Anyone else live in a rural town who shops at Walmart? That will admit it?

[goldcanyonaz]

My husband and I avoided Walmart like the plaque until our jobs brought us to our community.

We both work full time in the mines as engineers and have tried to shop at other local stores but we end up at Walmart much of the time.

The nearest big town is over 80 miles away and that's one way, so going to the "prestigious" Target isn't an option.

By the way, our Walmart is just a basic one, not a super center.


:scared:

[crazyjoe]

1. just got a nano at my local walmart

[noamnety]

2. Not really, I boycott

(and live in an area where that's easy to do, admittedly).

But I will admit that I was doing a sculpture project with students, and one element we originally got at home depot got ruined, and then home depot was out of replacements. I went to kmart, harbor freight, target, lowes, and meijers with no luck - finally I broke down and went to walmart as a last resort, they had the thing we needed.

If I'd had more lead time I'd have gotten it online, but it didn't work out that way for this.

[goldcanyonaz]

4. It was easy for us to boycott Walmart when we lived in a big town.

Not so much, now.

[madokie]

30. If we want to travel 30 plus miles we can go to any number of big box stores

or go about 3 to a wal mart. What do you want us to do? What is the proper thing for us to do I ask?

[roguevalley]

33. you do what circumstances dictate, honey. purity tests are for the rich.

[bobbolink]

119. "Purity tests are for the rich"

Damn! That's quotable! May I?

:applause:

BTW, some of us SLEEP at Walmart, because it is the only available place. Where are the "progressives" in that??????????????????

[roguevalley]

133. you got it, sweet thing. By the way, I love bobbolinks. Haven't

heard one since I was a kid. :-D

[Gabi Hayes]

8. home depot???

http://www.homedepotsucks.com/

[Gabi Hayes]

12. here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-US&q=boycott+home+depot&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g-m2

Home Depot sucks for sourcing and selling old growth lumber Home Depot sells Redwood lumber probably from the Pacific Northwest. Stop clearcutting our rainforest. ... Please boycott Home Depot ...
www.homedepotsucks.com/ - Cached

Home Depot Boycott Petition Home Depot Boycott Petition, hosted at PetitionOnline.com.
www.petitiononline.com/hdsucks/petition.html - Cached

Boycott Home Depot... The Most Unsafe Store in America ... Boycotts $: Boycott Home Depot... The Most Unsafe Store in America - a discussion on Care2.com.
www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3637&pst=165550 - Cached

Boycott Israel Campaign The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with sales of $45.7 billion. ...
www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-home-depot.html - Cached

American Politics Journal -- Boycott Home Depot, Lowe's, Others Sep 5, 2002 ... Boycott List Update Boycott Home Depot, Lowe's, Others Help further a regime change -- in the US by Jackson Thoreau ...
www.americanpolitics.com/20020905Thoreau.html - Cached

Silenced Majority Portal: Boycott Home Depot - CEO Says Support ... Nov 30, 2008 ... Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Boycott Home Depot - CEO Says Support Norm Coleman etc. or "Be Shot": ...
silencedmajority.blogs.com/.../boycott-home-depot-says-retailers-who-did-not-support-norm-coleman-etc-should-be-shot.html - Cached

Boycott Home Depot, remember Bu$h's photo-op, well - Democratic ... Feb 18, 2008 ... Boycott Home Depot, remember Bu$h's photo-op, well. ... The Home Depot Political Action Committee (PAC) complies with all federal, state and local election ...
www.democraticunderground.com › Discuss - Cached

Home Depot Shoppers Greeted by Boycotters at Two Ohio Stores ...‎ - Dec 21, 2009
What criteria do you have to boycott something or someone ...‎ - Dec 16, 2009
Time to boycott Home Depot?‎ - Dec 2, 2009
Would You Boycott Rush Limbaugh's Sponsors?‎ - Jan 31, 2009

Moonbattery: Home Depot Recruits Children as Homosexual Props Jul 30, 2009 ... BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT,BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT,BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT RRRAAAWWWKKKK. Posted by: SPURWING PLOVER at July 30, 2009 11:30 AM ...
www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/07/home_depot_recr.html - Cached

Advocates To Home Depot: Boycott Fox News - thedailygreen.com Jul 31, 2007 ... Sierra Club: Green Ad Theme Inconsistent With Global Warming Reports.
www.thedailygreen.com › NEWS › News Articles - Cached

For Freedom's Sake, Boycott Home Depot « LDS Freedom Oct 29, 2009 ... So I implore every Christian American to PLEASE boycott Home Depot. We must fight back on these issues folks while we still can! ...

[noamnety]

66. I know.

I prefer lowes for political reasons.

But my organization has the tax exemption registered at home depot.

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. I live in the mountains and shop at Walmart all the time. Unapologetically.

