Walmart - Good For America?

[MilwaukeeMike]

Since there isn't a Business section here this will have to settle here.

In the last couple of years we have heard a lot about how Wal Mart is destroying America. (Mostly from the liberal media, which is pretty much everybody except Fox, WSJ, W. Post to name a few)

But what is so bad with fullfilling the American dream to its fullest extent. Shouldn't people who claim America is a free market jump for joy at the sucess story that is Wal Mart. Not according to websites like the one listed below.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

They lead you to think that everything is being made in China and thousands of people are loosing their jobs. But in fact productivity in the United States has been climbing and is at all time highs which obviously means that it takes less people to make the same good. (Granted tousands of people have been laid off because of many different reasons, not just Wal Marts policies.
http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues/ci10-13/ci10-13.html

U.S. manufacturing productivity is rising relative to Germany, France and the United Kingdom after falling for many years.

It is true that employment is down, but manufacturing's share of total employment has fallen by a similar percentage in every industrialized country--including those with active industrial policies.

http://www.ncpa.org/iss/eco/2004/pd012104a.html

Not to mention, GDP or Gross Domestic Product has been rising every year and is higher then it was 50 years ago. For those of you who don't know what GDP is, its the total market value of everythingPRODUCED in a given country.

No need for a link, just check any economic website with GDP data

gross domestic product
n. Abbr. GDP
The total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period.

http://www.dictionary.com

I still can't see a problem with Wal Mart. Some claim they don't pay fair, or don't pay enough. Just go to their web site and you can read about all the benefits employees actually get. How much do these people need to be paid for jobs that require no education, sub par IQ's (at least the Wal Mart by my house), and no hidden bias towards social conditions. Some people claim that they are putting the little guy out of business; Wal Mart found a more efficient way to sell goods to people reducing prices. Remember, no one is forced to shop there. All Wal Mart is doing is supplying a demand for cheaper goods. If the whole of the country was truly concerned about Wal Mart and how they operate they would have gone out of business a long time ago.


So what do all of you think about this issue and what I said. Im sure I pissed some people off. So let me have it.:cool:

[Jocko]

Non-issue. Wal Mart is a natural market reaction to economic trends that draw cheap labor from third-world nations and support the idea that even the poorest of Americans somehow deserve Dolby 5.1 surround sound DVD players.

Neither good nor evil. Simply necessary and predictable. When the paradigm shifts then Wal Mart will go away. That said, the hysteria over the name is unfounded paranoia and some people should get a friggin' hobby. Wal Mart has them on sale through Saturday, BTW. ;)

[Rob Lister]

Well, I voted "a great American success story" but I could just as easily voted "a non issue".

Wal-mart is a non-issue. The principle is a great success. The fact that they could achieve such success is the success.

Wal-mart, as the driver, will fade. They are already so K-martish (if I may so conjugate) that I refuse to go unless I know they're the only likely supplier of the product I need. I'll go to Target first (more expensive but more betterest for other reasons).

[TragicMonkey]

As an American consumer, I don't give a crap about the political, economic, or social implications of Walmart or any other business. I simply find the items sold at Walmart to be of inferior quality. Cheap, yes, but cheap in both price and in construction. The only things there that I've found of acceptable quality are the same items sold elsewhere for a few pennies more. Which makes it not worth going there, especially as the Walmart near me tends to be dirty, overcrowded, and with very poorly-designed traffic flow on the approach. There's a Target down the street from it that's cleaner, with much better traffic, superior parking, and an abundance of other shops surrounding it. And the stuff you get there doesn't look like it cost eight cents to make, and falls apart before you get it home.

Screw the big picture. I demand decent stuff for my hard-earned money. I'd rather have one nice Target thing than thirty crappy Walmart ones for the same price! (Kmart, btw, is a good median between the two, only the one nearest me is way ghetto, so nobody goes there.)

[Rob Lister]

Damn...Tragic, Lister and Jocko cross agreeing with each other.

