I don't buy into the "Walmart killed downtown" argument at all. Anybody that regularly reads the "World Gone By" columns from 25 years ago can see that this was happening with the mall coming in, 10 years before Walmart showed up. Some businesses are successful, most are not. And for those that are successful, they must evolve or die. That applies to Walmart as well as any other company.

I wouldn't be surprised if we lost a grocery store here in Aberdeen, whether Walmart becomes a Supercenter or not. The fact is, at least one is struggling, but Walmart makes a good excuse. Remember when Photo Lab Express closed? They made sure that everyone knew, through the newspaper, was the reason they were closing was cheaper, (supposedly) inferior developing available at Walmart and Safeway. The transistion to digital was also briefly mentioned, but that was more of an afterthought. 5 years later, and I think only Rite-Aid has 1 hour film developing. Is it because Walmart drove everyone out of the business before ending the service themselves, or because it's got as much demand as buggy whips?

It seems that the driving factor here is the desire to protect an oligopoly. And that rarely works. It isn't the Port's or the city's responsibility to ensure that all businesses are union, or that union businesses only have to compete against other union businesses. It's the union businesses responsibility to make sure that they are doing everything they can to be competitive. Some will, some won't. When this is all said and done, Safeway will be just fine, just like they are in other markets where they compete against Walmart. This location will be even better off than most because it is probably one of the best run Safeways out there. Whether a Swanson's or Top Foods go away depends on how they respond to competition.

I'm curious as to how up in arms people would be if it was a WINCO? Very competitive, really even more so than Walmart, doesn't do a lot of charitible stuff, and is non-union. But it's not as big, only 70 some locations.

Where are the Sons of Anarchy when we need them?

Wal~Mart tactics world-wide are well documented. Yes, there are examples of buggy whip stores who were doomed no matter what. But, there are many, many, more of good honest businesses that couldn't race to the bottom of the wage and benefit ladder they would have to in order compete with an international conglomerate that could lose a million dollars a day until their competition is gone. Benefits and family wage jobs cost money. Products produced by businesses with employee benefits and family wages cost more. In a race to the bottom, only the one who can hold their breath the longest wins. Any single Wal~Mart can hold its breath forever. And, Bentonville's long-term marketing strategy involves deep sea diving equipment.

I agree. Some of the local businesses, union or not, have excellent customer service that totally offsets price-savings. Some could definitely make improvements in their customer service and selection to draw more customers.

But there is more to it.

I think the issue that bugs me the most is that number of union members who shop WalMart instead of shopping local stores, especially locally-owned UNION stores. What's up with that? I have had this discussion multiple times with various union shop stewards and even labor organizers. They agree with me in principle but still shop there. Penny-wise and pound foolish, I guess.

Yes, the mall hurt downtown. But there was a time when the mall, at least, had more shops which gave you a variety of shopping experiences, including a few locally-owned shops. Now WalMart is killing the mall, too.

For me, it's not just the local issues. The reason why we are losing our domestic manufacturing base is also because of the price-cutting. Manufacturers who remain domestic do end up cutting wages and benefits in order to meet WalMart's price points. Google Vlasic pickles for a classic example. All this importing of products also doesn't help our trade deficit.



WalMart drives the market. Winco doesn't. It all reminds me of the scene in "Demolition Man" when Sandra Bullock tell Stallone that Taco Bell won the franchise wars and "all restaurants are Taco Bell". I doubt that will ever happen on a national or regional level but there are some small town areas where it's getting close. Yikes!

But I really don't like any chains and avoid them if I can. You will rarely catch me eating at a chain restaurant, for example. Even when out of town. I don't seek the familiar. I totally hate the way towns are becoming increasingly carbon copies of each other when you enter them, with chains all over the place. But this is a bigger issue than just WalMart.

I prefer any kind of locally-owned establishment, especially if it's a union shop. However, I'm not perfect. I do have a weakness for Ross.

As for local protectionism, I don't see where it hurt Olympia to deny WalMart locating within the city limits.

Didn't the two million dollar price tag seem kind of cheap for prime, waterfront property??

I'm not up on all of this, but I bet Mr Yonich could have made better use of this seven acres...something way more interesting.

maybe that's not the point, I don't know. This just 'feels' wrong.

It may not be all that "prime". Access from Wishkah isn't particularly easy and everything gets cut off when a train goes by. The parcel has been vacant for quite awhile, since United Parcel Service moved out. Is it that no was interested or did Wal Mart tell the Port not to sell it to anyone else?

When I contacted Wal-Mart about the liquor story a year or more ago, their rep said that they planned to upgrade ALL Washington Wal-Marts to superstores, and that the liquor license was just phase 1.
(AT THE TIME) They said then that they were not going to invest in the Olympic Gateway property, due to it's location and restrictions. Make what you will of that but it sounds like the land purchase made a superstore possible, and if all WA stores are destined to be superstores..... maybe a GH superstore would have popped up somewhere else if that hadn't gone through?

We are a union household and I shop at Wal Mart. There are some things there I can't get other places and I can't afford the prices at other stores.
Do I like shopping there, not really but what choice do I have.
Kmart is gone, Micheals is gone - short of driving to Oly or Chehalis, (which has both stores).
I also shop at all three grocery stores, Dennis Co., Ross, Salvation Army, and thrift stores. And try to buy as much as I can from them. But.....
When you only have so much to spend it has to be stretched as far as possible.

This is the death spiral we are all on:

Things are expensive everywhere by Wally World...

So, we shop Wally World and more stores go away and prices get more expensive everywhere but Wally World. Wally World is squeezing more and more manufacturers to sell cheaper and cheaper products by cutting wages, benefits, and UNIONS, so they can be cheaper than the union stores... or just the other stores... ans so we buy the less expensive stuff at Wally World... and more union jobs go away and more business go away... and

... things are less expensive everywhere but Wally World.

I have been known to feed this same frenzy, but I don't like it. I'm driving into downtown Hoquiam for everything I can these days.

One thing that does make me wonder when I see the anti-wal-mart films and websites; Aberdeen has the "Anti-Union Package" ie: video cameras facing their parking lot. They don't install these on all locations - only the "union-troubled" ones... maybe I missed it but did we ever have real protesting going on at the Gateway Plaza?