Dario Greggio wrote:
>> The system self corrects. Walmart knows that if they raise their margins
>> another store will open and undercut them.
>>
>> I've never really understood the hatred of Walmart that people have.
>> Yes, they are ruthless to their suppliers, and yes their presence forces
>> smaller more expensive places to close, but you can't blame Walmart for
>> that.
>
>
> Same here.
> I believe that "large ones" (in here: Auchan, Carrefour...) do their
> best to keep "mass product" prices low.
>
> And I, personally, don't feel like paying more for the SAME package of
> cookies from a famous italian brand.
>
> Small shops must do their best to make "special" products: home made
> cookies, cakes or whatever - and so they can live and prosper and apply
> the prices they prefer.

I think that's the whole premise behind Sparkfun's brilliantly simple 
business model. They make breakout boards for all sorts of things not easily 
accessible to hobbyists. They're not competing against the Walmarts in their 
industry (Digikey, Mouser, etc).

Vitaliy 

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