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We were discussing the unpleasantness of shopping at Walmart in a friend's LJ, and I didn't want to hijack her journal for my soapbox. So here's my harangue: shopping at Walmart isn't only bad because they sell a lot of crap and the stores are unpleasant. It goes a lot further--Walmart screws its employees and destroys local independent businesses. And I'm sure you haven't missed what happens when Walmarts want to go from super-gigantic to mega-gigantic: they clear cut more acreage and leave the old hulk abandoned in a weedy parking lot.
Some facts from the Walmart movie, including statistics on how many of their workers are on Medicaid and the cost to taxpayers.
An internal memo from Walmart, substantiating this, that was published in the NY Times.
I know some people don't like unions, but when I look at something like Walmart, I say bring 'em on!
ETA: I would say the same about other large corporate chains: Target, Lowe's, Whole Foods, etc., etc.
Some facts from the Walmart movie, including statistics on how many of their workers are on Medicaid and the cost to taxpayers.
An internal memo from Walmart, substantiating this, that was published in the NY Times.
I know some people don't like unions, but when I look at something like Walmart, I say bring 'em on!
ETA: I would say the same about other large corporate chains: Target, Lowe's, Whole Foods, etc., etc.
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On the other hand, they don't do as much damage to the community. Walmart is so huge that it just mows down everything in its path. Target's not that big, and at least the Target in my community tore down the old building and built a new one on the same spot when it decided to go mega. Also, Target does make some contributions. But, yeah, the differences are mainly aesthetic. (http://www.steve-olson.com/10-reasons-target-is-better-than-wal-mart/)
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I don't like to shop, period, but I have to say that going to a Wal-Mart around here is no different than anywhere else and we have a permanent discount card.
The old Walmart building here is now another kind of store.
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Unfortunately, the empty Walmarts near me are still empty, and the independent stores that went out of business are still closed.
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Barnes and Noble put several bookstores out of business here, as well as Michael's putting art supply stores out of business. It's part of the way our country operates... There is LOTS of competition and unfortunately not all places survive. It is sad, I know.
You may be as angry as you want. I only speak from what I know here.
We never used the Wal*Mart benefits as I had them from school.
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I think that Walmart shows us a stark reality we mightn't see otherwise. Much like Katrina did.
The privilege of not *having* to shop there is definitely a privilege, and not one a lot of people seem to have. It has become a mirror on this country and its issues I think.
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However, the reason that poor people don't have the luxury of shopping elsewhere is that huge corporations (and I'll include some others in this indictment--Lowes, Target, Home Depot, Whole Foods, etc., etc.)--have made it impossible for small stores that could sell at fairly low prices to compete. And I'm not sure whether the differences in the prices would be as great if the large corporate stores weren't distorting the markets.
Many people who shop at Walmart are poor, that's very true. In little traditional towns in other countries, poor people are able to sell to each other--the farmers bring their produce to town, and are able to sell it at a price that local people can afford, yet also makes it possible for the farmer to survive. That system used to work here--even when I was a child, huge corporate chain stores were few (my father worked for Sears, so won't say they didn't exist!).
Now it's true that the big corporate stores can offer goods at somewhat lower prices, but at the cost of paying most employees well and giving them benefits (unless the facts I've read are incorrect, which is possible). If that is true, then the benefit to society as a whole is not great--some are buying more stuff, but others are paid less.
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PBS did something on this a while back that I saw. It was hugely impressive, and hopefully that technology will spread.
Now it's true that the big corporate stores can offer goods at somewhat lower prices, but at the cost of paying most employees well and giving them benefits
Yes, and often times, those same Walmart workers have to purchase their items from Walmart to get the lowest prices. Almost serf like in its design.
I was just thinking about this before checking my email, and it seems to me we can't ask those whose wages are the lowest to fight issues about Walmart by using a great share of their income on more expensive items elsewhere. We might have that wiggle room, but they don't.
Most people I've met, have no problem with Walmart, even after learning more about their practices. They want the lowest price.
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It's the same problem as buying clothes made in sweatshops, wherever you buy them, or with products that damage the environment, or even with fast food. Of course most people are going to buy the cheapest stuff, even though I hope people will gradually learn to at least know what they are buying and who they're buying it from, so that it's at least a conscious choice.
At the other extreme, we can look at China, where employees are virtually slaves and consumers are frequently getting stuff that's downright dangerous (like the milk that poisoned the babies). That's the final result of saying that the most important thing is the lowest price. Since consumers really aren't going to buy more expensive stuff, the only alternatives are unions to ensure that employees are treated decently and government regulation to ensure that the products are of a reasonable quality.
Some people have had a problem with Walmart, though--several communities in California, including Vallejo, Inglewood, and Santa Barbara, have defeated proposed Walmarts. Our community at the beach recently did the same with Lowe's (and save the old mom-and-pop hardware store for one more round, at least).
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My sister and I employ a woman to clean our rental house. We pay her by the job--I think it takes her about four hours plus her time and gas to drive there (about 20 miles), and we pay her $100 per job for all that--but she has a lot of responsibility because we're not there to supervise her work--also, we would have many problems if we didn't have someone we could trust in that position, so we want to make sure she doesn't leave! And we don't pay any insurance or benefits for her.
Are there giant chain stores in European countries that are large enough to drive the traditional independent stores out of business? I don't recall hearing about such stores existing in Europe, but maybe they do.
If there are not such stores in Europe, do you have any idea of what prevents them from being built?
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I know that Walmart tried to expand in EU starting in Germany, but they could not be competitive enough after the unions, forced them to sign work agreements.
In Denmark there is memorandum on stop for building supermakets larger than 3000 m2. So the large (seen from a danish perspective) supermarkets are build together with shopping malls
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As you can see, Target, also listed in both categories, gets a C- in one & a C+ in the other. Whole Foods actually gets an A & is even listed as a "Corporate Hero" in the book; personally, I have a problem w/its labor practices (I read several years ago that they went so far as to close a store whose workers voted to unionize; I don't know if things have changed since then) & tendency to drive smaller stores out, & I don't shop there myself.
Anyway. You can see what the book has to say & make your own decisions. It's definitely changed the way I shop.
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My son's friends who work for Whole Foods say it's great to the employees so doesn't need unions, but living in a non-union state I will tell them that when you don't have unions, everyone suffers. WF probably would not be so good to the employees if the unions hadn't set a high standards with which WF has to compete.