Tragic...your description of the walmart near you makes me think you live very, very near me. I forget, are you a VaBch'er?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Well, I voted "a great American success story" but I could just as easily voted "a non issue".

Wal-mart is a non-issue. The principle is a great success. The fact that they could achieve such success is the success.

Wal-mart, as the driver, will fade. They are already so K-martish (if I may so conjugate) that I refuse to go unless I know they're the only likely supplier of the product I need. I'll go to Target first (more expensive but more betterest for other reasons).

I agree on all points.

[Jorghnassen]

All of the above... It's an evil company which is a great American success story, I've never actually shopped there, like communism it works in theory but the practice doesn't live up to that, and it is destroying small town America but that really isn't an issue, because I don't care.

/ok, so I haven't worked there, but close enough.

[TragicMonkey]

Damn...Tragic, Lister and Jocko cross agreeing with each other.

Tragic...your description of the walmart near you makes me think you live very, very near me. I forget, are you a VaBch'er?

Chesapeake. The Walmart off Battlefield Blvd is even worse than the one around Lynnhaven. Hard to believe, I know. One time, I joined a crowd watching the staff fight over who was going to clean up what happened in the bathroom towels aisle. You don't want to know.

Someone took a dump on the floor there, then piled towels atop it. Fluffy pink towels. Whoever it was was quite, quite ill. Or maybe it was a group effort.

I told you you didn't want to know. Why did you click on the spoiler box? Just think of this story when next you feel tempted to plunge your hands into those thick piles of fluffy, fluffy towels. I know I do.

[pchams]

This is predicated on the assumption that everyone wants "the American Dream".
I for one, am not American, and don't neccessarily have the same values.
I'm a Canuck, and Canada seems to just fall faithfully in line with U.S. economic policy.
I prefer the Mom & Pop stores, knowing the shopkeep, and keeping the money
in the community.
I like capitalism as the lesser of evils, but not neccessarily giant corporations
swallowing up the independent entrepreneur.

[MilwaukeeMike]

:) I'm a Canuck, and Canada seems to just fall faithfully in line with U.S. economic policy.

Well any country neighboring a country with a $13 trillion economy kinda has too.

[pchams]

Precisely.
We are after all each others largest trading partner.
Wal-Mart/Home Depot have invaded Canada quite successfully, but I can't
find a corner hardware store where wally will just cut me a key.
I have to drive 10 miles fighting traffic, park half a mile away, and waste too
much time for such a trivial errand. :D

[Ziggurat]

Screw the big picture. I demand decent stuff for my hard-earned money. I'd rather have one nice Target thing than thirty crappy Walmart ones for the same price! (Kmart, btw, is a good median between the two, only the one nearest me is way ghetto, so nobody goes there.)

I've had pretty similar experiences: I don't like the layout of the stores, don't enjoy my shopping experience there, and just generally prefer Target. But I will get some stuff there if it's cheaper AND it's something where quality isn't an issue (stuff like cat litter, for example).

[Rob Lister]

Precisely.
We are after all each others largest trading partner.
Wal-Mart/Home Depot have invaded Canada quite successfully, but I can't
find a corner hardware store where wally will just cut me a key.
I have to drive 10 miles fighting traffic, park half a mile away, and waste too
much time for such a trivial errand. :D

You just discovered a niche market.

Photo/Key/Hotdog stand.

Ya see, no matter how the Walmarts of the world try, as long as we maintain the principle, others -- tiny others -- can and will shove them out of the market.

[Ziggurat]

This is predicated on the assumption that everyone wants "the American Dream".
I for one, am not American, and don't neccessarily have the same values.
I'm a Canuck, and Canada seems to just fall faithfully in line with U.S. economic policy.
I prefer the Mom & Pop stores, knowing the shopkeep, and keeping the money
in the community.
I like capitalism as the lesser of evils, but not neccessarily giant corporations
swallowing up the independent entrepreneur.