I also get gas at gas stations that pay their employees low wages, shop at supermarkets that pay their employees low wages, use dry-cleaners that pay their employees low wages, eat at restaurants that pay their employees low wages, rent DVDs from Blockbuster, where they pay their employees low wages... and do business at a whole host of places where the employees make a low wage, get no medical benefits, and are offered no collective bargaining.

I suck.

:sarcasm:

[goldcanyonaz]

5. If you have a dry cleaner and a Blockbuster you don't live in a small town.

We have none of those where I live.

[Egnever]

123. WTF a blockbuster ...really?

cause your town doesnt have one no other small town can? Thats just stupid.

[Bill McBlueState]

107. what else can one do, really?

Unless you live in some kind of progressive utopia, you can't really get things done without patronizing businesses that are unfriendly to labor. I live in a strong union town, and I shop at the unionized grocery store and big box store, but they don't have everything I need.

This is why the attitude of "I happen not to shop at Wal-Mart, so I am a good progressive" doesn't help. Personal boycotts just aren't working.

What can be done instead to improve the climate for labor in the US?

[sandnsea]

6. I worry most about labor exploitation

and there isn't a product in Target that isn't made from the same cheap foreign labor that makes Walmart's products. I try to buy second-hand, then union stores, then wherever its cheapest after that. There's nothing particularly altruistic about selecting Target crap over Walmart crap, imo.

[goldcanyonaz]

7. We have no second hand stores but a few local stores for clothing.

[elocs]

9. Many DUers self-righteously demand that others have the courage of 'their' convictions.

They view not shopping at Walmart like some kind of ultimate purity test that will gain them access to Liberal Nirvana.

If you need to shop at Walmart then you have no need to apologize to anyone here who also lead less than perfect lives. To paraphrase Eleanor Roosevelt: Nobody can make you feel guilty without your consent. Don't consent.

[goldcanyonaz]

11. Yeah, convictions are great when living in their mothers basement.

[phasma ex machina]

48. Speaking of moms, a couple of days ago a clerk at my local Sam's Club

started talking about her son getting deployed to Afghanistan for his third combat tour. She seemed as upset and worried as the clerk at my local Walmart, yet another mom with a son serving in combat.

So it seems that our high minded DU purists seek to add insult to injury by also putting both moms out of work.

The poor always seem to pay for these various high minded domestic and foreign crusades.

[BoneDaddy]

126. Tell me about it

funny how projection works when you think about how damn judgmental libs are of the right when that same elitism (of a different sort), moralism and judgement gets heaped on like piles of dog crap in here.

[OregonBlue]

10. I live 105 miles from the closest big town and 45 miles from WalMart and yes, I do sometimes shop

there. I try to buy everything I can locally but sometimes it's just too little selection and too high a price. I don't think that makes me a bad person. They actually do provide a lot of jobs in our area.

[goldcanyonaz]

13. Ya know we frequented a local coffee shop in our town until Starbucks came to town.

We stopped going to the local shop when they failed to open on time or open period, over a months time.

And, now they scratch their heads and blame corporate America for fucking them over when in fact they fucke themselves over.

[RobinA]

40. You Got It Right

I'm looking for coffee at 9 at night. The local coffee shop closed at 6. There's Starbucks, open and ready to sell me a cup of coffee. Yep, big, bad Starbucks. Can't imagine why they get my business.

[OregonBlue]

129. Yes, WalMart is open early and stays open late. They have a big selection and pretty cheap prices.

Our local shops are pretty pricey. I still try to shop there when I can because their quality is often better and they stand behind their products but sometimes I can't. I don't feel guilty. I do what I can and buy where I have to.

[southernyankeebelle]

14. Yes, I live in a small rural town with a Super W.Mart. That is the biggest

place to shop. We had a K-Mart but that left. We have some small clothing stores but they are expensive and most can't afford to shop there. I mean to pay $50.00 for a 3 yr old girls pair of shoes is just to much. Besides that our WM employees many people in our community. Who will it hurt? Think about that. I am not going to hurt our community who need jobs.

[goldcanyonaz]

17. If you have a Super Walmart you don't live in a small rural town.

We don't even have that.

[Maru Kitteh]

55. That may be true in populous states but it's not true in rural ones.

WalMart is GOOD at figuring out where they can put those megamarts in the middle of nowhere and rake in huge $$$.

[Jamastiene]

87. That is true.

Even though my hometown is less than 11k people, the Wal Mart Super Center they built a couple of years ago draws people from all of the surrounding even smaller towns. It's also all we have left.

The "incentives package" our local government gave them was that one of our Food Lion stores had to close and Winn Dixie and Sears and KMart had to close. So, they closed all 4 down for the Wal Mart. Wal Mart demanded that Winn Dixie go first, then our local government added the additional bans on stores that had served us great for years.

