Who wants to spend their life chained to a shopping cart?
Credit: lusi | ©www.sxc.hu
It's weird how some things will get people talking.
There's been a Wal-Mart in Collinsville, IL, for a very long time, and as it's gradually gobbled up the local shops and absorbed the local business, nobody's said a word. It has grown, like so many Wal-Marts across the country, from a novelty into a necessity--the only place in town you can go to get a ping pong table and a carton of milk at 11:00 at night. And like a hermit crab, it's grown out of its shell, and the minimum wage workers came one day to move everything out of it, load shelves of cheap merchandise onto trucks, and drive a few blocks to the Brand New Wal-Mart Location.
We have a Super Wal-Mart, now.
The residents talk about it like we've just been granted an exclusive contract on a space exploration mission: "Did you hear? We're getting a Super Wal-Mart!"
"What's that?"
"It's like a normal Wal-Mart, only...Super."
For the uninitiated (and frankly, there probably aren't any), a Super Wal-Mart stays open 24 hours and sells all types of groceries along with their usual mess of discount DVDs, clothes, and housewares. That's 24 hours of rolled back pricing! Excited?
Like many Americans, I have a distrust of Wal-Mart. It goes back to when I was a kid and my favorite grocery store (that's right, as a kid, I had a favorite grocery store) was driven out of business by the Giants of Capitalism. At first, it didn't seem so bad. But then, other stores began to go away.
I'm not going to make the argument that Wal-Mart drives up prices overall or offers less variety than consumers need--both of those are valid arguments, and I'm sure they have very well done research to back them up, but that's someone else's battle to fight. My problem is that every town with a Wal-Mart is starting to look exactly the same.
It's easy to do when your company eats up other businesses like some Ultra-Capitalist praying mantis. Every town is starting to have that long, dark parking lot leading up to the blue and white or brown and white Wal-Mart; inside, the ceilings rise up to incomplete rafters of steel, and despondent old women push shopping carts packed with unessential items to long check out lanes.
There's been a Wal-Mart in Collinsville, IL, for a very long time, and as it's gradually gobbled up the local shops and absorbed the local business, nobody's said a word. It has grown, like so many Wal-Marts across the country, from a novelty into a necessity--the only place in town you can go to get a ping pong table and a carton of milk at 11:00 at night. And like a hermit crab, it's grown out of its shell, and the minimum wage workers came one day to move everything out of it, load shelves of cheap merchandise onto trucks, and drive a few blocks to the Brand New Wal-Mart Location.
We have a Super Wal-Mart, now.
The residents talk about it like we've just been granted an exclusive contract on a space exploration mission: "Did you hear? We're getting a Super Wal-Mart!"
"What's that?"
"It's like a normal Wal-Mart, only...Super."
For the uninitiated (and frankly, there probably aren't any), a Super Wal-Mart stays open 24 hours and sells all types of groceries along with their usual mess of discount DVDs, clothes, and housewares. That's 24 hours of rolled back pricing! Excited?
Like many Americans, I have a distrust of Wal-Mart. It goes back to when I was a kid and my favorite grocery store (that's right, as a kid, I had a favorite grocery store) was driven out of business by the Giants of Capitalism. At first, it didn't seem so bad. But then, other stores began to go away.
I'm not going to make the argument that Wal-Mart drives up prices overall or offers less variety than consumers need--both of those are valid arguments, and I'm sure they have very well done research to back them up, but that's someone else's battle to fight. My problem is that every town with a Wal-Mart is starting to look exactly the same.
It's easy to do when your company eats up other businesses like some Ultra-Capitalist praying mantis. Every town is starting to have that long, dark parking lot leading up to the blue and white or brown and white Wal-Mart; inside, the ceilings rise up to incomplete rafters of steel, and despondent old women push shopping carts packed with unessential items to long check out lanes.
Comments
Jack
(Guest)
(Guest)
11/19/2009
No one ever talks about how this Mom and Pop stores have been totally ripping off their customers. We finally got a Wal-Mart in my town and I was floored by how cheap everything was. Now I'm pissed b/c all these years I've been paying outrageously high prices at these local Mom and Pops. Wal-Mart is so successful b/c they provide they really increase your standard of living by increasing the purchasing power of your dollar. It felt like I got a raise when WalMart came to town!!
Eric, they'll offer lower costs at a loss until they close down the competition and then increase prices over what the competition charges, so no, it's not a good example of capitalism. They're corporate bullies.
Eric
(Guest)
(Guest)
08/18/2008
Just for argument's sake -
People complain about Wal-Mart pushing out smaller stores, but why does that happen? Because they offer competitive prices, so people choose to shop there. Is that so bad? Aren't lower prices a good thing? The economy in this country was founded on the principles of a free market in order to provide the best for the consumer. It could be argued that Wal-Mart is a good example of that and an example of the American dream - to go into business and become very successful. It's not necessarily evil, it's just the free market at work. Is that really such a bad thing?
Now I'm not saying Wal-Mart is all good. I've heard it's not a good company to work for, so I question things like their labor practices and their pay policies.
A D R
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/30/2008
Jenna, Your voice should be heard across the land because you are our future (I'm 47). Stick with what's in your heart and stay true to our land. Thanks for siding with the forests.
A D R
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/30/2008
Phil, I loved reading your article. Your put out there what's in my heart. I want ALL the DIFFERENT not all the same! Our normal little Walmart is now under construction to be a Super Walmart and I must say that it saddens me deeply. There is an Aldi's grocery right next door and a Schnucks on the next block, I sure hope they stay in business.
Jenna Seguin
(Guest)
(Guest)
09/15/2007
hiiii =]
I love what you wrote about wal-mart!!!!!
A new super wal-mart is currently being bulit in my small town (Cornwall) and I seem to be the only person agaist is. The Town hasn't exactly started buliding it, but they already bought the land. Accept that land is a forest. To bulid a super wal-mart there, they are going to have to cut down all those trees :[
I'm 14 and I just started writing reseach papers for my school. My first one was about animal testing. My next one is about the new super wal-mart. I don't plagerise just so you know, and I'm against it being bulit in my town for two other reasons.
Thank youuuu!
-Jenna
The loss of prsonal service is evident in any WalMart. Only God knows when all this faster, bigger, better bologna will cause the American spirit to die. This country was founded on the small business man, most of the workin' folks are employed by small business owners, The pride of ownership has made us a better country.
Wal-Mart Fan, try again. Target on average has lower prices than Wal-Mart. I'm against all of that corporitazation to an extent, though.
TyIslander
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/10/2007
I loathe wallymart.
If you haven't seen someone in a while just go visit Walmart, sooner or later they will show up. When we got our Super Walmart around here the cry was "Whooooo wheeeee, that Walmart is open"
Comments 1 - 10 (of 38)
Next >>
|
|