08-19-2008, 12:23 AM | #21 |
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that guy's just a journalist.
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08-19-2008, 02:39 AM | #22 | |
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I think it depends on where it is located. I can see how in a city or even a nice suburb those jobs are not very good. But in a small town with a lot of unskilled uneducated labor, that is actually a pretty good job for a lot of people. No question Walmart is a net plus in my small town, not least of all for the tax revenue it provides. Certainly it has hurt a few small store owners who it has put out of business.
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08-19-2008, 02:44 AM | #23 | |
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08-19-2008, 02:49 AM | #24 | |
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It's interesting that you and your wife, and my husband and I, came to opposite conclusions. When we realized (1) what percentage of our budget was going directly to walmart (it was staggering) and (2) how absurdly low the prices were compared to the rest of the market and (3) what kind of business practices they're using, we decided to - as much as it's possible anymore in Oklahoma - discontinue shopping there. It's not worth the 10-15% savings to us. |
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08-19-2008, 03:03 AM | #25 | |
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Maybe if I knew more about their business practices you could change my mind, but I have enough libertarian in me to think that people are making what they are worth and if their skills command a better wage then someone else will pay it to them. It is not as though Walmart has no competition, at least where I live.
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08-19-2008, 03:10 AM | #26 | ||
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So, here's how it happened: we used to only have one credit card. We used it for everything and then we paid it off every month. Anyhow, so at the end of the year they sent us an itemized statement of how much we had spent at each retailer. It was mind-boggling. Quote:
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08-19-2008, 03:14 AM | #27 |
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Incidentally, I didn't mean to imply there was a right or wrong to shopping at walmart. I just thought it was kinda funny that you guys went into it with a sort of preconception the place, and the prices won you over; whereas we were all "yay walmart" but ended up changing our minds. Maybe the Gordons are becoming snobs. That would explain it.
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08-19-2008, 03:21 AM | #28 |
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honestly where we live, Wal-Mart is by far the closest. And if you drive a ways, you get to a place with less selection and higher prices.
I'd love to be in a place where Central Market (As Whole Foods is to Wal-Mart, Central Market is to Whole Foods) was something we could afford. But that would probably triple our food bill. |
08-19-2008, 03:41 AM | #29 |
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Right, that's what I'm trying to point out. I'm not sure if it's the same out west. But where I live, Wal-Mart really is effectively the only option. You have to go out of your way (literally and figuratively) to shop anywhere else. And that started to freak us out. Wal-mart is great but do we really want it to be the only option? Not so much. and it's getting to be that way here. So we decided to start trying to support other retailers.
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08-19-2008, 04:29 AM | #30 |
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Within a five minute drive from my house we have a Super Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target and Meijer. All of them have their advantages. When we want food where quality is essential, like produce or meat, we go to Kroger or Meijer. Where quality is independent of the store, like with boxed goods, we usually go to Wal-Mart for the price advantage. When I want popcorn to snack on while I shop, we go to Target.
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