Wal Mart.
Just want to say I was talking to my Dad about how my pants size is shrinking, and he mentioned off hand how he bought new pants at WAL-MART.
This fact angered me. I don't think it surprised me because I find my dad to be oblivious to many things, but it still angered me because he is so oblivious. Let me tell you my first lesson of big retail.
My father would take the whole family to by books at a small bookstore near us. Even though both he and his wife at the time worked at publishers, we would always leave with a pile of books. It was a nice time. Then Barnes and Noble moved into a WHOLE store front two blocks away. Barnes and Noble was bigger, so ergo more selection; and they offered LOW LOW prices. The small bookstore went out of business within the first few months... and B&N upped their prices.
That's what these chains do. They can afford to lose huge amounts in the short run so they can put local stores out of business and then charge whatever they feel like.
I later learnt as I worked for retail chains( Staples being cheif among them) the scummy ways in which these stores treat their employees. The chains feel that the ways to make money are cut costs- so they do a volume business and they lower overhead by messing with the employees.
I just got from Green Cine "Wal-Mart, the high cost of low price business". I watched a little over breakfast and then decided to stop to blog about this. Basically I can understand wage slaves such as ex co-workers at Staples being forced to buy from Wal-Mart because they can't afford any place else, but surely my dad who has two houses, can afford to spend an extra $5-$10 and get his jeans at some other retail joint. I'm not saying the Levis or Eddie Baur( where I bought a new pair of jeans) are paragons of Virture... but at this point in time ANY store is better then Wal-Mart.
I didn't yell at my dad, as much as I wanted to. I didn't because I knew he wasn't going to listen, or worse that he would justify his buying habits by pointing out that he's retired and thus on a 'fixed income' and that he has all these expenses- such as filling his suv with gas, paying for two living spaces( his apt. in NYC and his house) and the new renovations on his house( which I didn't understand why they needed to add a room- esp as it involved adding a whole floor to the house). See I see most of his expenses as his still 'living large', and I really didn't want to hear that the reason he can afford the good stuff is because he's helping a company that rooks the american people.
Yeah not just the Wal-Mart worker, but the American people... because you see if Wal-mart doesn't help pay for medical costs, the government does with Medicare. If Wal-mart doesn't pay enough money for you to put food on the table for your kids, the government does with food stamps. And if Wal-Mart doesn't pay enough money for child care, the government does with head start programs.
I stopped going to Wendy's for food that I LOVE because of reading Fast Food Nation and not wanting to support evil companies. I just wish my father would be willing to spend a few dollars to help his fellow man.
And I'm blogging this- so if you can afford to go to someplace else, even if it's Target- you do so. My dad won't listen but maybe someone in the blogosphere will.
This fact angered me. I don't think it surprised me because I find my dad to be oblivious to many things, but it still angered me because he is so oblivious. Let me tell you my first lesson of big retail.
My father would take the whole family to by books at a small bookstore near us. Even though both he and his wife at the time worked at publishers, we would always leave with a pile of books. It was a nice time. Then Barnes and Noble moved into a WHOLE store front two blocks away. Barnes and Noble was bigger, so ergo more selection; and they offered LOW LOW prices. The small bookstore went out of business within the first few months... and B&N upped their prices.
That's what these chains do. They can afford to lose huge amounts in the short run so they can put local stores out of business and then charge whatever they feel like.
I later learnt as I worked for retail chains( Staples being cheif among them) the scummy ways in which these stores treat their employees. The chains feel that the ways to make money are cut costs- so they do a volume business and they lower overhead by messing with the employees.
I just got from Green Cine "Wal-Mart, the high cost of low price business". I watched a little over breakfast and then decided to stop to blog about this. Basically I can understand wage slaves such as ex co-workers at Staples being forced to buy from Wal-Mart because they can't afford any place else, but surely my dad who has two houses, can afford to spend an extra $5-$10 and get his jeans at some other retail joint. I'm not saying the Levis or Eddie Baur( where I bought a new pair of jeans) are paragons of Virture... but at this point in time ANY store is better then Wal-Mart.
I didn't yell at my dad, as much as I wanted to. I didn't because I knew he wasn't going to listen, or worse that he would justify his buying habits by pointing out that he's retired and thus on a 'fixed income' and that he has all these expenses- such as filling his suv with gas, paying for two living spaces( his apt. in NYC and his house) and the new renovations on his house( which I didn't understand why they needed to add a room- esp as it involved adding a whole floor to the house). See I see most of his expenses as his still 'living large', and I really didn't want to hear that the reason he can afford the good stuff is because he's helping a company that rooks the american people.
Yeah not just the Wal-Mart worker, but the American people... because you see if Wal-mart doesn't help pay for medical costs, the government does with Medicare. If Wal-mart doesn't pay enough money for you to put food on the table for your kids, the government does with food stamps. And if Wal-Mart doesn't pay enough money for child care, the government does with head start programs.
I stopped going to Wendy's for food that I LOVE because of reading Fast Food Nation and not wanting to support evil companies. I just wish my father would be willing to spend a few dollars to help his fellow man.
And I'm blogging this- so if you can afford to go to someplace else, even if it's Target- you do so. My dad won't listen but maybe someone in the blogosphere will.
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