Something I have noticed: If you live in a rural area and you have a Wal Mart, Wal Mart is all you have or will be very soon. It never fails.

[Jamastiene]

86. My town is less than 11,000 people and we have a Super Center.

It's about all we got too. Roses left. KMart left. Now, Wal Mart is our biggest local employer, since NAFTA too all the textiles mills and all the better jobs away.

[Kali]

134. got one in Benson AZ, population just under 5,000

got a Safeway too and now IT has a freaking Starbucks in it
three stoplights (one just for wally world) and the usual interstate junction fast food/motels/gas stations

[Jamastiene]

85. Wal Mart is our major employer in my home town now.

It's also all we have left. Our situation is similar to what you just said. We lost Roses. We lost KMart. We have no Target, Starbucks, Blockbuster, or any of those stores. We don't even have a movie theater or a music store any more.

[NickB79]

122. There's a Super Walmart in the town of 9,000 near where I grew up.

Central MN is pretty rural, IMO.

[Obamanaut]

15. In my town there are three choices for groceries - walmart is one of them.

We get most of our food stuffs from one of the other stores, and meats from a local meat market.

Walmart is the only option for most general merchandise.

Thirty miles to the east there is a larger town with more stores, 65 miles to the south, 40 to the north, and about 40 to the north.

We do have a Lowe's for building materials, and a local building supplies store as well.

And a whole lot of small churches.

And to answer your question, we go to walmart when we need something that they have.

[goldcanyonaz]

19. Our Walmart doesn't sell groceries, unless Ramen noodles constitute groceries.

[Obamanaut]

25. No, I was trying to point out how some choices are limited. Since

the super walmart opened, two other grocery choices have departed.

Walmart is the only place in town for things like car seats for babies/children and other child supplies, the only place for men's work clothes, jeans, etc. There is ONE women's clothing store.

We get groceries where we do because we've gone to that store for many years, and I imagine some here don't even like that one.

But yes, we do go to walmart.

[SoCalDem]

82. When we moved here in 1982, we had less than 50K in the town, and we had

2 Safeways........now gone
2 Ralphs...one one left..dirty store, lousy service
A Von's Pavilion (My Nirvana).....gone
2 Luckys......gone
Michaels (an independent grocery store..long gone
1 A & P......gone
2 Food For Less
2 Stater brothers

banks we also had

Crocker Bank....gone
Security Pacific..gone
Wells fargo
Bof A
First Interstate.............gone
Gateway Bank........gone
Home Savings.....gone
First Federal......gone
Household Bank...gone
California Federal....gone
Provident Bank
Union Bank

and we are almost 200K now, and have fewer choices than before...but we DO have TWO walmarts...TWO Targets..and everything has moved to the far eastern and western borders.. there's a big ole "empty" in the middle where we live :(
..

We DO have payday loan places, cell phone places, denatl offices, pizza places, taco places, hamburger places..but very few options for shopping, unless we want a car trip almost out of town:(

[1]

16. i buy food at the supercenter. the best prices around here.

one has to eat...

[Neecy]

18. I'll admit it

I moved to a small rural town in April and I'm renovating two homes here. I try to shop at locally-owned businesses as much as I can, but I end up at the Walmart about 20 miles away around once a month to pick up things I can't find elsewhere. I have no problem admitting it. Choices are pretty limited out here.

[NYC_SKP]

20. The idea of Shopping at Walmart has been hotly contested at DU.

Personally, I don't mind paying more to patronized independent vendors or less predatory chains.

My advice in the past to those with few choices is to try to group shopping trips together to go to the "other" stores 80 miles away.

There is nothing that can't be had elsewhere, I don't shop Walmart.

If it's about prices, Amazon or eBay can beat their prices.

If it's for milk and other perishables, and only Walmart has these, well you do what you gotta do.

But every dollar spent there is a vote for displacing other businesses.

:patriot:

[goldcanyonaz]

21. Group shopping? Surely you jest.

Which rural town do you live in?

:puke:

[NYC_SKP]

27. Rural Route 5, Box 179.

Presently 18251 Clifton Court Road.

Grouping errands into fewer driving trips is a fundamentally green thing to do wherever one lives.

Your response suggests that you don't really care, so I'm sorry to have tried to offer sincere advice.

[goldcanyonaz]

29. Give me a fucking break. Your response suggests indifference

[NYC_SKP]

38. Hey, wanna shop at Walmart, go for it. It seems to suit you. n/t

[noamnety]

68. I used to do group shopping.

Being poor and living in townhouses made communal living habits pretty normal in a way most Americans aren't familiar with.

[bobbolink]

120. I'm ever so glad that you have everything all figured out, and can now look down on others.

thanks for the suggestion.... I'll order bandaids from ebay.

