Mon 18 Oct 2004
So, since moving CO, I admit it: I shop at Walmart. It’s just so cheap! But than I read all the bad things about it, and I boycott it for a while, and than I’m drawn back in by promises of a lower grocery bill. It used to be over 100 bucks to feed Josh and I for a few weeks, at Walmart it’s 80 and under. Plus they have EVERYTHING, they really do…they even carry Kashi now,and healthy granola bars…so it’s not like it’s all bad.
Well, we’ve moved up the road and further away from the lurs of Super Walmart. Safeway is a block away, so it makes more sense to go there. If you hunt and search really carefully at Safeway you can pick out the coupons, the savings with the card, and buy the generic Safeway brand. (It’s not like that at Walmart, everything you pick up has been discounted at the expense of all the foreign workers, lack of health care, and poor hourly wages).
A few months ago, while we were in Portland, we found out that the power had been disconnected in our new home. There was some billing confusion, and everything in our fridge was lost. Our landlord was kind enough to give us a gift card to Whole Foods to make up for it. Ft. Collins has had an Alfalfas for a while, and they have various health food shops and a co-op downtown, but Whole Foods coming to F.C. has been a very big deal for the locals. I didn’t realize why until I finally got my ass over there last weekend.
When I entered the monsterous store, I was assaulted by the sent of fresh cut roses, cheerful displays of apples and pears, and samples, everywhere there were samples! I chowed on fresh salsa, guac, and chips, moved on to the all natural oreos and power bar samples. Since it was a Saturday, everywhere was bustling: Happy Hippie Moms with dreads were loading organic yogart into their carts, wealthy fathers were chasing after their immaculate children, and everywhere you went giddy Whole Food employees were mingling with the customers. It was incredible. I was lost in a sea of well-merchandised organic food, a loan warrior caught up in awe over what I had been missing. A bell chimed and suddenly I heard a voice call: “FREE CAKE SAMPLES!” And before I knew it I was eating a fabulous slice of white cake with real buttercream frosting.
Right than and there I fell in love: The fresh, homemade food! The Olive bar! The handmade truffles! The crusty loaves of bread! The fresh seafood and happy, free range, meat! Combined with the right store lighting, I felt like I had stepped into an entirely different world. Gone were the sterile, looming, flourescent lit ceilings of Walmart…Gone were the carts filled with crying children…this was truly a heavenly place…this Whole Foods.
I made a pact with myself: One day I will be able to afford to shop at Whole Foods. Not just for the healthy part of it, but for the full experience. You can see why Walmart’s cheapness is such a trade off. Sadly, there’s no way I can afford regularly shopping at Whole Foods…and I know it’s expensive so they can support a politically correct corporation. My father recommended splurging on the healthy meat, that if you’re going to spend a little more on something, put it towards free range chickens. But what about all the other great stuff? How can one even CHOOSE? Sigh…
October 19th, 2004 at 9:16 am
Whole Foods is a totally orgasmic experience. I save enough money at Trader Joe’s to splurge on Whole Foods (at least in my mind) because of its sheer awesomeness in all ways. It’s like the difference when you shop in a fun boutique rather than buying clothes at Target.
Sadly, Eugene does not have a Whole Foods. Portland does, which is obviously a bit of a commute for grocery shopping, but I have thought of bringing a cooler with me so that I shop while I’m there.
But I MUST reiterate that WalMart is, in fact, EVIL. Not only poor wages, terrible working conditions (Read Nickel and Dimed), but as a company they stomp all over small businesses, screw over the cities that they move into (often at taxpayer’s expense, which I think balances out the savings that they might bring), PLUS I just read this article in the latest Rolling Stone about how they are killing the music industry. WalMart’s record sales are only 2% of their total, but they represent 20% of all music sales. Now they are trying to get the music guys to sell them (and them only) the CDs even cheaper, so that they can undercut local record stores even more. Now, I am not always on the side of big music corporations, but GEEZ! WalMart has been taking a LOSS on EVERY CD that it sells, because they figure that if you come in to get a CD, you’ll probably buy something else, too. So now that they have a 20% market share they decided they don’t want to take a loss anymore, and the record companies will just have to lower their prices. EVIL, I tell you.
October 19th, 2004 at 9:17 am
P.S. Sorry, didn’t mean to rant at you. I just got done reading that article over breakfast this morning, so it was all fresh in my head and my hackles were already raised. Oops.
October 19th, 2004 at 2:54 pm
I’ve read Nickel and Dimed, I’ve read Fast Food Nation, I’ve read all the articles…and yet, when it comes down to it, my month to month expenses combined with being married to a college student allow the occasional trip to Walmart. I would never buy cds there, I would never buy a computer, or anything of high value…I know they’re evil, but sadly, watching a Mom and her six kids waddle around the store, as long as there is a lower-middle class we will always have Walmart. And don’t you forget: We once went to Walmart to buy fabric in Seattle…do you remember what the fabric was for? (Nudge, Nudge)
October 19th, 2004 at 10:14 pm
True, true, I’m not saying that I have *never* shopped at WalMart, I just support general policies against it. And for the past few years, not having a student in the house definitely meant more disposable income. At the time, WalMart was the only place I knew of to get cheap fabric. I now know that there are several other options…have you ever been to JoAnn’s?
I know that you’ve read it all,and I totally don’t blame you that it comes down to bills, it’s just one of those many examples of how hard a boycott really can be. It’s a lot easier to boycott the Gap! (we don’t still do that, do we?)