WalMart Cellular????

[MSE Environmental]

I have a relative who manages the camera/photo/cell phone division for a Super WalMart.

He tells me that WalMart is in the process of becoming a cell service provider, instead of a reseller.

Like 'em or not, WalMart gets products to market at lower prices than any other company. I wonder if they could it with cellular?

Now lets roll the dice and play a little monopoly....where would a WalMart cellular service land a "partner" in their process????

My guess would be just down the road from WalMart HQ in Bentonville, AR in Little Rock.......Alltel?

Except for the information from my brother-in-law, I have no other knowledge of this, but it seems like it could be possible.

Mike

[budney]

I am not sure where your relative got the info? But Wal-Mart already sells "Simple Freedom", which is a pre-pay service using Alltel's & Verizon's networks accross the US. Also my local Super Wal-Mart got rid of the Cingular kiosk, which a local dealer was running. And just started to sell CellularOne, Cingular, Sprint on their own in the electronics department.

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by budney

I am not sure where your relative got the info? But Wal-Mart already sells "Simple Freedom", which is a pre-pay service using Alltel's & Verizon's networks accross the US. Also my local Super Wal-Mart got rid of the Cingular kiosk, which a local dealer was running. And just started to sell CellularOne, Cingular, Sprint on their own in the electronics department.

Sorry I wasn't clear on this. I know they sell existing cellular service. I'm talking about a WalMart branded cell phone service. WalMart Cellular as opposed to being an agent for Alltel and others.

I was wondering if they could actually become a player in the wireless market. They bring other products to market less expensive than other stores, so could they do it with wireless?

Mike

[Etorres777]

Originally Posted by MSE Environmental

Sorry I wasn't clear on this. I know they sell existing cellular service. I'm talking about a WalMart branded cell phone service. WalMart Cellular as opposed to being an agent for Alltel and others.

I was wondering if they could actually become a player in the wireless market. They bring other products to market less expensive than other stores, so could they do it with wireless?

Mike

Wal*Mart wants it's foot in everything and anything. I think they should just stop. You always hear little rumors. About 3 years ago I hear that Wal*Mart was going to open car dealerships. LOL. I doubt they'll go into the wireless industry, and if they did I wouldn't go with them anyway

[agentHibby]

If they got deals with all the CDMA providers or all the GSM providers they could play as a strong MVNO, I think. Would Wal-Mart buy PCS spectrum for Auction #58 I don't think they would. Wal-Mart could put any company in the US on its feet if it wants too. That does include the one and only Verizon. How or will anything happen as WalMart to start wireless?? I have no clue.

[agentHibby]

I give this a 20% chance of really happening nation wide.
I give them a 80% chance of doing a test market.

I am sure Wal-Mart knows what Sears did in the 70's when they went into Insurance Business, Car Dealerships, and other things not related to a Department Store, and was even think of Banking then in all went down the toilet.

I did understand the Video game business kinda. Remember Tele-Games for Atari??

[budney]

Originally Posted by MSE Environmental

Sorry I wasn't clear on this. I know they sell existing cellular service. I'm talking about a WalMart branded cell phone service. WalMart Cellular as opposed to being an agent for Alltel and others.

I was wondering if they could actually become a player in the wireless market. They bring other products to market less expensive than other stores, so could they do it with wireless?

Mike

I understood what you ment. But it just seems strange to me since they are an agent already. It could work though, as agentHibby mentioned they would need help from every CDMA or GSM provider.

[roamer1]

Originally Posted by budney

I am not sure where your relative got the info? But Wal-Mart already sells "Simple Freedom", which is a pre-pay service using Alltel's & Verizon's networks accross the US.

I wouldn't put it past the folks in Bentonville to go further than that and become a full-fledged MVNO selling prepaid and postpaid service. I'd expect them to continue using ALLTEL and VZW as they have now, especially since W*M and ALLTEL are both Arkansas companies.

-SC

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by budney

I understood what you ment. But it just seems strange to me since they are an agent already. It could work though, as agentHibby mentioned they would need help from every CDMA or GSM provider.

I agree with you here. I found it odd that because they have a pretty successful cellular business now (apparently a good deal of their business is the prepaid market, which I suspect the margins are much better than the regular business).

It will be interesting to see this play out, but don't discount the Arkansas connection between WalMart and Alltel. Also note that much of Alltel's management have a background from Stephens Inc, the Little Rock Investment Banking firm. Stephens is also the company that brought WalMart public. I just think it makes perfect sense that WalMart would move in this direction.

Earlier there was a post speaking about Sears getting away from Retailing. I worked for Sears while in college and then Dean Witter after college, and man did Sears not have a clue about their non retail activities. WalMart goes about it with much more diligence than Sears and only goes into a market (for example food in their Super WalMarts) without knowing they can make it go.

