Walmart v. the National Football League

[flaja]

Yes, but the traditional retail stores in the older downtown (Benjamin Franklin, Western Auto, etc) had already gone out due to other super stores. ie KMart, Roses, Super Mart, Maloneys, etc.
Many of those had also gone away by the time Wally world came about.

You blame Wal mart far too much.

On the contrary; you have just admitted that my entire point is true. I don’t really like stores like Target, Kmart or Home Depot any more than I do Walmart. The government does not adequately regulate the predatory nature of big retail chains like Walmart.

The suburbanization of American cities had already pretty much wiped out the retail businesses in downtown long before Wally world came into existence.

If this were true, so many people wouldn't get so up-in-arms when Walmart sets its sights on a new town. I am not saying that we haven't had big retailers or national retailers in the past or that such retailers have never had a detrimental impact on existing retailers when they came to town. But big national retailers in the past were small (both in store size and number of stores) when compared to Walmart. The pace at which retailers left my local market accelerated drastically after Walmart (and Home Depot) came to down.

 

[Good Luck]

I hope so. I don't want to buy from the Feed Store, they are incredibly proud of their medications and hay. Grass hay went for $10 a bale there, insane.

I guess it depends on the ingenuity of the local business owners. I do not doubt the stories that businesses in some areas were drummed out by Walmarts showing up. But I would say that has much to do with taking the wrong tack. Competition is competition, and is good for both customer and business. Compete in the wrong way, and it does not matter if you are going up against Walmart or Joe's General Store, you will lose. Compete wisely and with innovation, and, again, it does not matter if your competition is Joe's or Walmart, you will do fine.

 

[Damocles]

I guess it depends on the ingenuity of the local business owners. I do not doubt the stories that businesses in some areas were drummed out by Walmarts showing up. But I would say that has much to do with taking the wrong tack. Competition is competition, and is good for both customer and business. Compete in the wrong way, and it does not matter if you are going up against Walmart or Joe's General Store, you will lose. Compete wisely and with innovation, and, again, it does not matter if your competition is Joe's or Walmart, you will do fine.

Well, unless Walmart starts carrying Carhart they're not going to get many clothing sales...

 

[flaja]

It will effect nearly every business in the county,

Which is what I have been telling you all along; you just don't realize yet that the effect will most likely be detrimental. Consider for a moment what will happen to the money that your family, friends and neighbors will spend at your local Walmart: Most of it will leave your local community. The last I heard the average wage for a Walmart store employee was less than $9 an hour (including managerial staff whose pay raises the average) and at least half of Walmart’s employees are ineligible for the company’s healthcare plan (something like 60% of the employees at Costco, a warehouse club similar to Walmart’s Sam’s Club have health insurance through the company). Walmart has its own building construction and maintenance company that travels the country to build and maintain Walmart stores, so none of the money spent at your Walmart will be returned to your local community’s building tradesmen (builders, painters, plumbers etcetera).

Furthermore, much of the money that your local Walmart will funnel to Bentonville, Arkansas will end up in Communist China which is where most Walmart products are now made. Made in America no longer meets Walmart’s profit margin.

And your local area will lose money in other ways also. When local business shut down your local governments will lose tax revenue while they have to maintain the auto infrastructure that Walmart needs to get its customers to its stores. And then consider the number of Walmart employees that will end up on government assistance because they can work Walmart’s standard 32 hour full time work week and still be eligible for things like food stamps, Medicaid and public housing.

 

[flaja]

It is called competition Damo.

With Walmart and Home Depot, it's called predation.

 

[uscitizen]

Usually, but when it's deep in the winter there sometimes isn't much out there to buy from individuals.

Well now if you wait till the deep of winter to buy your hay you deserve to pay $10/bale

I bought 100 5X6 rolls a few weeks ago for my critters. It is in the hay shed now.

 

[Damocles]

Well now if you wait till the deep of winter to buy your hay you deserve to pay $10/bale

I bought 100 5X6 rolls a few weeks ago for my critters. It is in the hay shed now.

I didn't pay that, I just saw it. I would never pay $10 per bale.