sample sales: This week the New York Times reported a disheartening story about two of the largest retail chains. You see, instead of taking unsold items to sample sales or donating them to people in need, H&M and Wal-Mart have been throwing them out in giant trash bags. And in the case that someone may stumble on these bags and try to keep or re-sell the items, these companies have gone ahead and slashed up garments, cut off the sleeves of coats, and sliced holes in shoes so they are unwearable. http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/h-…|||"It's a large tax write-off for business loss." In point of fact, they would receive a generous tax deduction for the donation. Could you explain to the class how destroying something they already paid for and can deduct as an expense is a "write off." And no, I do not think the post-Sam-Walton Wal-Mart gives a flying leap.|||It's a large tax write-off for business loss.|||No one forces anyone to shop at wal mart, stop complaining about it|||I like walmart, Im going to shop there tonight|||I could not tell you as for me i have not set foot in a wal-mart for over 7 years now.|||It is their property. They can do whatever they want to. If the poor wants used clothing , goodwill sells shirts and jeans for about $1.00. If YOU want to give new clothes to the poor, no one is stopping you.|||It seems heartless and wasteful, but WalMart is in the RETAIL business - not the CHARITY business. They are not REQUIRED to donate unsold items. If you disapprove of their actions - don't shop there anymore.|||Wal-Mart is pretty rad. Keep in mind, the source is a blog and not a creditable source. The blogger didn't even find this first hand. Here's the blogger's own profile from the page (highly creditable...lol): Joanna Douglas - I grew up in Mystic, CT (yes, as in the pizza), and moved to NYC in 1999--with three generations of New Yorkers behind me, it was only a matter of time before I landed here. I’ve worked on staff at several magazines, but freelancing from bed has its obvious benefits. Craziest New York moment: Grabbing a slice of Ray’s pizza with T.I.|||Same thing happens to unsold books...but you're not bitching about that It happens with much unsold merchandise...same thing with food retailers|||If a bum died wearing the clothing, the bum's family would sue Walmart. The problem is the out of control legal system in America.|||After several days of no response from H&M, the company made a statement today, promising to stop destroying the garments at the midtown Manhattan location. They said they will donate the items to charity. H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said, "It will not happen again," and that the company would make sure none of the other locations would do so either. Hopefully that's the final word. [|||You all ***** at them because they have stuff from CHINA and you ***** at them when they do community service work...you sue them when things go wrong...HOW do you know WHY they destroyed the clothing. Maybe it was damaged beyond repair. I do not take what the media posts as truth anymore...they post what they want and then when the truth comes out they never retract anything. I WORK for WALMART and SAMS I know they do FAR MORE community service and do far more good for communities than you would imagine. The only other company that is comparable to giving back to communities is McDonalds and look how you put them down too! I would have to know the WHOLE STORY before believing what the media posts...they LIE over and over and over again. You people need to think for yourselves and not rely on news for TRUTH! You do not get it through them....that is PROVEN FACT! I can tell you at SAMS we are not allowed to give away food to the food bank or the homeless shelters. THEY have been sued over and over again because they have them food that expired that day ! The Health dept ok'd the stuff before it went but it wasn't good enough....so they sue. So if people don't get the benefit of free stuff....I can tell you..IT IS THEIR FAULT for being jerks and whining about something being wrong or not getting ENOUGH or the right size etc. It is ridiculous. Just like the family of illegals that came and died in the dessert and their family of illegals sued the U.S and WON millions of dollars and had to put up water stations for the illegals coming over. IT IS RIDICULOUS! It has nothing to do with glut and greed and wanting money...Walmart and Sam's gives hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to charities and runs fund raising for children hospitals. You people are rude and ignorant of facts and no wonder you can't think for yourself..you rely on the NEWS to give it to you without having a brain and doing some research for yourself and finding out the TRUTH and causes. Good Grief.......no wonder no one wants to do any good for anyone..all you people do is find the smallest thing and ***** about it all the time. NEVER praise or even the benefit of the doubt....JUST *****!|||Hey now, hold on. I read the article too but took a different view. Why should Walmart HAVE to donate something? Are the 'poor' entitled to what Walmart owns? -they did it because if they donated the clothing people wouldn't need to buy it making them unprofitable. SIMPLE ECONOMICS. I have a hundred thousand dollars in a savings account, do the poor of New York feel that I must donate that since I have it and they need it? STUPID THINKING, but I do understand where you're coming from. the article was just written poorly.|||It was their property and they are allowed to do whatever they wish with their own clothes. Haven't you ever thrown anything away that you didn't want or did you donate everything you have never wanted to the poor?|||"Tis better to sell a coat to 1 man and let 100 men freeze than to let 101 men get coats for free." Isn't that in the Bible or something?|||That story took me by surprise. Wasting anything is awful. There are homeless shelters and charity groups that would have welcomed that clothing. I'm sure it all boils down to money and glut, as ususal. Ugh.|||They are in business to sell clothes. Not give them away. I shop at Walmart all the time. Its a great store.|||When has Walmart ever cared what anyone thought of them? i am not going to let it ruin my day though or effect where i go shopping. Its not Walmarts job to provide for everyone. So get over it. Why didn't you run down there and donate your entire closet full of clothing? Exactly, cause before that article was posted, you didn't care either. next please|||Well, maybe our over controlling govt should now mandate that all clothes not sold be given to charity so that those people can buy the products at a great big discount. Look, I would explain this to you but you are one of those who believes that businesses are beholden to you and the people and that profit is a bad thing|||For the same reason that McDonald's throws away perfectly good food, and grocery stores throw away tons of fine food that is date expired: they can't afford the legal liability that comes with products getting to people via routes outside of a normal business transaction. The lawyers, and the lawsuits they could bring against any large company that allows their "discarded" products into the hands of the public, make sure that companies can no longer allow it. It is in their best legal interests to simply destroy the products and support the community via other means, which Wal-Mart, McDonalds, H & M, etc. all do with generous donations. So, as usual, blame the lawyers!|||not only wal-mart. It's there stuff , you must be one of "those" who feel you HAVE to be TOLD what to do with "your stuff".|||Very very selfish, really no other reason. I don't shop at either store, never have never will.|||We need to stay out of wal-mart for just one week and teach china a lesson too.|||I just read that too. I couldn't believe it! I thought Wal- Mart was all "Lets help the less fortunate and lower prices," and all that. I honestly can't even begin to understand why such a big company would destroy untouched clothes when there are children not only in NYC, but all around the world that don't even have a pair of shoes to walk with! Its like the big companies think "If we can't have it, nobody can." It really makes you think how ungrateful and greedy these big shot companies have become. Why would the do this? Because big grossing companies like H&M and Wal-Mart don't care about the children and adults who suffer each day, and freeze do death because they can't afford a coat that is now in a garbage bag slashed up with the sleeves gone.