Local Development

So there's a DH story today about the possibility of a Walmart (WalMart? Wal-Mart?) being built just east of I-5 as part of a large shopping center.

I don't like Walmart.

Furthermore, there is already a Super Walmart just south of Lebanon on Highway 20.

This second Walmart is unnecessary except for one reason: the company wants saturation and wants to drive others out of business. For example, Albany already has Target, Fred Meyer, Shop 'n' Kart, CostCo and probably a few other big box stores I'm missing. Corvallis has Fred Meyer, BiMart, WinCo, Albertsons, etc. From a consumer-need perspective, Wal-Mart is redundant.

But such is life with the so-called world's largest retail employer.

I had half a mind to go into some sort of globalization-related diatribe about how the Blue Devil is so large it can set wholesale prices, much to the detriment of suppliers, or maybe how poorly it treats its employees, or even how it's such a fucking dilemma because so many can't afford to shop anywhere but Walmart that the low, low prices mean low, low wages for others. But I don't have the will for that. It's all been said before.

And besides, when it comes down to it, I'm pretty sure I believe that where one shops is overrated as a social change tactic. While shopping local does really help local folks and keep money local, shopping at Walmart vs. shopping at Fred Meyer doesn't really make that much difference. If it's Walmart's head you're after, "consumer preference" doesn't really mean shit.