By: Billy BeerSlugger
You know Walmart, the United States largest retailer, has gotten a lot of bad press lately. I watched a documentary (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price) a year or so ago about how Walmart was really taking advantage of their employees, not giving overtime and not offering health insurance and the adoption of an anti-union stance. How when a Walmart opens in a small town it can really squeeze local merchants and put them out of business.I’m a sucker for documentary’s and I’ll admit the video had me leaning initially toward boycotting the megastore.
I’ve heard people I know say they won’t go there for these reasons but after a visit to a local Walmart a couple of weeks ago I’m not sure I’ll be one of these people. Not that I make a weekly trip to the retail palace but the prices really are a lot lower than other retailers for certain items. Getting my Old Spice High Endurance deodorant for over $2 less than I would at a place like Rite Aid or CVS. Grabbing a 12 pack of socks for $5.50 and picking up a couple of food items that seemed to be a really good deal opposed to my local supermarket.
First, with the state of the economy and family’s tightening the budgets more and more, what is so wrong saving money? Even if Walmart is treating employees unfairly cannot these people go somewhere else and work if it’s so bad, this is America after all isn’t it? No one is putting a gun to their head and saying they have to work at Walmart.
Second, if Walmart is putting the squeeze on local businesses in towns they open stores in isn’t that in fact good for the consumer? Competition driving down prices. Yes it sucks that local businesses will close due to their inability to compete but innovative and new businesses should spring up in their absence and existing businesses that are able to adapt will also survive. Is not this a Capitalist society? Don’t new businesses spring up every day as well as fold? Isn’t there something to be said about survival of the fittest anymore?
Yes I do care about Walmart workers rights/conditions and I do feel slightly bad for the family’s of the businesses that go under due to direct competition with Walmart but i and the rest of America should be looking out for number one during these rough times. If you can save $20 a week by purchasing items cheaper at Walmart isn’t that $20 more in your pocket? Why should you feel bad about that?
There is something to be said about a monopolistic environment that could be forming where Walmart is the only seller of a specific type of good in a given area but then again if Walmart was pricing these items more expensively than they should another business could challenge for dominance in that particular good, service or sector.
Overall, I’m not a huge fan of Walmart. I’d never buy audio/video equipment there or clothing besides socks and underwear but i don’t really have a problem going and saving money on the items I would buy there and you shouldn’t either.