[ExI] walmart again: was RE: Capitalism is like a poker game

[BillK]

On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 9:33 PM, spike wrote:
> I am a silent witness to a wild local battle, specifically about Walmart.
> The local Wallyworld proposes expanding dramatically, carry groceries and so
> forth.  I see both good and bad in this, and yes I do shop at WalMart
> personally, completely without shame or ethical reservations.  I recognize
> that local merchants will be hurt by it's imposing presence.
>
> Among it's many virtues, if you dress weird enough when shopping there, you
> may get the opportunity of being ridiculed by people all over the planet:
>
> http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
>
>


In the UK the biggest supermarket chain is Tesco.
(Walmart has bought a smaller chain called Asda).
Some towns are called 'Tesco towns' because more than half the local
households housekeeping money goes through Tesco tills.

In one Tesco supermarket (in Wales) they had to ban women from
shopping in their pyjamas or barefoot. (Sleepwear - pajamas in US?).

In most stores, youths are requested to remove their 'hoodies'.
(A hoodie is a jacket with a hood attached, usually worn to hide the
face from the ever-present surveillance cameras). One enterprising
young lad claimed to be of the Jedi faith and the hood was a religious
garment. He managed to obtain an apology from Tesco management.
Probably as a Thank you! for the nationwide free publicity for Tesco.

As with Walmart, wherever Tesco plans to open a new store an instant
local protest movement appears. One seaside village I personally know
about has a protest running at the moment. The reason for the protest
is the same as Walmart - many of the local small shops will go out of
business. But this particular seaside town is a rundown dump badly in
need of massive refurbishment. The town council and the county council
are wildly in favour because Tesco have agreed to practically rebuild
the whole town centre as part of the package. I think it will be the
start of a new era for this small town.


BillK