Oh wait... I don't have an address, either.

[Skittles]

22. you're not on that website (people of walmart) are you, gold?

I WILL KICK YOUR ASS

[goldcanyonaz]

24. It was a bad day and my thong was dirty, forgive me...

:rofl:

[Mari333]

23. I live in a town of 5000 people and the only place to shop for 45 miles is walmart

for things like underwear. etc.
I try to avoid it as best as I can. but I dont darn underwear when I get a hole in them. I wont drive 50 miles for a pair of underwear, sue me.

[Jamastiene]

88. My sentiments exactly

Plus, not all of us can afford to drive 75 or 80 miles every week to do our grocery shopping. We can barely afford even Wal Mart's prices and the gas to get there and back. Geez, people act like we all have ALL the amenities, just like they do.

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. I did for a long time. But now that hubby and I have watched the walmart documentary and

seen main street dying, it's been easier to stick with the resolution not to support them anymore. It's rough paying twice as much at the local mom and pop shops, but we can at least take some solace in knowing we are helping another family out.

[Luciferous]

28. I live in a pretty small town, so I do some shopping at the

nearest Walmart, which is about 30 miles away.

[safeinOhio]

31. My town has 2 Walmarts and no Starbucks

I only buy kitty litter and one OTC drug there. Food I buy at Krogers because they have great workers at ours. Once a month I drive 35 miles to Costco and stock up.

[hayu_lol]

34. Oregon small city of 45,000...

isolated and up in the mountains. We have the super-sized Mall-Wart, a K-mart, and a Ross. A few medium sized indies and then we have the higher-priced(of necessity)mom and pops. Fred Myers and a number of other markets.

Mall-Wart drove two medium-sized markets out of business as well as a number of the smaller stores.

Closest big mall is just over 100 miles away over mountain passes that are dangerous to travel in the winter.

A conservative place and they, as a group, love their Mall-Wart.

I won't shop there.

[jberryhill]

103. Wow...

I went to the men's room at a Starbucks, and there was an entirely different Starbucks in it.

[AngryAmish]

32. I live and Chicago and go to Walmart to buy golf balls

Sometimes fishing stuff too.

[pipi_k]

35. Not from some moral superiority thing, but...

I've never set foot in a Walmart. I can't do the huge stores like that. Malls, either. Anxiety disorders, ya know...


but Mr Pip does sometimes shop in Walmart. We live at least 20 miles away in any direction from any store that offers what Walmart does, at those prices.


No dry cleaners in my town...only one gas station...no traffic lights...and the town hall, police station, and theater are all in one building...right across the street from the library that also doubles as an apartment building. It's like Mayberry, RFD. Or maybe Hooterville.

:7

[LWolf]

36. I live in a rural town that recently built a super-center, and I don't shop there.

I get much of what I need online, if I can't find it locally without Walmart.

Edited to add:

My rural town has grown quite a bit the last 7 or 8 years. It's now "semi-rural," with housing developments sprouting all over old pastures and hay fields. So I probably have more options than you do.

[goldcanyonaz]

37. We don't have a super center...

[rucky]

39. Thank god for Meijer

If you can't find it there, it's probably not important enough for you to go hunt for it at Wal-Mart.

[jdadd]

101. I agree...

My GF works for Meijer, They are a Union store too...UFCW

[SOCALS]

41. Why is there so much hate for Walmart?

You can hardly live one day without supporting the corporations in one way or another. Every time you buy gas, you support corporations. Every time you use electric devices, you support corporate America. What is the point in singling out Walmart?

[Shagbark Hickory]

42. Because they are the biggest retailer in the world, very successful yet don't compensate their

employees (except for executives maybe) in a manner that reflects that.

[Pithlet]

47. Wow, someone who's so concerned about the poor that you think they shouldn't pay fines

You'd think you'd know the score about Wal Mart.

[SOCALS]

114. Are you sure

that you have NEVER purchased anything from a company with some questionable dealings? If you are such a purist, that's what you should do: NEVER buy anything from companies that did something wrong

[Pithlet]

127. Why, the just throw up your hands, give up and do nothing argument.

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Except it doesn't. Because Wal Mart isn't the same as the others. They're the biggest and the worst. By far. It makes absolute sense to target the biggest and worst of the bunch. The others do questionable dealings. Absolutely. One of the main reasons many of them do is because Wal Mart lowered the bar. Hence my personal reasons for shopping where I do.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

62. The high price of low cost

try Teh Google

[fascisthunter]

128. because they are a company are directly responsible for screwing over Americans

by dropping prices to shut down local businesses, then raise prices once there is no more competition. Not only that, this scumbag right wing family that owns this corporation doesn't believe in paying benefits to Americans, but instead forces their employees to file for state aid! Yes, the very same people whose ideology is against socialism of any kind, but has no problem passing the buck onto tax payers in the very country they screw.

