Walmart is Coming to our Town - is this as bad as they say?

[M.D. Holloway]

OK asphaltgamber and nostatic - here is your thread!

The town counsel approved a varience for a Walmart Super Store to go up in our town (pop 18,000). We are north of the DFW airport and could use the tax breaks. The people in our developemtn are going nuts becuase the store will be about a 1/4 mile down at the corner - they say the traffic will increase and the property values will decrease. The developers pitch a different story.

Also - right accross the street will be a soccer complex. The town has very strict appearance rules concerning store fronts and signage. We have a Lowes and a Super Target on the town line that doesn't look like your typical ones - actuualy they do look nuch better.

What to do?

[bryanthompson]

You have two choices: shop there or dont shop there. Or shop there in secret and act like you hate walmart anyway.

[dd74]

I'm certain these aren't the most impartial viewpoints, but the idea of what happened in Inglewood, CA and Walmart is there.

http://www.corporateswine.net/walmartgoesdown.html

http://usliberals.about.com/b/a/077208.htm

http://www.laane.org/pressroom/stories/walmart/031225Wave.html

http://www.ufcw770.org/walmart.htm

[legion]

I don't know that Wal Mart is in of itself a good thing or a bad thing--but it will change things.

There was a South Park episode on this very topic... The conclusion? Big retailers get big by selling people the right products at the right prices. Wal Mart is very good at this.

Take a look at the former "World's Largest Retailer". It lost touch with consumer's wants and needs, and fell from its high perch as a result.

I see nothing wrong with a Wal Mart coming to a town. I also see nothing wrong with a town deciding that Wal Mart is not for them.

I live in a town of 100,000 that is completely surrounded by corn fields. We have two Super Wal Marts. I think that Wal Mart has its place, as do the specialty retailers.

[stomachmonkey]

Well we had Home Depot and Kmart anchor a redevelopment of commercial property about a 1/2 mile from my neighborhood.

I told the wife we should sell BEFORE the things go in. I was sure the traffic would get worse.

She said I was nuts. Long story short, I was right.

Now I hear trackter trailers rumbling down the main road at 4 and 5 in the morning.

I like the convenience of having them and frequent them often but I'd prefer it if they were farther away.

Scott

[pwd72s]

By "what to do"? I assume you're talking real estate values? The downtown stores are going to take a hit...big time. Our main street is mostly 2nd hand shops parading as "antique" stores. Main street quickly became a pretty "seedy" area despite local attempts to pretty it up. Taverns are Main Street's only night time activity.
Those with commercial property near the Wal-Mart location will see an increase in value because of the increase in traffic count a WAL-MART brings. Housing market? Value declines if you're nearby...the traffic thing again. But now that the news is out? Not much an individual can do...the values are already set.

[asphaltgambler]

The small town in Northern Va. where I live, fought Walmart from building/doing business there for something like 3-4 yrs. It seemed as if the town was winning for a while. Paper roadblocks against Walmart kept popping up at every turn. There were petitions, rally's, bumperstickers made, etc, etc

Finally Walmart realized that it was going to be next to impossible to build a store with-in town limits. So then they persued surrounding landowners. Believe it or not, ultimately they purchased prime land just outside the town from........get this.......a woman who was one of the town council members AGAINST Walmart!!

Even funnier, I went there after it opened only to find a car in the parking lot with a "NO WALMART" bumper sticker!! So as the story goes........Money talks and bulls--t walks!! You can bet that old broad is swimming in cash now.

After seeing that whole debacle you can bet that if Walmart has made it's mind up to do business in your town; they will.

[ubiquity0]

I think that traffic will certainly increase- if you have an established 'Main Street' area where this is going in then the environment willl become less & less friendly for pedestrians.

In the end the "very strict appearance rules concerning store fronts and signage" are probably not going to make too much difference. A Wally-Mart w/ a stick-on card-board cutout frontage is still a giant blank box at the back of a massive sea of parking.

[vash]

walmart is a juggernaut. say byebye to the mom and pop's in the area. but nothing quite like shopping while crunching on hot, tasty mickey D fries while looking for groceries and truck tires.

i wonder where they find all the non union employees?

[pwd72s]

I shouldn't gripe, because Wal-Mart coming to this town with it's first Oregon store helped me financially. But as far as the overall "livability" of this small town is concerned? Just my opinion, but it's not as good as it used to be, and with no really viable main street business, the Main drag through downtown has become an eyesore. As far as shopping goes? I live on the end of town opposite the Wal-Mart, actually out of town. Cindy & I do the majority of our shopping in another nearby town, since the distances involved are similar.

[asphaltgambler]

From the trailer parks.

[Moneyguy1]

I avoid Wal-Mart. period.

Posing as a "benefit to the community", it siphons jobs away from other businesses in as cruel a manner as possible. It simply rolls over everyone until there is no competition left.

Buy on, folks. Help them become the only game in town.

[M.D. Holloway]

We do not have a main drag to speak of. The stores around town are very specialized and I just do not see them suffering - in fact the added traffic may help them - don't know. Bottom line - the energy to make them stay out may to far to great. I think the counsel will benefit $$$ from this. Remember, this is Texas, always look to where the money goes and you will find the politic!

On the bright side, at least this gives my kids a place to hang out at after school instead of doing sports or homework, it also gives my wife another place to buy stuff at that will eventually make it to the yard sale pile the following year.

[mikester]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
I avoid Wal-Mart. period.

Posing as a "benefit to the community", it siphons jobs away from other businesses in as cruel a manner as possible. It simply rolls over everyone until there is no competition left.

Buy on, folks. Help them become the only game in town.

Amen Brother.

[widebody911]

I shouldn't gripe, because Wal-Mart coming to this town with it's first Oregon store helped me financially.

Just goes to show they'll hire anybody!

[mattdavis11]

I have the same problem. A Super WalMart is going up just down the road here in far south Austin. I loathe the fact that traffic is going to become unbearable, it nearly is already. Apartments will rise to being in a fort-night, no doubt. I'll have to share, and I can no longer hold the title being the only rift-raft nearby. I'm serious, it's going to suck. The only thing positive that I can fathom about this is a closer choke n puke. Texas Road (Kill) House already opened, quality is on par, it's terrible.

[legion]

The markups that Mom & Pops need to survive aren't competitive with any national chain--Wal Mart included.

I'm a die-hard paintball player. Wal Mart sells paintball equipment. Do I go to Wal Mart for my paintball needs? No way in h3ll. They sell the most low-end gear for double what I would pay on the internet. I go to my local pro-shop because they stock quality equipment. The only people who buy paintball equipment from Wal Marts are vandals who have no connection to the sport.

My point, the pro-shop is going after a different market than the Wal Mart, and thus can survive without having to brave head-on competition.

[nostatic]

I've never set foot in one...and never will.

Individualism, uniqueness, and character are dying in the US. Replaced by stamped-out "cities" with a Starbucks on every corner, a Walmart down the street, and an Olive Garden right next to it. Lowest common denominator, lowest price, lowest quality. Genericism celebrated without even realizing. A super-size future that's empty inside.

[azasadny]

I support our local "mom and pop" stores.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Werd!

Wal-Mart tried to get the city to annex and zone a lot 1000 yards from my house for a "big box". The public outcry stopped it dead in its tracks...but since the land is still unincorporated, I suspect those b@stards will just get the county to re-zone. We're pretty soundly f*cked up here.

What I don't get is that there's already a Wal-Mart 5 miles up the road???!!