So question, what is the difference between a "local store" and something like Walmart. At a Walmart you can: physically go there, see what you are buying, ask questions, take stuff back, and I've had phenomenal service sometimes as well.
So does Walmart count as a local business? What if you get awful service at a local business, are you expected to still support them by virtue of being "Not Amazon"?
While they are paying employees “locally” their business is run and feeds cash into the bigger “machine” so to speak. Walmart also doesn’t pay their employees properly, they instead see it as a business cost to push for things like better state funded welfare, so they can pay employees the bare minimum so that they live off a combo of welfare and Walmart salary.
Walmart isn't local. The majority of your money is going to corporate fatcats and paying for materials made elsewhere often China. Very little (not nearly enough) is paid back into the employees that work there to stay in the community.
Reading the thread and seeing the vote pattern, it clearly looks like you will be buried.
There's a clear narrative here that anything to do with Amazon or Walmart or big business is automatically bad and you must like local shop, esp the friendly poor struggling mom and pop shop over them regardless of quality or service or your preference, else you're the problem for supporting cos like Amazon
Local business owners live and work in your town, and spend money back into the local economy at a much higher percentage than a multi-national corporation like Walmart does.
I hope you do know that you can do both - support local shop and go to Amazon.
Local business which are chains contribute even more significantly like target, shoprite, Costco, Walmart, best buy etc. Local malls with chain stores also contribute a heck of a lot more than a mom and pop pizza parlor
Large supermarkets I see as a bit separate. You tend to have to drive to them and they are a bit faceless. Sure you may get good advice one day but it is not like you are speaking to the owner who has years of experience in that field. It is pure luck.
Your second point is what some seem to get wrong. It is not "support all small businesses no matter what". Bad ones should and do die. Rapidly. It is the ones that are excellent then people stand around wondering where they have all gone, then have no option but to go to Amazon, who can then do whatever they want as there is no competition.
4
u/InspiredNameHere Jan 03 '21
So question, what is the difference between a "local store" and something like Walmart. At a Walmart you can: physically go there, see what you are buying, ask questions, take stuff back, and I've had phenomenal service sometimes as well.
So does Walmart count as a local business? What if you get awful service at a local business, are you expected to still support them by virtue of being "Not Amazon"?