I am still pondering if Wal-Mart is good or bad for America? After reading an article from The Independent Institute that was debating if Wal-Mart is good or bad for America I have some good news…. Vedder states that Wal-Mart “is the largest private employer in the U.S. and Mexico, and hires 600,000 new employees each year.” That seems to be good right? Also I learned that every time a new Wal-Mart opens it employs 300-350 people. Also, since Wal-Mart came to the U.S. unemployment rate has declined, which is a good thing, but can we thank Wal-Mart for that, or is it because of something else that has created more jobs?
People often complain that Wal-Mart doesn’t sell any American made goods, but after doing some research I found that Wal-Mart is not the only store that imports from China, if you go into any electronic store it will be hard for you to find a product made in America. I also learned that sometimes local businesses do close after Wal-Mart comes to town, but should we blame Wal-Mart or the consumers? People do want a store that has more choices, lower prices, plenty of parking, etc. Another positive thing I found from The Washington Post was that Wal-Marts prices benefit low-income consumers, and that their low wages are really not that low, at least when compared with the prevailing wages in the retail sector. My mom works at Target, and she told me that when the new Wal-Mart opened on Harmony, many Target employees left to go work at Wal-Mart because Wal-Mart was going to pay .80 cents more an hour, and that really adds up if you think about it. But, before I am Pro-Wal-Mart, I need to do a lot more research before I can really believe all of this to be true.
People often complain that Wal-Mart doesn’t sell any American made goods, but after doing some research I found that Wal-Mart is not the only store that imports from China, if you go into any electronic store it will be hard for you to find a product made in America. I also learned that sometimes local businesses do close after Wal-Mart comes to town, but should we blame Wal-Mart or the consumers? People do want a store that has more choices, lower prices, plenty of parking, etc. Another positive thing I found from The Washington Post was that Wal-Marts prices benefit low-income consumers, and that their low wages are really not that low, at least when compared with the prevailing wages in the retail sector. My mom works at Target, and she told me that when the new Wal-Mart opened on Harmony, many Target employees left to go work at Wal-Mart because Wal-Mart was going to pay .80 cents more an hour, and that really adds up if you think about it. But, before I am Pro-Wal-Mart, I need to do a lot more research before I can really believe all of this to be true.
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I also pondered the thought on whether or not I liked Wal-Mart. I always fight the urge to go there, but it is right by where I live, so for me it is convenient when I want some material object. I personally hardly ever buy the food; I agree (with the first post) that the quality of food is questionable at best. I can only assume Wal-Mart is the TJ MAXX and Marshalls of the world, buying household names and selling them for way less than the original tag. Yet, my Marshalls and TJ MAXX clothes will last me years where as the quality of Wal-Mart clothes, especially the shoes, will possibly last me a month. Though, I know some people who work there, and they are treated very well. One person was started at $18 an hour with benefits. Best of all, you don’t need an education (for some of it). I fall into the category where I hope to find more American made products, or at least, somewhere other than china and the surrounding. I do have a question for you, where did Wal-Mart originate exactly? You mentioned “when it came to America” and I never really thought about where it came from.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is about a question that is discussed a lot in society, what is the impact of Wal-Mart and other large retailers? I like how you stayed neutral throughout the entry. I think it would help a lot to check out Wakeupwalmart.com for anti-Wal-Mart articles. I do not know much about the websites but I have seen protests conduct by them. I think this blog is raising important questions about the subject.
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