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Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

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Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#21
post #17

This is a misguided, myopic decision done out of sheer desperation. It's a symptom, not the disease.

It's not desperation, it's using your leverage to your advantage. Isn't that the smart business decision? How is that any different then Amazon, Uber, or anyone else deciding to raise prices once they're the dominant participant in their respective marketplace?

"Competition is for losers." - Peter Thiel

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#22

Walmart is lashing out like it already knows Amazon is going to win. The only play it has left is to bully partners.

This isn't really new for Walmart. Their thing has long been to use their market position as something of a monopsonist to extract concessions from suppliers. Give us these things packaged differently, and for 7% less, and make some of them Walmart exclusives (you're not selling Target the same thing, are you??), or we won't sell your stuff anymore.

The stories of the hoops that suppliers have to go through in Bentonville are legendary.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#23

Walmart is lashing out like it already knows Amazon is going to win. The only play it has left is to bully partners.

>>The only play it has left is to bully partners

That is the only play it has ever had... It has bullied its suppliers since almost day 1, Certainly since Sam Walton died...

This is just an expansion of the bully tactics to other areas of the business beyond the Buyers, but it is not a new tactic. They used this tactic to great success to kill off a lot of competition in the Brick/Mortor Retail space.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#24
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to make the case that walmart is a monopoly. For what its worth amazon has pulled similar stunts like not selling the chromecast.

I can see the argument* to say "we can't invest the work to support chromecast". Whereas it's harder to say "we won't talk to these other truckers who work with our competitor". *A argument, not one that would hold in court. IANAL. EDIT: It seems I misunderstood Amazon's lack of Chromecast support. I hadn't thought of trying to buy Chromecast through Amazon before. I own three of them and bought all through the Googl…

The work to support it? They just refused to list it on their marketplace/products

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#25
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to make the case that walmart is a monopoly. For what its worth amazon has pulled similar stunts like not selling the chromecast.

I can see the argument* to say "we can't invest the work to support chromecast". Whereas it's harder to say "we won't talk to these other truckers who work with our competitor". *A argument, not one that would hold in court. IANAL. EDIT: It seems I misunderstood Amazon's lack of Chromecast support. I hadn't thought of trying to buy Chromecast through Amazon before. I own three of them and bought all through the Googl…

They banned even third party sellers from selling chromecast. You can sell basically whatever you want on their site, except for chromecast and apple tv.

There are exceptions to "sell anything", but chromecast and apple tv are the only business exceptions, not based on safety/legallity/ authenticity etc.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#26
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to make the case that walmart is a monopoly. For what its worth amazon has pulled similar stunts like not selling the chromecast.

I can see the argument* to say "we can't invest the work to support chromecast". Whereas it's harder to say "we won't talk to these other truckers who work with our competitor". *A argument, not one that would hold in court. IANAL. EDIT: It seems I misunderstood Amazon's lack of Chromecast support. I hadn't thought of trying to buy Chromecast through Amazon before. I own three of them and bought all through the Googl…

I don't think this is about supporting chromecast for Amazon Video, it's about actually selling the google chromecast itself on amazon.com.

I don't think there is any argument that passes the sniff test for them not to be able to sell a physical device like chromecast from amazon.com. The level of incremental work is basically zero to add an item into the store.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#27

fuck Walmart. You don't hear anything about Amazon workers being on public assistance because they are payed enough and get enough hours to survive on their own. Around the holidays Walmart takes food and toy donations for their workers inside their break rooms. It's a bad company and I hope it gets killed off.

Amazon has plenty of their own issues.

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/life-and-deat...

http://www.businessinsider.com/brutal-conditions-in-amazons-...

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#28

Jeez. Walmart seem really damned insecure about themselves. This isn't the first petty BS they've come out with regarding Amazon.

They aren't insecure, they are their predatory self. It's just that we normally don't hear about their underhanded tactics because it mostly directly affects blue collar workers and retail.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#29
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard to make the case that walmart is a monopoly. For what its worth amazon has pulled similar stunts like not selling the chromecast.

I can see the argument* to say "we can't invest the work to support chromecast". Whereas it's harder to say "we won't talk to these other truckers who work with our competitor". *A argument, not one that would hold in court. IANAL. EDIT: It seems I misunderstood Amazon's lack of Chromecast support. I hadn't thought of trying to buy Chromecast through Amazon before. I own three of them and bought all through the Googl…

You're confused. Amazon didn't just refuse to integrate with Chromecast, for their Prime videos or whatever. They refuse to carry Google's product in their inventory, period. You can't buy a Chromecast on Amazon.

That IS pretty much directly comparable.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#30
post #7

Will they include USPS, UPS, and FedEx in this?

USPS is barred by law from signing an exclusive contract like this, to Walmart would just have to refuse to use them.

UPS and Fedex, I highly doubt either would agree to it, but it is not impossible to see one of them go with Walmart and One go with Amazon but highly unlikely

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