It's always interested me that those who try to demonize business for trying to get as much money for their products as possible are the same people who have no problem asking an immense about of money for their house or car when the time comes to sell it. They are the same who will complain that a new photographer is trying to turn a meager profit with his/her hobby is "cutting in" on their turf by selling their services too cheap or for free to make a name for themselves. You can't have it both ways. Either profit is good for everyone or good for no-one.
I know many employees who are not happy with Walmart, some rightly so for their individual circumstances. I know many of them who were not happy at their last job either so it's not limited to "Walmart". I also know some who are making more money at Walmart than they were at the small shop they left in the same town. It's all relative. Walmart employs thousands of people, many for whom the alternative is no job at all. Some are making more money than before, some less. Some are leaving a job they hated and were abused at to work at Walmart. Some feel abused at Walmart. Again, it's all relative. And as has been pointed out, we don't have to shop there.
When a Walmart moves into your neighborhood, it changes the economic heirarchy of the community. Nobody questions that. When I was growing up, my parents lost two businesses and I've eaten my share of oatmeal for supper so I do know what it's like to be on the loosing end of capitalism. But even then, I felt blessed. My parents always instilled hope even when the chips were down. I learned that the secret to business is adapting to the inevitable change. Those who cannot adapt cannot survive, Walmart or not. I know of many folks who have adapted to a Walmart in their community and actually are doing better because of it. The challenge of competing has honed their business skills and made them even more successful.
And about those profits. I can still hear the
grumpy and unhappy salesperson behind the counter at the mom and pop photo store tell me their grossly inflated price for the K10D I was looking at. Even I knew it was a rip-off price. I expect to pay more at a smaller store, and I always try to shop local if I can and expect to pay a little more in the process. But the price I was being quoted was sheer highway robbery!
"We have to make a profit", he said. Hmmm, I guess this profit thing isn't just for big business.