Wal-Mart Not Just Evil, but also Bad
Wal-Mart began crushing mom-and-pops years ago, to the point that you’d be hard pressed to find many local retailers in Small Town America anymore who are actually making a profit. So many have closed down and so many more still open are just sitting on a business for the tradition of it. But now Wal-Mart is crushing the other big chains as well.
I highly encourage anyone who likes the idea of variety in the marketplace, anyone who thinks capitalism has no room for monopolies, or anyone who can’t afford to shop at high end boutique stores to listen to this NPR article about the decline of the retail industry in the US.
This 50% decline in the retail industry that is projected is going to, as I mentioned above, hurt the poor to lower middle class first, as there will always be high end boutiques where the rich and want-to-be-rich can afford to buy their shoes, jewelry and lattes, but soon enough the vast majority of America may see itself with no other option but to frequent Wal-Mart for their every need.
The ironic part is that it is this very sect of the American population who has made Wal-Mart so popular, purposely choosing low prices no matter what the cost over supporting their fellow neighbor’s livelihoods. It is my personal hope that as Small Town America and Suburbia crush themselves under the weight of their precious Big Boxes, more people will see the beauty of living in a city where choice is still available.