<p>“I’d also argue that Wal-Mart has some of the least appearance-discriminatory hiring practices of any retailer. I don’t see Banana Republic or the Apple Store hiring people on oxygen, or with missing front teeth, or the very elderly, or the morbidly obese.”</p>
<p>The one walmart that we frequent seems to hire only disabled individuals.</p>
<p>^^ I’m not knocking you for your shopping choices. I don’t shop at Walmart either but for different reasons. </p>
<p>But to some of your other points - there are plenty of local people employed at the big box stores (pretty much all of them), the stores pay local taxes which benefit the community, and there are ancillary local suppliers, local contractors, and others who benefit from these big box stores. The idea that it has to be a little mom and pop store or nothing in order to benefit the locals just isn’t the case.</p>
<p>While it’s great that you enjoy the local farmer’s market these same farmers likely benefit by selling their produce commercially as well where it ends up in Safeway or even Walmart.</p>
<p>But - I wouldn’t want a historic downtown razed in order to build a big box store on the spot either so I get that.</p>
<p>I won’t shop at Wal-Mart either for all of the above reasons. I fought for years to keep them out of our community and lost. And it’s like they’re trying to take over the retail world. Unless they have changed their practices drastically in the last few years, they are a disaster.</p>
<p>My good friend’s DH sold his company for $16M a few years ago. She shops at Walmart, Marshall’s and BJ’s all the time. She also jets off to Paris at the drop of a hat.</p>
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Our local Walmart & Sams Club has several disabled people who I suspect would have a hard time finding employment in most retail outfits - it’s great to see them being productive.</p>
<p>Was the OP’s intent to discuss Wal Mart specifically, or to discuss more generally something along the lines of “How many millionaires buy relatively inexpensive goods or services instead of relatively expensive goods or services?” (e.g. car with a crooked H or blue oval badge instead of a crooked L or blue propeller badge)?</p>
<p>A LOT of ppl are Millionaires by virtue of their home value. While their home is worth over 1 Million, most of them are house rich, cash poor. Yes, I shop at WM, Dollar Tree and 99c only…</p>
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<p>Maybe so, but they are employed outside our city limits. We have no big box stores in our city limits, so they are not paying taxes here. When I said anti- Big Box…I meant it. Wal-mart has tried a dozen times to come here. They are denied. No Target, no Home Depot, no Lowes, no chain grocer, no fast food chains, nothing. Just family owned and operated stores that do a great job.</p>
<p>Whenever I go to Walmart ,I notice a lot of employees with really bad or missing teeth .Guess they don’t have a dental plan . Also ,nobody ever knows anything about the merchandise . I prefer Target for a comparable experience , and the teeth are better at Target .</p>
<p>I have a friend (now retired) who lives in a beautiful home in Westport, CT, earned over $500K annually and clipped coupons.</p>
<p>Incidentally, he shopped at Walmart and other discount chains. His business was one of Walmart’s vendors.</p>
<p>A millionaire that my family knows boasts about how he goes to Vons and shops there, paying just enough to get that coupon for Super Cuts (haircut place) and then goes there right after.</p>
<p>He also definitely shops at Walmart, Costco, you name it.</p>
<p>collegeshopping:</p>
<p>I’d go along with the NIMBY attitude on this. Frankly, I wouldn’t want a bunch of big box stores right next to me either but I also wouldn’t want to live on a major street or one with a lot of commercial or retail companies on it. I think the NIMBY approach can work okay for somewhat separated small towns but medium sized on up cities seem to like the tax revenue and the people living there like the price and selection. I’ll bet there are even plenty of people from your town (and similar ones) who make periodic trips to those big box stores that are in the nearby areas so while they don’t want them in their backyard, I’ll bet a lot of them still shop at them - it just takes more gas and time to do so. (I’m not talking about you specifically)</p>
<p>Fauxmaven, hence the term TOOTH brush. ;)</p>
<p>Got home late, but had to jump in on the “millionaire” definition. If you are old enough to have college age students and aren’t one of the minority with a defined benefit pension, I hope you have over a million in retirement assets.</p>
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Probably closer to three million, which is what one retirement calculator came up with for us last week. Yikes, we will be working until we are 70…</p>
<p>I don’t shop at WalMart much, but I do sometimes.</p>
<p>Problem with some financial calculators are they are created by and for financial services, who make their money by convincing you haven’t saved enough for college,retirement,etc…save as much as you can for retirement,but live your life while you can actually enjoy it…to quote Andy from Shawshank, ‘get busy living or get busy dying’</p>
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<p>I tend to be a cynic about Walmart and their workforce … for example … <a href=“http://nfb.org/images/nfb/si/fair%20wages%20for%20workers%202012.pdf[/url]”>http://nfb.org/images/nfb/si/fair%20wages%20for%20workers%202012.pdf</a> (employers have been allowed by federal law to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage) … and this … [url=<a href=“http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/reports/dol01.html]Department”>Department of Labor]Department</a> of Labor<a href=“the%20feds%20subsidize%20the%20wages%20of%20disabled%20ex-federal%20workers”>/url</a>. Their hiring practices both give disabled workers jobs but also are to Walmart’s financial advantage (and there is nothing wrong with that)</p>
<p>^^ But depending on the disability the worker may be less productive than a non-disabled counterpart so even if they’re earning less money they may not be an advantage financially to the company. It’s hard to tell without knowing the details. Regardless - I’m glad some people with disabilities can get some of these jobs.</p>
<p>"Problem with some financial calculators are they are created by and for financial services, who make their money by convincing you haven’t saved enough for college,retirement,etc…save as much as you can for retirement,but live your life while you can actually enjoy it…to quote Andy from Shawshank, ‘get busy living or get busy dying’</p>
<p>I read this a lot…</p>
<p>But when I look at the calculators…</p>
<p>I don’t really see the flaws…</p>
<p>It does take a lot to retire…</p>
<p>There are people that struggle making…let’s say 80,000 a year…</p>
<p>So how are they going to do when they make less because they are retired? </p>
<p>And what about compounding inflation…and interest rates on the floor?</p>
<p>^^ All the more reason to continue to exercise reasonable thrift despite whether one considers herself a millionaire or not - whether at Walmart or the mom and pop place.</p>
<p>I’m another anti-Walmarter. It feels like a tag sale in there – thinking of one in particular that bears a strong resemblance to Ocean State Job Lot. </p>
<p>When Walmart replaced Caldor in our area, I was horrified by their product assortment – where did they <em>find</em> this stuff, and why do they think it’s going to sell <em>here</em>??? I still feel that way – but I’ll grant that they must know what they are doing assortment wise.</p>