If most Canadians really felt that way, then companies like Walmart could never make inroads, because you wouldn't buy from them, but just keep buying from mom & pop stores. But evidently a whole lot of Canadians don't feel the same way: they actually like the lower prices, and so will choose to shop at the giant corporate stores. So I'm not sure why you're labelling those "values" as "American": they only succeed in Canada to the extent that Canadians actually choose them, which means those are really Canadian values too. That's the great thing about capitalism: if Canadians really preferred mom & pop stores (and that means everything together, including their higher prices), those are the stores that would succeed and the giant corporate stores would not.

[coalesce]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who prefers Target. I don't think they're any less predatory in business practices, but they are not the biggest game in town--Wal-Mart is, and as a result, are the lightning rod for the criticism against big chain stores. Like many others here, I've also found Target stores to be cleaner, better organized and a more pleasurable shopping experience. As a matter of fact, my wife and I are moving next month to a town that has a 24-hour Wal-Mart a mile away. We went there during the day and after 11PM, and the difference in clientele is like, well...night and day, actually. During the day, there's a nice cross-section of people. At night, you'd think there was an open casting call for "Cops."

Michael

[Rob Lister]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who prefers Target. I don't think they're any less predatory in business practices, but they are not the biggest game in town--Wal-Mart is, and as a result, are the lightning rod for the criticism against big chain stores. Like many others here, I've also found Target stores to be cleaner, better organized and a more pleasurable shopping experience. As a matter of fact, my wife and I are moving next month to a town that has a 24-hour Wal-Mart a mile away. We went there during the day and after 11PM, and the difference in clientele is like, well...night and day, actually. During the day, there's a nice cross-section of people. At night, you'd think there was an open casting call for "Cops."

Michael

Sad as it is to say...there is that. It's a self-correcting market factor. There comes a point where 'low-price' marketing attracts too many of those that others, even being only slightly higher up on the wage curve, find slightly higher prices, a 'best value' solution. Factor in messy, unorganized isles, surly, ignorant and slow cashiers, poor or no customer service, difficult access, and possibly even gate guards eyeing you suspiciously (or searching your bags) as you exist makes for a soon-to-fail K-Mart wannabe.

I give Walmart 10 years before the first Chapter 11 rumor.

[Almo]

I'm tired of this "Liberal Media" crap. If the American media are Liberal, then you'd probably think unbiased reporting was from the Extreme Left.

[Tony]

I don't know if it's an evil company, but it's what you would expect from a company ran by white-trash from Arkansas. My experiences at Wal-Mart echo what others have already said. The only time I shop at Wal-Mart is when I want to buy a DVD or Video Game at 3 in the morning.

[Rob Lister]

I don't know if it's an evil company, but it's what you would expect from a company ran by white-trash from Arkansas. My experiences at Wal-Mart echo what others have already said. The only time I shop at Wal-Mart is when I want to buy a DVD or Video Game at 3 in the morning.

And yet...

there you are, at three in the morning, filling the pockets of so-called "white-trash" from Arkansas.

Irony.

Goes best with Niagara Spray Starch.

[Rob Lister]

I'm tired of this "Liberal Media" crap. If the American media are Liberal, then you'd probably think unbiased reporting was from the Extreme Left.

You may need to expound, restate or otherwise clarify. As written, your statement is ambigious.

[Tony]

And yet...

there you are, at three in the morning, filling the pockets of so-called "white-trash" from Arkansas.

Irony.

Yeah, it's kind of like how you purchase crack from the single mother on welfare. ;)

[TragicMonkey]

Yeah, it's kind of like how you purchase crack from the single mother on welfare. ;)

I buy my crack from a giant, faceless, evil corporation that drives small Mom & Pop crack dealers out of business. Sure, it lacks the warm homey charm of dealing with locals who know you, but it's all about the convenience of being able to buy crack at 3 in the morning.

Aslan says: Do Drugs!
:lion:

Er, Aslan meant: Don't Do Drugs! Yeah, that's it.
:lion:

Hey kids! Got any drugs for ol Aslan? Just asking.
:lion:

[Rob Lister]

Yeah, it's kind of like how you purchase crack from the single mother on welfare. ;)

You raise a good point. I should pay her more...and make her report. Undoubtedly she is actually not due such welfare...probably makes much more than I.

