Letter to Wal-Mart CEO

[dogofwar]

As I said before, I'm willing to do whatever that the majority of MFK-ers (and Li) want to do with this...including nothing.

There are enough threads on here complaining about Wal-Mart's poor practices in maintaining the fish that it sells that it's pretty clear that - despite some individual stores - most Wal-Marts clearly have a problem.

This is a possible way to get Wal-Mart to address the problem in not unreasonable ways.

Now define "getting people behind me" in your coherent mind!!!!!

"I started a poll to see if people on this site are willing to do something actionable to improve the level of care that Wal-Mart provides for the animals that it keeps and sells" This statment is a text book definition of "getting people behind you"!!!.......you have 55 people behind you on this one, out of 44,000. Not bad, keep up the good fight.

 

[dogofwar]

"we need corporate giants like Walmart, petco, petsmart etc..... they are the ones that spend $$$ to promote the industry therefore bringing in new hobbyist and more $$$ to the advancement of the hobby......."

So how does Wal-Mart promote the industry or the advancement of the hobby?

Why couldn't they spend some of the $$$ to maintain the welfare of the animals that they sell and have someone who's trainined in taking care of fish at their stores?

 

[Somethingfishyinc.net]

promotes? How many get out of the hobby because of them? More then you may think. Bad advice, bad conditions, bad fish, tank on tree lawn = a promotion?

me

 

[oddballer]

"we need corporate giants like Walmart, petco, petsmart etc..... they are the ones that spend $$$ to promote the industry therefore bringing in new hobbyist and more $$$ to the advancement of the hobby......."

So how does Wal-Mart promote the industry or the advancement of the hobby?

Why couldn't they spend some of the $$$ to maintain the welfare of the animals that they sell and have someone who's trainined in taking care of fish at their stores?

one example is those pieces of paper that they send to you that clogs up you mailbox...... for some reason it makes hundreds of thousands of people want to go to walmart to buy things they really don't need....... like fish!!! i dont know of any LFS that has nearly the amount of foot traffic that walmart has........ More people in the hobby equals more people like yourself who want to make a differece in the hobby...... some start threads some develop new filters and some even become importers who sell back to the stores....... you seem to missing the point..... not all walmarts are the same........ % wise all LFS SUCK!!!

 

[oddballer]

promotes? How many get out of the hobby because of them? More then you may think. Bad advice, bad conditions, bad fish, tank on tree lawn = a promotion?

me

huh? and you get this info from where? perhaps you should start a poll also........

 

[krzr3000]

huh? and you get this info from where? perhaps you should start a poll also........

I can't back it up with evidence, but i'm sure the numbers are huge. Like people who buy a <5g tank from there along with 10 fish on the same day. Weeks later...most are dead, tank is covered in algae, smells...etc.

Working at a pet store; i can't keep track of how many people's vision of fishkeeping was that they all died. And they usually thought it was because of "bad food" or something along those lines.

There is nothing wrong with the OP wanting wal mart to shape up...they could have something good going. I think we can all say we would support measures to have them put some effort in.

I don't know how effective a poll on MFK would be. As majority of people don't post on fish forums, especially noobs. Everyone on MFK obviously stayed with it. Hell most people i came across still asked for books, not realizing google has all the answers.

 

[Nic]

promotes? How many get out of the hobby because of them? More then you may think. Bad advice, bad conditions, bad fish, tank on tree lawn = a promotion?

me

those that leave the hobby never really cared for it in the first place i wont be loosing any sleep over there fish care or fish... im actually going to walmart after this cup of coffee.. ill report back there terrible horific conditions then ill boycott the store and join this worthless cause... and go spend extra money i dont have because then a massive corperate store will stop selling them because im not going to shop there.... you know what ill just buy all the oscars and pacu and feed them to my rays and gars and give them a death to be proud of

 

[Ash]

I shop at walmart and just because I shop there does not mean I support how some wal-marts keep their fish. They have things I need not-fish related for cheap and I am not going to spend more moeny somewhere else for the same thing. Just b/c I want cheap highlighters doesnt mean I support their fish department.

I have walmarts here that do GREAT jobs and keeping and maintaing their fish and a few that are bad at it and a few that dont even have fish sections. The Wal-marts around here that do have employees that know their fish and that keep the tanks clean and have healthy fish - I will support them (I do perfer to shop at the lfs over wally world for fish stuff though).

Unless you have gone to every single wal-mart in the United States you cant say that the majority of wal-marts are bad at fish keeping or good at fish keeping.

 

[Nic]

I can't back it up with evidence, but i'm sure the numbers are huge. Like people who buy a <5g tank from there along with 10 fish on the same day. Weeks later...most are dead, tank is covered in algae, smells...etc.

Working at a pet store; i can't keep track of how many people's vision of fishkeeping was that they all died. And they usually thought it was because of "bad food" or something along those lines.

There is nothing wrong with the OP wanting wal mart to shape up...they could have something good going. I think we can all say we would support measures to have them put some effort in.

and these people choose to not educate themselves.... fish die by the thousands if not millions everyday.... Owell you cant stop or change it..

 

[oddballer]

I can't back it up with evidence, but i'm sure the numbers are huge. Like people who buy a <5g tank from there along with 10 fish on the same day. Weeks later...most are dead, tank is covered in algae, smells...etc.

Working at a pet store; i can't keep track of how many people's vision of fishkeeping was that they all died. And they usually thought it was because of "bad food" or something along those lines.

There is nothing wrong with the OP wanting wal mart to shape up...they could have something good going. I think we can all say we would support measures to have them put some effort in.

that happens at most LFS...... if this logic is true then everyone who walks into a "good" lfs will be a lifelong fish keeper??? its and #s game and % wise its all the same...... BTW as of 2yrs ago Walmart did cut back on how many store carry fish...... by about 30-40%..... hows that for shaping up.......?