For the record I do not like Wal-Mart, I think they are very much like some huge corporate vacuum cleaner. They descend on cities and small towns and begin gobbling up everything in sight.
By virtue of its large size they can demand concessions from suppliers, pretty much guaranteeing that they have a rock bottom low price on pretty much everything. Local businesses, especially in small towns cannot compete, the net effect is the desertification of the local economy effectively turning a once thriving local economy into a generic Wal-Mart town.
This has been well documented around the globe, along with the other atrocities committed by this mega-corporation, which I do not have the time or patience to list here.
However, I did indeed find myself in one of those soul sucking mega marts just the other day looking for something that I could not seem to find anywhere else, such is life. Dar and I were walking down the aisle and came across a couple staring with a combination of horror and bemusement at one of those ubiquitous “Rollback” signs that dot the Wal-Martian landscape.
This one proudly proclaimed that prices along with human dignity are subject to strange forces inside Wal-Mart. Apparently a “Rollback” includes raising prices.
Rollback Sign: Note the previous price in Yellow $89.97
I know personally the second I walk into a Wal-Mart I am gripped with a feeling of unholy terror and panic. The blood evacuates from my brain in an apparent self-protection mode, limiting the memories I carry when leaving the store. As a result of these autonomic responses my eyes glaze over and I normally shuffle about zombie like into the electronics department “GAMES, GAMES” the only intelligible sound leaving my lips.
This however snapped my mind back to razor like sharpness, WTF! Not only does Wal-Mart prey on the weak-minded among us, they also now apparently like to give us a wedgie mid-aisle and dance around like a schoolyard bully. Proudly proclaiming for all to see how they raise prices and there ain’t a God Damn thing anyone can do about it.
I’ve had it with Wal-Mart! I’m sick of their low wages, and lowest common denominator thinking. Enough of their union busting, and taking out secret life insurance on their elderly employees hoping to cash in when they drop. I’m sick of the group hug sessions and smiley faces.
Join me, support your local economy, pay a couple of extra dollars to keep a local joint open. Get to know your local butcher, go to a farmers market, learn about where products come from. Pay to have your skates sharpened at the hockey rink. Do the little things that matter, take pride in something made in North America.
Because unless we wake up and smell that coffee people Wal-Mart may become the only game in town. 
Author’s Note: In case you’re wondering, the rollback picture featured here was not lifted off the Internet. It was taken by myself on Nov 12, 2010 at a local Winnipeg Wal-Mart.
Bob
Exploring Winnipeg and Beyond. 
The suburb I live in is in the middle of a battle to prevent a proposed huge shopping mall. At the moment it is like a little village but the council are considering selling off an entire street to developers. If it goes ahead I think I will move….
That same battle goes on every day somewhere on the planet I fear.
My home town of Fort Frances, Ontario just got a Wal-Mart a few years ago. It is a small pulp and paper town in the wilderness of Northwestern Ontario. It had a busy downtown shopping district where everything was overpriced and the selection was laughable but it was ours.
Since the Wal-Mart moved in stores really struggle to find a niche that the giant can’t be bothered with. It’s a good thing that it’s a tourist town during the summer months because otherwise I fear the strip would dry up and blow away.
Good luck on with your battle Nurse Myra, you’re going to need it.
Funny you mention the low wage personnel, remember all my free bras (about $150 worth) because the girl spent too much time getting the anti theft devices off of them and asking if I found everything okay and didn’t have the attantion span to do that many things at once? They get what they deserve when they pay their employees such as they do!
Yes Susan I do remember that very vividly. Actually the other day when I took that photo something very similar happened. A $10 item was scanned in at $2. The cashier never lifted her head from the beeping, much like a lamb off to the slaughter. It could have been a $100 difference and I doubt she would have noticed let alone cared.
Glad you’re still reading your crazy ex’s rants from time to time.
:0)
Luckily I will be escaping to a locale where I highly doubt Wal-mart will be moving anytime soon. 😉
Yes that is very true. I don’t think that the High Arctic is much of a market for those tall heads at wally world high command.
“they also now apparently like to give us a wedgie mid-aisle and dance around like a schoolyard bully. ”
The only reason I’d go to Walmart is for the free wedgie. I like that. But otherwise, I agree with all of this.
I can’t believe that you missed out the line that I hand wrote for you.
“Wal-Martian Landscape” I figured you would be all over that, like chicken and waffles.
Glad you enjoyed your daily wedgie!!!! Feel free to come back for more!!
Perusing the aisles of a Wal-Mart is enough to make anyone go blind. I have to admit though, I’ve definitely spent some time on peopleofwalmart.com
Surprised my eyes grew back….
funny post. 🙂
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
Hey Menace nice to see you here. Been checking out your stuff for a while, had to comment on that poop post. Like I said EWWWW.
Yea Wal-Mart takes a certain kind of person to shop there everyday, people that Jeff Foxworthy would be proud to call his kin.
Thanks for stopping by, grab a cookie and a beer the next time you stumble this way. The cookies however metaphorical are delish!! 🙂
That is really, really sad. I love when I lift up those rollback signs and the price has only gone down a cent. But this definitely beats all of that. I think they need workers that actually know math and not high school drop outs changing their signs.
Well as I learned in school back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and people actually had to get up from the chair to change the channel. You get what you pay for. If you don’t believe me check out Sue’s comment above.