[UserGoogol]

If most Canadians really felt that way, then companies like Walmart could never make inroads, because you wouldn't buy from them, but just keep buying from mom & pop stores.

There are several problems wrong with that idea. For one, people are not especially rational. People's desires and their actions are frequently quite out of whack, due to people focusing on short term results or simply being stupid. In addition, there is something like the Prisoner's Dillema going on here:

If others shop and you shop, Walmart stays and you pay low prices.
If others shop and you do not, Walmart stays but you have to pay more.
If nobody shops, Walmart goes away.
If others do not shop and you do, Walmart goes away but you get the advantage of low prices until it goes.

If you do not have any impact over how other people shop, the self-interested thing to do is to shop at Walmart. Of course, one could argue that by not shopping at Walmart you serve as an examples to others, but most people are too "lazy" to try to change other people's opinions like that.

Of course, as has already been said, Walmart might go down not because of people angsting about its long term socioeconomic impact, but because they get tired of cheap crap.

[Anti_Hypeman]

Walmart has been getting more of my business for a few simple reasons that have nothing to do with price.

I can shop there without having magazine subscriptions, AOL, netflix, or other crap shoved down my throat. I dont want to hear about free newsweek trials when I am browsing DVD's.

I can buy electronics without listening to a 30 minute pitch on service plans.

I dont need a special LET US SPAM YOU BETTER card to buy groceries.

I am not a big fan of walmart but all the other stores are making the shopping experience so excruciating they drive me away. If walmart starts with the service plans I will shop exclusively online all I can.

[Rob Lister]

There are several problems wrong with that idea. For one, people are not especially rational...

That's where I stopped reading because, before I continue I want to know...

Are YOU part of the group called People?

If so, are YOU rational? (Tony isn't...at least not at 3:00 in the morning hunting down DVD's or Video games).

[UserGoogol]

I like to think I'm a little above average*, but yes, I am very much included in that statement. I do irrational things all the time, and so do you. Human beings are not perfectly rational computers, but instead our actions are the result of fairly irrational emotional drives; nobody chooses their actions based on a rigorous chain of logic, but instead has less rational parts of our brain pop in and say "Well, that just feels like what I should do."

Of course, it's impossible to be totally logical all the time. Trying to figure out the total outcomes of every single action you make is simply computationally inpractical with the constraints of our present brainmeat. So having irrational forces guide us isn't an absolutely terrible idea. But that doesn't change what I said: human beings (although we are probably more rational than any other species on Earth) are still not all that rational.

*But then again, I'm a college student, and they are the sort of people who tend to overestimate their rationality, so who can say?

[Ralph]

I detest the place. There used to be several discount stores in the area. Bradless-Ames-Caldor- and K-Mart. You could go in any one of them (they all carried the samme crap) and at least get through a checkout line in 5 minutes or less.

Now they have all gone out of business and we just have Walmart. All those cashiers they had initially---gone. The lines are huge---the self-checkouts don't work and inevitably someone gets hung up.

Even though the store is only a 5 minute ride away from where I live --I rarely if ever go there.

I make my wife go ...she doesn't mind waiting in line as much as I do.

[coalesce]

I give Walmart 10 years before the first Chapter 11 rumor.

I'm not too sure about that, if only because K-Mart didn't appear to have the same type of relationship with manufacturers that Wal-Mart does with their suppliers. Within walking distance of their corporate headquarters in Benton, Arkansas, there are many satellite offices of companies that do business with Wal-Mart, so they can be at Wal-Mart's beck-and-call at a moment's notice.

But then again, Rome fell, so what's so great about Wal-Mart?

Michael

[pchams]

If most Canadians really felt that way, then companies like Walmart could never make inroads, because you wouldn't buy from them, but just keep buying from mom & pop stores. But evidently a whole lot of Canadians don't feel the same way: they actually like the lower prices, and so will choose to shop at the giant corporate stores. So I'm not sure why you're labelling those "values" as "American": they only succeed in Canada to the extent that Canadians actually choose them, which means those are really Canadian values too. That's the great thing about capitalism: if Canadians really preferred mom & pop stores (and that means everything together, including their higher prices), those are the stores that would succeed and the giant corporate stores would not.

