Wal-Mart

It's true what they say about Wal-Mart, that its size, selection, and low prices (a partial derivative of low wages paid to its employees and overseas factory workers) are a serious threat to small business. I get that, to a point. However, I also see Wal-Mart as a really good example of successfully applied/exploited economic principles/realities, such as JIT inventory management, vertical integration, oligopoly (yes, I got some help here from Martin and a financial dictionary!), etc. In any case, it's one of the few affordable sources of just-about-everything within an hour's drive of our house and the only place where I could reasonably expect to find a hot glue gun, a dozen eggs, and some vitamins.

It's also not true what they say about Wal-Mart, namely that it's heartless. Allow me to explain. This afternoon, while I was shopping with Emilia for the above-mentioned items, Wal-Mart in Kemptville lost power for over 30 minutes. People grew silent at first, then chatty, and though no one was ever argumentative or even irritable, it became clear after a while that many were chomping at the bit to get on with their lives. Cell phones came out, food and drinks were opened for pre-purchase consumption, weight shifted from one foot to the other and back again, sighs were rampant. A while later customers began to abandon their carts and walk out. (In all fairness, some probably had appointments to keep.) So how did Wal-Mart respond? Off-duty cashiers silently went about returning the left-behind merchandise to its proper locations throughout the store while managers walked up and down the aisles handing out free brownies, chips, and Easter candy. Eventually the generator(s) kicked in and I was able to check out, but leaving the store would still be a challenge due to tremendous winds. How did Wal-Mart respond this time? One employee took it upon herself to return my cart to the indoor corral while another carried my bags to the car so I could hold Emilia, wrapped in my sweater to protect her from flying sand and debris. Once there, the woman held my door while I buckled Emilia into her seat, thereby preventing it from slamming shut and hurting us. Now that's not heartless. I just thought you should know!