Weigh In: What’s Your Stance On Walmart?
What is your stance on Wal-Mart? To me, Wal-Mart represents all that is good and bad with the world. As a parent, I am easily lulled by the convenience of doing all of my shopping in one place and the ability to purchase products at “affordable” prices. However, any joy I may feel from the time and money saved by shopping at Wal-Mart is more often than not squashed by the guilt of supporting a multi-national conglomerate that destroys local businesses, supports sweatshops, strong-arms small manufacturers and frequently abuses it’s employees rights and privileges.
I am therefore torn by Wal-Mart’s latest push to “go green.” On the one hand, I am thrilled to find organic cotton clothing available to the masses. Organic produce and dairy products have never been easier to find. And Wal-Mart’s plan to expand the market for CFL light bulbs has single-handedly caused a market explosion that could very well lead to a “CFL in every socket.” Yet, it remains unclear whether or not these new offerings are really green or just “green-washed”.
I mention all of this today in response to Wal-Mart’s latest environmental move. They have recently partnered with a non-profit called the Carbon Disclosure Project in an effort to improve the energy efficiency of their stores and their supply chain. The retailer will participate in a pilot project to report all of the energy used in the manufacturing, distribution, procurement and supply of seven commonly-used household items, namely, DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners and soda.
This seems like good news to me…a large company like Wal-Mart could potentially account for real reductions in energy use and overall greenhouse gas emissions. Yet I remain wary. What do you think?
Photo courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk.
Personally, I despise them. I have a boycott going for about 4 yrs.
Wal-Mart sucks…but they do have low prices and that rules my bottom line right now
I hate to shop there but there is no other store in my town. What else can I do?
Glancing through the various responses shows me I’m not alone. Yes, we currently shop there. No, I don’t like it and I am actively working with a company that is environmentally responsible and provides me with the opportunity to change our financial struggles to financial wellness. I do as much of my shopping with them, but most of the rest gets done at Wal-Mart.
I often come out of there saying, I can’t wait for the day I never “have” to shop “here” again. I want choices and I am determined enough to get them.
As for me, it’s not so much that they are big, it’s there lack of ethics that burn me. Big or small if you don’t care for the little guy, you aren’t worth your wealth. When 4 of Wal-Marts share holders are worth 16 Billion dollars EACH, and big corporates have so many perks and so much money they don’t know what to do with it all, and yet, the floor clerk can’t afford insurance because the package will take too much of the meager check they have coming, there’s a problem. I don’t care who the company is.
They have a good face, in the fact they support our military and provide employment for elderly and handicapped. But they still don’t pay them what their worth. Yet, they can proclaim all they do for our soldiers and our communities.
Nineteen years ago, we thought we were “Movin’ On Up” when my husband was hired by them. He was making about 55,000 and that was good money for us! Yet, family insurance was so high we opted not to participate. A young family with 2 under 4 and an old single wide mobile home, in a rural area, but we couldn’t afford the insurance? Our only debt was our used home and a used car. It was crazy.
Wal-Mart is always “Rolling Back” but have you ever wandered how they can do that? The following link is rather eye opening in many regards. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/
We all have to follow our convictions. Mine include helping others. I can do that with my other company, that has a mission of helping the “little guy”. And one day, I will never need Wal-Mart again. I will gladly pay more and support local businesses.
Sorry for the length of this. I’m just so passionate about it!
Changing our Tomorrow, Today!
I am lucky to live in an area where there are ample choices in shopping venues, so I never have to step into Walmart. Today I heard a piece on NPR about Walmart giving suppliers carbon neutral certificates. So 60 of them have gotten the certificates. The certificate is NOT required to be a Walmart supplier. On the surface it is Walmart going green. But when I heard Walmart had more than 6000 supplier, it began to sound like green-wash to me(at best a marketing scheme), especially so many of their suppliers are in China. Walmart “has no plan” to ask their Chinese partners to be carbon neutral. Oh yeah, let’s definitely do not disturb our cheap sources even if they are the worst environmental offenders.
Confession: I was a walmart shopper for years. I paid no attention to where their products came from, what damage it did or who they stepped on along the way. The bottom line for me was that walmart was all I could afford. About nine months ago or so, my husband & I made the commitment to no longer shop there. I must admit…it’s hard! I’ve been laid off & we are counting every penny. walmart offers the lowest prices on clothes and I spent a lot of money there over the years outfitting my family of four. However, we’ve decided it’s not worth it anymore. We are using craigslist and local re-sale shops for our clothes now and we get items just as cute, for just a little money.
I will say that even if it’s “green-washing”, I’m glad to see walmart making changes. Mainly because the people that regularly shop there either have no concern for our environment or do not have a choice about where to shop. Therefore, if nothing else, what little walmart is doing, should make a difference in place of those consumers who won’t (or can’t) make the environmental changes themselves. At this point, every little bit helps.
I love Walmart! Walmart doesn’t participate in anything you are not also guilty of. For example, Walmart may use some business practices that many people believe are wrong. Walmart may not believe they are wrong (due to different point of view) or some of their leadership may use these practices to save a buck, or because they believe they have to to stay ahead, who really knows.
It’s hardly fair for a level headed person to say that Walmart is wrong to make decisions that resulted in savings to them (and you), when you, by your shopping there, support the very company you claim to be enraged with. Walmart survives by customer buying products. Until you can live according your your convictions, don’t insist Walmart should live up to your convictions.