[Ex Lurker]

43. it's the only place to buy some things

my town has no variety or department stores left. If you need basic household items or clothing, it's Wally World or do without.

[Meldread]

44. I live in a small town and Wal-Mart is one of the largest employers.

I sometimes shop there, though I prefer to support locally OWNED businesses when I can... the people are nice, the quality of service is better, and the prices are generally fair.

I don't feel bad for shopping at Wal-Mart. If it were to shut down, it'd send the town into a depression and cause tons of people to lose their jobs.

That being said... I do feel bad because I'm doing more and more shopping on the Internet. Since I live in a small town, it's difficult to get access to a lot of things. The Internet is more convenient than driving an hour to the largest town, and generally speaking I can do price comparison and get better bargains. This means my money is going outside of the town, and out of the hands of local people. So, yeah, there is some guilt there.

[SOCALS]

45. Following the logic of those who want to boycott Walmart,

shopping online is even worse than shopping at Walmart because it destroys local businesses without any upside for the local economy.

[1]

52. that. and it denies sales tax to the state and locals. but don't use logic here. use emotion...

[Pithlet]

54. Or one could use common sense. Few people shop excusively online for everything. n/t

[1]

56. i get the rule of thumb. one should never, ever, shop for the best price...

one should always shop in town, pay whatever the local price is. never ever seek a better price.

bargains are bad, unless realized locally.

paying more than you should is the highest of noble. saving a buck or two is having a wicked or evil character.

that's pretty much it, right?

[Pithlet]

57. Ooh, a fun game.

One should never ever care about anything outside of themselves. Causes schmauses. Wages. Unions. Working conditions. Who cares.

That's pretty much it, right?

Stooping to your level. That was fun!

[1]

61. and i surmise you have no problem getting your next meal. which makes you so superior...

live on the downward side of life for once, pal.

then be so fucking smug.

yeah, stoop to my level, asshole. let's see how fun it is for you then...

[Pithlet]

63. What?

I'm not the one telling someone else how they should shop. You were the one getting on my case for not caring about bargains. You attacked me for my choice not to shop at wal mart in the first place. Not the other way around. Just because I deigned to point out that people who shop online generally don't do that exclusively. My response was merely a parody of yours. Honeslty, I don't think shaming people into their shoping choices is the way to go, and I understand that sometimes people have no choice. But my choices should be respected, too. My reasons for not shopping at Wal Mart are valid. It's funny how these threads almost have a way of turning into a bash the wal mart boycotters, as if we're elitists. That's crap.

[1]

67. do you even read your posts before hitting enter?

"One should never ever care about anything outside of themselves. Causes schmauses. Wages. Unions. Working conditions. Who cares."

is that not telling someone else how they should shop? really? are you that ignorant or perhaps that stupid?

i hope some day to be so oblivious and (apparently) well off as you are to make such a bloated statement, and then just totally deny it.

you have a future as a politician...

[Pithlet]

69. It was mocking your post.

I even worded the ending exactly like yours to make that clear. It's the reasons why people generally boycott Wal Mart, yes. But you came at me flailing. I was mocking your argument style. But clearly, that was over your head. I even titled it "A fun game to play" Instead of engaging in the discussion of why there's a difference between boycotting Wal Mart and online shopping, you just flat out attacked me. So I mocked that.

[1]

70. and beneath your understanding of the human condition. i do so love the arrogant...

[Pithlet]

71. Arrogant. Says hte one who just came out and attacked instead of discussed.

You came into this swinging.

[1]

72. and why do you fucking edit each and every one of your posts after i reply? what is *that* reason?

just to clean things up?

hell yeah!

you should be a politician...

[Pithlet]

74. Typos, mostly.

Sometimes I just think of something else to add.

[1]

76. ah... not changing what you originally said to my response... right...

[Pithlet]

79. Yeah, because I come across as someone who doesn't speak her mind...

Sure.

[Pithlet]

75. And why are you so frigging aggressive, anyway? What's up with that?

[1]

83. because i don't like holier-than-thou types that tell me i should pay more for what i eat...

i have X amount to spend on food.

i spend it as frugally as i can.

i get what i can for what i can.

the next union person that contributes to my food bill will be the first union person who has ever done so. so shut the fuck up about that.

i spend my money how i have to spend my money. and if it pisses y'all off, then all y'all can go fuck yourself.

i buy my food where i buy my food.

[Pithlet]

84. Yeah? When someone tells you that then you do have every right to tell them where to shove it.

But since I didn't do that, where did you come off coming at me like you did?

[1]

90. heh. ok. shove it!

