Comments on: The Putnam County Wal-mart http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/ ... the way West Virginians picture it Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:13:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: mattucks http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-94 mattucks Thu, 08 May 2008 20:26:04 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-94 I've seen the Wal-Mart documentary and have not been to a Wal-Mart since. You'll have to watch the film to really understand how terrible the family behind the corporation is. They make Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame look like teddy bear. I won't rant here but I'd rather spend a few dollars more somewhere else and know I'm not supporting corruption. The documentary is deafening. I’ve seen the Wal-Mart documentary and have not been to a Wal-Mart since. You’ll have to watch the film to really understand how terrible the family behind the corporation is. They make Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame look like teddy bear. I won’t rant here but I’d rather spend a few dollars more somewhere else and know I’m not supporting corruption. The documentary is deafening.

]]> By: rebecca http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-89 rebecca Thu, 08 May 2008 10:16:59 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-89 I haven't seen the documentary, either, but it's in my "to watch" list on Netflix. I probably don't need to watch it, though, after talking to people who work at the one here in Spencer. Wal Mart uses the happy face as their corporate mascot, and they make the employees do these ridiculous "spirit" demonstrations, but deep down, there really are no happy faces. I haven’t seen the documentary, either, but it’s in my “to watch” list on Netflix. I probably don’t need to watch it, though, after talking to people who work at the one here in Spencer. Wal Mart uses the happy face as their corporate mascot, and they make the employees do these ridiculous “spirit” demonstrations, but deep down, there really are no happy faces.

]]> By: Bryan Stealey http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-87 Bryan Stealey Thu, 08 May 2008 01:49:31 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-87 Ah, yes -- Wal-mart. <a href="http://reversingthenumbness.blogspot.com/2007/05/battle-of-good-and-evil-rages-on.html" rel="nofollow">Here's a post</a> I made last year about our neighborhood Wal-mart. I haven't seen the documentary mentioned by Allclick, and I don't really know the details of the way they do business and how it affects retail worldwide. I do know how it makes me feel when I walk in it, though -- not good. Terrible, in fact. All of that <i>stuff</i> is just unbearable. Sometimes I see it in reverse motion -- I see it on the shelves, then on the truck, then in a warehouse, then a boat or plane, all the way back to a factory where it was made, and it just pushes me out the door. I know there's stuff in there that people need, but most of it just seems so pointless to me. Ah, yes — Wal-mart. Here’s a post I made last year about our neighborhood Wal-mart. I haven’t seen the documentary mentioned by Allclick, and I don’t really know the details of the way they do business and how it affects retail worldwide. I do know how it makes me feel when I walk in it, though — not good. Terrible, in fact. All of that stuff is just unbearable. Sometimes I see it in reverse motion — I see it on the shelves, then on the truck, then in a warehouse, then a boat or plane, all the way back to a factory where it was made, and it just pushes me out the door. I know there’s stuff in there that people need, but most of it just seems so pointless to me.

]]> By: Rebecca http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-85 Rebecca Wed, 07 May 2008 13:12:00 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-85 Wal Mart opened up a big, honkin' store in Spencer about 7 years ago. People come in from everywhere to shop there. I don't know if you'll have the same problem where you are because there are more places to shop, but Spencer is about 50 miles away from anything, so people actually drive pretty far to shop there. Whenever something big goes on sale, the traffic is insane. WM also shut down a shoe store, a dollar store, an auto parts store, a pharmacy, a health food store (odd, because you can't find health food at WM, really...) and a Mom & Pop shop. The worst part is that as stores shut down, the people who had jobs there (some with better pay and benefits) have to find new jobs. Other businesses have closed down since then, too (Kellwood -- a big sportswear factory, and the Veneer Plant) so there is this influx of people needing jobs. WM will hire them on and keep them just under the work-hours requirement to get health insurance. The lucky few who do get insurance can't really afford it. That's my beef with Wal Mart. I still shop there, because there is really nothing else. One Foodland is still hanging in there, so I shop there for all my groceries, but they dont' carry a lot of specialty items, so I wind up shopping at WM if I don't have time to shop elsewhere while I'm in Charleston. Wal Mart opened up a big, honkin’ store in Spencer about 7 years ago. People come in from everywhere to shop there. I don’t know if you’ll have the same problem where you are because there are more places to shop, but Spencer is about 50 miles away from anything, so people actually drive pretty far to shop there. Whenever something big goes on sale, the traffic is insane.

WM also shut down a shoe store, a dollar store, an auto parts store, a pharmacy, a health food store (odd, because you can’t find health food at WM, really…) and a Mom & Pop shop.

The worst part is that as stores shut down, the people who had jobs there (some with better pay and benefits) have to find new jobs. Other businesses have closed down since then, too (Kellwood — a big sportswear factory, and the Veneer Plant) so there is this influx of people needing jobs. WM will hire them on and keep them just under the work-hours requirement to get health insurance. The lucky few who do get insurance can’t really afford it.

That’s my beef with Wal Mart. I still shop there, because there is really nothing else. One Foodland is still hanging in there, so I shop there for all my groceries, but they dont’ carry a lot of specialty items, so I wind up shopping at WM if I don’t have time to shop elsewhere while I’m in Charleston.

]]> By: TheDalaiMama http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-84 TheDalaiMama Tue, 06 May 2008 23:17:52 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-84 Oh, and I meant to add that I think two Super Wal-Marts for a town the size of Mo-town is a little over-the-top. Oh, and I meant to add that I think two Super Wal-Marts for a town the size of Mo-town is a little over-the-top.

]]> By: TheDalaiMama http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-putnam-county-wal-mart/#comment-83 TheDalaiMama Tue, 06 May 2008 23:16:51 +0000 http://picturewestvirginia.com/blog/?p=51#comment-83 We just got TWO NEW Super Wal-Marts here in Mo-town. I did some grocery price-comparison between them and Kroger, and found that for the things I buy, Wal-Mart either doesn't carry them or they're cheaper at Kroger. Plus, I hate super-stores like that. With all the non-grocery items, they just confuse me. We just got TWO NEW Super Wal-Marts here in Mo-town. I did some grocery price-comparison between them and Kroger, and found that for the things I buy, Wal-Mart either doesn’t carry them or they’re cheaper at Kroger. Plus, I hate super-stores like that. With all the non-grocery items, they just confuse me.

]]>