LISSA’S: The Grinch Stocks Wal-Mart

Have you been watching the way Wal-Mart Sherman has been running? For those of you too busy in the holiday season, let me tell you what is going on.

Let's go back to just before Halloween. The week before Halloween, the Anderson vendor, who is responsible for books, movies and music in the store, set the Christmas music section in cds. Over the next week, more Christmas cd stations were put out in different locations, including in front of cosmetics, by the registers, and in the holiday section (otherwise known as Lawn and Garden). In less than two weeks after Halloween, around November 13th, management decided that there was too much Christmas music available to the public and ordered 25% of all Christmas music to be pulled off the floor, boxed up and stored in the back room until after Christmas when it will be sent back to the distributor.

Less than two weeks later, around November 27th, management struck again. Another 25% of the music was ordered to be boxed up and set in the back to be sent back to the distributor without you being able to purchase. Also included in the back are movies left over from the BLITZ, the entire collection of the television series "24" (which is good since season 6 came out this week, they didn't figure anyone would be interested in the prior 5 seasons for less than $20 a pop), the entire collection of the "Sopranos" (with the last part of Season 6 now on the new release, no one would be interested in the previous seasons), special editions of "Shrek the Third" and the new "Transformers" that are not available on the shelf and are only $14.96, and many other movies that are running out on the shelf, but they have a few hundred copies of each in the back waiting to go back to the distributor.

So, are you following the pattern? I hope so, because Friday, December 14, 2007, the management figured that you would not want much more. And with only a couple of weeks before Christmas ordered the Electronics section in the Holiday Section shut down a week early. And they also decided to take away another 25% of the Christmas music. Now only allowing customers just 25% of the selection they originally had of the Christmas music. Only a few copies of the Wal-Mart exclusives are available on the floor now, so if you want some, you had better hurry.

And just to drive the point home. Those of you keeping up with my blog will remember that Wal-Mart just had their annual Christmas party. In the past, managers tried to make sure everyone had something for Christmas. It might not have been something big, but even a box of broken cookies, or decorations from the Christmas party table, or even a Poinsettia used to decorate the room. Just something so everyone had something for Christmas. This year was just the opposite. There were several gifts given out, but not enough to even cover most of the employees. Go figure, out of all my family members who work for this Wal-Mart, none of them came away with anything. It is the running joke in our family that management made sure their names were taken out of the pot before the drawing because we are the square pegs trying to fit in the round holes.

The Awards ceremony was just as I predicted. Even the winners said it was a popularity contest. No one I have talked to was satisfied in the outcome. But then again, it shows how things are. Sales floor Associate of the Year went to a person who has been in continual trouble with management, was terminated and rehired, and walked away with the award. This was a vote from the people he worked with. And while I agree with the outcome in his instance, overall it is just, as another person said, a game that should have ended in high school.

And if enough is not enough, the employees are now being forced to re-live the events. A majority of the Christmas Party was the Store Manager, Bryan Lambert standing on a stage and talking into a microphone. A television and VCR has been set up in the break room for the continuous playback of the Party. This way no one can get away from the Store Manager being full of himself. But as it played, I have heard that jokes about the man were being told throughout the breakroom. Many comments about how he wouldn't shut up.

Then look at employee appreciation. Two years ago, the Store Manager took the time to get Wal-Mart Christmas Tree pins that the employees could wear on their smocks. She mailed a personally signed Christmas card to the house of each employee. This took time, and showed great appreciation. The next year, the next Store Manager still sent a Christmas Card to each employee. No pin, but hey, you couldn't fault him for trying. This year, Bryan Lambert made one Christmas Card. They took that card to One-Hour Photo and made a 5x7 copy for each employee, and then stapled it to each of their paystub. So, now appreciation is passing it to other people to do the job for you. And morale shows the appreciation.

And so does Christmas. I went into the surrounding Wal-Marts in Denison and Gainesville, but when I went into the Sherman Wal-Mart I immediately realized what was missing. Has anyone else noticed that the Wal-Mart radio in this store is shut off? This is a District Store. The store that is supposed to set the example, and they are not playing any Christmas music. Just so everyone knows, Mr. Lambert obviously wants to tell everyone, "Bah, Humbug, spend your money and get out!" Way to go FAKE BOY!