Can mergers help consumers?

Consumers and Wal-Mart executives may be the only stakeholders who aren't applauding the P&G/Gillette merger. Most consumers who have heard and have feelings about it see it as consumer-negative, distancing, or at best, questionable. "It's only good if it helps the companies financially and doesn't cheapen their products."

* "The bigger they get, the more they focus on profitability instead of quality."

* "Don't know what will happen except that some prices will probably go up because it's more of a monopoly."

* "I read that the merger will help them to fight Wal-Mart's price pressures, so I guess that we will be paying higher prices to pay for this merger too."

* "Most mergers of banks and supermarkets have been bad for consumers. The companies were better for consumers before the merger."

* "It made my stock in P&G go down so I'm not thrilled about it."

* "They'll probably drop some of their less profitable brands or products, which will turn out to be brands or products that I like best."

* "Buying up other companies hasn't helped Unilever."

* "I'm afraid of where we are headed--to a time when we have one giant store and one giant manufacturer and that is it."

* "I'm not a proponent of bigger is better. Bigger means the big boys are finding new ways to get richer. Not just the oil companies, but also Wal-Mart and other retailers and providers of food, utilities, transportation, etc. Mergers mean layoffs. Just hope my children can get jobs, and whatever education they need to get jobs, so they can eat, vacation, buy what they need and live in this place we call America. I am an immigrant's child and there is no other place I would choose to live, but we are in as much danger from the robber barons of this era as we are from terrorists."

Only two of our respondents saw consumer bright sides, one from added research and the other from greatness:

* "Consumers will benefit in the long run if the combined companies put more money into research."

* "This merger is different that all the others I can think of. Neither company is in trouble. Both make good, comfort products, one mostly men's, the other mostly women's. Maybe it's a great marriage that will make the world a better place."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

And what a lovely closing quote that is! Happy Valentine's Day, Carnival, and longer days ahead!!

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