<p>*I think it’s being treated like how many cities treat the opening of a new major employer to their area.</p>
<p>=================
Righto, I forgot some people actually believe Walmart is an economic savior. Holy cow. *</p>
<p>That is not the conclusion. When a city shows excitement that major employer has come to town, that does not mean that they think the company is an “economic savior”. That’s an extreme and cynical conclusion. Cities are supposed to bring in new businesses that will help keep taxes in the city. Bedroom communities often have to pay high property taxes because there are too few businesses paying any taxes. </p>
<p>So glad I left this wacky country.</p>
<p>Hopefully, you didn’t move to a country that at some time might need the US to help defend it. </p>
<p>That said…there are Sams Clubs in other countries…hope yours doesn’t have one (or isn’t getting one.)</p>
<h1>117, so an not to disappoint, take a look at this - Walmart’s gun catalogue that carries items not sold in store. I wonder what other catalogues they offer.</h1>
<p>Actually, the town has three dollar stores, all of which are lower cost options than Wal-Mart, and a KMart, which is comparable. So the people already had low cost shopping options. (I give the KMart 6 months, by the way.)</p>
<p>As far as jobs, 2 long-established businesses that were struggling to survive have closed in the last year, and in both cases, when I interviewed the owners, they said the prospect of having to compete with Wal-Mart played a major factor in their decisions. One was a grocery store with about 30 employees and the other a pharmacy with 12. So right off the bat, subtract 42 jobs from the 160 that the Wal-Mart flacks have been trumpeting. (And add into the equation yet another empty storefront on Main Street and yet another strip shopping center without its anchor tenant.) And there are certainly more to follow.</p>
<p>I would imagine that a Walmart will offer a lot more choice/options than 3 Dollars stores. </p>
<p>Is this a Super Walmart or at least a Walmart with a substantial food section? .</p>
<p>Walmart does carry many name brands and other popular items that aren’t really found in Dollar stores. Also, Walmarts offer other things like pharmacies, optometry, tires, etc</p>
<p>This is the first time I have experienced such hate for Walmart first-hand (well, virtually first-hand :rolleyes:)</p>
<p>Maybe its because I have been shopping there for decades (we are talking middle school). The closest one to me now is about 5 miles so I only go about once a month. I always have a list of items that I know will be much less expensive than my local grocery store or drug store. I do base my shopping on convenience and cost.</p>
<p>I can certainly appreciate the passion expressed here but life tends to be too complicated to fight every battle - at least it is for me. I try to live responsibly and I’m sure I fall short, but I’m not dying on the Walmart hill.</p>
<p>^ Didn’t it used to be commonly called “the Sears effect” after similar patterns? Friends used to speak of how they nearly destroyed Craftsman with pricing demands.</p>
<p>I love shopping at walmart. I buy most of my groceries there and everything is a LOT CHEAPER compared to the other chain grocery stores. And those complaining about what they pay, guess what I have worked at massive chain department stores that pay min wage, family owned restaurants that paid min wage without ANY bennifets etc all like walmart does. Do you think the “mom and pop” stores were paying people $15 an hour or even their competeters or fast food places? …</p>
<p>I have lived in both poor rural areas and very poor inner cities. If you think a “mom and pop” shop is better for the community than a walmart you are fooling yourself. The owners of these small grocery stores are not employing more than one person, most of the employees (1-3) are family members and the prices are 1.5-3 times what walmart charges. Has anyone here been to what passes as one of these grocery “stores”?</p>
<p>I do not think you get the full picture. Walmartizaion of America led to much deeper problems than loss of mom and pop stores (and you are correct about some of these outfits).</p>
<p>I’m very fortunate to live near a Wegman’s. When the local news media does price comparisons ever so often, Wegman’s and Walmart are always neck and neck. There isn’t any question about which one I choose.</p>
<p>Well Starbright, if you actually lived in a small town where you had to drive 30 miles to the neasers WalMart in order to get prices and selection that were better than the local 10,000 SF grocery store that only carries one kind of hot sauce you migth appreciate it. Most people don’t worry abour cancer every day or other “issues”. They worry about having that $100 they have to spend cover gas, food and maybe a few other items each week. Having a local Walmart means they don’t have to spend $10 in gas to get to the closest WM. They get a large selection of actually fresh items and affordable clothing or whatever they need. It’s not the world that SF or wherever you live even can comprehend. Many people probably don’t even consider moving to your city because it’s way too expensive. A nice little tourist mecca but not much to offer for real folks not making over $100K.</p>
<p>I shop at Walmart. We don’t have a full grocery department at ours so it’s not where I usually buy food. I do buy school supplies, household products, some clothing. My town has a lot of dollar stores and frankly the quality and atmosphere at Walmart is downright high-class in comparison. </p>
<p>BTW, Walmart is a great way to check out the locals when you are visiting colleges.</p>
<p>it is true that WalMart is a great place for seeing what the local area is really like.</p>
<p>On movein day for my son, we had to go to the Walmart the night before to get a bike lock which he had forgotten. I already knew what the local area was like, but this confirmed it for me. Frankly, I am pleased that his school actually reflects the community composition, rather than being an upper-middle class outpost in a more diverse area.</p>