Has WalMart Run Off Your Main Street?

[K8-EEE]

Although I've long been aware of this phenom mostly throughout Red State 'Murka, here in L.A. I haven't had to deal with the reality of it.

It really hit home when my cousin's daughter stayed with us this summer, she is 15 and the ONLY thing she wanted to do was shop. She was like a kid in a candy store, just hitting the little junk stores in Venice Beach and even the thrift shops.

She said, "everyone at school wears the same stuff. WalMart is the only place you can buy stuff."

Ugh! She lives outside of Winnemucca, NV. When I was a kid and visited family there I remember a cute little main drag with a bakery, little boutiques and Western wear type shops, little specialty grocery stores (basque chorizo!) my uncle owned the bakery. All gone now.

They even get their hair done, get videos, photo develpment, everything at WalMart!

That's just so disturbing on so many levels. No wonder meth addiction and all that is on fire in these places, they are all owned by the company store and what's worse, half the place works there for crap money and benefits.

Please tell me HOW the hell Freepers reconcile what they consider "small business" interests with the BushCo/WalMart cartel?

[Wabbajack]

1. "Free Enterprise"

"Welcome to Capitalism"

"Survival of the fittest"

Ect.

[madrchsod]

2. no, our little town was dead..

the downtown is starting to rebuild but we need more chicago burbs people out here. oh yes we have two brand new bridges and a several lovely statues of ronnie reagan..

[rucky]

3. Wally World ate my town...

In Sidney, OH the Super Wal-Mart is still a novelty (about 3 yrs old). It was built in a commercial area on the west side of town. It's huge. I haven't been in this town very long, but I see that about half of the town's historic downtown area is hollowed out. It's such a shame, because it really is a nice small-town USA type of main street, with a courthouse square and historic brick buildings.

I see other towns in SW Ohio where Wal-Mart is more established, and it scares me to see that the place I chose to raise my daughter is being blighted out. Wal-Mart isn't the only culprit (there's more Dollar Stores here than Portland has Coffee Houses), but it's the #2 employer in town, and it has very much put the mom & pops out of business.

[AlCzervik]

4. We have 1 wal-mart in my city and they are trying to close that

and open a Super center in a location about 3 miles away and much to my surprise that my mostly red town is trying to stop them.

[mitchtv]

7. We have a similar situation here

Walmart and a sames club set to leave so as not to compete with their new superstores in adjacent towns. Leaves my town in a tax lurch. As for main street, what's that? we have mcdonals,panda express, taco bell, del taco burger king, Pollo loco, in out, jack in the box, ALL the pizza places , quiznos,subway,sub King, Fridays, applebys, and all the big markets, loads of indy restaurants. and Target , trader Joes' etc

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Not strong enough in Brazil

They have a supercenter or three in Rio, but the vast majority of people buy at other chains. It doesn't seem to be taking off. I sure as hell am doing my little part so they stay that way.

[sakabatou]

6. I don't think we have a Walmart nearby

We have a Walgreens though

[medeak]

8. live not far from cousin's daughter

in another small town in NV.

We've lost local several businesses and the "super" walmart hasn't opened yet. Am terrified my favorite grocer with superb organic produce will have to close down.

Driving across California am struck how each town looks like the next. There is no architectural diversity... one franchise after another.