I didn't say most Canadians felt that way, I was just giving you background to myself since the OP asked about 'America'. I should have stayed out of it on that premise. However, since that company has made inroads here, and I am quite familiar with it, I thought I might offer an insight.

[pchams]

Wal-Mart and their ilk are all about supplier relationships. Of that I know well.
If you buy up all of an available commodity, people are bound to visit your store.
Return policies are dictated (for suppliers) as are price buying points.
They basically are the bullies of the block.
Anthropormorphism of large corporations is allowed, lest we forget we are human, and humans are behind corporate entities. This is easy to forget.

[Kopji]

A lot of the reported US economic data specifically EXCLUDES Walmart, so there is a need to be careful of the quoted data sources.

Don't know about other states, but Walmart's policy in Arizona has not been all that stellar. The were sued by the state last month for consumer fraud. The following is directly from the state site:


Terry Goddard Charges Wal-Mart, AutoZone with Consumer Fraud(Phoenix, Ariz. – July 6, 2006)

Attorney General Terry Goddard announced that his office filed consumer fraud lawsuits today against AutoZone and Wal-Mart for their continued failure to correct pricing violations at their stores across Arizona.Both retailers have been consistently cited by the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures (DWM) during the past five years for discrepancies between posted prices and checkout prices and for failing to post shelf prices on many products. Both companies have not contested the violations and have paid substantial fines, but both have yet to eliminate the pricing problems. “Price accuracy is a fundamental consumer right which these companies have repeatedly abused,” Goddard said. “The state has made every effort to work with both of these retailers to no avail. When retailers fail to post and scan correct prices, there is no reasonable way for Arizona consumers to comparison shop. Shopping should not be a game of chance.”Each year the Department of Weights and Measures sends inspectors to retailers throughout Arizona to verify that prices are posted and that shelf prices match checkout prices. Violations occur when a store exceeds a 2 percent error rate. Over the past five years, both AutoZone and Wal-Mart failed more than half of the inspections and continue to violate the state Consumer Fraud Act.

The lawsuits allege that the violations of both companies involve more than scanning overcharges at the cash register. They also include the failure to post prices for many products. When prices are not posted on the shelf, consumers are unable to compare prices or to know if they are accurately charged when they check out. “AutoZone and Wal-Mart evidently see paying fines as the cost of doing business rather than making the effort to correct the problem,” Goddard said. “Consumers have a legal right to know the accurate price of a product when they shop. These companies have consistently failed to comply with the law.” Office of Attorney General Terry Goddard

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 2
Office of the Attorney General Page 2

Since 2001, DWM has conducted 846 inspections of AutoZone stores throughout Arizona and failed 426. The violations included 190 for not posting prices and 236 for scanning overcharges. The repeated violations were not limited to one store, one city or one region in Arizona. DWM inspectors provided store managers with written inspection reports outlining the violations. DWM also sent 220 Notice of Violation letters to AutoZone’s corporate offices in Memphis identifying the violations, store locations and dates of inspection. During this time, AutoZone was fined more than $170,000 and continues to violate the law.Since 2001, DWM has conducted 976 inspections of Wal-Mart stores throughout Arizona to determine compliance with Arizona law. The retailer failed a total of 526DWM inspections, which included 366 price-posting violations and 160 price-scanning overcharges. The repeated violations were not limited to one store, one city or one region in Arizona.DWM inspectors provided store managers with written inspection reports outlining the violations. DWM also has sent 260 letters to Wal-Mart at its corporate offices in Arkansas identifying the violations, store locations and dates of inspection. During this time, Wal-Mart has paid more than $450,000 in fines and continues to violate the law. After being notified of these violations, both Wal-Mart and AutoZone were given opportunities to fix the problems. Both retailers, however, failed multiple re-inspections which led to additional fines. AutoZone has been listed as one of the top 10 “Needs Most Improvement” companies on the annual DWM Price Verification Survey released to the public in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in Arizona, has the highest number of price-posting violations in the state. The $450,000 in civil fines is also the most assessed against any retailer for pricing violations. “Wal-Mart has tried to defend its inaccurate pricing by saying that while some customers are overcharged, others are undercharged,” Goddard said. “It is not a defense to say we only defraud some of our customers some of the time.” Arizona is not the only state where Wal-Mart’s pricing has come under legal scrutiny. Earlier this year in Michigan, the company agreed to a record $1.5 million settlement to resolve claims that it committed repeated pricing violations. In Connecticut, the state Attorney General announced last November an investigation based on a national study that showed discrepancies between Wal-Mart’s posted prices and scanned prices that far exceeded the 2 percent error rate. The lawsuits were filed in Maricopa County Superior Court.###

