Wal-Mart Threatens Studios Over iTunes Sales

Y-Crate writes "It seems Wal-Mart is threatening retaliation against studios who decide to offer movies on iTunes. The Bentonville, AR retailer seems a bit miffed that someone would dare to undercut their prices. This wouldn't be the first time they've turned on a supplier for dealing with Apple." From the article: "Last year when Disney announced it would begin offering episodes of the hit shows 'Lost' and 'Desperate Housewives' on Apple's iTunes, the reaction of the world's largest retailer sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. Wal-Mart, worried that offering the shows for viewing on iPods would cut into DVD sales at its stores, sent 'cases and cases' of DVDs back to Disney, according to a source familiar with the matter."

Let Wal-Mart Go

[alchemist68]

I wouldn't mind seeing Wal-Mart suffer a little - after all, most of its merchandise comes from COMMUNIST CHINA! Is *THIS* the new American Way?!!! I think NOT!

Boycott Wal-Mart!

Boycott Sam's Club!

Girlcotting is not the same thing!

So let me get this straight

[AC-x]

Wal-mart are worried that they'll sell less DVDs, so they counter this by pulling DVDs off the shelves...

Good one Wal-mart.

Re:Comment count on the front page?

[mulhollandj]

Why are people always complaining about Vista breaking everything?

Re:That's just great

[Xyrus]

Agreed. This is like watching two inmates fighting it out for who gets the rights to your dumper.

You can only hope they knock eachother out. :P

~X~

Re:Egads!!

[flooey]

You'd be hard pressed to find a better retailer with a liberal return policy as theirs.

You should try Costco sometime. You can return things there they don't even sell.

In this case

[sensei moreh]

the enemy of my enemy is my enemy

Re:Walmart is evil

[Sloppy]

If they run around threatening suppliers like this, they should be shut down for improper business practices, or at the least boycotted by america for being jerks..

Just as it should be illegal for you to tell your boss "Give me a raise or I quit." It is immoral for two parties to try to negotiate things without there being a guarantee that the transaction will happen, no matter how much the parties disagree about the terms. We need the central committee to step in and make sure that no one ever threatens to not do business with someone else.

I mean, it's right there in the 5 year plan: hard-working Hollywood actors are assigned the job of making movies, and Wal-Mart is assigned the job of reselling those movies so that our comrade actors can have food on their tables. If Wal-Mart doesn't sell the movies, how will our actors eat, and how will our comrade workers get such a critical entertainment resource? Such arrogant defiance of The Plan should not be tolerated.

Re:Whoa whoa whoa...

[xenocide2]

"Gosh, dern, there, Mister Studio Boss, shucks, we're just a simple uber-ultra-mega-chain from Arkansas, don't know nothing 'bout birthin' no downloads. Shure, we brung ya to the dance, bought ya dinner, drinks, and flowers, but it's OK if ya want to leave with that there Miss Apple. We understand, she shore is purty!"

Of course, one could interpret them returning all that stock as an admission that itunes is a cheaper delivery system that they can't compete with. Or maybe an angry ex-girlfriend throwing all the crap you left at her place (physical DVDs) on your lawn. I'm not sure why walmart should be stuck with the cost of overproduction, if they had a contractual agreement that allowed them to return stock they won't expect to sell.

Re:Egads!!

[zer0halo]

./ readers buy diapers???