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by puppylover on March 26th, 2007

puppylover

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Do you think Wal-Mart is to blame for the loss of all the mom and pop stores? Or what do you think has happened to them? Is Wal-Mart good for our economy?

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Answers. 21 helpful answers below.

  • by BobSaccamano-is-back on March 30th, 2007

    BobSaccamano-is-back

    Yes, I do, they are sort of a double edged sword. On the one hand they offer low prices, but these drive the smaller business out, while the majority of their products are made over seas, which sends much of the money spent to companies over seas. At the same time, their are a huge number of people who cannot afford the the extra money needed at a smaller store. The store does provide jobs, to an increasingly large section of the population, as the gap between the rich and poor increases, middle America is disappearing. Although they are providing jobs, they often take advantage of the people's "lack of options," and many are mistreated. So again, with anything good you can name about Walmart, you can also name something detrimental to either the people or economy. I think the only thing to do is keep it from turning into the only "giant" store out there, if you can afford it, go support small business, if not, change it up a bit, making sure not to visit just one store. I personally prefer Target if possible, but that is not much better.

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  • by zee-ster on March 28th, 2007

    zee-ster

    no, i blame walmart and all the people who choose to shop there!

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  • by -O-uknow on March 30th, 2007

    -O-uknow

    Wal-Mart "should" replace mom and pop stores in large urban areas that are in need of employment oppurtunity. Mom and Pop stores don't require the manpower to match the large demand for jobs. They are best suited for smaller communities.

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  • by sssherri on March 28th, 2007

    sssherri

    I grew up in a family owned business (general country store) which has operated for 45 years now. While Wallmart, Lowes & other superstores have, indeed hurt our business the unique "old fashioned" customer service has helped us to hold our own. No, we cannot charge the same as them in many cases, but we can & do offer extra assistance, whether it be in helping a new homeowner repair a plumbing problem, assist in getting the right pair of work boots for the job they're working, or to just recognizing the customer the next time they come in.
    These days I have been suprised at the number of new customers that come in just because we are an independant business. Many, because we are in a military town & it reminds them of their own home town or some because they want to support the local businesses in their area. But most of them like the personal touch the super stores cannot or will not give.

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  • by -Icy- on September 16th, 2009

    -Icy-

    walmart orders in such bulk they get more discounts from manufactures which then walmart passes the savings onto their customers. the money i save at walmart gives me money $ to spend at other places which helps economy.

    +5

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  • by - MojoThunder - on September 16th, 2009

    - MojoThunder -

    the little stores that close are because they have not adapted to a changing economy and culture ... they close because individuals CHOOSE not to shop there ... never once has an old lady in a blue vest held me at gunpoint and made me shop at WalMart

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  • by cellar-door_26 on March 30th, 2007

    cellar-door_26

    My opinion put simply:
    Wal-Mart = evil

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  • by Empress of Everything Ever on March 28th, 2007

    Empress of Everything Ever

    We don't have Wal-Mart in Australia, but similar things are happening.
    There are several parts to the deline of small family shops.
    As harrymcweatlh said, customers go where they will, often the bigger stores can offer more and at a lesser price, of course, customers go to those shops. A M&P business can't stock what the bigger stores do nor offer the pricing the bigger stores do.
    Also, consider the hours M&P shops are open. Now consider that for these small business there is often at the least perhaps an hour or two before the shop opens and probably and hour or two at least after the official closing hour where the owners have to stock, clean, do the books, ordering, getting stock, paying bills, and trying to have some sleep and normal family times too. Now consider who in their right minds wants to work those kinds of hours for little pay and no private life.
    Now consider who owns the building where they do business. If they are leasing their building, they have to be able to make enough to pay the rent. Then what happens when the lease runs out. What if the area is under a revival, to owners may want to increase the rent or place a newer mor modern business there, or pull down the building and build something more modern and 'up-market'. Where does the business go then? And even if your average M&P own their building, what happens when the character of the neighbourhood changes? Sometimes the character goes down and crime increases and the M&P can't afford increased insurance or can't afford to held up anymore. Or perhaps the character of the neighbourhood goes up and the M&P may not have or is able to stock what people want anymore.

    There are a lot of reasons why these small businesses are disappearing. A lot of M&P retire, and their business retires with them.
    While I agree that bigger chain stores to some degree are responsible for their deline and demise, they are not wholly responsbile.

    As to being good for the economy? Do they employ people, does money turn over, do they pay taxes, do they bring business into an area that other businesses can access?
    The answer is probably as individual as each store location.

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  • by anguilla on October 9th, 2009

    anguilla

    In my little hometown, it was cheaper for the merchants to buy goods for resale from Wal-Mart than it was from the grocery wholesalers. So, yes. Wal-Mart did the little guys in.

    The only good thing about Wal-Mart is that it makes it possible for people who don't have much money to afford some of the things they need.

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  • by Anonymous on October 9th, 2009

    Anonymous

    Yea I do but its not just wal mart, lots of big businessed like wal mart have done the same thing to all the mom and pop type places. There cheap prices are nice but sometimes I want something better than wal mart quality and now its harder to get it because the places the sold it locally cant compete with the big corps.

