62 replies to this topic

[Lisa]

I need everyone to pause for a moment from celebrating today, and focus that energy on staying on top of Walmart to help Whitney Houston.

I am sure that you have seen some members who have had trouble finding Whitney's "I Look To You" CD in Walmart stores. That scratches the surface of a potentially larger problem, and we need to focus on continuing to complain to Walmart, as well as notifying the media of Walmart's sales practices, which coincidentally (or not) will probably boost the performance of its exclusive Miley Cyrus CD vs. competitors.

This is important because Walmart is a massive U.S. retailer with enough store presence to make a Walmart-exclusive CD No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. That means a CD that is only released in Walmart stores, with Walmart marketing, can go to No. 1 in the United States without even being sold elsewhere. If a competitor album, such as "I Look To You," has trouble being found at Walmart, it can be a blow to that album no matter how well it is performing at other stores.

This needs to be pointed out to anyone who will listen, whether it's professional media or blogs. You should make note of how Walmart.com had suspicious technical problems that impacted Whitney's pre-order availability last week, and that fans are now having problems finding the CD in some Walmart stores even though it's been shipped, while Miley Cyrus' album somehow avoided these problems. (Please write this in your own words.)

For the media/blogs that have already begun to report on this, we need to follow-up and inform them that fans are still having problems finding the CD in some Walmart stores. And we need to make sure that Walmart responds to our complaints by actually putting Whitney's CD on the high-profile sales shelves where it belongs.

You can start here:

WALMART

Walmart on Twitter

Walmart Email and Phone


MEDIA

The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy Blog - they previously noted this issue

Billboard Magazine

The Associated Press

Reuters.com: You Witness News

The Hollywood Reporter

Variety

The New York Times

PerezHilton - they previously covered this issue

SingersRoom - they previously covered this issue

Sccop People (French) - they previously covered this issue


In some cases, you can also post complaints about Walmart at various online newspapers, in the comments sections below where those newspapers have reviewed Whitney's new album in recent days.

Please be polite and do not use any profanity. Vulgar language will only harm our cause rather than help it.


If you have further ideas on what we can do, or additional media that we should contact, please post them in this thread. If you have a problem at a particular store, please also make note of it in this thread so we can point it out. Thank you!

[NippyFanNy779]

I hear you Lisa and I am on board but so far Walmart had the best display of Whitney's album. Best Buy had it around a corner and only gave her one shelf. I will be checking Target & FYE later but so far Walmart beat Best Buy in dislaying the album so far in my area!

[NeyBethSton]

Dumb question alert.... So what can I do? Am I to write a line or two to each of the entities connected to the links you provided?

[Andy]

I've written to a few British media outlets like DigitalSpy, hopefully some of them will run with it!

[Tiger]

walmart.com still says 'Preoder' as of today, they haven't updated their system to say 8/31/2009

Things that make you go hmmmmm....

[Lisa]

NeyBethSton, on Aug 31 2009, 02:27 PM, said:

Dumb question alert.... So what can I do? Am I to write a line or two to each of the entities connected to the links you provided?

That is the idea.

[Xandi]

I'm on it Lisa! who's with me? Let's not get comfortable guys. Wal-Mart cannot get away with this. We have to show them we can fight. We'll win this battle. I knew not to trust them. Even after they released a statement saying they're carrying Whitney's new album. smh

[the1nonlydkd]

I say we wait til tomorrow to see, because like someone said they were shipped in boxes that still had 9-1-09 so they could be thinking its to be released tomorrow. But tomorrow if they aint got it out........................................ Let ALL hell break loose!

[tlcenvogue]

FOR SOME DUMB REASON ...WALMART HAD THE ALBUM HERE IN STORES (MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) AS OF THE MIDDLE OF LAST WEEK!!!!....I OF COURSE HOWEVER DID NOT BUY UNTIL 2DAY (FROM BEST BUY) LOL!!

[Undefeated]

the1nonlydkd, on Aug 31 2009, 02:54 PM, said:

I say we wait til tomorrow to see, because like someone said they were shipped in boxes that still had 9-1-09 so they could be thinking its to be released tomorrow. But tomorrow if they aint got it out........................................ Let ALL hell break loose!

I agree. The special release date might be messing things up. I would double check at least the see if they are displaying other artists who released to day. Because everyone pushed their album up to the 31st this week.

[Lisa]

the1nonlydkd, on Aug 31 2009, 02:54 PM, said:

I say we wait til tomorrow to see, because like someone said they were shipped in boxes that still had 9-1-09 so they could be thinking its to be released tomorrow. But tomorrow if they aint got it out........................................ Let ALL hell break loose!

Whitney's CD has experienced problems that Miley Cyrus' CD magically has not. This is the start of the sales week. There's no more time to wait and see. For every 24 hours that we wait, there are CDs that don't get sold.

Edited by Lisa, 31 August 2009 - 01:57 PM.

[the1nonlydkd]

Lisa, on Aug 31 2009, 01:56 PM, said:

the1nonlydkd, on Aug 31 2009, 02:54 PM, said:

I say we wait til tomorrow to see, because like someone said they were shipped in boxes that still had 9-1-09 so they could be thinking its to be released tomorrow. But tomorrow if they aint got it out........................................ Let ALL hell break loose!

Whitney's CD has experienced problems that Miley Cyrus' CD magically has not. This is the start of the sales week. There's no more time to wait and see. For every 24 hours that we wait, there are CDs that don't get sold.

I see what your saying. I did see Mileys out, but I also didn't see Trey Songz, which I was also looking for, nor Pittbull, so there may be something going on.

[NippyFanNy779]

Lisa, on Aug 31 2009, 02:56 PM, said:

the1nonlydkd, on Aug 31 2009, 02:54 PM, said:

I say we wait til tomorrow to see, because like someone said they were shipped in boxes that still had 9-1-09 so they could be thinking its to be released tomorrow. But tomorrow if they aint got it out........................................ Let ALL hell break loose!

Whitney's CD has experienced problems that Miley Cyrus' CD magically has not. This is the start of the sales week. There's no more time to wait and see. For every 24 hours that we wait, there are CDs that don't get sold.

I am of course on board and will draft a letter but I guess I am just not experiencing these problems here in MD. Whitney's CD has been in Every walmart I have gone to. Sadly yesterday I had to go to 4 of them for something I needed and they were on display in front at each and every one. Yes Miley had posters everywhere but most of them were geared toward the clothing line with a CD blub at the bottom. IDK but I will be sending my letters!

[Lisa]

Let me put it to you this way -- I didn't create this thread on a whim. I didn't drop what I've been working on all week just to create this thread because I felt like it. I wouldn't be saying this right now if there wasn't a need for it.

[the1nonlydkd]

I kinda picked up on that when I first read your post.