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Minimum Markup Reminder

Yes, it costs us all.

Wal-Mart ran full-page ads in metro daily newspapers Wednesday promoting its prices for Thanksgiving dinner items: a meal for a family of eight for less than $20.

The Wisconsin version of the ad, when compared with other states, made clear the impact to consumers of the state’s Unfair Sales Act, known informally as the minimum markup law: In Wisconsin, thanks to the law, you don’t get dessert.

The ad in the Journal Sentinel offered frozen whole turkeys for 86 cents a pound.

The same ad in the Chicago Tribune had turkeys for 40 cents a pound.

Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and Heinz turkey gravy are priced the same in Illinois and Wisconsin. But at 65 cents, Green Giant canned vegetables cost 6 cents more here. Stove Top stuffing is $1.15 a box at Wisconsin Wal-Marts compared with 78 cents in Illinois.

The difference in pricing made it possible for Wal-Mart to include potatoes and a $5.50 pumpkin roll cake on the $20 menu in states without a ban on selling below cost.

Posted by Owen at 1228 hrs
Economy + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

1. That is just crazy.
   Fortunately I didn’t want dessert.
   No wait, unlikely to depend on WalMart for Thanksgiving dinner.
   But still, very silly law.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 1547 hrs
   
   
   

2. WOW !! Guess you will just have to come to Texas for Thanksgiving.  The savings on groceries will probably pay for the gas, once you get out of WI.  hehe

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 1551 hrs
   
   
   

3. You just hate children Owen.  Without magic words scribbled on pieces of paper that force companies to sell their products at high prices (through intimidation and violence), something bad would happen.  It would probably involve children or the moral fabric of society or some other pointless political catch phrase like that.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 1551 hrs
   
   
   

4. Hate children?  Thanksgiving dinner?  Hate children? Minimum Markup?  Hate children?  WalMart?  This appears very skewed and irrational.  Jay, your statement is just plain stupid.

   Posted by GAMazy on November 05, 2009 at 1738 hrs
   
   
   

5. Hate children?  Thanksgiving dinner?  Hate children? Minimum Markup?  Hate children?  WalMart?  This appears very skewed and irrational.  Jay, your statement is just plain stupid.

   Have you ever heard of sarcasm?  Or poking fun at the political catch phrases that politicians roll out in defense of something?  Read the whole thing again…and I mean the whole thing, not just the first sentence.  Good grief I can’t believe you took that seriously.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 1951 hrs
   
   
   

6. Jay - you really need to come up with something besides the magic words bit.  Its already old. 

   Not that I don’t agree with your pointm but get some new material.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 2201 hrs
   
   
   

7. Frankly, the Walmart store’s lighting ticks me off and there produce section is covered in wax: I cannot smell a thing. Pick-n-Save, Piggly Wiggly and Sausage Plus Spirits have better eats. Sendik’s Food Markets have the best produce and fresh fish.

   Understanding Wisconsin’s “Minimum Markup” Law
   http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/publications/im/im_2006_05.pdf

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2009 at 2235 hrs
   
   
   

8. #

   Jay - you really need to come up with something besides the magic words bit.  Its already old.

   Not that I don’t agree with your pointm but get some new material.

   I would Joe but I honestly can’t think of another description for what they do.  Although the other day I was watching something on C-SPAN and thought “this is exactly what a kindergarten class is like before nap time”  I guess the only difference is that the kindergarten class is a bit better behaved.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2009 at 0001 hrs
   
   
   

9. If that was scarcasm, Jay, then my apologies.  A bit hard to tell on a computer screen.

   Posted by GAMazy on November 06, 2009 at 0044 hrs
   
   
   

10. You guys need Meijer in a bad way…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2009 at 0753 hrs
    
    
    

11. This law has failed miserably in protecting the little guy. The big stores shut down Ma and Pa regardless of whether or not they are marking up to a certain minimum. It has little to do with how much lower the prices are, when you can go into a single store and buy everything you need rather than having to spend an entire afternoon going from store to store.

    All this law is doing now is creating a regressive tax on the lower class. Good luck getting the “defender of the blue collar” liberals to see it.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2009 at 0806 hrs
    
    
    

12. If that was scarcasm, Jay, then my apologies.  A bit hard to tell on a computer screen.

    No issue.  I should have used the sarcasm tag.  I thought the wording was obvious but I suppose without tone of voice once can’t tell.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2009 at 0935 hrs
    
    
    

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