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:VT4JmeR1gdwJ:www.azag.gov/press_releases/july/2006/AZvAutoZoneWalMart.pdf+arizona+sues+wal+mart&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5

[shecky]

I never understood the big deal about Walmart. It's a friggin' discount store fer chrissakes. The worst I hear about them are occasional crappy work practices, and they're always punished when they're caught. Pretty much like any other place. I shop there, they have good deals on lots of crap I buy.

They can be tough on competition, for sure. But isn't that the name of the game?

[Kopji]

A common criticism (besides selling things cheaper than their competition) is that the lower prices are partly due to providing lower employee benefits. Since their employee benefits are lower they shift the burden of social support for their employees onto the government:

...the employees on average take home pay of under $250 a week. The salary for full-time employees (called "associates") is $6 to $7.50 an hour for 28-40 hours a week, which is typical in the discount retail industry. This pay scale places employees with families below the poverty line, with the majority of employees' children qualifying for free lunch at school. When closely examined, this amounts to a form of corporate welfare, as the taxpayer subsidizes the low salaries. One-third are part-time employees - limited to less than 28 hours of work per week - and are not eligible for benefits.
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html

'Corporate welfare' is certainly not something unique to Walmart though.

Flagstaff made national headlines last year when Walmart launched full page ads comparing their opposition to Nazi's & [people who want to prevent you from worshipping]. The ads were definitely over the top and Walmart apologized (and I recall fired the manager of the advertising campaign).

In Flagstaff, they did 'win', which allowed them to proceed with plans for a Super Walmart. Plans in Flagstaff involve moving several car dealerships out of the middle of town, and building a new outdoor mall in an area of town that really needs better shopping. Another Walmart near Show Low in my opinion, was clearly a blight to the neighborhood. Almost an entire downtown shopping area was turned into a virtual ghost town.

So I think that with community involvement and good planning, a (super) Walmart could be a good addition to a city. But it could also be otherwise. Walmart is so big a player, community involvement and good planning are very important.

[shecky]

A common criticism (besides selling things cheaper than their competition) is that the lower prices are partly due to providing lower employee benefits. Since their employee benefits are lower they shift the burden of social support for their employees onto the government:

I wonder if these employees would be better off without Walmart coming to town? Nobody is forced to work there.

'Corporate welfare' is certainly not something unique to Walmart though.

Indeed. Corporate welfare is crappy across the board. This is probably the biggest criticism I usually have against large business concerns-the ability to curry favor with government in a way that impedes free markets. But like you say, it'd be unfair to single out Walmart for this behavior.

Flagstaff made national headlines last year when Walmart launched full page ads comparing their opposition to Nazi's & [people who want to prevent you from worshipping]. The ads were definitely over the top and Walmart apologized (and I recall fired the manager of the advertising campaign).

Walmart was called on their behavior, and they recanted.

In Flagstaff, they did 'win', which allowed them to proceed with plans for a Super Walmart. Plans in Flagstaff involve moving several car dealerships out of the middle of town, and building a new outdoor mall in an area of town that really needs better shopping. Another Walmart near Show Low in my opinion, was clearly a blight to the neighborhood. Almost an entire downtown shopping area was turned into a virtual ghost town.

