<p>“we really need to be focusing on producing goods and services that are so innovative that people don’t mind paying more. Seems like America has lose its mojo.”</p>
<p>So terribly true!!! THIS is what we need to fix for LT growth and stability in the US.
We are likely in a part of the innovation cycle that is very difficult- we have milked most of the small gains from the large technological advances already; we need some giant changes now.
I submit that these changes will take modification in the culture, values and mind-set of our society. Conservation, efficiency are great new values, so let’s invent things to serve these goals.
Communications is amazing these days, but it is almost free! Boy are we lucky- Free to talk and so inexpensively!! This is a luxury we do not appreciate. And its low cost may be undermining the profitability of our country, not unlike the retailers may be doing.</p>
<p>The desire to get something for nothing is huge in the US. It undermines our productivity in creating new things and solving problems. And it makes us think too much about price and quantity, and not enough about quality and the long term impact on our health and the economy.</p>
<p>Taking responsibiilty is not that far from being economical and practical. These are “olden days” virtues, and maybe they are coming back a bit now that things are so grim here.</p>
<p>The other problem is how we define success and value things. Money and wealth and lots of consumption are very important these days. So is convenience and instant gratification. There are other things that matter, that might not be about making money or displaying wealth!! Health, safety, freedom, community, kindness, education and intelligence, self-discipline and deferred gratification, patience, thinking long term.
Capital can be measured in many ways.</p>
<p>How much is enough? What is really important, at the end of the day? Is a sustainable product worth paying more for? Is preventive medicine worth more than treatment of illness? Is an educated work force worth more than a workforce with minimal education?</p>
<p>Innovations are crucial. Effective solutions to problems are irresistible!</p>
<p>Another squeeze is the procurement policy called JIT. That stands for Just In Time. Companies no longer keep material inventories. When they order a part and a lead time of four weeks is factored in, then they will be expecting to fabricate that unit with that part just days after it arrives. So, if China ever decides that they are going to squeeze the US on that material for that part, then they have us by the you know whats. You can’t just reopen closed factories for Unobatainium in a matter of weeks or even months. Procurement policies, which are in place to make stock holders happy can be just down right dangerous. Could another war be started based on a strategic materials embargo? EASILY</p>
<p>Damn…I think I’m gonna join those kids protesting on Wall Street.</p>
<p>It does make you wonder…the previous generation either lived through the Great Depression and WWII or were children of those did and were taught to be frugal and hard working. My generation was somewhat removed from that and my son’s generation has no clue what it’s like to really buckle down and be economical and practical (though individuals often have this as an innate part of their personalty). Seems like we have gotten away from the very characteristics that made people in this country ‘hungry’ for greatness. You see it now more in immigrants to this country than in our citizens. </p>
<p>This has been a great thread. We need to collectively pat ourselves on the back…we’ve made it to post #184 without becoming political. Quite the accomplishment on CC!</p>
<p>Late chiming in this thread. Remember when you “inherited” your grandma’s coolerbox? Now the slick, stainless steel, french door refrigerator is disposable if it breaks down, cheaper to buy a new one than to have it repaired. This is the product cycle now, to keep everything along the line (production, marketing, finance) moving. Walmart does not and will not carry stuff that you will not dispose or upgrade in a year or so. It’s always about inventory turnover and how fast they (walmart) can make you part with your dollars. Their’s is just pure marketing genius. One thing good though, it is an American company dominating the retail side of this business model. What if China Inc. decides to do the retailing themselves? Not possible? Just a wild thought…</p>
<p>I think it is a sign of the times. People are starting to think again, and try to see each other’s point of view, listen to each other a bit more. Hallelujah!