[Pithlet]

91. Oh, I see. A dish it but can't take it type.

You gave it to me, and that didn't count, of course. I gave it back, but that did. Like the little kid who hits and then cries and tattles when he gets hit back.

[Pithlet]

92. In other words

To simplify it for you because it seems you have a hard time if it isn't spelled out for you. I didn't tell you you can't shop at Wal Mart! I never did. I've never told anyone that. There.

[Pithlet]

77. I'll just make another reply instead of editing since you fucking care so much. Sheesh.

Anyway, so, why do you care so much that I don't shop at Wal Mart, anyway? I've always been curious why that gets to some people? It really does seem to bug some people so much. I do care about saving a buck, by the way. It's not that I want to pay more (which isn't necessarily the case, by the way. I often find some pretty good bargains else where). My point was that the logic doesn't follow that boycotters shouldn't shop online because online shoppers don't shop exclusively online whereas boycotters generally never shop at Wal Mart. Then you come right in getting on my case about bargains. Why do you care? Why am I suddenly the enemy? Don't worry. I just edited to add the second parenthesis. I promise you, that's all.

[1]

93. heh. and then the first thing i see is that you edited... slow down. take a deep breath....

then take another deep breath....

relax. i am your friend. we are discussing a subject here.

you think one thing, i think another. we can discuss this.



i'll start. boycott-ers can do what they do, if they can. god love them. i feel no ill will.

but i have to do what i do. because it is what i can. so don't feel ill will toward me. does walmart offer the lowest prices on "american" food, lower than any other union or non-union supermarket out there? yes. yes, they do.

every other supermarket in my area is non-union. what am i to do? how am i to spend my dollar? what is my union choice?

y'all say walmart is bad. not here. all sorts of businesses compete with walmart here. nobody is being run out of business because of walmart here. they are just another company here.

yet they offer the lowest prices on food. food. do you get that concept? i can pay more at another non-union store. but why? because they are not-walmart?

no.

i shop at walmart because they are the same as every other store here, they just don't pass your purity test. well, fuck your purity test.


better prices. that's the key. don't like walmart? help pay my food bill. or shut the fuck up.

it *is* that simple...

[Pithlet]

94. We could have discussed it. You need to learn to approach people better.

It really wasn't necessary to come at me swinging. It really doesn't matter. I had no intentions of educating you on the matter. I simply meant to point out the logical fallicy of the poster you were responding to upthread. That's all. I had no intentions of telling you you were wrong to shop at Wal Mart. I have my own personal reasons of choosing where I shop and you have yours. I don't think people who shop at Wal Mart are evil and I never have.

[1]

97. me? heh. yeah, it was me. we should rename this place "hateunderground" with you as a sponsor...

you are so innocent. you are so uninvolved...

right.

check your own posts before your point at others...

[Pithlet]

98. Why do you come here then? I wouldn't go to a place I felt that way about. n/t

[SOCALS]

115. Talking about causes shmauses, I will care about causes that much

when Al Gore stops flying on jets and moves to a smaller house.

[Pithlet]

117. Ha! I knew it. That's original.

[kelly1mm]

80. You do know you are supposed to report and pay sales taxes

on all purchases made outside of your state of residence, right? Failure to do so is a crime in many states. The federal government ban on requiring out of state businesses to collect sales taxes and remit them to the states does not modify state sales tax laws. In fact, some states (West Virginia is one) have a line on their income tax form to report out of state purchases.

[Pithlet]

81. Not to mention that some websites charge the sales tax.

I'm not sure on the specifics, but I believe it happens if a brick and mortar store exists in the same state where the website is based. I know I've been charged tax on my online purchases before more than once.

[kelly1mm]

116. Correct - if the web retailer has a physical presence in the state

such as a distribution center, retail store, offices etc the state can go after them. The federal ban only applies to sellers with no direct connection to the state other than shipping product to the customer. I am sure that all those here who support the notion of shared responsibility for society paid for by taxes levied by our representatives would not use this loophole to starve our state and local governments of revenue. Yep, quite sure of that!

[Pithlet]

118. I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm not against a sales tax on internet sales.

For that very reason. But it really is apples and oranges to compare shopping at Wal Mart (or whatever brick & mortar one chooses to shop at daily or weekly) to online shopping. If a person does a bulk of their shopping online even for their every day needs, then yes. I think you could safely say that's not good for their local businesses. But most people still do most of their shopping at their local stores. The occasional online purchase for convenience or bargain sake doesn't usually equal the weekly shopping trips to their b & m store of choice for most people.

[Meldread]

73. Yeah, I know!

That's why I feel guilty. :P

I don't feel guilty about shopping at Wal-Mart, although ideally I'd rather support locally owned and controlled businesses.

But I've found that over time, I've started to do more and more of my shopping online. If I know what I'm looking for I've found it is more convenient and cost effective in the long run.