It's always a bit sad when folks can't compete. But the benefits have to be considered, too. Walmart employs people and provides low cost goods, often cheaper than the competition. Overall it's a net positive, freeing up consumer dollars to be spent on other things.

So I think that with community involvement and good planning, a (super) Walmart could be a good addition to a city. But it could also be otherwise. Walmart is so big a player, community involvement and good planning are very important.

Community involvement and planning are par for the course. Though there are upsides and downsides to these considerations all the time. Walmart usually plays the game as shrewdly as possible. Can you blame them?

[Kopji]

I wonder if these employees would be better off without Walmart coming to town? Nobody is forced to work there.

I dunno. If you don't want to work for Walmart it could be worse. Walmart encounters a lot of resistance from union labor. Otherwise, much of the new labor might be - new people. The dynamic in small communities can be that new people come in and displace those who were here.

Indeed. Corporate welfare is crappy across the board. This is probably the biggest criticism I usually have against large business concerns-the ability to curry favor with government in a way that impedes free markets. But like you say, it'd be unfair to single out Walmart for this behavior.

I have a little trouble visualizing a completely Libertarian society because of this. Everything is intertwined and has been so a long time. If Walmart pays lower wages so higher paid employees of their competition subsidize benefits in the form of higher taxes, that is part of their business plan.

Walmart was called on their behavior, and they recanted.

They give a lot of autonomy to geographic or market regions in how they represent the company image. Normally a good strategy but in this case needed more oversight. AFAIK The decisions for the ill advised campaign were made in Phoenix not Arkansas.

It's always a bit sad when folks can't compete. But the benefits have to be considered, too. Walmart employs people and provides low cost goods, often cheaper than the competition. Overall it's a net positive, freeing up consumer dollars to be spent on other things.

A lot of the businesses that complain did exactly the same thing to (smaller) businesses when they came in. Shopping also tends to be regional, Flagstaff would like to have the weekend shoppers do it here instead of Phoenix or Prescott. Many complex dynamics that are not just 'city'.

Community involvement and planning are par for the course. Though there are upsides and downsides to these considerations all the time. Walmart usually plays the game as shrewdly as possible. Can you blame them?
Walmart invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into their campaign. This creates resentment from local business interests who cannot raise such funds. This 'investment in our ideas' pattern is duplicated in many things, not just business. I don't get real excited about it, it is just the way it is. In time we move on together in success or failure. It is good for people to be interested in their community.

[Silly Green Monkey]

I wouldn't mind shopping at Target, but Walmart is the only store for a hundred miles that's actually useful. The Kmart never did well here, and eventually closed (after leaving two empty buildings, one of which was going to be a community building but didn't). We do the vast majority of our shopping at Walmart. We only go to grocery stores for the specifics that Walmart doesn't carry (because every time we pick a favorite it gets discontinued).

[Rob Lister]

I have a little trouble visualizing a completely Libertarian society because of this. Everything is intertwined and has been so a long time. If Walmart pays lower wages so higher paid employees of their competition subsidize benefits in the form of higher taxes, that is part of their business plan.


Indeed. A reduction in the benefits of the welfare state, such as it exists in each state and city community, greatly impacts and competes with Walmart's labor pool. Not only must they outbid the competitors that require their employees to actually work, they must outbid those that only require them to provide 'legal' excuses as to why they can't work.

Tough road to hoe in some locales.

[fuelair]

I wouldn't mind shopping at Target, but Walmart is the only store for a hundred miles that's actually useful. The Kmart never did well here, and eventually closed (after leaving two empty buildings, one of which was going to be a community building but didn't). We do the vast majority of our shopping at Walmart. We only go to grocery stores for the specifics that Walmart doesn't carry (because every time we pick a favorite it gets discontinued).

That's why I love stores with mediocre to poor inventory procedures - they keep ordering stuff that almost nobody wants but I do , or you do, or someone else does. Oh well, that's why Dog invented the Internet.