Wal-Mart to reopen 12 quake-hit stores in Japan

[CountAllVotes]

Source: Reuters

Wal-Mart Stores Inc will re-open 12 of its Seiyu stores in Japan which were affected by the earthquake, and is hoping to open the remaining 12 impacted stores as soon as possible, a spokesman for the U.S.-based retailer said.

Wal-Mart has 371 stores and 43 deli outlets in Japan, of which 24 were affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 27,000 people dead or missing across Japan's devastated northeast.

Of Wal-Mart's affected stores, two were severely hit and were completely covered by mud, said Wal-Mart Asia's Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Anthony Rose.

The remaining 22 affected stores managed to operate out of parking lots in some form within hours of the disaster, and were giving away bottled water and items such as noodles while selling some limited items, Rose said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/28/us-walmart-idUSTRE72R07320110328

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Wal-Mart will continue on no matter what it seems.

[slackmaster]

1. People in the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami need jobs and they need to buy stuff

Wal-Mart will continue on no matter what it seems.

Would it really be helpful to anyone for Wal-Mart to make some kind of political statement by leaving any of their stores closed?

I live in an earthquake-prone area. I keep a good cache of food and emergency supplies, but I think it would really suck if there were no stores open for an extended period.

Wal-Mart should be commended for giving away water and food, not chastised for staying in business and keeping goods moving.

[emilyg]

5. Agree.

[Pterodactyl]

10. Well said!

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Like cockroaches surviving a nuclear blast.

[Demeter]

3. Unbelievable

[CountAllVotes]

7. Wal-Mart never misses a trick

That is the kind of reality you can believe in.

Unbelievable is right ...

I wonder if they are selling contaminated food? :shrug:

In any event it is good in one way and sad as all hell in another way.

Bottom line: Wal-Mart wins as always.

:dem:

[emilyg]

4. People need to buy things now

more than ever.

[ZombieHorde]

6. I think this is good for the people. nt

[madmom]

8. Why do some people think this is a bad thing? They are giving away water and

some food items. People need things to return to as close as normal as soon as possible. I just don't get it, people will bad mouth walmart no matter what they do, just like Obama, I guess.:eyes:

[robcon]

13. There is a knee-jerk "Wal-Mart is bad" reaction from some.

I don't think anything will change the attitudes of those people.

[Xithras]

9. Earthquake ravaged Japan is not the place to hold this debate.

People need food, and tools, and cleaning supplies, and clothing, and a hundred thousand other things that WalMart sells. The fact that WalMart has been able to re-establish their supply lines to provide these things to people who need them is a good thing.

I'm no Wal-Mart fan and haven't shopped there in years because of their business and labor record, but there's a place and a time for that debate. IMHO, this isn't it.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. Wal-Mart is also donating $5 million in cash to the relief effort

Money collected from donation boxes at check-out counters in Seiyu stores will be given to the Japanese Red Cross

http://www.seiyu.co.jp/information/2011/1080.php

[robcon]

12. Good for Wal-Mart.

The recovery of retail stores is critical to the normalization of Japan.

[Codeine]

14. I hate, Hate, HATE WalMart, but I think this is a good thing.

People need to replace essentials and buy the things they need to get through the day.

[nalnn]

15. They helped out here

Walmart helped out immensely here in MS after Katrina.