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Walmart Benefits the Community Essay

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Wal-Mart has branded stores in all 50 states and in over 27 countries. Wal-Mart started with humble roots in 1962 by Sam Walton in the small town of Bentonville, Arkansas. Within thirty years, the small local discount retailer grew to one of the largest retail companies in the United States of America. Now it stands as the largest retailer in the world. As the largest retailer, Wal-Mart has gained many detractors. In "The Case for Wal-Mart," Karen De Coster and Brad Edmonds recognize how people “like to attack bigness” (632). Many believe Wal-Mart offers low wage jobs with few employee benefits, discriminates against women, and among many other issues, doesn’t give back to the community (631). In contrast to the constant barrage …show more content…

Working a low level job at Wal-Mart will allow people to earn money to pay for the essentials in life while gaining valuable work experience which. This may help them acquire a better job down the road. For most, their job at Wal-Mart will help pay the bills until something better comes along but for others it's a job that will be the start of a long career. Wal-Mart provides many employment and growth opportunities making the community a more cheerful place to live.
The sheer size of Wal-Mart allows them to negotiate better pricing from a manufacturer and/or shipping companies and pass those savings on to the customer. It is true that some small retailers may not be able to compete directly with Wal-Mart's pricing. Some critics also add, once Wal-Mart drives out competition in an area they will increase their prices. Wal-Mart enters with low prices and large selections then maintains those low prices. De Coster and Edmonds go on to ask, "Where is the evidence of Wal-Mart ever driving up prices after becoming established in the market” (633)? Wal-Mart must also compete with larger specialty retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes in the hardware/home improvement market, Bass Pro and Cabela's in the hunting/outdoor market, Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods in the recreational sports market, and PetsMart and PetCo in the pet care market. These large retailers, due to their size, are also able to benefit

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