It's WalMart Season Again.

On April 23, 2008, a City Council meeting was held in Newport in which the main topic of discussion was WalMart. Predictably, the WalMart opponents prophesied devastation for the area if WalMart were to move in (obviously having learned NO lessons from St. Johnsbury and the devastation that occurred there because they forced WalMart across the river into New Hampshire) and the proponents who say the people need a department store. After all, there has been no department store in this area since Ames went belly-up and closed their Derby store in 2002, a bleak day for this area.

As I read the accounts of the heated debate that occurred at this meeting, I reminisced about personal experiences in “shopping local businesses” in downtown Newport. One day, I needed a pair of house slippers, for which I expected to pay around $10.00. After searching all of the local drug stores looking for this item, I stopped into a local retailer and found just what I needed. And just what was the price for this $10.00 pair of house slippers, why $38.95, so I awaited my monthly trip to WalMart to purchase them there. Then there was the time I entered a downtown business in search of a one gallon gasoline can. While I expected to pay the going price of around $8.00 for this item, “shopping locally” would have me pay $15.99. While gasping at the inflated price of this item, I saw a double shop light and stand, that sells for $29.99 at a national chain store, priced for $49.99 at this local, downtown establishment and the list goes on and on.

Keeping in mind that these local merchants, while charging Boston and New York City prices, see fit to pay only minimum wage to their employees while offering NO benefits. If this sounds like the argument against WalMart's treatment of THEIR employees, I would suggest that those living in glass houses stop throwing stones. At least, in the area of fairness, WalMart seems to have taken the moral high ground over local merchants by keeping their prices low and reasonable. This was the economic philosophy of Henry Ford who believed that it was only proper to charge no more for his cars than his employees could afford.

Under the cries of “support your local downtown merchant”, the fleecing of America continues.

Does anyone else have any horror stories to tell about their experiences of “shopping locally”?