Community Builds A Store and Keeps Walmarts Out

[Pinkie]

[video]http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389401n[/video]

I love this idea.

What say you?

 

[1Perry]

I wish them luck and success.

 

[Pinkie]

So do I, Perry.

 

[Helix]

best of luck to them, and i hope that it works.

would vastly prefer to shop locally.

 

[Keridan]

Of course, I don't know their community, but as long as this covers their needs, I think it's fantastic. I hope there is some follow up, because I want to know if going that small works out for them and if keeping the money in the local economy creates more jobs and such.

All in all, great for them!

 

[apdst]

Capitalism at work. A much better idea than just trying to shut Wal-Mart down and leave consumers with no alternative.

 

[Centinel]

[video]http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389401n[/video]

I love this idea.

What say you?

The free market rocks! It's great when people vote with their dollars - they get exactly what they want, every time.

 

[Tigger]

Ok. My (unanswered) question is.... What would that $12.99 shirt have cost at Walmart? If the Walmart price was even $11.99, then I think they're wasting their time.

 

[Keridan]

Ok. My (unanswered) question is.... What would that $12.99 shirt have cost at Walmart? If the Walmart price was even $11.99, then I think they're wasting their time.

Except that the 12.99 goes back into community business instead of corporate headquarters.

 

[Tigger]

Except that the 12.99 goes back into community business instead of corporate headquarters.

So what? I can almost guarantee you that 3-4 years from now, when they suddenly need a business manager, a shipping manager, etc... the prices will go up because they don't have the institutional foundation that WalMart has.

The ONLY way I can even consider siding with these folks, would be if WalMart wanted to build the store in DOWNTOWN. The town I used to live in (Spencer, MA) turned down an opportunity to have WalMart build a Super WalMart in town some years back. Instead the store ended up going to the next town over, Leicester where they bought the town 2 new fire trucks and paid for massive road and infastructure improvements in order to make the deal work. On the other hand, Spencer just had to raise its tax rate to pay for a new ladder truck for the fire department and major sewer improvements. Penny wise - Pound foolish.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Did they use the legal system to keep Walmart out?
If so, that's wrong, besides the "keep money local" fallacy.

 

[Keridan]

So what? I can almost guarantee you that 3-4 years from now, when they suddenly need a business manager, a shipping manager, etc... the prices will go up because they don't have the institutional foundation that WalMart has.

The ONLY way I can even consider siding with these folks, would be if WalMart wanted to build the store in DOWNTOWN. The town I used to live in (Spencer, MA) turned down an opportunity to have WalMart build a Super WalMart in town some years back. Instead the store ended up going to the next town over, Leicester where they bought the town 2 new fire trucks and paid for massive road and infastructure improvements in order to make the deal work. On the other hand, Spencer just had to raise its tax rate to pay for a new ladder truck for the fire department and major sewer improvements. Penny wise - Pound foolish.

Did they use the legal system to keep Walmart out?
If so, that's wrong, besides the "keep money local" fallacy.

My thoughts on both of these are largely the same, so I'm quoting both with one answer. I would rather see Wal-Mart AND this store there in direct competition. Exclusion of Wal-Mart depends on how it was done, but it's not my ideal either way.

I think the store is a wonderful idea, but Wal-Mart does provide jobs, give back to the community, and further local commerce. I just think that this store does nothing to impede that and provides a way to keep it in the community. It should be up to the consumer, imo, but I suspect the store would do fine. Towns do have the right to keep businesses out of a community, even if I don't like it.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

My thoughts on both of these are largely the same, so I'm quoting both with one answer. I would rather see Wal-Mart AND this store there in direct competition. Exclusion of Wal-Mart depends on how it was done, but it's not my ideal either way.

I think the store is a wonderful idea, but Wal-Mart does provide jobs, give back to the community, and further local commerce. I just think that this store does nothing to impede that and provides a way to keep it in the community. It should be up to the consumer, imo, but I suspect the store would do fine. Towns do have the right to keep businesses out of a community, even if I don't like it.

I'm fine with any store, provided the community not use the law to keep out other businesses.
It's not better than the government allowing a large company to retain a monopoly, through legal means.
It's just a prevention of commerce.

