I found a new book at the library and took it home because the title caught my attention. It was the Walmart Effect by Charles Fishman. Now let it be known I come from a family of Wal-Mart shoppers. We enjoy a good deal as much as the next person. You simply can’t find prices better than Wal-mart. At the same time I think there is a point when frugality for the sake of frugality becomes a bad habit instead of a good habit. Wal-mart itself may be the example of that. Is it worth the pennies or dollars saved if your products come at the price of your treatment of employees, using factories with terrible human rights policies to their own workers, and so on? To me it’s not worth it! I am only a few chapters into the book so I’ll have to report on my thinking after I’ve finished reading it cover to cover.
In the meantime, I ran across an article about Costco that was really interesting. I like the philosophy behind Costco and have lost heart in Wal-Mart. I know nearly every large corporation these days I would have issue with for one reason or another. I may try to totally stop shopping at Walmart and find alternative stores. Costco would be the first to get my business!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The WalMart Effect
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2 comments:
I'm not overly fond of the WWJD slogan, What Would Jesus Do, but I know that it means a lot to many other Christians.
However, I was offended, when I went to Walmart and saw employees there with WWSD buttons on. They buttons had a picture of the globe (in other words, the world at our fingertips) with the words What Would Sam Do?
To me, it seems to be taking things a little to far. Granted, the WWJD slogan is not a holy edifice of any sort that would appear defamed by this WWSD slogan, but it still bothered me.
Is Walmart trying to take over the world?
Thankfully I haven't noticed anyone wearig WWSD buttons at my local Walmart. It seems the company is doing a great job at remembering to run that company as Mr. Walton would! I finished the book yesterday and hope to post some thoughts about it if I find time. I lived in southern MO as a teenager. We were close enough to Bentonville, AR (Wal-mart headquarters) to feel like we were in "Wal-Mart world". Anyone who worked for the corporate Wal-mart office wasn't home too much. Long days during the week and you were required to work Saturday until 1pm. Anyway, I've had more than the usual exposure to Wal-mart. I think they have done some good in the retail world but their bad is outweighing any good they have done.
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