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Wal-Mart plans new supercenter
Store would be built off Route 9 in Colonie to replace smaller Latham Farms outlet

By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer
First published: Friday, January 18, 2008

COLONIE -- Wal-Mart wants to build a supercenter to replace a nearby store in the Latham Farms shopping plaza.
     
The new Wal-Mart, which has yet to be considered by Colonie planning officials, would total 195,000 square feet -- plus 431,000 square feet of parking lot and roadway -- on a site off Route 9 in Latham that is near the Northway.
The property, on Auto Park Drive near Nemith Motors and behind a Holiday Inn Express, is nearly invisible from Route 9. But the store and its parking lot would front the Northway, making it highly visible to thousands of passing motorists each day.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokesman Philip Serghini said Thursday the new store would be about 70,000 square feet bigger than the Latham Farms store, which is less than two miles from the proposed site. It would include a full-service supermarket, pharmacy and restaurant.
The store at Latham Farms, along with the rest of the plaza off Northway Exit 6, debuted in 1993. While it was remodeled in 2001, Wal-Mart has moved away from that small-store model in favor of large supercenters, the size of which would be difficult to accommodate at the Latham Farms site.
Serghini said Wal-Mart's move to a new location "is really about finding a place where we could grow a little bit." He said the company had no dollar value for the replacement store.
The store would employ 450 people, according to an application submitted in late December to the Colonie Planning Department. That's about 175 more people than work at the Latham Farms store, Serghini said.
The application also says two roads would provide access to the store: Auto Park Drive and Century Hill Drive, which passes through the Century Hill Plaza office park to the north and connects to Route 9.
Mark Nemith of Nemith Motor Corp. confirmed Thursday that he is the primary owner of the 23-acre site where the store would be built, but declined to further comment.
Under a different owner, the site had been planned as an "auto mall" that would have been home to three new-car dealerships and a used-car lot, as well as a collision-repair shop and an oil-change business.
Those plans were first floated in the 1990s, then resubmitted to town officials in 2003. But the idea stalled, leaving the land, once home to a drive-in movie theater, mostly an empty field.
The move by Wal-Mart would leave a large vacancy at Latham Farms. But officials at owner Kimco Realty Corp. in New Hyde Park, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, likely will have several years to find a replacement tenant.
Serghini said the company estimates it could take six to 18 months to win government approval for the project. Construction of the superstore then would take an additional year.
The Colonie Planning Board is set to begin consideration of the supercenter March 25. Churchill can be reached at 454-5442 or by e-mail at cchurchill@timesunion.com.

Honestly, I think the location of the store they have at Latham Farms would be better than expanding to have another Supercenter.  There's already another supercenter not too far up Route 9 as it is (Halfmoon, I think).

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There's already another supercenter not too far up Route 9 as it is (Halfmoon, I think).

Yeah, there is, less then a mere 10 minute drive away!

What is going to happen when they are over saturated?  The other Colonie store on Washington Ave ext is becoming a supercenter, that's only about a 5 minute drive down the northway, so how can you have three supercenters within about 10 miles?   There is a time when one will have to go bust

I took my mom to Wal-Mart today. I was pleasantly surprised that it is still in good shape. Everything was still very neat and clean. But it was freezing in the store. I don't think we were in there for much  more than 15 minutes. That is how cold it was. The cashiers were wearing their winter coats. The obviously had a heating problem or maybe just cutting costs. It really wasn't very crowded at all.

Except Joann for the furniture that was on display broke before the remodeleing and still broke.

I wish they had, or maybe they do and I haven't seen it, a map of sorts.  I haven't acclimated myself to the store yet.  If I'm in a hurry, I can walk in, walk in fast, and you know the turns you make to get to the destination before, and if I'm in a hurry I don't pay attention and wind up some place where the product is no longer located.  I still find myself doing that at Hannaford too.  But Price chopper it's no problem, they built a new store.

