Wal-Mart pulls out of Germany with $1 billion loss

Hellooooooo...you're in Germany now...and, sorry, I lived in a big city in the U.S. and I still did not get food delivered to my house. And I thought Meals on Wheels was for the elderly.

I know your type though...if you could pay someone to take a dump for you, you would.

That must be the strangest comment I've ever heard in relation to German retailing...

Cos that means I have to wait. What good is grocery delivery when I want food now?

Agreed

Oh.

Where did Daniel/Christian go? I would have thought the entire world economy would have crumbled by now under the enormous weight of corrupt evil capitalism. WalMart closing is a start, I guess, since I'm sure Real is planning on running a charity in WalMart's place.

Hi,

has anyone tried the delivery service Tengelmann offers?
http://www.ktag.de/infoseiten/about.html

Sounds interesting but I don't need much and I don't want to pay 5€ for the luxury of having eggs and milk delivered to my door. But it's probably worth it if you need a lot of stuff or if you broke your foot or somesuch.

And I think I will not really miss Wal Mart. As long as there's a shop across the street I don't really care about the name. I guess the selection will be more or less the same anyway.

cheers
Catastrophe

What was the name of that dumbass who used to come on here, wasn't sure if he was black or white, complete prick??

Anyway, this appears to be him reincarnated

Was it Juan Kusov??

I think it was. That guy was some überspaz. FACT!

Fuck. Didn't realise they were closing as we put up with half an hour of traffic to get to the store. Since we have a car today, I figured it would make sense to go there and score a metric buttload of the only granular (instead of pebble-like) clumping kitty litter. Which they no longer had. Natch. And which they will never, ever again have since that was a WalMart store brand. Natch.

FUCK! It's back to the next best one now: Thomas. Which is rocks, not sand, and which my cats don't like. And it barely clumps.

woof.

BadDoggie has cats?

@ BagDoggie---was today the last official day--do you know? I was there last week and the woman told me it would be today or tomorrow. Thanks

Today (21st) was the last trading day till they open again on the 29th as Real.

Doesn't anyone check the internet these days?

Dear Small town boy
As the owner of a very successful international company I know what I am talking about .

Oops! Just looked out the window. There is a big crane type thingie next to the big sign (with the McD's sign below it). Guess they are about to take down the big WalMart sign. <== blinking back tears

What you have made clear so far is that you have a lot to learn about how people think and operate outside of the USA. Assuming you're not a troll, because a lot of the shit your sprout is very trollish.

My company is not based in the USA.
My employees are of many different origins but all do think exactly as I do or they wouldnt be happy employees. But then Union Members are not happy anyway, they let too many people think for them . Not only do they have their BIG BOSSES at work they have ot Kowtow to the Union " big shots " . SO in essence they think they are being taken care of when in actuality they have added another Layer of people to make their lives more stressful. Not to mention Union Dues that go no where in the way of helping those individual employees.
We have to be professional and agreeable and we have to make sure that our clients are well satisfied. We would not think of allowing a customer to leave the premises with a purchase , it is always delivered along with either a very bottle of good Champagne or Flowers. ( some religions or medications do not allow for alcoholic consumption )

When everyone in the firm is happy their pleasantness puts our clients at ease and in a good mood.
Here in Germany I have noticed that Employees never give much of a damn about the customer. Rarely is there even EYE contact. They sit on their rear ends at cash registers
( always a no no because it means the employee is not ready to serve the customer ) and in Food stores they fling the food to the customer leaving the customer to bag . Thats certainly not at all customer friendly.
I also see stores stocking shelves during shopping hours , filing the aisle with pallets of merchandise causing the customer to walk around this pile of Merchandise . NOT customer friendly. ( ( sheves should be stocked after hours )
To add to it Employees seem to shut down about fifteen minutes before the stores close.
( NOT customer friendly )
But I see a light on the horizon. Indeed Merchants coming to Germany from other parts of the world ( mostly Europe ) are beginning to show the Germans how to merchandise and some stores are actually becoming pleasant and agreeable.
Walmart in Germany was just a bit ahead of its time . Give Germany a few more years.
( Talk about a country UNWILLING TO CHANGE and infected With Terminal TUNNEL VISION )
Once these deadbeat employees learn that THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT then any store in Germany or anywhere else will be a success.

