Is Wal-Mart as Bad as Its Opponents Say it Is?

Note: I wrote this article many years ago. While I do have reservations about some of Wal-Mart's practices, particularly since the death of Sam Walton, most of what I wrote I still believe holds true.

Wherever Wal-Mart has tried to open a store, its opponents have acted as if a nuclear waste site was being built next to the town playground. But now that Wal-Mart has been in my hometown for awhile, I must say I am happy it is here.

It is really hard to understand the bitterness of the opposition to Wal-Mart. After all, Wal-Mart is only one of a long procession of chain stores that have come and gone over the past century. In my hometown, we have had, at one time or another, Sears, Nichols, Big N, Woolworth, Family Bargain Center and many more. Chains that have not kept up with the latest trends in retailing, that have expanded without forethought, that have mistreated their customers have gone, deservedly.

Many of the arguments against Wal-Mart have been expressed in terms that support the "little guy." Wal-Mart doesn't pay its employees well. So what? What retail store does. Low pay in retail stores is a problem that needs to be addressed, but Wal-Mart shouldn't be singled out for abuse in this regard.

Then there is the complaint that Wal-Mart drives small businesses out, as if this too is something new. People who make this complaint forget that Sears & Roebuck drove some small businesses out when it first opened in the 1800s. They also forget that Sam Walton was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was a former GI who started his chain with only one store, that he lost that store because he failed to secure a long term lease and so had to start all over again. It wasn't until Walton was near retirement age that his chain took off. Wal-Mart began as a single mom and pop store that challenged big business and won.