Sunday, March 16, 2008

Muslim Wal-Mart in Dearbon, MI

This is a good idea except for the price-fixing agreement....

Wal-Mart has never before agreed to keep their prices HIGHER than the existing competition.

Wal-Mart was founded as a Christian business.

ALL Wal-Marts are closed on Christmas and Easter (and the employees do not receive holiday pay for Easter.)

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Managers say they seek peace with the neighborhood's merchants -- and vow not to undercut them on Middle Eastern specialties. But
some experts and observers say Wal-Mart's well-planned launch in
Dearborn is bound to shake up the buying and selling in a community
that has long supported its own. Southeastern Michigan is home to an
estimated 300,000 people who trace their roots to the Middle East.



"I have not heard of anything this tailored. It's inspiring
to me as a shareholder," said Patricia Edwards, portfolio manager and
retail analyst in the Seattle office of San Francisco-based investment
manager Wentworth, Hauser & Violich, which has 537,000 shares of
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. stock.


The Dearborn store also sells Arabic music and plans to
offer Muslim greeting cards. But the modifications go beyond
merchandise: It has 35 employees who speak Arabic -- noted in Arabic
script on their badges. The store also has hired a local Arab-American
educator to teach the staff cultural sensitivity.

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Tailoring the products to the local taste - is smart business.

Hiring employees who speak the languages used in the area - is smart business.

Being sensitive to other cultures - is smart business.

Agreeing to protect other businesses by charging higher prices - is against Wal-Mart policy and is possibly illegal. (WAL-MART -- Save Money. Live Better)


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