Why I Don't Hate Wal-Mart

I dont' know if it's just my Facebook feed or if this is something that's really “happening” on the interwebz right now, but there seems to be a lot of Wal-Mart hate going on.

And I get it. Wal-Mart has a pretty crappy reputation in most departments. I, personally, don't enjoy shopping there. It's loud, gives me some pretty serious sensory overload, and makes my kids (read: five year old and husband) act out (seriously, I blame the store, they're perfect everywhere else). You know, and I'm battling some internal feelings about my personal consumerism, minimalism (or lack there of), buying locally vs. at big box stores, etc.

But I won't say I hate Wal-Mart. Now, this is a reformist attitude on my part. I used to say I hated Wal-Mart. Swore up and down it was the worst place ever, that I avoided going there at all costs, but then I realized two things. One, I was being a huge hypocrite by saying, “I hate it there!” and still going, and two, while I have some serious issues with Wal-Mart, I don't know that I actually dislike the stores quite so much as I dislike the company.

Now you, the reader, can certainly go on and say whatever you like about Wal-Mart, good or bad. You can choose to shop there or not shop there. But here, I think, are some reasons to give pause before you say something like, “I hate Wal-Mart!!” or the like (and are my personal reasons for why I stopped saying it).

The crap they sell at Wal-Mart isn't any worse than the crap that they sell at [insert any big box or other non-specialty chain store]. Junk from overseas is junk from overseas, regardless of where you get it. It's not like the sweatshop kids who manufactured your downgraded designer t-shirt from Target  any happier or paid any better than the ones who made the shirt you could have gotten at Wal-Mart. Even if you buy from a more local store (like in Maine, we have the chain Reny's), it's still the same thing.

Sometimes, you just don't have a choice. Maybe it's different for those in more urban areas or who don't live on the lower-end of the middle class (or lower), but sometimes there just isn't anywhere else to go. Sometimes you are a parent and you realize last minute, as you look at your calendar ,that it's your kid's friend's birthday party the next day. Even if you wanted to order something online  (and pay for shipping) or make something (because, you, the working parent, has so much time for that), you can't. And because it's a Friday night and you live in the middle of nowhere, nothing “local” is open (and even if it were, the next question would be, could you afford something local?). You're left with one option – Wal-Mart (or Target, I sincerely feel that the two, in terms of quality of items, in most cases, are interchangable, though Target doesn't seem to get slammed like Wal-Mart does).

“Wal-Mart People” aren't a reason to not shop somewhere. You've seen the memes, the ones with the obese people riding scooters in their pajamas. Yes, people who look like that do exist and yes, some do shop at Wal-Mart. Sometimes people, for whatever reason, can't or won't dress up to certain expectations. They won't look how you* think they should look. Who don't take care of their bodies in the same way you do. That's life. Different strokes for different folks. To go around saying that you don't like shopping at Wal-Mart becausee of those people is your perogotive, but understand where it comes from inside of yourself. You're letting the state of other people's lives (which is no one's business, even if part of that life is displayed in public) prevent you from going about your own life.*

I (and you, too, possibly) know people who work at Wal-Mart. At our local Wal-Mart, which is also a major employer in our largely lower-middle class community, I know several employees. They're people I went to high school with, parents of kids I knew growing up, friends who's kids play with mine. They are all people who I know to be kind, intelligent, and hard working. Knowing and spending time with people who work at Wal-Mart is probably the single biggest reason I've changed my tune about the store, which brings me to my  last reason I've stopped saying I hate Wal-Mart...

Regardless of whether or not you know someone who works at Wal-Mart, how you feel about their products, or if you disagree with their company policies, it's people who run that store every day, and they do not deserve anyone's hate or dislike. While I don't believe people who disparage Wal-Mart have any ill will towards Wal-Mart employees, one has to wonder – if someone is going to spend the time to say how much he hates Wal-Mart, what is he saying, conciously or unconciously about the people who work there? I don't enjoy hearing folks badmouth my place of work (and I work for a public school system – trust me, I hear it) and I would think it's the same for many Wal-Mart employees* (and, keep in mind, just because you don't like it there it doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way, store employees included).

And quickly, here are some things I know (but may not be readily obvious from what I've written above):

• Things need to change at Wal-Mart and many other stores in regards to how employees are treated, receive benefits, and are paid.
• Wal-Mart kills local businesses. I believe whole-heartedly that it is best to shop locally, when possible. That said, Wal-Mart employs local people in ways that small businesses can't (i.e. On a large scale.)
  
  I know that I am not an expert in economics, business, or policies regarding these and related areas and don't claim to be. Everything written above are my informed observations and personal opinions. And no, I'm not being compensated by anyone, Wal-Mart or otherwise. [There is supposed to be a bullet here,  it won't format for me...]

*Generic “you.” I don't mean YOU you...I think.

*I could go on and attempt to talk about the interconnectedness of classism and the disdain for “Wal-Mart People”, but I don't think I could speak to it as clearly as necessary, but know it's on my mind.

*Keep in mind, that even if someone who works for Wal-Mart is not happy abou the treatment of the company and stores' employees, it doesn't help to continually hear how much where they work sucks.