> > Can somebody document a bad experience at WalMart so I can get
> > understand this?
>
> My wife and daughter were detained there one afternoon, on suspicion of
> shoplifting.

This is an individual experience, and NOT the sort of thing most people
object to when it comes to disapproval of Wal-Mart.

Generally, the problem people have is that Wal-Mart uses its status as a
huge manufacturer to bully other companies, far in excess of normal
capitalist business practices.  An example exchange with a vendor might
begin with Wal-Mart becoming a company's largest customer, so large
that the company cannot remotely afford to lose it.  Then, Wal-Mart may
demand to be that company's ONLY customer, to encourage people to
shop at Wal-Mart to get that product.  Now that Wal-Mart truly has this
putative customer over a barrel, they can demand any degree of price
reduction they want, and the vendor has to choose between compliance
and insolvency.

Add to that the volume of "Made in China" labels in the store, and you
get a very significant basis for complaint.

Top it off with a judicious helping of suppression of workers' rights, and
the picture is complete.

Note that I don't entirely agree with all of this, but I studiously avoid
shopping at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club because they leave a really bad
taste in my metaphorical mouth.

Mike H.
-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist