[Pondman88]

Walmart beneficial?? Come on, all those customers can't be right!!!!!

I think he hits on a good point, that Big Box stores invite specialization and tend to spruce up areas where they are located. In Quincy, MA a Home Depot opened about 10 years ago on a former steel/scrap metal yard in an area which was blighted. Today that same area is vibrant with many new businesses.

[babyface00]

Today that same area is vibrant with many new businesses

I've noticed the same thing. I think there are two reasons for this.

1) Its prudent to locate your business, especially retail, near your customers. If "everyone" is going to WalMart or Home Depot, then they have to pass by your store on the way there or home.

2) WalMart and Home Depot not only lower costs to consumers, they lower the costs for other businesses, allowing them to allocate costs towards profit, employee benefits, capital improvements, etc.

I'm not saying that there aren't downsides to WalMart, but there are also upsides that are often ignored.

[egarvue]

Same thing happened here in my hometown; depressed northeast side of town had a Wal Mart move in a couple of years ago. Now there's so many new businesses going in up there that you can barely keep track of them. Completely revitalized a formerly crappy part of town.

[Terriergal]

Walmart beneficial?? Come on, all those customers can't be right!!!!!

Yeah it's funny.... they shop there and they complain about Walmart at the same time. They complain the lines are long, while they deride jobs there as 'low class.' I actually enjoy it, the people in our particular store, at least the day and evening people, have a great sense of humor and are quite fun to be around.

They complain if the lines are long but you know they'd complain if we didn't give our employees their breaks on time or made them forfeit breaks for 'busy times.'

They complain about Chinese 'unfair labor' but they buy the stuff from there, and would have a fit if we didn't offer the less expensive alternatives.