I live near a small town called Warrior, Alabama At the 2000 census the population was 3,169. It has a Main Street, with store fronts and a few converted homes, which are usually hair salons, or antique shops.
The city has 2 interstate exits. It has 5 large franchise resturants, such as Mccdonalds, Taco Bell, Subway, which is attached to a Shell. Also a Hardee's and a Dominos. When Wal-mart came knocking about 15 years ago, Warrior turned them down. I thought Warror was crazy, but 15 years later and one
Super Center and I have witnessed the wacky world that Wal-mart brings to "Small Town America" But not in Warror, Alabama, their story is a happy one, but the other town
the town who decided they wanted that Wal-mart..You be the judge.. read on, then take my poll.
Warrior, Alabama has one grocery store. It is a Piggly Wiggly. Every kid you knew from High School works there at one time or another. Everyones grandmother shops there.
The bag boys (yes, Virginia, they have bag boys)say "Ma'am" and help you with your groceries.
Across the street is a Dollar General. A small town answer to Wal-mart. small store, with great deals on
all kinds of shit, from photo paper, to t-shirts. They always have deals on paper towels. laundry detergent, cereal etc. Prices that are as cheap or cheaper than Wal-mart.
Down the street is a cafe called the The White House. They have cool portraits of all the presidents.
Can't wait to see Obamas' face up there. These people love Ronald Reagan. If you are ever in Warrior, Alabama you must try the The White House, their peach cobbler is to die for.
They have a regional eatery called Jacks Hamburgers. Gives Mccdonalds a run for their money.
They have a furniture store, and taxidermy, banks, pool supply, etc.
Even an old fashioned Hardware, lumber supply company. I also order my play sand,
or gravel from a company called Warrior Ready Mix.
The town of Warrior has low income housing apartments. Or as they are commonly known, projects. There are small businesses scattered about the town. And I have seen signs of distress, such as the tractor supply company went belly up. But, on the whole, each time I go into the Piggly Wiggly (we know it as The Pig) it is usually pretty busy. The Dollar Store is always doing pretty good. Warrior just seems to be one of those little
towns with just about everything you could need, from plumbers to dentists, an emergency clinic.
Conversely the lucky town (or small city) to get that Wal-mart. They are called Gardendale. Located about
14 miles from Warrior, but a world of difference. When Warrior turned down Wal-mart, they went to Gardendale. The city was thrilled to get the Wal-mart. At first it was just a regular Wal-mart. When Sam Walton was still alive. They advertised, right in the front on a giant banner "Buy American, Wal-mart supports small town America. So things weren't so bad at first. This wasn't one of those super-centers. They didn't sell groceries, and the concession stand sold hot dogs. It turns out hot dogs were Sam Waltons' favorite food. Store assoociates shared with me the fact that Sam would travel the counrty in his old Chevy truck (pretty sure it was a Chevy, but I know it was American) and go to a Wal-mart and order a hot dog or 2. If the hot dog wasn't up to his standards, then he would get with the manager.
I heard you better have damn good hot dogs.
Gardendale had 5 grocery stores when Wal-mart pulled into town.
Now they have 3, and one is teetering on the edge. They just closed their pharmacy, so I don't know if
they are going to make it or not. The people of Gardendale were happy, they loved their Wal-mart. Me included. But then, about 5 years ago they decided they wanted a Super Center. They approached a neighboring City about 5 miles south of Gardendale. This town of Fultondale was offering Wal-mart a sweet deal, with tax breaks, and practicly giving them the land.
When Gardendale got wind of this, they flipped. We can 't lose our precious Wal-mart.
So the mayor and every other person of influence from the City of Gardendale, went to Bentonville, Arkansas (Headquarters of Wal-mart) and begged and pleaded, and offered everything except every
first born son of the town of Gardendale. Well, they got their wish. After paying for a pricey access road, and clearing the huge lot, rerouting a creek, the Super Center Wal-mart was built.
I HATED IT!
At the time it was touted as the largest Wal-mart in the U.S. But since then it has been surpassed by
another Wal-mart in South Alabama.
Wal-mart killed 2 hardwares, a pool supply, 2 grocery stores, 2 drug stores, 3 retail outlets, and several
jewelry stores. The tax breaks they received from Gardendale are obscene. In order to keep them in
their city, Gardendale gave them tax free status for 5 years. the prepeared the land. Aquired the homes that were in the way. They have police protection 24/7, they have their own access road, 2 left turn lanes to lead you to this giant money trap. Along with Wal-mart , many other businesses came too. Motels, chain eateries, like Zaxbys, Dairy Queen, Waffle House,Big Boy, Subway, etc.
A 2 lane road became a 4 lane, very busy with consumers shopping like their lives depended on it.
Gardemdale also is home to 22 churches (all christian of some kind) The diversity is this little city
is nil. So the people worship, then they go worship the almighty religion of consumerism.
