Current Events > NPR tracks how trade war made Walmart goods go up

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/16/753712449/npr-shopping-cart-economics-how-prices-changed-at-a-walmart-in-1-year

After one year, some prices in NPR's basket of goods have climbed significantly, at least in part because of the tariffs. The price of a dog leash has climbed 35%. A screwdriver costs 7% more.

Walmart did not comment for the story, but in May, the company warned that "increased tariffs will lead to increased prices for our customers." Last month, Walmart Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said the company has been able to "thoughtfully manage pricing and margins."

Cod fillets up 66%
Dog leash 35%

I wasn't aware that China had a significant cod presence...

Oh noes muh Walmarts!!!
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Jagr_68 posted...

Oh noes muh Walmarts!!!

You think Walmart has it bad - Harbor Freight is all but doomed.

Questionmarktarius posted...

I wasn't aware that China had a significant cod presence...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-seafood-industry-vulnerable-to-tariffs-aimed-at-china-1533812400

An estimated $900 million in fish and seafood on that list is first caught in the U.S., sent to China for processing into items like fish sticks and fillets, and then imported by U.S. companies to sell to American consumers.

The practice of sending fish to China to be breaded, seasoned, portioned or packaged has grown in the past two decades, according to U.S. fishing groups. Domestic seafood-processing plants have faced high costs and labor shortages, while cheaper facilities have sprung up in China to support its extensive domestic fish-farming industry.

That has helped make China the top source of seafood for the U.S., with the 1.3 billion pounds sent to the U.S. last year double that of second-ranked India, according to market-research firm Urner Barry.

FrozenXylophone posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

I wasn't aware that China had a significant cod presence...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-seafood-industry-vulnerable-to-tariffs-aimed-at-china-1533812400

An estimated $900 million in fish and seafood on that list is first caught in the U.S., sent to China for processing into items like fish sticks and fillets, and then imported by U.S. companies to sell to American consumers.

The practice of sending fish to China to be breaded, seasoned, portioned or packaged has grown in the past two decades, according to U.S. fishing groups. Domestic seafood-processing plants have faced high costs and labor shortages, while cheaper facilities have sprung up in China to support its extensive domestic fish-farming industry.

That has helped make China the top source of seafood for the U.S., with the 1.3 billion pounds sent to the U.S. last year double that of second-ranked India, according to market-research firm Urner Barry.

Now that's just completely fucked up that there's a cost savings in shipping frozen fish halfway across the world twice.

Jagr_68 posted...

Oh noes muh Walmarts!!!

First they kill business in an area due to theit low cost chinese made goods.
Then the area relies on them.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/study-proves-walmart-super-stores-kill-local-small-businesses-article-1.140129

If history is any indication, nothing could be further from the truth. Chicago's struggling West Side learned the hard way that Walmart's stores destroy more retail jobs than they create.

In 2006, the big-box retailer promised to bring jobs to the cash-strapped community. But according to a landmark study by Loyola University, the company's rhetoric didn't match reality: Within two years of Walmart's opening its doors, 82 local stores went out of business.

Chicago's cautionary tale isn't isolated. Countless communities, and peer-reviewed surveys across the country, all reach the same conclusion: When Walmart moves in, small businesses, and jobs, move out; Main St. dies.

According to a provisional study by David Neumark, Junfu Zhang and Stephen Ciccarella called "The Effects of Walmart on Local Labor Markets," for every two jobs Walmart "creates," three local jobs are destroyed.

The rollback man is dead, Jim
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CableZL posted...

The rollback man is dead, Jim

Nah. He'll recover soon after manufacturing moves to Vietnam.

Questionmarktarius posted...

FrozenXylophone posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

I wasn't aware that China had a significant cod presence...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-seafood-industry-vulnerable-to-tariffs-aimed-at-china-1533812400

An estimated $900 million in fish and seafood on that list is first caught in the U.S., sent to China for processing into items like fish sticks and fillets, and then imported by U.S. companies to sell to American consumers.

The practice of sending fish to China to be breaded, seasoned, portioned or packaged has grown in the past two decades, according to U.S. fishing groups. Domestic seafood-processing plants have faced high costs and labor shortages, while cheaper facilities have sprung up in China to support its extensive domestic fish-farming industry.

That has helped make China the top source of seafood for the U.S., with the 1.3 billion pounds sent to the U.S. last year double that of second-ranked India, according to market-research firm Urner Barry.

Now that's just completely fucked up that there's a cost savings in shipping frozen fish halfway across the world twice.

I feel like calling it a "savings" is disingenuous because it's only a "savings" because they're obviously unwilling to pay a fair wage and they don't want to pay to invest in facilities and upkeep.

So perfectly willing to make money off American consumers but fuck actually giving any of it back.
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Bio1590 posted...

I feel like calling it a "savings" is disingenuous because it's only a "savings" because they're obviously unwilling to pay a fair wage and they don't want to pay to invest in facilities and upkeep.

Why aren't robots doing this yet?

have to order leashes online, there's none that can handle a strong dog.
it's those wimpy ass thin ones (better for a smaller dog).
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Questionmarktarius posted...

Bio1590 posted...

I feel like calling it a "savings" is disingenuous because it's only a "savings" because they're obviously unwilling to pay a fair wage and they don't want to pay to invest in facilities and upkeep.

Why aren't robots doing this yet?

Who knows

Pretty sure they've had robots capable of filleting a fish more accurately and with less bones than a human can for over half a decade.
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