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Wal-Mart: Insured
workers on the rise
    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores said Tuesday that the number of employees covered under its health insurance crept past 50 percent for the first time in recent reporting, after criticism by union-backed groups focused on its benefits package.
    The world’s largest retailer said 50.2 percent of eligible employees accepted health care coverage for 2008, up from 43 percent in 2005. However, the Bentonville-based company acknowledged that 9.7 percent of its employees reported receiving government health care coverage.
    Wal-Mart said only 7.3 percent of its workers reported being uninsured, down from 9.6 percent the year before. The company said about 1 million of Wal-Mart’s 1.3 million full-time and part-time workers in the U.S. were eligible for health care benefits during its last enrollment period.
    Linda Dillman, an executive vice president of benefits and risk management for Wal-Mart, told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that the increased enrollment likely came from the company’s new health care plan. The plan, which allows employees to customize their coverage, includes premiums as low as $5 a month and access to $4 prescription drugs.
    Union-led groups have claimed that Wal-Mart skimps on benefits. An internal company memo leaked to unions and the media in October 2005 conceded that the company was vulnerable to criticism because its health plans at the time were expensive for lowincome workers with families.
    Since then, Wal-Mart has shortened its eligibility period, allowed part-time workers to cover children, lowered premiums and lowered copays for prescription drugs. Scott and other Wal-Mart executives even joined with union leaders last year in calling for “quality, affordable” health care for every American by 2012. Neither side offered any specifi c proposals however.

http://www.nytimes.com

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Wal-Mart Will Shake Up Apparel Unit; Layoffs Set

By MICHAEL BARBARO
Published: January 30, 2008

In a major revamping of its sluggish clothing business, Wal-Mart Stores will shut two divisions at its headquarters in Arkansas, eliminate dozens of positions and move dozens more to New York City.

This will be the first time in years that Wal-Mart, a company renowned for growth, has laid off a significant number of workers at its headquarters.

The overhaul, which has not been made public, is intended to revive one of the weakest departments in Wal-Mart’s 5,000 stores: men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, a $30 billion business for the retailer.

Over the last several years, under the direction of Claire Watts, the top clothing executive, the company experimented with somewhat more upscale collections. Wal-Mart created new divisions to spot trends and to design apparel.

But customers largely rejected the new looks — and, in July, Wal-Mart pushed out Ms. Watts. Today, it is emphasizing what executives call “key items,” like basic, brightly colored T-shirts, over outfits from clothing collections.

The shift effectively overturns the strategy and structure put in place by Ms. Watts. In an internal announcement Tuesday, the company said it would close its product development and sourcing divisions, a company spokeswoman, Linda Blakley, confirmed.

As a result, dozens of positions will be eliminated, Ms. Blakley said. The company would not specify how many, and other details remained sketchy Tuesday.

“We will do everything we can to minimize the impact” of the job eliminations, Ms. Blakley said, like offering workers different jobs within Wal-Mart.

The work handled by the two divisions will be shifted to different units, called buying and brand merchandising. The buying unit will be based at Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.; brand merchandising will be in New York City. As many as 30 workers will move to New York City from Arkansas.

“We wanted a structure where roles were clearer and we can get merchandise into stores as quickly as possible,” Ms. Blakley said.

Bill Dreher, an analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities, said Wal-Mart had recognized the previous strategy’s problems.

“They had tried to overreach — on their own, with little expertise or credibility in fashion. It was not bound for success,” he said. “Now, their aspirations in fashion are much more modest.” The reorganization, he added, “is a big deal, because it means Wal-Mart can finally get apparel right.”

Ms. Blakley said Wal-Mart wanted to “present key items with authority” and “make big bets in apparel where the growth is.”

Hey Jo Ann, that broken dresser, it's falling apart more.  Now two drawers are falling apart.

Then just one asle over they have a computer desk on disply.  I sure wouldn't want that item, it's got a drawer falling apart and nothing is even in the drawer.

I can't believe Walmart would have stuff on display in such poor condition, don't they have any pride in themselves?

