the.world.is.flat-第39章
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transfers； and even bill payment services for standard items like electricity
bills…all for very small fees。 Wal…Mart had an internal capability to do that for
its own employees and simply turned it into an external business。
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Unfortunately for Wal…Mart； the same factors that drove its instinct for constant
innovation…its isolation from the world； its need to dig inside
itself； and its need to connect remote locations to a global supply chain… also got
it in trouble。 It is hard to exaggerate how isolated Bentonville； Arkansas； is from
the currents of global debate on labor and human rights； and it is easy to see how
this insular company； obsessed with lowering prices； could have gone over the edge
in some of its practices。
Sam Walton bred not only a kind of ruthless quest for efficiency in improving
Wal…Mart's supply chain but also a degree of ruthlessness period。 I am talking about
everything from Wal…Mart's recently exposed practice of locking overnight workers
into its stores； to its allowing Wal…Mart's maintenance contractors to use illegal
immigrants as janitors； to its role as defendant in the largest civil…rights
class…action lawsuit in history； to its refusal to stock certain magazines…like
Playboy…on its shelves； even in small towns where Wal…Mart is the only major store。
This is all aside from the fact that some of Wal…Mart's biggest competitors complain
that they have had to cut health…care benefits and create a lower wage tier to compete
with Wal…Mart； which pays less and covers less than most big companies （more on this
later）。 One can only hope that all the bad publicity Wal…Mart has received in the
last few years will force it to understand that there is a fine line between a
hyperefficient global supply chain that ishelping people save money and improve their
lives and one that has pursued cost cutting and profit margins to such a degree that
whatever social benefits it is offering with one hand； it is taking away with the
other。
Wal…Mart is the China of companies。 It has so much leverage that it can grind down
any supplier to the last halfpenny。 And it is not at all hesitant about using its
ability to play its foreign and domestic suppliers off against each other。
Some suppliers have found ways to flourish under the pressure and become better at
what they do。 If all of Wal…Mart's suppliers were being squeezed dry by Wal…Mart；
Wal…Mart would have no suppliers。 So obviously many of them are thriving as Wal…Mart's
partners。 But some no doubt have translated Wal…Mart's incessant price pressure into
lower wages and benefits for their employees or watched as their business moved to
China； whence Wal…Mart's supply chain pulled in 18 billion worth of goods in 2004
from five thousand Chinese suppliers。 〃If Wal…Mart were an individual economy； it
would rank as China's eighth138
biggest trading partner； ahead of Russia； Australia and Canada；〃 Xu Jun； the spokesman
for Wal…Mart China； told the China Business Weekly （November 29； 2004）。
The successor generation to Sam Walton's leadership seems to recognize that it has
both an image and a reality to fix。 How far Wal…Mart will adjust remains to be seen。
But when I asked Wal…Mart's CEO； H。 Lee Scott Jr。； directly about all these issues；
he did not duck。 In fact； he wanted to talk about it。 〃What I think I have to do is
institutionalize this sense of obligation to society to the same extent that we have
institutionalized the commitment to the customer；〃 said Scott。 〃The world has changed
and we have missed that。 We believed that good intentions and good stores and good
prices would cause people to forgive what we are not as good at； and we were wrong。〃
In certain areas； he added； 〃we are not as good as we should be。 We just have to get
better。〃
One trend that Wal…Mart insists it is not responsible for is the off…shoring of
manufacturing。 〃We are much better off if we can buy merchandise made in the United
States；〃 said Glass。 〃I spent two years going around this country tryingto talkpeople
into manufacturing here。 We would pay more to buy it here because the manufacturing
facilities in those towns ＇would create jobs for＇ all those people who shopped in
our stores。 Sanyo had a plant here ＇in Arkansas＇ making television sets for Sears；
and Sears cut them off； so they decided they were closing the plant and going to move
part to Mexico and part to Asia。 Our governor asked if we would help。 We decided we
would buy television sets from Sanyo ＇if they would keep the plant in Arkansas＇； and
they didn't want to do it。 They wanted to move it； and ＇the governor＇ even talked
to the ＇Japanese owning＇ family to try to persuade them to stay。 Between his efforts
and ours； we persuaded them to do it。 They are now the world's largest producer of
televisions。 We just bought our fifty millionth set from them。 But for the most part
people in this country have just abandoned the manufacturing process。 They say； 'I
want to sell to you； but I don't want the responsibility for the buildings and
employees ＇and health care＇。 I want to source it somewhere else。' So we were forced
to source merchandise in other places in the world。〃 He added； 〃One of my concerns
139
is that； with the manufacturing out of this country； one day we'll all be selling
hamburgers to each other。〃
The best way to get a taste of Wal…Mart's power as a global flattener is to visit
Japan。
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry opened a largely closed Japanese society to the
Western world on July 8； 1853； when he arrived in Edo （Tokyo） Bay with four big black
steamships bristling with guns。 According to the Naval Historical Center Web site；
the Japanese； not knowing that steamships even existed； were shocked by the sight
of them and thought they were 〃giant dragons puffing smoke。〃 Commodore Perry returned
a year later； and on March 31； 1854； concluded the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese
authorities； gaining U。S。 vessels access to the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate and
opening a U。S。 consulate in Shimoda。 This treaty led to an explosion of trade between
Japan and the United States； helped open Japan to the Western world generally； and
is widely credited with triggering the modernization of the Japanese state； as the
Japanese realized how far behind they were and rushed to catch up。 And catch up they
did。 In so many areas； from automobiles to consumer electronics to machine tools；
from the Sony Walkman to the Lexus； the Japanese learned every lesson they could from
Western nations and then proceeded to beat us at our own game…except one： retailing；
especially discount retailing。 Japan could make those Sonys like nobody else； but
when it came to selling them at a discount； well； that was another matter。
So almost exactly 150 years after Commodore Perry signed that treaty； another
lesser…known treaty was signed； actually a business partnership。 Call itthe
Seiyu…Wal…Mart Treaty of 2003。 Unlike Commodore Perry； Wal…Mart did not have tomuscle
its way into Japan with warships。 Its reputation preceded it； which is why it was
invited in by Seiyu； a struggling Japanese retail chain desperate to adapt the
Wal…Mart formula in Japan； a country notorious for resisting big…box discount stores。
As I traveled on the bullet train from Tokyo to Numazu； Japan； site of the first
Seiyu store that was using the Wal…Mart methods； the New York Times translator pointed
out that this store was located about one hundred miles from Shimoda and that first
U。S。 consulate。 Commodore Perry probably would have loved shopping in the new Seiyu
store； where all the music piped in consists of Western tunes designed tolull shoppers
into filling their carts； and where you can buy a man's suit…made in China…for 65
and awhite shirt togo with itfor 5。 That's what they call around Wal…Mart EDLP…Every
Day Low Prices…and it was one of the first phrases Wal…Mart folks learned to say in
Japanese。
Wal…Mart's flattening effects are fully on display in the Seiyu store in Numazu…not
just the everyday low prices； but the wide aisles； the big pallets
