Spring Break
Column: Buying local keeps your dollars invested in community
Bryan Rolfsen / Columnist
Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: Opinions
Correction added
For the last nine months, I have been boycotting Wal-Mart. I boycott because the company engages in shady business dealings, insists on adamant union suppression in the U.S. and Canada, has expensive health care benefits, shows an illicit disregard for environmental regulations and tends to have a negative, long-term effect on the local economies of the host town and its surrounding neighbors.
As such, I decided to compare prices between the discount mass merchant and County Market (a regional chain of about 60 stores). I composed a shopping list consisting of bread, milk, eggs and a number of other everyday grocery items.
Though perhaps not typical college food, I think this is a well-balanced list for the purpose at hand. To normalize the numbers, I came up with a range of prices — the low end consisting of only generic brands, the high end consisting only of name brands.
Unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart ended up being cheaper. Before sales tax, the range that I found was about $48.26 to $59.93. This is compared to the range at County Market, which was about $53.45 to $69.07. These numbers show that if one were to buy the cheapest items at County Market, they would have to spend about 10 to 13 percent more than if they shopped at Wal-Mart. The data is rough and the experimental design is flimsy, but on a basic level, I feel these numbers are comparable. County Market is more expensive, but as a consumer, one must holistically consider the pros and cons of paying the extra 10 to 13 percent.
According to Kenneth Stone, professor of economics at Iowa State University, the basic lifeline of a Wal-Mart is as follows: To be born, the company offers a town such incentives as the creation of jobs, higher traffic flow and another place to buy all of the unnecessary junk that we "must" have. Growth-minded politicians lap up this opportunity and oftentimes pay large sums of money to have the corporation come to town. Then they build their megastore on the fringe of town — away from downtown business — and decentralize the community.
Once running, they slash prices to such an extent that the local retailers, both in town and nearby, cannot keep up and are forced to close. However, this still causes an immediate economic boost (more immediate jobs and traffic).
This results in a large cash flow feeding an enormous corporation with no vested interest in the community in which it resides. Without compassion, the employees are treated poorly, the environment is taken advantage of and the town is treated as another nominal place of business.
In buying, it is important to consider the consequences of our spending — to think of whose hands are going to receive our money. To support local business is to create a thriving, local economy and improve the standard of life for our neighbors and ourselves. If enough people care and try, this kind of change is possible.
Bryan Rolfsen is a senior biology major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
For the last nine months, I have been boycotting Wal-Mart. I boycott because the company engages in shady business dealings, insists on adamant union suppression in the U.S. and Canada, has expensive health care benefits, shows an illicit disregard for environmental regulations and tends to have a negative, long-term effect on the local economies of the host town and its surrounding neighbors.
As such, I decided to compare prices between the discount mass merchant and County Market (a regional chain of about 60 stores). I composed a shopping list consisting of bread, milk, eggs and a number of other everyday grocery items.
Though perhaps not typical college food, I think this is a well-balanced list for the purpose at hand. To normalize the numbers, I came up with a range of prices — the low end consisting of only generic brands, the high end consisting only of name brands.
Unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart ended up being cheaper. Before sales tax, the range that I found was about $48.26 to $59.93. This is compared to the range at County Market, which was about $53.45 to $69.07. These numbers show that if one were to buy the cheapest items at County Market, they would have to spend about 10 to 13 percent more than if they shopped at Wal-Mart. The data is rough and the experimental design is flimsy, but on a basic level, I feel these numbers are comparable. County Market is more expensive, but as a consumer, one must holistically consider the pros and cons of paying the extra 10 to 13 percent.
According to Kenneth Stone, professor of economics at Iowa State University, the basic lifeline of a Wal-Mart is as follows: To be born, the company offers a town such incentives as the creation of jobs, higher traffic flow and another place to buy all of the unnecessary junk that we "must" have. Growth-minded politicians lap up this opportunity and oftentimes pay large sums of money to have the corporation come to town. Then they build their megastore on the fringe of town — away from downtown business — and decentralize the community.
Once running, they slash prices to such an extent that the local retailers, both in town and nearby, cannot keep up and are forced to close. However, this still causes an immediate economic boost (more immediate jobs and traffic).
This results in a large cash flow feeding an enormous corporation with no vested interest in the community in which it resides. Without compassion, the employees are treated poorly, the environment is taken advantage of and the town is treated as another nominal place of business.
In buying, it is important to consider the consequences of our spending — to think of whose hands are going to receive our money. To support local business is to create a thriving, local economy and improve the standard of life for our neighbors and ourselves. If enough people care and try, this kind of change is possible.
Bryan Rolfsen is a senior biology major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 11
J
posted 2/16/09 @ 12:09 AM CST
Do people really believe that every single retailer in this country wouldn't sell their corporate soul to be what Wal-mart is?
Are you implying that all other big-box retailers don't incorporate shady business practices, under-cut local retailers, etc?
Are you actually trying to convince people that you have closets full of clothes/shoes, groceries and other household items that you bought at higher prices to show support for your local businesses?
Sorry, but I think you're lying. (Continued…)
Scott Shuster
Scott Shuster
posted 2/16/09 @ 12:24 AM CST
That's an interesting piece of research, Bryan, and you are not the only one who has doubts about Wal*Mart's overall bottom line. There are a couple of things about your conclusion however, that deserve comment. (Continued…)
Kelly
posted 2/16/09 @ 8:32 AM CST
I am in no way a Wal-Mart fan, but to say the corporation shows "an illicit disregard for environmental regulations" makes it abundantly clear you didn't even research this topic. (Continued…)
Kelly
posted 2/18/09 @ 8:30 AM CST
Yeah I get the point. But I also don't much care what a company's motivation is as long as they're promoting environmental actions.
One way to buy local, sort of
posted 2/18/09 @ 6:31 PM CST
Anyone who cares about keeping money in the community might want to spend some money at County Market sometime soon. Their parking lot this afternoon was nearly empty, as was the store itself. (Continued…)
Kelly
posted 2/19/09 @ 8:23 AM CST
But OMG, County Market is a chain!!!!!!!
Grad Student
posted 2/19/09 @ 11:32 AM CST
While Wal-Mart like all big companies has faults this articles lacks facts. Wal-Mart's insurance is not expensive. I know this because I am on it. The dental according to dentists is amazing and very cheap. (Continued…)
One way to buy local, sort of
posted 2/19/09 @ 3:49 PM CST
Yes, County Market is a chain. That's why I wrote "One way to buy local, sort of." There are many people who work at the Charleston County Market who go back to the days when the store was Wlb Walker's. (Continued…)
spread the money around
posted 2/19/09 @ 6:42 PM CST
The point should be to spread your money around so you're not buying prescriptions, food, and everything else at only Wal-Mart. That way Wal-Mart isn't the only place left in town. (Continued…)
Post a Comment