Great posts everyone!

Mike

[waywith]

Sorry, but this is old news. Three months ago (or so) I read an article that stated that Wal-Mart was planning to roll out their own branded wireless service. My recollection is that it stated that it would be pre-paid only and I vaguely recall that rates were mentioned and that they were really competitive (20 cents a minute comes to mind, not certain about that). I believe the same article mentioned the 7-Eleven prepaid wireless service, which has since been announced and introduced. I don't recall if it said who they were going to partner with.

At the time I was not lurking on this board.

-way

[Etorres777]

If WM were to start their own brand in wireless, would any of you switch to them?

[Yahoo!Man]

I would probably join depending on what carrier they partenered with and if they have no activation fee, the rate per minute is lower than .25, 90 plust experation dates (time), what is the lowest priced prepaid card you can buy (i would like to see $10), has to be good coverage to where i travel (nationwide) or i will stay with AT&T Wireless Free-2-Go TDMA and wait it out (until they upgrade to GSM for their Free-2-Go network just like Cingular did for KIC)

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by MSE Environmental

Like 'em or not, WalMart gets products to market at lower prices than any other company. I wonder if they could it with cellular? My guess would be just down the road from WalMart HQ in Bentonville, AR in Little Rock.......Alltel?

Walltel-Mart Wireless? That's ed up right there.

Originally Posted by Etorres777

If WM were to start their own brand in wireless, would any of you switch to them?

No, probably not. I think they would have to change their name to something other than Wal Wireless or whatever for people to change to them. I hate Wal-Mart with an unending passion and would never knowingly support them... except when everything else is closed and I really, really need something I can only get there.

Long live Target!

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by rancidhooligan

Walltel-Mart Wireless? That's ed up right there.



No, probably not. I think they would have to change their name to something other than Wal Wireless or whatever for people to change to them. I hate Wal-Mart with an unending passion and would never knowingly support them... except when everything else is closed and I really, really need something I can only get there.

Long live Target!

I have to agree with you as to how much I hate WalMart....I avoid that place like the plague. It takes forever to walk from one side to the other of a super WalMart.

However, I am also impressed with how they manage to get products to the market, and thus to consumers, at lower prices than any other store can do. If they could bring that efficiency to the cellular marketplace it might be worth a look.

[futureMD]

Originally Posted by rancidhooligan

Long live Target!

I avoid Target if I can. They're a French-owned company, and after their attempts to do everything they could to not just disagree with our war in Iraq, but to try to thwart it, I have tried to avoid French products/services at all costs. I'm sorry, but with all of the American soldiers who gave their lives on D-Day, they could show some support. Jacques Chirac would be speaking German today if it wasn't for us.

[neilson]

Target is not French-owned. Target is from Minnesota. HOw is Minnesota French? If anything, Minnesota has Scandinavian roots, but most definately not French.

[Scrumhalf]

Off topic, but If you really want to boycott Frenchy products, check out this URL:

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/cont...ttfrance.shtml

There is a lot of very common household items that are made by French-owned companies.

[Airb330]

Ugh, Wal-Mart wireless. Prepay would be OK, but postpaid....yuck. Wal-Mart can't even get the kiosks right. My local store doesn't sell cellular, only prepaid. My local supercenter has Sprint and Cingular though. Such outrageous prices on the phones! Though, they did appear to have full-retail pricing, which was decent. Like 260 for a v400 and 155 for a t616. I'd avoid Wal-Mart for postpad wireless!

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Wal-Mart's Connection Center kiosks are awful. There high priced and the sales reps that work in them don't know ****. I'd also recommend that people avoid buying post paid services from Wal-Mart.

There is one exception to this rule though. The closest Wal-Mart Super Center for me that is located on West Stone Drive in Kingsport actually has a little ALLTEL office in it. It's a corporate store and thus is ran by ALLTEL. You can pay your bill there, sign up for service, and do about anything else that you could do at a regular ALLTEL store. I do recommend buying from a place like that though if Wal-Mart has a store like that in your area.

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by TNDan21

Wal-Mart's Connection Center kiosks are awful. There high priced and the sales reps that work in them don't know ****. I'd also recommend that people avoid buying post paid services from Wal-Mart.

There is one exception to this rule though. The closest Wal-Mart Super Center for me that is located on West Stone Drive in Kingsport actually has a little ALLTEL office in it. It's a corporate store and thus is ran by ALLTEL. You can pay your bill there, sign up for service, and do about anything else that you could do at a regular ALLTEL store. I do recommend buying from a place like that though if Wal-Mart has a store like that in your area.

