Another Super Wal-Mart opened today, in town. It doesn't matter what town, today it was Terre Haute. The media celebrates. Shoppers receive a chance to win free goodies. Local charities receive Wal-Mart donations. What does this really mean? What are we really witnessing?
You can shop at one Wal-Mart Super Center and eliminate 5 or 10 different stops at other locally owned and operated stores. These locally owned and operated shops are owned by your neighbors. They and their businesses pay taxes (as does Wal-Mart). These local shops probably did not get a property tax break like so many Wal-Marts do. Yes, the new Walmart Super Center employs about 300 locals. Over the next 5 years, how many local retail jobs will it eliminate. How many shop owners will go under?
Here's my point: you are a consumer. The money that you spend can go to a local retailer and remain within your community. Or, it can go to Arkansas so that the Wal-Mart Corporation can keep growing and local business can keep on shriveling. Do you want to live in a community of minimum wage earners working 28 hours a week with no benefits? Oh, and media, would you rather have Wal-mart as a client/advertisers, or the dozens of local retailers that they are driving out? As I watched the local coverage of the opening of the new Super Wal-Mart on our local morning TV news, I noticed that the advertisers on the TV station were primarily local retailers from the local and surrounding area. Did anyone else see this?
Why do we shop at Wal-Mart? Is it all for the convenience? Are we lazy or stupid, or both? I don't feel like thinking about it, besides, the guys just came back with my Big Mac & fries...