[LWolf]

110. Not if there's no local business left to destroy.

Other than Walmart, of course. Walmart is the destroyer of local businesses.

[MadBadger]

46. Their Sam's Choice Clear American Flavored Water is Excellent

The only reason I go there. I live in the burbs. Id go to target for all my other needs.

[FLAprogressive]

49. Yeah, that stuff is good (drinking it as we speak) and also the only reason I go there.

[MadBadger]

51. Me too, what flavors?

I only like Key Lime, Peach, and Mandarin Orange...oh and the deceased sparkling cider one. That shit was gooood.

[FLAprogressive]

53. Raspberry right now, but I like Strawberry, Wild Cherry, Peach, and Orange the most.

[Bill McBlueState]

108. American-Flavored Water?

What does it taste like? Sweaty baseball hats?

[Maru Kitteh]

50. Wally has many products not available for 2hrs drive or more in our rural town.

Yeah, I end up there often. I don't have a damn thing to apologize for, unless someone wants to foot the bill for my time and travel so they can feel better about my purchases. I'm accepting donations.

[grace0418]

58. Sometimes I think I would like living somewhere rural, but the lack of ethnic food

and being forced to shop at Walmart is what stops me.

[travelingtypist]

59. Live about 7 miles out of the rural town.

But I'm 25 miles from Portland, 30 miles from the SuperCenter. My excuse is my mom likes to shop there, but the plain old truth is the store in the rural town charges $4.25 for smoked sausage that I can get for $2.50 at Wal-mart. Most of the prices are like that.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

60. Target is hardly "prestigious."

I prefer Target because the stores tend to be cleaner and better organized than Walmart. The employees are for the most part pleasant (particularly in my local pharmacy--very helpful). And I don't find that much of a savings between Walmart and Target for the items I'm shopping for.

Generally speaking, Walmarts tend to be dirty, disorganized, and chaotic (the one on Route 1 in Alexandria, VA -- yikes). The employees tend to be more surly than pleasant and not very knowledgeable about the products. The pay/benefits issue is a biggie. Environmental issues. Destroying Mom and Pop on Main Street. Etc.

http://www.walmartmovie.com/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

But if you're happy shopping at Walmart, knock yourself out...

[nannah]

64. i live 30 miles from other shopping, outside of a rural town,

and use walmart now for things no one else in town carries. interestingly, many foods at walmart are priced at more than the local fred meyer store. like lays potato chips.

[proteus_lives]

65. I shop at Walmart.

It's cheap and I'm on a budget. I'll admit that and I won't apologize for it.

[eridani]

78. Being fortunate enough to live near Costco, I see no point in dissing those

--who are not so fortunate. Sure, many in rural areas are nonetheless able to avoid WalMart, but it ought to be obvious that not everyone can.

[bobbolink]

121. Nor can everyone afford a Costco membership.

But, "progressives" so often think everyone is just like them.... affluent and ...righteous.

[eridani]

137. Cash up front is impossible for people living on the edge

If you aren't you make back the money quickly. Also, it is class privilege to even have the space to store a lot of bulk purchases.

[Liquorice]

89. I shop there occasionally and I don't live in a rural area. nt

[Lucian]

95. Shop at one? I fucking work at one.

[1]

96. i have to post this so it doesn't get lost in the thread here...

walmart is bad to anybody that doesn't need a low priced alternative. walmart is bad to anyone that has money to spend. walmart is bad to those superior "cause" driven folk here.

guess what, superiors? you are duped.

walmart is not bad. walmart offers prices far below others. i've never bought a chinese product in any walmart. just food. american food. the same can of beans you buy elsewhere for more.

so i am am idiot for buying my beans at walmart? and you are superior for buying your beans in some other non-union store? where the wages are no greater? just not walmart?

who is the fool here? who is the idiot?

be all smug, you non-walmart shoppers. that is all you have? live it!

[wickerwoman]

99. You're not a fool or an idiot,

but you should consider the larger picture.

Why are you shopping on a budget? Why are you unemployed or underemployed? There's a pretty good chance it's because of Walmart.

Walmart's insistence on rock bottom prices is one of the main reasons so many jobs have been outsourced to China. Because they are such a huge buyer, they can force suppliers who are dependent on their business to cut corners on quality and labor relations in order to meet the low price point. It doesn't matter where the products you are buying are made. You are supporting a company that aggressively promotes offshoring and is responsible, by itself, for an estimated 196,000 lost jobs (68% in manufacturing) between 2001 and 2006.

Walmart will close stores rather than allow employees to unionize. Many Walmart workers make such low salaries they qualify for welfare. Taxpayers pick up the bill for Walmart employees' food and medical expenses. So your cheap can of beans costs you more in taxes to support your impoverished neighbors while Walmart stockholders get richer off your dime.

