Yale, 2010), a complement to the more widely publicized/reviewed biography of Cleopatra. He is my favorite modern author working in the classics, I really enjoyed The Fall of Rome (2009) and his biography of Caesar. 

He is treading familiar ground to him;  It is the corrosive influence of unlimited campaign finance in the fall of the Roman Republic that he covers (again) (See Caesar).  OK, I know the historical literacy standard is slipping in our society.  In many ways it is just too depressing to think about.

Snow

Brought everyting to a halt yesterday (1/11/10);  And there really has not been anything to report for the last couple of weeks.

Watching the old folks mesermized by Fox news- ugh.  No wonder I am depressed.