It is socially irresponsible to shop at WalMart?

What you will find, and it is confirmed by the responders above, that there is no moral conscience when it comes to personal spending options. Yes many people will whine and wring their hands about the local small businesses going out of business. But the fact is that people decide where they shop based on price. Not service, nor ethics. The airline industry is a good example. People will let themselves be treated like cattle for a better price.

WalMart is successful because they know that.

The person that I love most in the world out side of my daughters worked at Wal-mart for years and even though there were things that she didn't like about it there were advantages to working there also. She still shops there because they have made a lot of changes and they make things affordable to those of us who can't afford to shop the big stores. That's where she can afford her medications even working for the State of NC the only place where she can afford the asthma medications that the state doesn't offer. The same thing for the medications she needs for her daughter. Wal-mart is one of the few places that saw the need for changes and made them. NO they aren't perfect but they offer something that most people need which is why they are still one of if not the biggest store in the country.

I feel like a hypocrite because I dislike shopping at Walmart but my husband grocery shops there because of the low prices. I have too on several occassions. If we had a Winco or a Costco in our town then there would be no need to shop at Walmart.

I feel the way you do and I hate being a hypocrite but until we have another option... It's groceries at that place. Maybe to relieve the guilt I feel, I don't support them in any other way (likes clothes, toys, drugs, plants, flowers, etc).

Sigh!

honestly, yes walmart has been exposed for numerous faults before, and they have wronged the economy, the people they've exploited, and themselves, and are probably still doing it. however, walmart has gotten so big -throwing small businesses off the market- that we really depend on it. so even if we were to .. say, boycott walmart, we wouldn't last very long without it.

in other words, yes walmart may be - i guess you could say - corrupt but we really depend on it. as you've said, because of our economic status right now, walmart may be the most convenient thing we have.

until our economy is back to normal i think we should care for ourselves before caring about the idea of supporting a corrupt business or not.

I agree with you, but some people do not have the luxury of turning down a $4 prescription. It's not a question of narrow economic self-interest, but survival.

We are fortunate to have Costco and Winco in our area. I have refused to shop at Walmart ever since they took that injured employee's money and left her with nothing.

But not everyone has that choice.

here's the bottom line...i am responsible for maintaining my family's finances, and for making sure i'm not wasting limited resources; therefore, i do my shopping accordingly. sometimes wal-mart is the obvious choice-and when it is, that's where i spend my hard-earned money. my family comes before 'the collective'

ranting about 'narrow economic self interests' and throwing in knee-jerk hyperbole about slavery may give you a warm fuzzy feeling to go with your obvious righteous indignation, but adds nothing of value to the discussion

About shop at WalMart can be read in http://the-net-usa.blogspot.com/?q=shop%20at%20Wal...