http://grist.org/business-technology/walmarts-biggest-green-feat-putting-sustainability-on-the-corporate-agenda/
so -- what do you REALLY think of Walmart? personally, i was never much of a fan; the quality of food and clothing wasn't to my liking; the aisles narrow and often plugged with an irritating column that you can't quite manage to squeeze a cart around; while the staff are friendly enough, it's almost impossible to track one down when you really need one. and we've all seen the emailed photos of the kind of people that shop at Walmart. . . . nobody wants to be one with that bunch!
and then one day, while i was having my car repaired in one of my favourite Central Alberta towns, i found myself in need of some supplies and Walmart was one of the few stores within easy walking distance (by 'easy' i mean close enough that i was willing to carry a few bag of groceries back from).
i'd heard about the new Walmart Supercentres but had yet to grace one with my presence. but there it was, just a little west and north of where my car was being serviced. so i thought, why not check it out? i think it was 3 hours later when i finally made it back to the servic centre -- and not because it was a difficult distance to carry my bags. this brand new store was nice and clean, with lots of room between the aisles for me and my cart, and man, the people were friendly. i think the 'friendly' had more to do with the fact that i was in a smaller community but the fresh and clean appearance of the store and decent produce was pure Walmart.
i have to admit, somewhat shamefaced, there are times that i secretly adore Walmart. i still don't shop there for clothing, or any quality purchases. i still support my local farmers and try by best to stick to buying local, regional, or at least Canadian, but the attraction for me is that Walmart is a great place to one-stop shop -- and, since i hate shopping -- it fits me to a 't'.
so it warms my heart to read about the successes Walmart is making in reducing its environmental footprint. yes, Walmart has a L O N G ways to go to become the store i would be proud to admit i shopped at on a regular basis -- but at least now, i'll actually ADMIT that there is the occassional trip to town with the actual intention of going straight for Walmart.
Am I The Only One?
hey Brenda, The company that I work for wholesales to Wal-mart in Ab. and Sask. I can also tell you that the south store in RD makes a lot of purchases from the local Hutterite colonies. (I used to work in merchandising at this store) The stores also contribute to local charities and participate in local and national fundraisers. There are a lot of negative attitudes toward this corporate giant but they are not completely without merit.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary Jane. You always have something interesting to add to the debate.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that some of the big box stores support the local economy to some degree. I struggle with the organic foods and clothing made in China and other countries where labour is cheap, transportation costs high, and yet it can still be offered to the consumer at a lower price. As you mentioned,they aren't without merit but the impact on communities is the inability of smaller local companies to compete. They simply do not have the buying power that gives the Walmarts, Costcos, Home Depots and the like their competitive edge. Canada was pretty self-sufficient at one time, whereas we are now a nation of consumers and it's very difficult to reverse the trend. every little step towards a lighter footprint, be it buying local or being more energy efficient in their daily operations, is a bonus.
you might want to take a look at another article. Incidentally, take a look at http://hpdsinc.blogspot.com/2012/01/walmart-planning-hundreds-of-mini.html -- Walmart has recognized the trend away from big box and has responded by introducing mini-Walmarts.