Our local Super WalMart in Johnson City had an Alltel kiosk in it, but they have removed it and now have a small wireless center next to the photo processing area. My relative who works manages a Photo/Camera/Wireless department in another state tells me the third party owned kiosks inside WalMart will not be around for long as WalMart is taking the wireless business in-house.

I agree that the staff at the WalMart wireless departments don't know crap. I recently had to buy a digital camera for a project my company is doing. The poor guy at WalMart knew less about them than I did. My relative who is the manager knows the stuff inside and out, but the hourly workers don't have the training or expertise to allow for an informed decision. I think WalMart's niche is the prepaid business.

Sam's Club caters to the small business owner, there is where I think a WalMart/Sam's branded cell service could make some sense.

Mike

[futureMD]

Originally Posted by TNDan21

There is one exception to this rule though. The closest Wal-Mart Super Center for me that is located on West Stone Drive in Kingsport actually has a little ALLTEL office in it. It's a corporate store and thus is ran by ALLTEL. You can pay your bill there, sign up for service, and do about anything else that you could do at a regular ALLTEL store. I do recommend buying from a place like that though if Wal-Mart has a store like that in your area.

I agree. This is where I started service with Alltel a couple of years ago. The guy there really knew his stuff, and Wal-Mart had nothing to do with that kiosk other than letting them lease store space to operate there.

[Yahoo!Man]

What newspaper did you find this infromation in... maybe i can find an article on it online?

Just want more information

Thanks

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by Yahoo!Man

What newspaper did you find this infromation in... maybe i can find an article on it online?

Just want more information

Thanks

Nothing online about it that I am aware of. I got the information from a relative who is the manager of a Super WalMart's Photo/Digital Camera/Cellular Phone Dept.

I'm not sure if he has accurate information or was speculating.

Mike

[bob123]

I think amazon.com is online walmart (or better them walmart).
Prices are amazing. I surt bargain sites like http://www.dealsofamerica.com who finds the best bargains on the web and most of the deals they have on cellular phones are from amazon.com.
I bought my phone 2 years ago from amazon.com (It was samsung, camera phones were not there then) it was free then.
Now they have v300 and v400 for better then free (You make $50 or so)
For sony you make $125 or so.
Walmart is good for cheap stuff, for high end electronics, i would go to bestbuy, circuit city or amazon.com
my 2 cents. (If walmart beats prices, I dont mind going to them)

[look4us]

Walmart Wireless.... You guys have to be kidding. I think your relative has got to be full of !!

[saturnsl01]

My g/f works in Walmart electronics, and she has heard this through the internal grapevine too. Sounds like a good idea to me, and it would probably start in the South if I had to guess. Walmart wants their OWN service according to her, both prepaid, and postpaid, the way all the other major companies are offering it now. They could easily be bigger than say a T-mobile or Nextel. That would not be difficult for them to do. Mabey buy T-mobile outright?

[MSE Environmental]

Originally Posted by look4us

Walmart Wireless.... You guys have to be kidding. I think your relative has got to be full of !!

Considering he is my brother-in-law, you are right. He is full of ****.

However, I would not discount WalMart from anything where they think they can make money by doing it cheaper than the competetion. If you had asked 5 years ago if they would be selling groceries, people would have thought you were crazy. Take a look at any Super WalMart's food section and you'll know they are now a major player in the grocery business.

Mike

[agentHibby]

When I started to work my hometown grocery store in 1995, Supercenters were talked about in a grocery magazine on the table in the breakroom. It stated that Target and Kmart would have more supercenters in 1997 and 1998; by 1999 and 2000 Wal-Mart would have them all over the place and would take a huge chunk into the grocery industry. The major grocery companies just did not take supercenters seriously, and we see the results today?
Could this happen with a MVNO owned by Wal-Mart?? I think it would take awhile unless they could get killer roaming deals and plans they maybe?

[neilson]

Wal-Mart Wireless. Making Prepaid plans with postpaid amounts of minutes at low prices! I love it!

[MOTOhooligan]

from Network World Fusion.com
Wal-Mart: Always low prices....for broadband?

Techdirt.com has some thoughts on the Intstitute for the Future's thoughts on whether Wal-Mart might deploy fixed wireless broadband base stations and become, in addition to everything else, a telecommunications company.

The idea is if a coffee shop can sell Internet access over Wi-Fi, why can't a discount chain sell broadband over WiMAX? There are some challenges, as Techdirt's Mike Masnick points out in this link: "If Wal-Mart aims for "everyday low broadband, telephone and video prices" it might find that maintenance and customer support costs are quite a pain," he writes.

The even worse pain is enduring that hugely annoying Rollback bouncing happyface on still more TV ads.

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