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  • by Thriftymaid on September 16th, 2009

    Thriftymaid

    Not just Walmart, but all the big discount stores really made it hard for the "mom and pop" stores to compete. It's a shame because a lot of people do not like to shop at the big discount stores. This has been seen in Urban areas as well as small towns. I live in a small city of 20,000 people (suburb of a large city) and my city has not allowed fast food or large chain enterprises within our limits other than one supermarket that is part of a regional chain. There is a drug store that is part of a national network but not a chain per se. Bottom line is no chain fast food and no big stores like KMart, Walmart, or Target. I forgot there is now a Wendys and a Subway which were already there when we annexed an area. If those businesses close, another such business will not be allowed to open. We have villages with small businesses, galleries, stores, and restaurants -- all owned by local people. This is where I shop mostly. I do, about twice a year, drive about 20 minutes to a Target.

    As far as the economy, the economists like stores like Walmart because of the number of jobs they provide. There may be another opinion, but I generally hear folks on the business shows talk as if they like the big stores.

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  • by brewscrew on September 27th, 2007

    brewscrew

    Wal-mart is not to blame for the loss of mom and pop stores. Some more specialized stores may thrive when WM comes to town because they have things WM doesn't. Some do close because Wm can offer less expensive goods. Others may close because the heirs have no interest in keeping the place open. Wal-mart helps the economy by providing jobs that mom and pop can't and offering lower prices for the customers.

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  • by katysax on April 25th, 2007

    katysax

    I don't think that Wal-Mart is to blame for the loss of Mom and Pop stores. I think that the same economic forces that have led to the demise of the Mom and Pop stores has led to the rise of Wal-Mart and other big box retailers.

    In many respects franchises are taking the place of Mom and Pop stores. A small business does not have the ability to compete in a global marketplace or to pay for advertising in the age of television. The easiest way to succeed as a small entrepeneur is to join with others.

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  • by sir_scutter on March 30th, 2007

    sir_scutter

    Surprisingly, I am pro-walmart now. It has come to my attention that not only does Wal-Mart provide no-skill jobs to some people who would have no other way to make money, but their cheap prices and wide variety of products help people save money to use on other stores and products and save on gas to travel outside of town to get things. Wal-Mart isn't evil.

    Besides, those Mom'n'Pop stores would crash on their own anyway, Wal-Mart has gotten to where it is by being obviously better. And if you don't like it, just don't go there.

    EDIT: I never thought I would support sweatshops, but as far as I see it, sweatshops help in the countries Wal-Mart employs. People who work in the sweatshops would actually make less money on their crops, livestock, and other skills so it keeps people in a little better care and out of the sun.--Kids don't work there because they are forced to, they work there because it's a decent pay that gets them out of prostitution, drugs and all that stuff. less starvation and everyone's happy.

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  • by unknown on March 28th, 2007

    unknown

    I don't like Wal-Mart. It has cheapened America. It is ruining our chances for uniqueness.

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  • by Vampyre Bat on December 16th, 2007

    Vampyre Bat

    In the U.S. Wal-mart has choked off competition and has closed many smaller shops because the smaller shops can't compete with the lower prices and wider array of goods. Wal-Mart is a danger in the long run to most communities it is a part of.

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  • by odel on December 16th, 2007

    odel

    Don't restrict your question to WalMart. They're just the biggest low-margin chain. The mom and pop's have a hard time competing with all the low-margin chain stores. Most people feel that competition is good for the consumer but nevertheless fear the gigantic corporations.

    Business interests have pretty much quashed interest in the anti-trust idea by tagging it as 'socialistic'. (They know which side their bread is buttered on.)

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  • by Hardcore Conservative on September 16th, 2009

    Hardcore Conservative

    How many people does Wal-Mart employ, versus the small stores? Who has a wider range of products? Who can sell the cheaper?
    Ulitmately it's the consumer who decides which stores go out of business and which ones thrive.

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  • by Anonymous on January 4th, 2008

    Anonymous

    I like to shop at Wal Mart for the extra savings. I worked for a store similar to Wal Mart but not as big and not as many items (no garden center and the grocery section isnt as big). The store I worked for was family owned and has expanded into a chain but it was later taken over by another company and has lowered its prices and is a big competer to Wal Mart. But still Wal Mart is slightly cheaper on MOST stuff.

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  • by Midgardsormr on December 16th, 2007

    Midgardsormr

    I think it's possible for the small stores to survive in the shadow of Wal-Mart, so I don't think "blame" should be placed on it. It is true that when a Wal-Mart moves in, small general stores close down. If you're not buying products in lots of millions, you're just not going to be able to offer a competitive price.

    However, there are a lot of niches that open up whenever a Wal-Mart goes in, and a savvy entrepreneur can take advantage of that. For instance, surrounding the Wal-Marts in my area, there is invariably a Radio Shack, several restaurants, a bookstore or two, one or two specialty hobby shops, furniture stores, and collectors' stores. All of them cater to people who are shopping at the Wal-Mart, and each offers a range of goods that cannot be found in the Wal-Mart.

    Now, I will grant that many of those supplementary stores are chains, but suppose a clever store owner got there first? Who's to say that it has to be a Yankee Candle in that strip mall instead of Martha's Beeswax & More? Why can't Watermark Books set up shop before Borders gets there? Yes, it is troubling when the small shops get pushed out by the chains, but it's more troubling that people just throw their hands up and stop trying to compete.

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  • by larrymcjon on March 28th, 2007

    larrymcjon

    Customers are to blame for the loss of mom and pop stores. It is their choice, where to spend their dollar, that matters in the end.

    Wal-mart simply offers them a choice, lower prices or better customer service. Apparently money is more important.

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