Walmart Essay Example For Students

Walmart Essay In 1945, Sam Walton opened his first variety store and in 1962, he opened his first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas. Now, Wal-Mart is expected to exceed $200 billion a year in sales by 2002 (with current figures of) more than 100 million shoppers a week(and as of 1999) it became the first (private-sector) company in the world to have more than one million employees. Why? One reason is that Wal-Mart has continued to lead the way in adopting cutting-edge technology to track how people shop, and to buy and deliver goods more efficiently and cheaply than any other rival. Many examples exist throughout Wal-Marts history including its use of networks, satellite communication, UPC/barcode adoption and more. Much of the technology that was utilized helped Sam Walton more efficiently track what he originally noted on yellow legal pads. Those closed businesses and the lost jobs supported community members, their children, their employees, and the stores in which they shopped. More local businesses will close after a Wal-Mart superstore comes to town. If businesses close at the same rate, Taos will lose 47% of its current retail stores and 54.5% of its retail jobs in a few years. What do we tell the families who have lost businesses or jobs that pay a living wage? Will as many tourists visit when we have fewer restaurants and shops because Taose#65533;os cant afford to support them during the year? Can local banks stay open with fewer local business and worker deposits and when Wal-Mart deposits its money at night and withdraws it in the morning? How long will Wal-Mart remain profitable and open when fewer people have money to spend? Gross Receipts Taxes In 1998 Wal-Mart accounted for only 4.6% of the total taxes due Taos from all industries. (NM Taxation ; Revenue Dept. and Wal-Mart) Do we change our land use code because Wal-Mart wants to blanket the country? What do we say to the hundreds of people who worked three years to produce Vision 20/20 and our land use code? Do we change our code that would support a local economy of thriving tourist and local-serving businesses, cottage industries and home businesses, agriculture and small sustainable industries that do not negatively impact the environment? What do we leave for our children and grandchildren? Food Prices Wal-Mart tells shoppers that they have low prices. However, a comparison of prices between the Taos food stores and the Wal-Mart superstore in Espanola shows: Meats are up to 91% higher in WM Fruits and vegetables up to 230% higher in WM Dairy products up to 16% higher in WM Beverages up to 31% higher in WM. Some people from Espanola even come to Taos to shop in SuperSave! Other Locations If either the County or the Pueblo were viable locations for Wal-Mart, wouldnt they have built in either place in the three years since Vision 20/20 was a .