Comments on: Wal-Mart Is Coming to New York City

By: Tulletilsynet

Tulletilsynet — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:31:38 +0000

Wish I said what Spiers said. People who scorn cheap wares have probably seldom had the experience of being unable to purchase things that are necessary for their families. The Mom-&-Pop courthouse-square stores in the small town where I grew up were all sucked off the face of the planet by Wal-Mart and more specialized chain stores, and I guess that's too damn bad, but then Mom & Pop never paid even minimum wage, much less health insurance. Also, all those sweet old Moms and Pops customarily gouged their communities by illegally fixing prices — just below the level that would have motivated their customers to take their business to the big city. Wal-Mart improved many people's standard of living when it came to my town. I hope the company loses a dozen employee lawsuits in a row and gets forced to treat its people right, but Wal-Mart is not some dark Satanic mill.

By: Abe Sauer

Abe Sauer — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:14:35 +0000

Yeah. wal-mart sees more unplanned children as a strategic way to grow their market base; first, you must feed/clothe/entertain these unwanted shits so, you know, you;re not going to spend a lot. and because they'll get no opportunities they'll end up on the bottom rung and will inevitably have to shot at the only place that has ever held them close to its bosom, wal-mart.

By: fek

fek — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:42:27 +0000

I welcome Wal Mart to Williamsburg with open tat-coated arms, where I will appreciate the ironic cache of having them there. I will also, secretly, shop there for bargains. When my friends ask me why I have Wal Mart brand cola, I will explain to them that I've already done something insipid with them – maybe peed in them, and resealed each individual can – for my art. And I will have lied.

By: KenWheaton

KenWheaton — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:35:20 +0000

Walmart just called. They said they'll change their advertising to reflect that message as soon as Steve Jobs changes his.

Increasing market share is the aim of 100% of companies. Saying that in consumer-directed advertising will be done by 0% of companies.

By: CaptainFantastic

CaptainFantastic — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:22:30 +0000

@Spiers: It was K-Mart for me. "Yes we will take back this shirt from two seasons ago that has obviously been washed multiple times, but not recently."

By: Spiers

Spiers — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:30:50 +0000

Walmart's a public company. It's mostly owned by institutional investors and is probably in your 401K somewhere. You could make an argument that local small businesses are better for the community (though in some cases they aren't, because they can't provide the same benefits as large chains or nearly the number of full time employment opportunities and aren't subject to the same labor law mandates that larger businesses are) but it's not as if Walmart is controlled by a handful of crusty old Arkansans. It was when it started–when it was a small business, like a bodega– but when it started it wasn't exactly a threat to delis in New York, either.

Anyway, every time I go home to Alabama, my dad reminds me that if "things don't work out in New York" I can always probably get my high school job as a cashier at Walmart back. (By the way, if you want to make sure your kids go to college, make them work at Walmart in high school. There's really no greater incentive to avoid retail and get a stuffy white collar job than to have to listen to some redneck brandishing a supersize bag of Cheetos–and trying to return it to Walmart despite its K-Mart price tag–scream at you for a good half hour and threaten to call your manager if you don't give him back his 99 cents.) On the upside, I suppose getting my old job at Walmart back wouldn't necessitate moving out of New York anymore.

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:23:54 +0000

I didn't know they made sweatpants that big…

By: SarahHeartburn

SarahHeartburn — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:23:47 +0000

Unless you want the morning after pill.

By: nichelle

nichelle — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:05:40 +0000

When the Target came, you said nothing.
When the JCPenney's opened, you said nothing.
When the Wal-Mart arrives…what will you say?

By: brent_cox

brent_cox — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:01:07 +0000

I wish Wal-Mart would abandon the "we're just trying to improve customer's lives with our low low prices" song and dance and admit that they're trying to increase their market share to something like a million percent.

Not that that would make them less of a soul-suck. But it would cut the "oh, come the fuck on" out of the conversation.

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:52:30 +0000

But at least the Bodegas are owned by community members and not the Walton family off in fuck-knows-where.

By: TerseNursePornstein

TerseNursePornstein — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:42:18 +0000

I'm at the Starbucks Whaat? I'm at the Wal-Mart Whaat? I'm at the combination Starbucks and Wal-Mart... Wait, whaat?

By: KenWheaton

KenWheaton — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:40:10 +0000

Because the bodegas and delis are doing such a great job of providing produce and jobs.

(That said, I don't see Walmart getting around the union thing. I don't know how Target pulled it off, but Walmart can't seem to crack it.)

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:39:37 +0000

god I hope not.

By: Tom Berenger

Tom Berenger — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:15:21 +0000

What else is going to fill those Wal-Mart size holes in Union Square?

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:13:45 +0000

We already have a Wal Mart. It's called New Jersey.

That was too easy, oh well it's Monday morning.

By: Abe Sauer

Abe Sauer — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:08:19 +0000

If you take generic drugs a wal-mart with a pharmacy is actually a very good deal… probably the only real long term consumer advantage of a wal-mart