I went there Friday.  They didn't have one, not one cart inside the store.  Very few cars in the lot for the first of the month.  I looked for a cart, nothing, said something to the greeter, he said they are all outside, and I asked if someone was going to get them, and he responded probably not, the guy called in that day.  Talk about the poorest of customer service.  I saw one customer, She had some stuff over her arms, carrying some with her hands, and some package of socks or something she was holding with her teeth.  I would have helped but I was carrying my nephew.  And only two cash registers opened.  

You would think that with it being the first of the month and also SS pension checks were out on Friday, that the store would have planned adequately for customers

MC1, I saw the dresser too. I was wishing I had my camera with me. I will bring it with me next time.  That piece of furniture obviously isn't going anywhere too soon.

And I have noticed a slow up in customers too. I honestly think it is the economy since all other businesses are slow now too. I'm sure business will pick up when everyone gets their "stimulus check".

OK, JoAnn (and other fellow posters), we went to the Glenville Walmart yesterday, well, sad to say they have just as bad furniture on display.  An apparent chest of drawers, nice light color actually, a drawer falling apart and it was either 4 drawer or 5 drawer but while it was supposed to have two knobs on each drawer, it is such a piece of crap that the knobs had all fallen off except one.  So much for “save money, live better.’  So, when the knobs fall off, you “live better” by opening the drawer on it’s edge and how do you live better when the drawer falls apart?  Oh, you spend more money.  

I cannot believe that management of these stores would continue to allow the display of stuff that is falling apart.

Those stimulus checks, yes, watch this.  The lower income working people already don’t pay taxes.  Every penny they have withheld during the year comes back to them at tax filing time plus they get that earned income credit, the more kids, the more they get, some get tax “refund” checks of $4,000.  So now, the couples will get this $1,200 plus $300 for each kid, if they have 4 kids that’s a total of $2,400.  Oh they will seem to “save money, live better.”  Watch their try at utopia.  They can get their handouts, they can run to Walmart and buy the cheap plasma TV’s, and these gifts (EIC and rebates)  from the rest of us taxpayers will provide them the cash to buy a TV for every room, maybe even the bathroom!  And then watch, in 2009 when their cheap quality TV’s start breaking down, well next year’s refunds it will be time to replace their TV and it will be back to Walmart.  The Walmart’s CEO will be laughing all the way to the bank.  Yes, Walmart does indeed cost the taxpayers money

MC1----we just need to stop paying taxes....strangle the beast....our local taxes and donations will do just fine.....that is if we can get the monkeys off our backs.....

BTW---our 'rebate'(stupid name) will be going to---who's the winner?---yup, that's right folks, NATIONAL GRID an English owned company....dah da da dah.......daaaahhh......stimulate that......

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Another identity theft arrest tied to local Wal-Marts
Friday, February 8, 2008

GLENVILLE — For the second time in as many days, town police announced today they have charged a woman with using stolen identities to obtain credit cards from local Wal-Mart stores.

Police said Dana L. Skolnick, 27, of Baker Avenue, Schenectady, stole the identities of three people she knew -- including their names, addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers -- and used the information to fraudulently open Wal-Mart Discover card accounts at the retailer's Dutch Meadow Lane store in October and November. Skolnick then used the credit cards to purchase items that have not been recovered, police said.

Skolnick was charged Thursday with three counts of second-degree identity theft. She was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Glenville Town Court.

Town police said Thursday they had charged Victoria Horton, 34, of Broadalbin, with using identities stolen from her job as a clerk at a Gloversville oncology clinic to obtain credit cards from Wal-Mart stores in Glenville, Halfmoon and East Greenbush. Police said Horton used the cards to purchase thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and gift cards, which she then resold online.

In that case, police said the thefts were made easier because store clerks either did not ask for identification or were talked out of requiring it when the accounts were opened.

I went to the Wal-Marts on Altamont Ave today. OMG ! The first thing I see and hear while approaching the main entrance doors was one caucasian man standing at the doors yelling back and forth with a van carrying several people of color in it. (We need to be politically correct) They were calling each other F'n a******* and other obscenities. While this was happening, people were just walking in and out of the store not the least bit taken back by the happenings.

