Flawed Capitalism

JTP

JTP

New Member
Here is one flaw I see in our system here in USA:
Why do Walgreens, CVC, Eckerd's, etc. build their stores so close together? In a lot of cities you'll see them literally across the street from each other. It's like they are more concerned with trying to put each other out of business than they are in getting business. Wouldn't it make more sense to spread them out? It sure would make it more convenient for the customers.
 
You know what pisses me off? I was just told by my pharmacist that they are unsure if they (pharmacists, in general) will be able to give out flu shots this year as the AMA has said they aren't sure if they will sanction it. It seems that the good old AMA wants folks to have to make a doctor's appointment and pay for an office visit in order to get a flu shot.
Seems that the fact that the doctor's are getting cheated out of some money via office visits is more important than the poor and elderly getting their flu shots.
Capitalism at it's worst.
 
JTP said:
Here is one flaw I see in our system here in USA:
Why do Walgreens, CVC, Eckerd's, etc. build their stores so close together? In a lot of cities you'll see them literally across the street from each other. It's like they are more concerned with trying to put each other out of business than they are in getting business. Wouldn't it make more sense to spread them out? It sure would make it more convenient for the customers.
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It's all about Location, location, location. How close is that corner to the main thoroughfare, lights, restaurants, schools, business centres etc...

Up here, the big stores get into the same mall so that they can compete and steal customers literally from their competitors doorsteps
 
Seems they would get more business if each took a sector of the city. Then, customers wouldn't have to drive all the way across town because all the damned drugstores are in the same place.
 
JTP said:
Seems they would get more business if each took a sector of the city. Then, customers wouldn't have to drive all the way across town because all the damned drugstores are in the same place.
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Yeah...but who gets dibs?
 
Well, say I was CEO of store X and I wanted to open a store in Dinkyville. There is already a competitor in the mall. Do I want to put my store right next to it? Why not put one across town? Most everyone on that side of town would be instant customers because of location. Or does that just make too much sense?
 
I would look at traffic flow. If store X picked up the folks coming home/going to work on one major thoroughfare, I would hit another main thoroughfare.
 
JTP said:
Well, say I was CEO of store X and I wanted to open a store in Dinkyville. There is already a competitor in the mall. Do I want to put my store right next to it? Why not put one across town? Most everyone on that side of town would be instant customers because of location. Or does that just make too much sense?
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It depend on more than that. It depends where the nearest highway exit is, if it is near the first store, they will be close together because if you are a BIG store X and you open in dinkyville you want to be able to service not jsut dinkyville, but the surrounding areas as well. So off the nearest interstate is where you want to be. Also even is there is no highway chances are the first store has amenities near it that attract people (the video store, restaurants, etc.) so you want those people to also stop by your store while they are doing that.

That is why stores clump together, not to put each other out of business, (not that they would mind) but to get the traffic of consumers that already frequent the area.
 
tonksy said:
You know what pisses me off? I was just told by my pharmacist that they are unsure if they (pharmacists, in general) will be able to give out flu shots this year as the AMA has said they aren't sure if they will sanction it. It seems that the good old AMA wants folks to have to make a doctor's appointment and pay for an office visit in order to get a flu shot.
Seems that the fact that the doctor's are getting cheated out of some money via office visits is more important than the poor and elderly getting their flu shots.
Capitalism at it's worst.
Click to expand...

Tried to make a doctor appt. for a routine check-up: 5 weeks from now, they can "squeeze me in". Hell, I could be working out of town or out of state 5 weeks from now! Oh, and there IS a charge if you have to cancel. AMA ain't about nothing but supply and demand. Something's broken. We the People can't fix it until we get rid of some of these lobbyists.
 
