During this season of shopping, I
thought I would address something that has been on my mind for a
while—Walmart. Walmart is popular to dislike these days for various
reasons. A common complaint is that they come into areas and put
small businesses out of business. Also there are cries that they
don't treat their workers fairly. I think that some of the Walmart
bashing comes from the fact that there may be some truth to the
common complaints, but I think most of it comes from the fact that
the bigger something is, the easier it is to attack.
I don't know about the every Walmart
situation, but I can speak about Walmart in the small town that I
grew up in and where my parents still live. First let me describe the
area. The town is in a rural setting and has a population of a couple
of thousand. It is surrounded by farmland and smaller towns. The next
town of any size is about an hour and a half away. The unemployment
rate is in the double digits.
When Walmart built a store there twelve years ago, it was a godsend. First there were new chances for
employment in a place that desperately needed it. And these just
weren't jobs, these were good jobs that actually had the possibility of benefits. Next there were new opportunities for shopping that the
townspeople didn't have before. Shopping, that previously they had
to travel far to do, was now convenient. This was especially important
as the price of gas rose. It was also important for people like my
parents who don't drive long distances any more.
And did all of the local businesses go
out of business when Walmart moved in? No. The local businesses
adapted and provided services that Walmart didn't offer. One of the
drug stores now has a delivery service. One of the grocery stores is
known for having the best meat in town. And sometimes, people just
don't want to deal with the size of the Walmart store, and shop in
the smaller local stores. But all of these people are very happy to
have Walmart available at other times. They appreciate the low prices
Walmart can offer because, as you can imagine in this depressed area,
there's not much money to go around.
And what's the Walmart shopping
experience like in this grateful small town? Wonderful. You can
really tell that people like their jobs and are there to help. The
staff is friendly, helpful, and pleasant. When I shop there, I
sometimes feel as if I'm stepping into a Walmart that I see in
commercials. The customers are also friendly and seem happy to be
there. And no, I'm not exaggerating.
If Walmart is so wonderful here, why is
it not considered wonderful everywhere? My opinion is that in some
places it is an extra option and some places it is not. When you live
in a place where you have multiple choices of where to shop, or when
you have enough income that you can chose to buy something that costs
more because it fits better with your life philosophies, you don't
need Walmart. But when you don't have those options of convenience
and/or a good income, Walmart is truly a godsend.
