Wednesday, April 27, 2005
WalMart Watch
Watching Walmart - Remember Wal Mart's Buy American Program?
"Sam Walton’s bestselling autobiography is titled “Made in America”. And as recently as 1994, company literature titled “Bring It Home To The USA” touted Wal-Mart’s commitment to American manufacturers saying “The Buy American program is both a commitment and a partnership.” That was then. This is now. "
I'm not entirely an "everything must be made in America" type - yes, there are some benefits to a free market society. But the goodwill bought by so many years of selling this idea of jobs staying in the U.S. supplying WalMart has changed to WalMart spinning in new commercials that WalMart is so great because of the so many jobs of their own they produce, the low standard of living of which drags down the rest of the economy.
I have weened myself off WalMart, and my pocketbook has grown - not shrunk, as a result. I don't know whether it's the lack of marketing and impulse purchases, the lack of enormous carts or the fewer trips and lack of convienience that make me realize that I really don't need that outdoor thermometer.
Why would I advocate not going to WalMart? Well for one, you won't hurt the people who work there, for one. By going somewhere else, you keep the money in the local economy as opposed to being flash-transferred out of state, you're more likely to get locally produced goods, and the jobs you produce by giving your business to someone else will pay more, have better benefits, and have better opportunities for leadership for all.
Going to Giant, Weis or Myers Meat Market for groceries, to Kohls, Lowes, JC Penney, Ollies, Value City, Sears and the mall for everything else, you can return to finding the best deal as opposed to thinking you're saving money.
Grocery stores often have better prices than WalMart.
For example, regular generic White Bread at WalMart is 89¢ a loaf. Most grocery stores are below 59¢ a loaf for the same size. If your family goes through a loaf a day and buys at WalMart, that's $109.50 a year!
Don't buy blindly into the "Always Low Prices" gimmick. They are not necessarily the low-EST, nor are they deserVING!
"Sam Walton’s bestselling autobiography is titled “Made in America”. And as recently as 1994, company literature titled “Bring It Home To The USA” touted Wal-Mart’s commitment to American manufacturers saying “The Buy American program is both a commitment and a partnership.” That was then. This is now. "
I'm not entirely an "everything must be made in America" type - yes, there are some benefits to a free market society. But the goodwill bought by so many years of selling this idea of jobs staying in the U.S. supplying WalMart has changed to WalMart spinning in new commercials that WalMart is so great because of the so many jobs of their own they produce, the low standard of living of which drags down the rest of the economy.
I have weened myself off WalMart, and my pocketbook has grown - not shrunk, as a result. I don't know whether it's the lack of marketing and impulse purchases, the lack of enormous carts or the fewer trips and lack of convienience that make me realize that I really don't need that outdoor thermometer.
Why would I advocate not going to WalMart? Well for one, you won't hurt the people who work there, for one. By going somewhere else, you keep the money in the local economy as opposed to being flash-transferred out of state, you're more likely to get locally produced goods, and the jobs you produce by giving your business to someone else will pay more, have better benefits, and have better opportunities for leadership for all.
Going to Giant, Weis or Myers Meat Market for groceries, to Kohls, Lowes, JC Penney, Ollies, Value City, Sears and the mall for everything else, you can return to finding the best deal as opposed to thinking you're saving money.
Grocery stores often have better prices than WalMart.
For example, regular generic White Bread at WalMart is 89¢ a loaf. Most grocery stores are below 59¢ a loaf for the same size. If your family goes through a loaf a day and buys at WalMart, that's $109.50 a year!
Don't buy blindly into the "Always Low Prices" gimmick. They are not necessarily the low-EST, nor are they deserVING!