Walmart's attempted to introduce a more "USA" customer friendliness. They did introduce bag packing, but the majority of the German customers viewed it with suspicion and as an extra cost they had to pay for. So they dropped it. The customer was right after all.

@Londine

Although I agree that the customer service is appalling in Germany, its just the way it is and the people that live here don't care. That is why it doesn't change.

You have done well to prove my initial call though, that you have a lot to learn about how people think and operate outside of the USA. And there are plenty of people, including myself, who do not want Germany to become like America (except for the service maybe, I could go for that).

THAT is good news to me. this chain has even a bad reputation in the US with its questionable tactics towards its employees. good riddance.

Are you sure? I hate the overbearing nice american supermarket service. I don't need "you" to pack my bag. If you're bored and the day is slow then fine do it for me while chatting about the weather or something human. I do though expect shops to help the infrail, the elderly and pregnant mothers and those with half a school class in tow. And I have seen this happen here in Germany many a time, so I cant really complain on that side.

Ok, you have a point.. it is overbearing in America.. maybe I could go for some type of like middle eastern service where they genuinely seem to want to help, or at least will do whatever you want to make the sale. Although I'd prefer both to what we have in Germany now. I saw a documentary on TV the other day about customer service in Germany. They had one guy that literally told the customer 1 minute past closing "We are closed now, you are not my customer, get out" and lead him to the door. Initially I thought "They should fire that guy" but then I realised he was probably the owner. There is a different mentality here. When you want to buy something you are made to think that they are doing you the favour. This is something for another topic though.

I think Britain has the level about right, but in America it's just over the top. I don't want the 17-year-old cashier to pack my bags - for a start they only put about three items into each bag because apparently these things grow on trees. And all this "Have a nice day" rubbish is so fake; it's just a robotic response. Most the time they don't even look at you as they say it. At least when a German wishes you a "Schöne Tag noch", they vaguely mean it.

I'm quite happy with the customer service at my local PLUS.
Staff are friendly without being overbearing.
I DON'T want some over eager cashier packing my bags thankyou!

Anyway, WAL-MART is f***ing off with ts tail between its legs with a nice big loss.
Tesco is watching the news, they ain't going to be coming to Germany any time soon innit!

I quite enjoy walking into a store here in Germsamany and NOT being pounced on by 3 spotty faced store attendants asking if they can help you. If I want help, I will ask for it...simple really.

my sentiments too. I like being left alone to browse when I shop.

Can you tell us the name of the company. Some people might want to update their CV white/blacklists.

It's rare to read such stereotypical nonsense from you Small Town Boy. If I let the cashiers in Britain help pack my bags, I end up with about 12 extra bags, because they only pack a few things in each. This is current experience of the past week, not some idealised memory from days past. And how can you say "Have a nice day" is fake and the "Schöne Tag noch" isn't? Both have the same level of meaning and both tend to be given as a half added thought at the end; neither really means it, but then they aren't wishing you a poke in the eye with a sharp stick either.

Back on topic, somebody let me know what happens with the two REAL stores in the Euro-Industrie Park. I'm curious as to what will happen.

It wasn't stereotypical; it's my experience. I've never had a cashier pack my bags for me in Britain. The difference between "Have a nice day" and "Schöne Tag noch" is that the latter is delivered whilst looking at you and smiling slightly and is voluntary, whilst the former is delivered because they were told to say that in training.

UK wants to follow Ireland and put a tax on plastic bags innit.
The chains have started offering better bags for sale and bag for life and giving a penny discount if you re-use bags but at the more convenience end of the market there are still too many getting used.

