Why is it that Costco can treat it’s employees so well whilst Wal-Mart pays them a barely living wage. Why is it that Costco can sell quality products without screwing the supplier? Is the basis a funamental difference in markets exploited by the two groups or is it simply a different way of doing business, a method that says it’s best to take care of employees because then they’ll take care of your store; they’ll actually care? The Seattle Weekly asks the questions:
Given the overpowering influence of Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer and the world’s largest retailer, at times there has seemed no way out from the downward competitive pressure it exerts. Which is why Costco’s defiantly different approach has grabbed the attention of the folks who study these things. Annette Bernhardt, a policy analyst at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, says she and her colleagues frequently bring up the Costco/Wal-Mart dichotomy in order to illustrate high- and low-wage business models. “It has really given researchers and activists a language to talk to the American public about these issues,” she says. Peter Cappelli, a professor of management at the Wharton School, plans to analyze the differences between the two companies for an upcoming study. Rutgers University labor economist Eileen Appelbaum pronounces Costco a company that “shows that you can compete without having to drive down the wages of employees.”
It really makes me feel good that Costco has the right idea. If you treat your employees like human begins with a caring attitude you will succeed. I commend him for being a caring and honorable person. I really could care less about the “poor” shareholders and their gready attitudes. This is what our country needs more of. If Costco ever comes within Winnabow NC area I will do my shopping there. I might even consider seeking employment with the company if it did come here. May the company continue to prosper!