When Wal-Mart Moves In, Neighborhood Businesses Suffer. Right?

Washington Post ^ | June 23, 2008 | Ylan Q. Mui

[driftdiver]

Home Depot and Lowes are about the same. Stay away from their credit programs, very predatory.

Ace is a lot closer and full of friendly people! For plants the local nursery has better quality plants, cheaper service, and is closer.

I’m tired of big box stores and chains in general. No personality or local flavor.

[Perfesser]

Yeah, nobody goes to Wal-Mart, it’s too crowded.

[fredhead]

I’m not saying that nobody goes to Wal-Mart, lots of people do. What I’m saying is that a lot of people go to the other stores to avoid the crowds, and to get better service.

[Gabz]

I have been steered to some really great “mom & pop” type stores in this area by WalMart employees when WM didn’t have what I was looking for. Granted, I would most likely have eventually found them on my own, but the helpfulness of the folks in WM made moving into a new area a bit easier.

[Perfesser]

Sam built a great foundation but now its all about greed.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

You say that as if it is a bad thing.

[M1928A1 Thompson]

The answer to this is simple, go to the parts section of the MTD, Whirlpool, Maytag, or Campbell-Hausfeld website and you can look up the model number of your Wally-world gadget. Very often you will discover part number differs from a same model of gadget made by the same manufactuer for general retail. Not all parts are the same or of the same quality. Just as in days past, companies would make one grade of product they put their name on and cheaper versions they would “brand” for any mass retailer who ordered it.

Good example from back in the day: when you bought a Ted Williams 30-30 from Sears, it was cheaper and used a lower grade of wood and more stampings than the Model 94 30-30 that Winchester put its name on.

To not expect Wal-Mart to use its clout to extort the lowest price it can and to not expect a manufacturer to build to price for the sale is naive.

[Salvation]

**”...But local proprietors and community leaders say the fears have not panned out.”**

LOL!

[hdstmf]

Anti-Walmart phobia is a product unions.

[TwoSue]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n2_v49/ai_19100540

[TwoSue]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n2_v49/ai_19100540

[hdstmf]

Yeah, Target has nice clean stores with plenty of close parking. That’s because they don’t have enough customers to to clutter the stores and lots. Their shelves are always neat because their overpriced merchandise doesn’t get moved. They also do not offer many choices. Returning an item will take you through a process that makes a goverment worker proud.

All the above applies to KMART too.

[hdstmf]

Of course those small local stores always had high quality stuff at low prices, friendly workers and were never ever greedy. Yeah, right...

[dfwgator]

Reminds me of the South Park political ad:

“It’s time to stop large corporations. Prop. 10 is about children. Vote Yes on Prop. 10, or else, you hate children. You don’t hate… children… Do you? Remember, keep American business small, or else. Paid for by Citizens for a Fair and Equal way to get Harbucks kicked out of town forever.”

[hdstmf]

Walmart groceries cost about 15% less than supermarkets charge here in Las Vegas. The latter are unionized. Walmart isn’t. That makes all the difference. It is the real reason unions and their pandering politicians hate Walmart.

[Soliton]

I have no “beef” with Food Lion, or that they have better meat and produce than Wal-Mart. Meat and produce vary in quality. Packaged foods do not. A jar of Helmann’s Mayo is the same at FL and at W-M. It costs a lot less at Wal-Mart though. Buy your variables at the best location for quality and buy your pantry items at Wal-Mart.

[ErnBatavia]

They have removed the cost of service in areas where service isn’t necessary.

Unfortunately, they've also removed the cost of service where everybody needs it: checkout.

WalMart management seems clueless as to how the long lines affect the "shopping experience". Another couple of $8.00 an hour cashiers on each shift would make a world of difference.

If I go, I make darn sure it's before 8am, and can hold my purchases to the 20-item-or-less line.

[hdstmf]

I rarely see a small business pharmacy anymore. They have been replaced by big chains such as Walgreens. My military retirement makes my prescriptions cost the same anywhere. Of-the-shelf items for medications or anything else in those stores are about three times higher than Walmart. Needless to say, I drop off my prescriptions and shop for whatever I want/need while there. With gas now over 4$ I can do without an over-eager clerk or superior quality stuff or tips to bag boys. Keep on keeping on Walmart. I’ve got your back.

[hdstmf]

Walmart, like many other stores are begining to use self-check out lines. I don’t like the concept but it is obviously going to replace the live cashier.

[Publius Valerius]

Yes. And as I’ve noted earlier in this thread, even Food Lion’s own protests were that ABC blew the story out of proportion.

Remember, Food Lion didn’t sue for libel, did it?

[Soliton]

I love Wal-mart, but we have 2 local pharmacies and a Medicine shop franchise nearby. They do fine because the elderly population likes the attention.