Just a short note that I wanted to share with you all. Some time in February 2007, I enjoyed a stroll through a Wal-Mart here in Gainesville and was overjoyed to find the following innovations:
- Mini H&R Block shops
- Suits by George
LOTS of people shop in Wal-Mart and almost everyone needs to do their taxes. Might H&R block offer some very cheap services catering to Wal-Mart customers and might it be worth it to those customers not to deal with the hassle to pay a few bucks and get it done there? Frankly, it may help taxpayers, who are increasingly under scrutiny for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and it will help both Wal-Mart and H&R Block! We all win!
The suits by George was perhaps an even more interesting development. Wal-Mart now offers complete suits for both women and men, including children! Whereas before, finding a suit for a child or even an adult would have been difficult and cost at least three times the price, even perhaps at Men’s Warehouse– NOW Wal-mart offers suits (and other interesting clothing) that are certainly passable to almost EVERYONE in the market, something that would never have been achieved without Wal-Mart, and something that could never have been achieved by government.
At what cost? Job opportunities for people overseas? No doubt, some few lives have been made worse off for this development, but overall it is part of the tide that will lift all boats in the long-run.
As a side note, the other day walking in a Super Wal-Mart on the outer fringes of Ocala, I noticed that the lights in the freezers in the frozen food aisle de-activate when no one is around and re-activate when you’re walking around, due to motion detection. This will save money for Wal-Mart and preserve energy. Another market-driven, environmentally-friendly solution from Wal-Mart.
my only question to you is whether we should be concerned at your citing of “the budget fashionista.”
;)
In trying to write a response, I am simply overwhelmed by how beautiful the market is. Wal-Mart is meeting customer demand and increasing our standard of living. Too many people are afraid of competition.
One final comment, the Budget Fashionista says “they are leading the way in terms of creating green department stores (which seems a bit of an oxymoron)”
The idea that this is an oxymoron stems from the belief that Wal-Mart and other corporations are motivated by hatred and destruction, or something similar. Or maybe some understand that their motivation is profit, but then misunderstand that the pursuit of profit can only lead to doom and destruction. It’s that same pursuit of profit which is inventing more efficient energy sources and implementing so called green practices.
\end{wal-mart praise}