Thanks for listening to my rants, btw LOL…
We are in this together, and this has been a pretty bumpy ride lately. So take care, all.</p>
<p>When the store becomes completely self-service they won’t need any retail employees, maybe just some repair people for the machines. Home Depot is already really big on the self service check out.</p>
<p>Is it possible to repair machines with other machines (robots) long distance?</p>
<p>Could the whole store be operated by remote control?</p>
<p>That’s true, but I think an American entrepreneur will always find a niche to “squeeze” in an innovation somewhere along the line ,ie production, service or otherwise.</p>
<p>The grocery stores in my neighborhood have recently begun selling beer and wine. I’ve wondered a time or two how they enforce the drinking age at the self serve grocery lines. I’ve never bought wine using one of the self serve machines, so maybe there is some kind of verification process when scanning beer/wine.</p>
<p>The grocery stores in MY area are closing the self serve lanes. They have found that they don’t save the stores any money…and they don’t save the customers any time. There were several articles in the paper this month about these ending. Suits me fine. Every time I tried to use one, I needed an clerk anyway.</p>
<p>Wow, glad I’m not the only one skipping the self-checkout- I always think of this as keeping another cashier employed and I don’t mind waiting in line. Oh, but what if you start to get a discount for using them?</p>
<p>When we moved to New Jersey we were astonished by grocery stores. Every aisle has just one person working, scanning the food while the customer is expected to bag the groceries. I see senior citizens struggling to do this and it makes me want to punch someone. Every other part of the country we have ever lived any decent grocery store chain will have someone at the register and someone bagging. Not here. People seem to think it’s good citizenship to jump in and bag the usually overpriced groceries they’ve just spent significant time selecting and will now have to transfer to their car and then store away into their homes. What is good about cutting out half the labor in the store by cutting out the baggers? I certainly have not noted any cost saving passed on to the customer.</p>
<p>Oddly, one is not allowed to pump one’s own gas here but at one station I sometimes frequent the owners eight-year-old son frequently pumps gas.</p>
<p>Just venting. Bought a lot of food yesterday after a long walk and by the time I got it all home and put away I needed a nap.</p>
<p>My spouse is in pharma. They’ve shed a ton of jobs in the past few years. Huge pressure from generics and patent expirations. US pharma has been the global leader for many years but that is going to be iffy in the future. The irony is that expensive innovative medications actually reduce overall healthcare costs. That’s been proven many times but hospitals, physicians, insurance companies all have a big piece of the healthcare dollar and have managed to be ahead of pharma in line for government and private insurance subsidies. Pharma has been a tremendous employer for highly skilled scientists who then have provided very significant tax revenue for many communities. By passing the patent law back in the eighties we are seeing pharma stumble and decline – a huge employer pushed to contract and, of course, diminished innovation for new therapies.</p>
<p>This actually worries me a lot more than Walmart.</p>
<p>*The grocery stores in my neighborhood have recently begun selling beer and wine. I’ve wondered a time or two how they enforce the drinking age at the self serve grocery lines. I’ve never bought wine using one of the self serve machines, so maybe there is some kind of verification process when scanning beer/wine. *</p>
<p>When I’ve used one, when alcohol is purchased, the machine stops until a cashier comes and punches in a code after determining age.</p>
<p>At the store by us, there are 4 “self scanners” and one employee at a podium whose job it is to help out and watch the area. </p>
<p>I don’t know if there is more theft or not. I can see that it’s possible for someone to scan a coupon and then not slip that coupon in the slot for re-use later.</p>
<p>At Publix grocery stores, they have checkers and baggers…and the baggers push your cart to your car and put your groceries in the trunk. :)</p>
<p>BTW…what about online purchasing from your fav stores…doesn’t that mean less store employees are needed?</p>
<p>Amazon - It is hard to believe it’s not that long ago I had to actually go to the bookstore to pick out childrens books and then to the PO to mail them off for birthdays and Christmas. I was delighted how very easy Amazon made my life. And it was generally less expensive. The childrens bookstore I used to frequent is long ago out of business. The post office has a self serve kiosk. A local gas station island with Starbucks, Burger King windows also has a USPS window. I asked the young man behind the counter if he was a USPS employee or gas station employee. He said he works for the gas station, that there are about to be a lot more of these gas station post office kiosks and that our local rural PO is letting employees go and won’t be open on Saturdays coming up.</p>
<p>Buying online vs self-serve check out – I think about this, too. If you are buying from someplace like LL Bean which was pretty much always a catalogue business, you aren’t really changing how you do business, are you? </p>
<p>For some time now it has become pretty much accepted that it takes two wage earners to support a family. Since we have less time we shop on-line. When we don’t shop in <em>real</em> stores those stores close and employees lose their jobs. And then there aren’t two income families. Where is this all going to end up?</p>