And Walmart has been busted repeatedly for cheating on employees time-cards forcing them to work unpaid overtime or locking them into the store at night. They have a 70% employee turnover rate, keeping their workforce miserable and ready to quit so they don't have to give them raises.

And why don't you have anywhere else to shop besides Walmart?

They have a long standing policy of aggressively underpricing items in new areas to drive out local businesses and then jacking the prices back up as soon as their competition is eliminated.

I totally sympathize with people who have nowhere else to shop. If you can't afford to boycott, don't. But I also think you're wrong to attack people who criticize Walmart for good reasons that have nothing to do with superiority complexes.

If you live in rural areas, you might consider checking into CSA (community supporting agriculture) in your area. You buy a share in a local farm and then each week they deliver your share to a local drop-off point.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture

In my area, the prices are cheaper than Walmart for organic, seasonal produce (about $15 for a week's worth of fruit and veggies) and you're supporting the local economy and sustainable farming practices.

People do what they can. If you can't boycott Walmart, don't. But don't attack people who are. They have legitimate reasons.

[elehhhhna]

130. small town storeowners can be asshats, too.

those walmart jobs were hot when we had high employment. They're meant to be part time --students, Moms, retirees. In that market, it's not a bad gig. Now that underemployed breadwinners are forced to try to make their Walmart jobs into real JOBS, it sucks.

[elehhhhna]

131. small town storeowners can be asshats, too.

those walmart jobs were hot when we had high employment. They're meant to be part time --students, Moms, retirees. In that market, it's not a bad gig. Now that underemployed breadwinners are forced to try to make their Walmart jobs into real JOBS, it sucks.

[jberryhill]

105. What you might want to look into...

Is the extent to which Walmart insinuates itself into the internal wage, management and production quality practices of their suppliers.

Larger manufacturers are able to set up Wal-Mart and non-Wal-Mart production lines. Smaller ones can't, and bend their practices to the will of Wally.

[PJPhreak]

135. Walmart isn't the only well known business responsable for this...

Hallmark Greeting Card Co.

Walgreens

Kroger/Dillons/King Sooper Grocery Stores.

These are just three Companys that I can think of off the top of my head that had separate product lines at a balloon factory that I worked at for a few years.

I would do a run of 14,000 "Happy Birthday" 18 inch Heart Shaped Microfoil in Blue and Red Polka-Dot with the Walgreen Logo in the morning and a run of 16,000 18 inch Round "Get Well" in Red and Purple in the afternoon with the Hallmark Logo....Same Co.,Same Machine,Same Factory

[Bill McBlueState]

109. True, lots of people have to shop at Wal-Mart

Since boycotting isn't an option, what should we be doing instead to protest their anti-worker policies?

[ZombieHorde]

100. I shop at Wal-Mart. nt

[jberryhill]

102. I Would Shop There If They Sold Meat

but only if I could smoke while breastfeeding at the gun counter.

[Fla_Democrat]

104. Yo

:smoke:

[cbdo2007]

106. I'm proud to shop at Walmart. Everyone at DU shops there or somewhere similar,

they just like to point it out as bad that YOU do it.

[Brickbat]

111. I livein a small town that doesn't have a Wal-Mart. But I don't go to the Wal-Mart or Target in the

next big town. Anything I need, I can get at my local union grocery store or online.

[phatkatt]

112. If I need something I can only get at wallmart ...

... I seriously re-assess that "need".

[Brickbat]

113. Right on. When I look at the "made in" label on a product I'm thinking about buying, that helps me

decide if I really need it or not. Is this shirt/decoration/stationery so fun and awesome that I'm willing to overlook the fact that it was made by slave labor in China? The vast majority of the time, anymore, the answer is no, and I put it back.

[PassingFair]

124. Where did people shop before the Malwart moved in? n/t

[spiritual_gunfighter]

125. I shop at Walmart

Being principled is usually reserved for people who do not live in abject poverty and are unemployed.

[Nikia]

132. Very occaisionally

There are many items that aren't sold anywhere else in town. There is a bigger town about 25 miles away, but I am not that confident of a driver so if I need to buy those things without my husband, I go to Walmart.
There is a Family Dollar. I went to one when we lived in another town and got a bad impression so I don't go there.

[PJPhreak]

136. This is the....

"Shopping and Entertainment District" where I live.



This is Main St Virgil Ks,

The Building in the upper left is a Freeper Bar,open 4 hours a nite,4 nites a week(Wed thru Sat)...Lotsa Right-wing rhetoric with yer 3.2 Bud Lite.

The Gray Building behind the Bar is the CO-OP...Every Kansas town has one.

So yes I begrudgingly shop Schwagg-Mart.

And its an 82 mile round-trip drive.