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Poor Poor Wal-Mart

Often criticized and never revered, Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and second largest corporation behind ExxonMobile. It is also the largest private employer in the America Studies have even gone as far as comparing Wal-Mart’s annual revenue to countries gross domestic product and not surprisingly would rank twenty-fifth, ahead of countries like Poland, Indonesia, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia (Anderson). There is a duality in the how Wal-Mart is portrayed in our media. Often media portrays Wal-Mart in a negative tone, criticizing the company for its low wages, “terrible” benefits, and tactics they use to conduct business with their suppliers. The critics often forget to mention how beneficial Wal-Mart is for America: bringing forth affordable goods, providing a variety of products in one consolidated area and supplying many jobs for American workers. and the largest grocery distributor (Wal-Mart Quick Facts).
There is no doubt Wal-Mart statement “always low prices” holds true at least in a general sense of the term. Though they might not always provide the cheapest prices they do provide inexpensive goods at competitive prices. Often directly or indirectly resulting in competition between similar products to produce a lower cost alternative for the consumer and on a macro-level eventually should also provide competition from retailer stores. I recently went to Wal-Mart in search for my two favorite cereals (Cocoa Puffs and Frosted Flakes) both bargain priced at $2.50 a box. Unfortunately, they ran out of Cocoa Puffs, so I decided to go to “Food 4 Less,” a grocery retailer, a block away. I was shocked to see the price disparities between them, while Wal-Mart charged $2.50 flat. “Food 4 Less” charged $4.95 for the same brand and size (almost 100% more). The affordable prices and the variety of brands and models only help reinforce the type of conveniences Wal-Mart offers.
A foreigner must marvel at the grandeur scale of a Wal-Mart “Supercenter,” encompassing an average of 197,000 square feet (Wal-Mart 2006 Annual Report). It provides a variety of services, including but not limited to meat, produce, pet supplies, a pharmacy, electronic goods, garden and house supplies. The thought of going to this store brings forth an “all-in-one” feeling. I can hypothetically go to Wal-Mart and do “everything.” I would first start off getting my oil change and tires replaced, than drop off digital film to be processed, buy medical supplies, house necessities, food supplies, withdraw money and buy a little something for baby Handy (pronounced An Deee) Dan Dean. I would quickly pick up the processed photographs, eat a little at the McDonalds (located near the vicinity) and lastly pick up my car that has been tuned up. All of which was done in a couple of hours and all in one location. With a few modifications this schedule sounds very familiar to many of the people I know. It is hard void the conveniences Wal-Mart provides, yet I am still shocked at how many customers they receive each week – an estimated 100,000 million, a third of the American population (Zimmerman 1). Another benefit this company provides to America is the amount of jobs it creates in local communities.
The company currently employs roughly one million workers in the America and has established over 3,340 stores across the country (Wal-Mart). It is recognized as the largest employer in 25 states (Wal-Mart Quick Facts). Though Wal-Mart can’t escape its past, particularly gender discrimination and numerous class-action law suits related to that, they have managed to improve working conditions. They have raised equal opportunities for women and according to Human Rights Campaign are improving working conditions for gay and lesbian employees.
When it comes down to statistical data and the sheer enormity (annual revenue larger than many countries) of the company, it is not surprising to see Wal-Mart as an easy scapegoat. They are generally blamed for giving low wages and “measly” benefits, criticized on running out local businesses and/or knocked for outsourcing jobs. My argument is not about the tactics Wal-Mart may have used (or currently using) or that many companies take part is similar business ploys. It is however that Wal-Mart is “good” for America because it provides affordable prices for consumers in one close area, and the supplies many jobs for more than a million Americans. Wal-Mart has many faults as do other companies but due to their large size it receives a large portion of criticism – poor poor Wal-Mart.

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