How Wal-Mart is Destroying America (and the World) and What You Can Do About It

How Wal-Mart is Destroying America (and the World) and What You Can do About It, Bill Quinn, Ten Speed Press, 2000

This is the revised and updated edition of a book that gives quite a chronicle of pure, penny pinching greed on the part of Wal-Mart.

When Wal-Mart first enters a town, they heavily advertise in the local paper, and everything seems wonderful. Later, after the local stores have been driven out of business (a conscious Wal-Mart policy), the advertising dries up, and their prices start heading upwards. When Wal-Mart becomes (literally) the only game in town, sometimes they will close that store, and open a bigger store 10 or 20 miles away.

In the average store, items are stacked to the ceiling because Wal-Mart is too cheap to afford warehouse space. If a customer is injured in a store, even if Wal-Mart is obviously guilty, they will delay any payment for as long as possible.

One store manager told of a person on his staff whose job was to call suppliers and demand discounts because the shipment arrived damaged or incomplete, even if it actually arrived undamaged or complete. In accounts payable, it is standard to take a 2% discount if the payment is made in a short time, like five or ten days. Wal-Mart will wait thirty days to pay, and still take the discount.

Employees are worked as cheaply as possible. The hourly pay is low, and even "full-time" employees are sent home if business is slow. They are encouraged to belong to local civic organizations, but on their own time, and the employee pays all expenses.

Remember Wal-Mart's "Made in America" campaign, the one that was shown to be nonsense?

The best thing an individual shopper can do is comparison shop; frequently Wal-Mart doesn't have the lowest prices.

This is a scathing, and much needed, chronicle of Wal-Mart's business practices. It is highly recommended for everyone, but especially for those who choose to shop at Wal-Mart. Read this book, and see just what your money is building up, and destroying. Is saving a few cents worth it this much?