Anti Wal Mart

I agree, but to go in with an Gemini and scan the hell out of everything is like Wal Mart invading Krogers or Foodlion. Everytime I drive by both Kroger and Foodlion, I see like 10/15 cars for Kroger and 5 or less for Foodlion. It's sad to see other companies suffering. I also noticed movie rental shops, pet stores, and even places like the Mall suffer. I guess it is business, but still, sad to see.

it doesn't affect our malls here at all. the only pets our walmarts have are fish lol so it doesn't affect the pet stores either. one thing to think of is if you were in business to bring customers in you have got to have cheaper prices., I know I would! cheaper prices makes up in quantity!

and once they close down the stores it competes with they can charge anything they want to.

That's absolutely right! When a company creates a product that has no competition, or that you need to work with another product, they can charge pretty much whatever they want. When someone has you over a barrel, they have power over you.

Big business, advertising, marketing and all that, knows more about you and how images, colors, words, sizes of ads, sounds, and gimmicks affect you. Even if you think you're not influenced by an ad, you might be surprised to find you are, or at least by some. Certainly the majority of people are.

I saw a young girl, around 12 years old, interviewed by John Stossel on one of his specials once. She had an expensive purse, and John asked her what made it better than a cheap one that would hold the same amount of stuff. She didn't have an answer. She said it was "just...better." While one might argue a designer purse will probably last longer than a cheap one (assuming you don't get tricked into buying a knock-off unknowingly), but people who can afford to buy expensive purses probably own several of them, and may get rid of one in excellent shape to get a new one, while the cheap one will probably wear out before it's thrown out. There are some thrift and second-hand stores where you can buy designer stuff at remarkable prices, because they're used and discarded.

Yep. I just have to clarify that thrift shop comment. I bought a Coach bag at Goodwill for $10. I looked on their website and the same purse is still being sold.....for $250. It's one of their classic styles. It's full-grain cowhide and unless I run it through a wood chipper or drive over it with a lawnmower, it's probably going to last for a few decades.

Ok, first of all, I'd like to point out that I do NOT shop at Wal Mart. But I do shop at Home Depot sometimes. And a regional offshoot of Kroger.

But before anyone gets buckled into the bandwagon, I encourage you all to see the South Park episode titled "Something Wall Mart This Way Comes". You'll be cheering along with the episode and then at the very end, you'll realize what hypocrites we all can be. Jennie said it best, I think -- it's not Wal Mart that's the problem. It's our society.

We ARE stuck - Jennie is right.

I fear I am going to start off being disliked by many for this but I do shop at Walmart. All stores hire comparative shoppers, usually a marketing company. Big or small, many companies are not paying medical benefits and find ways to get around it. I do not like it but it's a fact. If you drive a car or Suv it was no doubt made in part by some person in Mexico or Korea for some cheap amount of pay.....no benefits they are being exploited by us too. The companies who sell products at Walmart, many of them are US based and family owned like SC Johnson they do pay good benifits to their employees...Face it we all eat....drink , rent movies, all these things no matter where you buy them have some workers who are being used. I think it's up to the worker to some degree. If they do not like the benefits, pay or policy they ought to be looking for another job. They are NOT being forced to work at Walmart
I wish everyone had benefits and decent pay here in the USA
I guess what I am saying is..if one REALLY doesn't like exploiting workers they ought to just stop buying at ALL places (Sears has FEW full time employees) and buying *products* by companies who exploit. Did you know that the girl at the DQ gets paid less than 3 dollars an hour in most cases and YOU are suppose to tip them but they are not allowed to ask? It is EVERYWHERE. You most likely unwittingly exploit a few people every day. At least at Walmart they have a choice to work their or not.. You have a choice to buy from them or not. Business cannot exist without a market

I would also like to add that I use to work for the American council for the Blind a charity and for The Purple Heart. When you give things for them to sell you give it away free right? They sell it and YOU THINK some blind person or Veteran is going to get it. No, they sell it and ONLY 10% GOES to the charity. The rest goes for OVERHEAD to pay people like me, the truck drivers and MOSTLY the bigwigs....CHECK your charity out before you buy . In some cases you are NOT helping anyone but bosses like I had with big houses and cars. These charities HAVE to by law have a list of how much goes to the actual cause most people never ask to see that or look

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LMo said:
But before anyone gets buckled into the bandwagon, I encourage you all to see the South Park episode titled "Something Wall Mart This Way Comes". You'll be cheering along with the episode and then at the very end, you'll realize what hypocrites we all can be. Jennie said it best, I think -- it's not Wal Mart that's the problem. It's our society.

We ARE stuck.

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Yep! That's a great episode of South Park. At what point does a big business say . . . "opps, we shouldn't add more services or products?" Doing so in today's market means demise for that business and makes way for another big business.

Wal-Mart does balance itself the best that they can do. What Wal-Mart does in the U.S. compares nothing to what other corporations do outside the U.S. . . . such as exploiting natural resources of impoverished nations . . . like who stole the diamonds, gold, coffee from the tribal Africans, yet they are the most suffering peoples?

Jennie,
You ask where one can buy their Eukanuba? I get mine at our local food and grain stores, they even give you a frequent buyer's card, after you purchase 10-12 bags you get one free.
I do not have to drive out to the big name stores, it's closer, I save gas and get that little town chit chat while I'm there.
Mom and pop shops and local "towney" eateries, off er the same, good service,decent food, and that chit chat, I find of value. Even our local supermarket has a homey feel . . . all those locals makes up my social life.

