A cartier watch is a good investment but it costs three times the monthly wage of an entry level worker.
I do not like the loss of choices and homogenization of products that occurs when small stores fail but if they cannot operate at a profit they will fail.
Walmart does offer crap, but also sells the same products that my locally sporting goods store sells, products such as Coleman camping gear, sevlor boating gear schrade and kershaw knives, winchester shotguns and ammunition. These are the same products! the average savings at walmart is almost 20% on them.
Both stores start their employees at the state minimum wage, The local place in considered a small business by the state and only allows it's workers to recieve 36 hrs a week so that they offer NO health benefits at all. They hate Walmart.
The same "problem" that holds true for Walmart also holds true for Shoes for Less, Lowe's hardware, Fred Meyers stores, Target, Safeway stores, Schucks, and Albertsons foods.
What brand of butter or butter do you use? Do you wear name brand clothes or shoes? who did you buy your tires from? Where did you get your fish tanks, a local craftsman?
Do you weep for your local bakery, creamery, butcher, cobbler, tailor, garage, or glass shop?
I read the articles. I have read others that were similar, and others that were of opposing views. The old truism is that if you ask three economists each the same question you will recieve four opposing opinions.
Like mine, they are just opinions.
I still refuse to demonize a few companies for a very complex situation.