So your like, so what, this dosn't sound so bad. We have lots of new stores, with clothing, electronics,
toys etc. But the small businesses, they had to close their doors, like the local book store. Although I
actually think that is because of Amazon, since Wal-mart has a piss poor book department.
Actually the super centers seem to have less of some things, then more of others. LIke their electronics,
this seems to be a large department in the store.
Their only competition is a K-mart. The K-mart has been there for years. The only thing keeping them
going is some people can't hack going into the giant super center, and would rather shop at a smaller store.
K-mart has something going this year that beats out Wal-mart. Lay-away. The Wal-mart did away
with lay-away a few years ago. They didn't want to have to store the goods until people could pay it off,
and pick it up. Why should they do anything to help their customer, it is all about profits, and having to
rent storage trailers to hold all that lay-away, well Wal-mart figures, pay for it now or too bad.
This year lay-away is folks alternative as financing. You put down 5% then pay on it every week
or 2 weeks untilyou have it paid it off.
The sales clerk at K-mart told me, every large ticket item was being put on lay-away. Guitar Hero.
Flat screen tvs, games, dvds, clothes you name it, people are putting it on lay-away.
I was so glad to see this trend, so Wal-mart stick it, the K-mart will let you lay-away.
I'm sure Wal-mart will survive this trend, but next year they are going back to lay-away. And K-mart
will have to come up with another way to compete. When K-mart went into bankruptcy I was sure they
would be gone, but they merged with Sears, and are still in the game. Now you can buy small
Kenmore appliances at K-mart.
In retrospect, it dosn't sound like Wal-mart is so bad..but the town of Gardendale sold out their small
town soul to get that supercenter. And the store they left vacant, 3 blocks away, and the shopping
center they left, it all had to go through some changes, but is at present in business, with a Dollar Tree,
Goodys Clothing, along with a Hobby lobby in a portion of the old Wal-mart building. Which the local
buzz in the area is , The Goodys, Hobby lobby, and the Dollar Tree are not going to survive 2009.
It all looks great at first, the Wal-mart supercenter parking lot is usually full. The groceries are a
huge seller, with people coming out of there with the carts brimming over.
The problem is the things you are buying are not even from USA. Sam Walton believed
in supporting companies in the US. Just in the produce department alone, the fruits and
veggies are from all over the world. I saw oranges from South Africa. Clementines from Spain.
Some of their meat is from Argentina. And the fish, well, let's just say, Don't buy it...it is not safe.
(catfish from china, catfish iare a southern crop, along with oranges from florida.)
Along with all the toys which should be removed from the shelves.
I don't know how big the Wal-mart parking lot is, but they solved the runnoff problem by letting it
run down into a huge cravass of wild growth, down the creek they rerouted, eventually into the
groundwater. Not a single tree in that huge desert of a parking lot.
Last xmas my daughter and I went around checking out the closed stores. We went to the
super center. There it sat in all it's majesty, Americas' consumer cathederal of the land. The parking lot
glistening in the morning light. As my daughters eyes' glazed over, she sighed "I wish I had brought
my bike to ride around that parking lot."
I told her "Next xmas."
We are looking forward to it. When others have opened their gifts purchased at Wal-mart, my
daughter will be riding her bike around, feeling the wind in her hair, and enjoying the moment.
Thanks to the corporate kings from Arkansas, and a desperate city, no gifts, just short moment
to enjoy the travesty which is our consumer addictions. Giant parking lots, mega stores full of too
many things we really don't need.
And back to Warror. The quiet lilttle town that sent Wal-mart packing, Well, I think they are doing
pretty good. Sure, they don't have the big shopping centers, or mega strip malls, or million dollar homes.
juat a middle class town, where the faces at the local Piggly Wiggly are your kids friends, teachers, grandparents. So how do you keep your small town values, or even keep a small town thriving with it's local trade, stores, shopowners, you keep out Wal-mart.
Sure the parking lot bike ride is a thrill for my daughter, but so is a ride on a trail in the woods
behind our home.
I think some people think I am bashing Wal-mart unfairly. I know friends who say they have to shop their
because their prices are so good. It's true, you can get most of your goods from one store and save , they
are cheap. But the local curb produce sales guy parked by the bank, well he has better prices on produce.
And the Dollar Store I mentioned. They are just as cheap as Wal-mart. They carry alot more American products too. just think you have to make your small stand, and mine is :Don't Shop at Wal-mart.
It might not make a difference, but if enough people support their local shops, it may make a
diffference.
Of course the town of Warrior did me one better. they said NO to Wal-mart. Sure, they didn't get lots of
parking lots, and mega stores, or strip malls, they just got to keep being a small town, with stores that
service the community, and they seem to be thriving. And they are growing, it is just in smaller, slower
measured steps. Sometimes prudence may be a good thing, especially now in this economic turn down.
Shortly I will trek to Warrior to do my shopping at the Piggly Wiggly, and pick up a few other things
at the Dollar General. I won't be seeing you at Wal-mart. Except on xmas morning this year in the
parking lot, to watch a girl and her bike. The cost, Priceless!