Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the entire world. It is also the world's largest retailer with 4,253 stores (as of July, 2012). If Wal-Mart were a country it would have the 19th largest economy on planet Earth. It rakes in $36,000,000 every hour of every day and reports annual sales of $405 billion dollars. It serves 100,000,000 customers every week. In the United States, 90% of us live within a 15 minute drive of a Wal-Mart store, and 8 cents of every dollar spent in America is spent at a Wal-Mart. People who make less than $40,000 a year purchase 42% of their goods at their local Wal-Mart. It even has its own group of lobbyists in Washington, DC to represent it's vast interests in public policy and lawmaking.
Wal-Mart's impact on the American economy cannot be overstated. The six heirs to the Wal-Mart empire are collectively worth more than the bottom 30% of the wage earners in the nation. Wal-Mart's CEO, Mike Duke makes more on his lunch hour than his average hourly employee makes in a year. Wal-Mart's effect on the economy touches every aspect of American finances, especially at the local level.
If the Republicans in Congress are serious about cutting entitlement programs, they need look no further than a 15 minute drive from their front door to the doors of their local Wal-Mart Super Center. American taxpayers are paying corporate welfare to the Walton family and Wal-Mart share holders in myriad ways. Wal-Mart is the ultimate welfare queen.
One of the Republicans favorite targets for spending cuts is the Medicaid program that provides healthcare for impoverished people--many of them children. Wal-Mart offers unaffordable healthcare plans to employees who qualify, with high out-of-pocket co-pays and deductibles. Most employees can't afford the healthcare plan and qualify for their state's Medicaid program. In Wal-Mart's home state of Arkansas, the company topped the list of employers with workers on the state's Medicaid program, with over 4,000 employees enrolled. This is true in several other states as well. If Wal-Mart offered quality, affordable healthcare to it's employees, costs for the Medicaid program would be reduced nationwide.
Wal-Mart has received more than 1.2 billion dollars in tax breaks, infrastructure assistance, free real estate and out-right grants as well as low interest financing from state and local governments when they target a community to expand their empire. Local governments are left with little choice: if they don't cooperate with the corporate giant, they will build in the next town over and the target town will receive none of the (few) benefits of having a Wal-Mart, and still suffer the consequences that Wal-Mart brings with every new store.
For every low wage job Wal-Mart creates, it takes away almost three better paying jobs locally in retail. Between 2001-2006, Wal-Mart cost the US over 196,000 jobs in manufacturing because 80% of their suppliers are located in China (where they pay pennies per hour for labor).
I could sit here and beat you to death with numbers that substantiate the fact that Wal-Mart is a serious threat to the American economy in general. There are thousands of stories out there from Wal-Mart Associates past and present. You likely know someone who has worked for them. The simple fact is that as taxpayers, we're subsidizing our own economic failure by supporting Wal-Mart stores. Associates work full-time (which Wal-Mart defines as 24 hours per week) and still qualify for food stamps, Medicaid, Low Income Heating Assistance and WIC, a supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women and children under 5 years of age.
Wal-Mart is legend for it's discrimination towards women, as well as it's culture of vindictiveness to anyone who dares utilize their Open Door Policy for grievances. The company maintains a squad of dedicated union-killers if any group of Associates are suspected of attempting to organize a pro-labor movement. They're just a greedy bunch of individuals who are becoming more powerful and wealthy by the minute.
Wal-Mart is responsible for killing jobs in small towns and large cities alike. They're responsible for erasing the life's work of so many small family businesses that simply couldn't compete when they came to town. They impoverish entire communities while giving very little back. Their record for environmental concerns is atrocious. I simply can't find a single kind word to say about them, period.
The good news is that the solution is pretty damned simple. Don't shop there--ever. And please don't shop there on Black Friday, no matter how attractive the deals might be. Stand in solidarity for the people who are brave enough to stand up to Goliath, at the risk of unemployment. These people are your neighbors, your friends, the lady down the street--they need to know that other people in their communities care. So, while you're out doing your first round of shopping, show a little good will. Pass out some coffee and donuts. Blow your horn in support as you pass by. Take a half an hour and go stand with them as they picket for fair treatment from their corporate overlords. Then call, e-mail or write your representatives in Washington, and tell them to end corporate welfare for Wal-Mart. Let them know you're unwilling to support this culture of greed.
Take the time to learn more about the impact of Wal-Mart and their business practices. Check out Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price online. It's available on youtube and Netflix, or you can go out and buy it (from Target or K-mart, I'm pretty sure it's not available at Wally World)!
Fun "cult like" fact: Wal-Mart Associates are required to perform the Wal-Mart "cheer" no matter how stupid they feel (and believe me, they feel stupid). The cheer is lead by a member of the management team at least once a week for associates unfortunate enough to be nearby. To refuse is an offense severe enough to merit dismissal. If this isn't enough to make you want to buy them a cup of coffee, I don't know what is. If you work for Wal-Mart--there isn't very much to cheer about.
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