The Wal-Mart Effect

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Wal-Mart, one of the largest corporations in the world, is an American multinational retail establishment that operates a chain of discount department stores and warehouses. Founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, it has become known as the world's most significant privately owned economic organization. Since it’s establishment, it significantly transformed the way people shop, the way business owners run their companies and the way that people in the industry lure customers to shop at their establishments. Completely altering American lifestyles and the economy, Wal-Mart has created an effect on the world known as the “Wal-Mart Effect”. Wal-Mart, with its extent of power, is seamlessly corroding the system that Americans have strived years to perfect…show more content…
“Wal-Mart is the world’s largest private employer, with 1.6 million “associates”, as the company refers to its employees. In the United States, another 3 million people have jobs directly dependent on purchases from Wal-Mart according to Wal-Mart’s figures. Most of us shop at Wal-Mart but many of us are also dependent on the company for our income, or know someone who is, even if the person doesn’t actually work at Wal-Mart” (Fishman 7). The company is a major source of income for millions and the treatment of these workers is vital to the economy due to the amount of employees it has. The Walton family makes 91 million dollars every day due to Wal-Mart yet the majority of their workers made less than $68 a day. For a company making this amount of revenue, they do not compensate their workers nearly enough. Within the Wal-Mart Corporation, there are many workers whose needs are not being met. The worst part about these statistics is the circumstance that Wal-Mart expects a lot from their employees. The work that they do is not compensated for the value of the worker’s time and energy. “Wal-Mart is either one of the boldest, most democratic creations in human history, a validation of free markets, harnessing its enormous power on behalf of the needs of ordinary people, or it is an insatiable, insidious beast, exploiting the people it pretends to defend” (Fishman…show more content…
For example, Wal-Mart has strived to maintain low prices in comparison to other retailers; yet to do this, they cut the quality of the goods they sell. The company does whatever they can to make a greater profit even if it means selling food, clothes, and electronics that are not up to par with what customers should be obtaining for their money. Wal-Mart has shaped every American’s opinion that the prices seen at these stores are what they should be everywhere else; yet what people do not understand is that the Wal-Mart value is drastically lower. Going to another store similar to Wal-Mart, you may end up spending a few dollars more but the quality of these products is notably superior. By buying these goods, Americans are saying that what Wal-Mart is doing is satisfactory, which it is not. The only thing that will allow Wal-Mart to realize the error of their ways is for customers to stop buying their products. Unless this course of action occurs, Wal-Mart will continue to get away with what they are

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