I wish every town and city could maintain that small town feeling!!!

This is too much like politics for me... It's giving me one heck of a headache!!

I agree with Jennie.The place where I live is a very small town,so,wal-mart is the only place to buy clothes
and food and all the things you need for an affordable price.If I want to go to a goodwill I have to go 20 miles
to the next town to go there.If i want to go to a big lots or a k-mart i have to drive 40 miles.Its not worth the drive to go that long distance when i have a wal-mart 2 miles away.

I love that. Mind you, the biggies are not terribly far, but they really do not interfer, and listen to this, before we moved here, they had a chain of stores that all went bust, giving the local stores the ability to keep their family owned shops. Many have not been forced out, it's that when they chose to retire their "sophisticated" kids wanted nothing to do with the business or farm.
No one can put blame on the newer stores, the kids wanted to trade country life for the big city life.
No doubt that biggies have moved the little mom and pop places out, but that's not always the reason for closing down business signs occur.
To avoid this bordering of politcal flavored conversation, I'm not going to say more, but we need to realize there are many reasons why business die and are born.
Can be complex, and right now I like the more simple things in my world.
I wish y'all safe and moneysaving shopping, wherever you choose to shop, if you can save gas and shop close to home, that's a plus for all.

Sorry Tomi.

For some reason that I don't understand, I've gotten really point-of-viewish this last week.

I think it's very difficult to avoid all businesses and services that exploit people and animals and do things that you, as an individual, are opposed to. There are so many, and there's so much of this happening. Additionally, so many companies own so many other companies, it's hard to keep track. I'm not saying you should give up and not do what you can, but don't beat yourself up if you don't make your life harder by avoiding the conveniences and products these companies and services provide. Maybe it makes us hypocrites, and more power to ya if you can resist the temptation and limit your life to businesses that don't violate your beliefs.

I don't know all the companies and services I'd need to avoid, but if I were strong enough and knew enough, I'd have to avoid any company that tested on animals, harmed animals and children, used children for labor, hurt people in general, put money towards causes I don't believe in, etc. I do avoid certain companies, like Curves, and products, like fur and veal. It's not enough, but it's something. I admit I'm not perfect.

I shop at Walmart, but I have conflicts about it. I'm not really anti-capitalism, but there are things I don't like about capitalism. Mostly, I don't like how far people take it. I'm all for working hard and achieving success, but not at the expense of people and animals' welfare.

Maven

Maven, I think your reply may be to someone else for it doesn't seem to apply to what I've replied to this post with, but perhaps someone elses?
Or maybe it's me and I missed something.
I didn't say I avoid stores, I go to the one's closest, I can't see putting extra miles and wasting gas if I do not need to, but if I do need to go to one I will, I'm not going to get involved with all this big business controversary, many give us jobs,we have the choice to not take the job or move on to another, I do not care to get into such discussions, way too controversial, may be more appropriate in a different type of forum or site?
Whatever, I go to the big store if I need something I can't find close to home, I prefer to conserve on my gas and car, by going to the stores "down the road a bit".
I also do not like stuff involving the welfare /safety of people and animals, animals even more for they have no choice vs the humans.
I'll zip it here right now, and just continue as I have for all these years, my father and his relatives worked in unsafe places, sweat shops,temps high, not even fans, but it was that or no job at the time,so they did what they can,to put food and a roof over our heads,they always had rented, never had money to buy a house till retirement, he was sickly,struggled and suffered,then my dad died.
There is no perfect world, we have to just do what we can, for most we are the one's that are mostly in control of where we are going,though there are obstacles, which I won't deny. Many do learn how to overcome many obstacles.
Okay, I'm done, getting off my soapbox, ha!ha!
Take care,
DE

Basically I shop at any store of choice.... one that is close to my house, that saves me money and have the products I am needing (for I already have a anxiety about going out in public as it is and I don't want to run all over the place looking) .... So, like many on here have stated: this type of practice is common among the BIG BUSINESSES of today, therefore, I shop for my well being and safety of mind.


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

I also hate driving around,wasting time,wear and tear on my car and me, and the price of gas.
I get what I need and go home, the weather has been to horrid for me to want to be outside.

Argh - I was hoping that they'd rerun the Wall Mart episode in the next week or two, for context, but alas, it's not scheduled soon.

Keep an eye on the South Park episode lineup on Comedy Central, though:
South Park episodes

Of course, I think that EVERY South Park episode is pure genius, but for the purpose of this discussion, look for the episode titled "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes"

(ps - "Trapped in the Closet", this Wednesday night at 10pm, is hysterical. Absolutely surreal how these guys have no boundaries...)

That's why I refuse to even form a point of view! That's what makes my head hurt and it could be triggering.

PS I have my own personal reasons for not going to the Wal Mart in town. If I stated them, I'd be called a biggot, so.... the other one is 65 miles away. Forget it! "Tar-J" is good enough for me.

PPSS AND ANOTHER THING!! (this is the last one, ok? hehe) I have enough problems in my own life to worry about what Big Business does. I can't do anything about it anyway, so why get "het up"?!

It's nothing to get heated about, but it/'s definitely useful to be aware of what Wal Marts doing to our economy and country.