...and while I'm a-moanin', here's a peeve:
We went to a job last week, four of us and all our gear in a Nissan Pathfinder- a tight fit, but not TOO uncomfortable. We went through this place called "Bonaire" near Warner Robins. Bon aire- good air, right? Wrong! That place must have the worst intersection in the state, outside of Atlanta. We were stuck for 5 red light changes, all on the same traffic light! Our eyes were watering from the exhaust. Here's the clincher- as far as you could see in both directions, and the oncoming traffic as well- SUV after SUV after big honkin' SUV. Each with ONE person in it, usually talking on a cellular phone. When we finally got through and climbed up out of the valley, you could look back and see a pool of smog settled down on "Bonaire".
:sick5:
 
I worked at a Circuit City that was directly adjacent to a BestBuy, and had a mall with a GameStop, EB games across the street. Plus CompUSA, OfficeMax, and Staples. All within a square mile.

It was because of traffic... we had our own exit on I-295, were a mile from the turnpike, and had two major roads cross a mile away from the store.

The fact that there were so many stores so close together brought customers from all over the place... some people travelling as far as 15-20 miles.
 
Okay, Altron- but zoom out and look at the big picture. If we spread the amenities out, put smaller stores in more convenient places for the consumer, have a grocer, druggist, hardware,etc. within walking or short driving distance from every neighborhood, we get more business and less gasoline gets burned- a win situation for everyone.
 
Another flaw I want to mention with Capitalism as it is mis-practiced today: accountability and customer service.
Small neighborhood stores were very in-tune with their customer base. If they didn't have what you want, they'd damned sure get it on order for you pronto. And they treated you like a human being.
These "big box" arseholes don't seem to give a damn if they get your business or not.
They are killing Capitalism and Free Enterprise, and nobody seems to care.
 
JTP said:
Okay, Altron- but zoom out and look at the big picture. If we spread the amenities out, put smaller stores in more convenient places for the consumer, have a grocer, druggist, hardware,etc. within walking or short driving distance from every neighborhood, we get more business and less gasoline gets burned- a win situation for everyone.
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.Banks aren't going to finance a grocer/druggist/hardware if they have a limited clientele.A small store also cannot supply the selection of a larger establishment and therefore places like Sam's Club draw even further from the limited clientele by providing a "destination"(where the shopper is willing to travel a fair distance to get there) Shopping environment.Zoning regs keep larger "box" stores to specific areas ,so your not going to see them in convenient locations.There is simply too much cost to having a bunch of smaller stores.IMO
 
A.B. is exactly right- we are too willing to travel far distances for our shopping. We are willing to pay for the gasoline, the wear and tear on our vehicles, give up our precious free time to sit in stalled traffic, choke up the air with our exhaust- just to make it convenient for the corporations and the banks behind them to take our money for crappy products and poor service.
It's just sad what a bunch of wusses we are.
 
Here are the location requirements to open a Wienerschnitzel franchise. A fast-food restaurant isn't the same as a drugstore but a lot of the principles are the same: the type of street, population demographics within a certain radius, zoning, etc. These stores look at the area, find what they think is the best all-around spot and try to locate there, and it seems they all come up with the same place for the best spot that's central to the most people.
 
I drive all over town almost every weekend hitting up small fish stores. My friend has a reef tank and I'm planning to get one. We could jump in the car, go to one big box store and get almost everything for just as cheap (or cheaper) but we choose to burn the gas and get the service. So, people don't just drive to get to big box stores, they do it for small stores too.

That said, if I'm going to let's say Best Buy for something I am more likely to go to the one close to a Walmart and FutureShop so if the BB doesn't have it then I can go to those stores without too much extra travelling.
 
Sam Walton destroyed the local grocer.

Why would the average person drive to 8 places to get 8 things when they are all availible under one roof. and it spread so all these big stores are near each other.

If I had a car, and if Barrie offered these services I would be much happier getting meat at a butcher, Veggies and fruits at a grocer, bread at a baker, etc.
 
I get my produce, meat, fish, nuts, pies, bread, pastries, etc all at the farmer's market. SmI much prefer small vendors and the service that comes with them. I'd drive to get all that stuff (like I do with the fish stores) if I had too but I do like that it's all together at the market. Like I said though, if I had to choose between the quality of taste and service and having everything in one place I'd choose quality all the time.
 
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