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Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer, with more than 3,600 stores across the globe, employing more than 1.5 million people. It's also the world's largest importer of Chinese products. Now the Arkansas-based giant is looking to fast-expanding China as a source of customers. Wal-Mart operates more than 40 stores in China, each linked by computer to US headquarters. BBC's North American business correspondent Stephen Evans gives us an inside look at Wal-Mart in China, from satisfied customers to enthusiastic employees to buoyant executives.
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Piece Description
Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer, with more than 3,600 stores across the globe, employing more than 1.5 million people. It's also the world's largest importer of Chinese products. Now the Arkansas-based giant is looking to fast-expanding China as a source of customers. Wal-Mart operates more than 40 stores in China, each linked by computer to US headquarters. BBC's North American business correspondent Stephen Evans gives us an inside look at Wal-Mart in China, from satisfied customers to enthusiastic employees to buoyant executives.
2 Comments
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Wal-Mart in China Review"A very American capitalism" indeed! This report is not as blatantly anti-Wal-Mart as I would like, although the pre-morning pro-Wal-Mart chanting is really disturbing. The "associates" are made to seem like controled automotons. TO be honest the new Chinese Wal-Mart chants remind me of how the CCP took folk songs about how hard life can be and transformed them into pro-Mao, pro-Communist hymns that shared little but the tune with their predecessors. For Wal-Mart coverage more to my taste, check out Frontline's "Is Wal-Mart Good for America" |
Transcript
Host Intro:
We know how Wal-Mart has battered its competition in the United States, in large part by buying in enormous volume from China. The world's largest retailer is also the world's largest importer of Chinese goods. Now the Arkansas-based giant is looking to China as a source of customers. But it's a competitive market. The BBC's Stephen Evans goes deep inside a Chinese Wal-Mart as part of Think Global, public radio's week of special coverage.
Back announce:
That was Stephen Evans, North American business correspondent for the BBC.
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
Text Host Intro and back announce
Program: Wal-Mart goes Chinese
Producer: BBC
Duration: 12:18
Host Intro:
We know how Wal-Mart has battered its competition in the United States, in large part by buying in enormous volume from China. The world's largest retailer is also the world's largest importer of Chinese goods. Now the Arkansas-based giant is looking to China as a source of customers. But it's a competitive market. The BBC's Stephen Evans goes deep inside a Chinese Wal-Mart as part of Think Global, public radio's week of special coverage.
Back announce:
That was Stephen Evans, North American business correspondent for the BBC.
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Dheera Sujan
Posted on May 02, 2005 at 06:04 AM | Permalink
Review of Wal-Mart in China
This is an interesting little keyhole look into a country that’s obviously so important to international trade and economics, and yet still relatively mysterious to the uninitiated outsider.
I especially liked hearing about the differences between Chinese and US Wal Marts.
It was great to hear that one can buy snakes in Wal Mart China or fish one’s own fish out of the aquarium for immediate filleting. The sound of Chinese employees singing Wal Mart anthems is fun too – but I wanted to hear why they were so enthusiastic. Is it company policy to oblige them to sing along? Or do they feel loyal because they get paid better than the average wage in China?
And of course its low wages is one of the things that have brought Wal Mart a dubious fame internationally – the piece mentions that in China, they’re not as averse to unions as they are in the US, but it just so happens that no one wants a union in China’s Wal Mart. Really? The producer neglects to ask Chinese employees themselves what they think about the company. Or Chinese shoppers for that matter.
I like to hear from the people involved in the story rather than get a full interpretation from the narrator and this is the biggest drawback of this piece. Still – its certainly very easy