CapitalAccount's video: Walmart vs Costco: the Quest for Short-term Profits over Long-term Gains

check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CapitalAccount Follow us @ http://twitter.com/laurenlyster http://twitter.com/coveringdelta Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, is just around the corner. However, this year Black Friday shoppers at Walmart may be greeted by protests as an ongoing labor dispute continues. Last week, Walmart filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, claiming that the Black Friday protests are unlawful attempts to disrupt business. The National Labor Relations Board said that it is unlikely to make a decision on the complaint before the Thanksgiving Holiday, according to Reuters. However employees at Costco, unlike Walmart, are reported to be some of the happiest, as they receive higher paychecks and the best medical insurance in retail. According to CNBC, Costco also has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in the industry. Some analysts have raised concerns about Costco's ability to post larger profits, complaining that the company treats its employees and cardholders better than it does investors. We know public companies are focused on delivering quantifiable bottom line results, but is the attention to maximizing shareholder value at odds with long term goals? How do you value the "unquantifiable," such as treating your employees a little better? Lauren and Demetri discuss lessons Walmart can learn from Costco in today's "Loose Change."