Even small, local business owners can be jack asses and abuse the government/business relationship.
Case in point, the mayor of my former town owned the large piece of property, that was sold to allow the Walmart to be built and at the same time, the terms of the deal were kept secret, until after the deal was made and construction began.

 

[TacticalEvilDan]

I love this idea.

What say you?

I think it's terrific. I hope it succeeds and that more small communities follow suit. Furthermore, if WalMart was refused entry, I have no issue with that whatsoever.

WalMart uses the benefits of its size and overseas connections to drive other businesses out of business; they also use their size to dictate pricing structure to their vendors. That's not illegal or even immoral -- they're using the tools they have to their own advantage, and they've got it down to a science.

If the residents of this small town came together and pressured their local government to keep WalMart out, then they used the tools they had to their own advantage.

I don't see how you can be okay with one and not the othe.

 

[haymarket]

Wal Mart is the spawn of Satan and must be stopped and allowed to crumble into dust covering the grave of Montgomery Ward. If that sounds extreme, just get in your car and visit the hundreds of places where WM has destroyed the fabric of the small town and local businesses. Sam Walton loved small town America and ended up digging a grave for much of what he professed to love.

Thanks for this video Pinkie. That little town looks charming and I hope these folks are successful.

 

[Helix]

Ok. My (unanswered) question is.... What would that $12.99 shirt have cost at Walmart? If the Walmart price was even $11.99, then I think they're wasting their time.

i'd rather pay 20 bucks for a shirt and have jobs for Americans. your $11.99 shirt costs much more than that when unemployment and entitlement programs are factored in.

 

[1Perry]

So what? I can almost guarantee you that 3-4 years from now, when they suddenly need a business manager, a shipping manager, etc... the prices will go up because they don't have the institutional foundation that WalMart has.

That's business. Then someone else can step in and fill the nitch this store leaves. Wal-Mart has been bad for the country after Sam died.

They've run off more business from this country with their buying policies likely more than any other source.

 

[Tigger]

i'd rather pay 20 bucks for a shirt and have jobs for Americans. your $11.99 shirt costs much more than that when unemployment and entitlement programs are factored in.

I'm an Isolationist and a Nationalist, but my time and money are sufficiently important to me that I'm not going to waste them driving three times as far to pay twice as much for a shirt made in the United States; if I can even find one. When it is not a major inconvenience to buy American I do so. We do not have American-made products in many categories these days. Until we start to limit what can be imported into this country BY LAW, nothing is going to change.

 

[StillBallin75]

[video]http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389401n[/video]

I love this idea.

What say you?

This is awesome.

 

[apdst]

How many jobs did The Community Store create versus Wal-Mart?

 

[geewrd]

Gosh I hate Walmart, a store with no purpose other than to provide goods to poor people, what a horrible business. Get them out of my town please. I hate even having to see poor people driving there to buy necessities.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Wal Mart is the spawn of Satan and must be stopped and allowed to crumble into dust covering the grave of Montgomery Ward. If that sounds extreme, just get in your car and visit the hundreds of places where WM has destroyed the fabric of the small town and local businesses. Sam Walton loved small town America and ended up digging a grave for much of what he professed to love.

Thanks for this video Pinkie. That little town looks charming and I hope these folks are successful.

If Walmart had never existed, another big box retailer would have filled the niche.
It was inevitable.

Welcome to a progressively changing world.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Gosh I hate Walmart, a store with no purpose other than to provide goods to poor people, what a horrible business. Get them out of my town please. I hate even having to see poor people driving there to buy necessities.

We like to have our poor and lower middle income groups, to have limited utility over the use of their money.
It makes us feel better for some reason.

 

[1Perry]

Wal-Mart has run many good jobs away by demanding what prices manufacturer's will sell their items for. At some point the only way to accomplish this is with outsourcing. So while Wal-Mart is able to market to lower wage earners better, they are a part of the reason why they are lower wage earners.

Heck of a way to create a market for yourself.

 

[haymarket]

Gosh I hate Walmart, a store with no purpose other than to provide goods to poor people, what a horrible business. Get them out of my town please. I hate even having to see poor people driving there to buy necessities.

Do you know the difference between negative long term effects of something and a rather temporary and tiny short term gain? It would appear you do not.