Then I went into the store. It is still pretty neat and clean and "Yes" MC!, the broken dresser is still there. The store was fairly crowded with only about 3 checkouts open. The lines were extremely long and people were cranky due to the long lines.

I was there for a gift bag, tissue paper and a birthday card, so as I approached that area, I noticed it was packed with customers. 99% of them were there for Valentine cards. And yes, most were men. I wanted to tell these men to never mind the Valentine card and just go home, brush your teeth, shave and take a shower. I'm sure that would have been a refreshing treat for their other half. Just skip the card and spend the money on a bar of soap instead!!

It's always an adventure at your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart!

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/25/news/companies/china_walmart.ap/index.htm

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Wal-Mart's Chinese purchases hold at $9B
World's largest retailer says China 2008 procurement is steady despite rising currency, inflation.

February 25 2008:


Wal-Mart said Monday that despite rising inflation, it continues to make about $9 billion of purchases of Chinese products.

BEIJING (AP) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a major buyer of Chinese-made shoes, toys and other goods, expects procurement in China to hold steady this year at about $9 billion despite a rising exchange rate and product safety concerns, the retailing giant's vice chairman said Monday.

Chinese suppliers have stayed competitive amid higher inflation and a rise in China's currency, the yuan, by improving efficiency and product quality, said Michael Duke.

"I wouldn't see any major variation" in procurement from the 2007 total of $9 billion, Duke told reporters. "China will continue to be a major production portion of direct purchases by Wal-Mart for a long time."

Duke's comments were a positive sign for Chinese exporters that have been squeezed by the yuan's rise against the U.S. dollar, which makes their goods more expensive in the United States. The yuan has risen by 16 percent against the dollar since July 2005, when Beijing ended a direct link between the currencies. Some exporters have been forced to close, while others are trying to switch to more competitive products.

Exporters also have been hurt by a surge in prices at home that propelled inflation in January to an 11-year high of 7.1%.

"There could be certain categories of products that may be decreasing from China, but there are other categories of products that are increasing from China," Duke said.

He declined to give a global total for Wal-Mart procurement or say what percentage is from China.

China's trade surplus with the United States in January shrank 6.7% to $12.1 billion as demand for Chinese goods weakened, according to government data reported last week.

Duke said Wal-Mart also is watching product quality closely in China.

Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) and another major toy retailer, Toys "R" Us Inc., announced last week they were tightening standards for lead allowed on paint for toys shipped to their stores. The companies are also phasing out chemicals found in PVC, or vinyl, that have raised safety concerns in products for infants and young children.

"We are pleased to see the focus and the priority" by Chinese suppliers on safety efforts, he said. "And we are happy to be helping both the government and our suppliers to produce safe, quality products."

Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., also has been expanding retail sales rapidly in China, and opened 30 outlets last year, bringing its mainland total to 102.

Duke and Wal-Mart's president for China, Ed Chan, declined to give sales forecasts or the number of new stores that will open in 2008. But they said China sales were growing faster than the 18% rate for the rest of Wal-Mart's non-U.S. operations.

Duke said relations with the communist government are good despite a high-profile campaign to form unions at Wal-Mart stores and complaints by foreign business groups that Beijing is trying to support Chinese companies by hampering foreign investment in some industries.

"I believe we're being treated very fairly and we have very good relationships with both the government and nongovernment organizations," Duke said.

Chan said nearly all of Wal-Mart's outlets in China now have unions affiliated with the government-sanctioned All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The group, which launched its campaign to unionize Wal-Mart in early 2006, had accused its managers of trying to block its effort before the company agreed to cooperate in forming unions.

Wal-Mart has resisted efforts to organize unions at its stores in the United States.

I haven't been in a Wal Mart in over a year - I refuse to subsidize the Chinese economy while they pay our works jack squat and tell the employees it's better to get County sponsored health care.