There has been a steady "Americanisation" of UK service sector over the last few years. I think Wal-Mart owns one of the UK supermarket chains.

ASDA.

Nope it was Marcus Blair...


I always thought he was pretty funny

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WEAR CHEAP SHOES!!!

I like not being offered help when I don't need it. My problem is that when you do need it, no one is around to help and when you do find someone they are rude as hell and act as if you've really bothered them.. its their freaking jobs ffs..

Small town boy
Where do you shop in Britain ?
They always bag for me?

Sainsbury, Waitrose and M&S.

Unlike you some people spend their own money paying for their own meals and movie tickets and therefore cannot afford to spend megabucks on shoes.

I'd agree with you when it comes to thupermarkets and I can't say I blame them for their attitude having worked in one as a youngun. When it comes to regular stores I've found the service to be satisfactory, not great, but not complain worthy either

Hutcho
Usually when you are pounced upon the salespeople work on a commission. You would pounce too if you were working in that system. I agree this can be uncomfortable but at least you are assured that help is available. Here they look at you and yawn. They say NOTHING.
Do you realize that a large part of the "Greeting of a customer ", especially in Discount stores has to do with introducing that customer to the fact that there are employees who have a friendly eye on him just in case he decides to run out of the store with a ham between his legs or shoved into the back of his trousers.

I wish the cashiers in supermarkets would wait until I've finished re-packing the trolley before they serve the next person. Pisses me off ohne ende.

At the beginning it pissed me off too, but at least it keeps the line moving. I used to hate getting stuck behind a granny who would take her sweet time.. here its not a problem, nice and quick.

Jesus Christ, the moaners and the bleaters want it both ways!
Either the check out queue is too long or the staff are wrong for trying to speed things up.

Boba, there are people waiting behind you, GET A F***ING MOVE ON!
You do put things on the conveyor belt in a logical order right, so you can pack them quickly and logically?

Bang on. Whilst at VAG they introduced a system in sales of NOT approaching the customer until the customer asked for help. The reason for this was that in a year long study and survey, it produced the fact that the no.1 complaint from customers was that they hated being asked "can I help you?". They just wanted to be left alone and decide for themselves whether they wanted help or not.

Ask me how many customers went up to the nearest unsuspecting employee, sales or not, and loudly proclaimed..."Anyone want to sell me a car in here or what? I have not been asked if I want any help, what sort of dealership is this, I can afford to buy the whole showroom if I wanted to...blah, blah, blah". Yep the same customers that moaned that they did not want to be approached were now moaning that they wanted to be approached (preferably on bended knee whilst tugging a forelock).

Unfortunately a lot of people do want it both ways, lets face it, wanting it boths ways gives people a chance to moan depending upon their mood. You cannot please everyone all the time.

Why should they sell "specialist american products"???

BTW, the Walmart in Freiburg does have one shelf full of American food stuff.

Yes, Wal Mart ownes ASDA. Don't like Asda much - always feels 'cheap'. It wasn't so bad a few years ago, but it seems to have become worse. i personally prefer Sainsbury's (better selectionand nicer stores).

Supermarkets in the UK are RIDDLED with class issues.
I happen to like ASDA but my parents look WAY DOWN on me for going there.

I am not a 'high class' person - my job title is 'Administrator' so you can imagine what I earn.

Call me snobbish, but the selection of slightly more 'unusual' foods in Sainsbugg's is better in my opinion.

I also shop in Lidl and Aldi for certain things.

Don't particularly like Marks & Sparks food section either because everyone here seems to it's great as long as it's got M&S written on it. Some things are nice, but most stuff is overpriced & overrated for what you get (in my view).

I wasn't having a go at you Osmachar, it was a general observation.

You want organic chocolate truffles rolled between Nigella Lawson's cheeks you go to M&S, special deal on pre-fried Mars bars its gotta be Iceland etc etc