Continuing Conversations - Walmart
It’s the end of another year, but that doesn’t mean that the stories from 2011 end here. Despite New Year’s resolutions and end-of-year lists, the fresh start for 2011 is more in our heads than it is in reality. As much as we would like to lay to rest some of the more contentious conversations of the past year, we realize that there are some conversations that will continue well into 2012, and perhaps beyond. In that spirit, we’d like to address a few stories that continue, and to consider what the most productive potential path forward would be.
Seeing as this is the week of bargain shopping, we’d like to acknowledge an ongoing conversation surrounding a particular retailer with plans to set up shop in Tacoma. Did anyone happen to read the Tacoma Weekly piece on what Walmart will bring to Tacoma? Written by Matti Havener, the regional general manager for Walmart in Washington and Oregon, the article describes the silver lining around which the little (or large) black rain cloud of Walmart is wrapped for a community such as Tacoma. Among the benefits of the big W for the community, the article describes the benefits for surrounding businesses:
Surrounding retailers and other small businesses would also benefit from a new Walmart in Tacoma, as our stores often serve as magnets, drawing customers looking for other products and services.
Having squeaked through under the wire of the current big box moratorium, the development is sure to continue to be a topic of conversation in the months to come. What tone can we set? Does Ms. Havener have any valid points for Tacoma? Do anti-Walmart Tacomans have any recourse? Does a Walmart community (if that is what we are to become) have any opportunity to open a dialogue with the retailer on practices they might find unappealing or even abhorrent? Is there an important difference between opinion and “news?”
Read the full story on how Walmart benefits the community from the Tacoma Weekly.
Filed under: Tacoma Business, Retail, Walmart
5 comments
J Jesse December 27, 2011
Put it downtown. We need foot traffic.
T tacoma1 December 27, 2011
The tacoma weekly piece is just a free P R piece authored by Wally. Nothing new, or informative in it.
T talus December 28, 2011
Looks mailed in from the Bentonville HQ with only minor tailoring for the local audience. Makes you think they think we’re either dumb or that making this store a reality isn’t a high priority for them. Almost certainly the former, and the latter if we’re lucky.
H Holly D'Annunzio December 28, 2011
There are a lot of studies that explain why a city and their citizens should reject another big retailer absent a rapidly growing population and income base. In summary, the new retailer just takes market share from existing retailers leaving a lot of empty buildings and lowered property values around those empty buildings. It takes a few years for this transition to occur but the pain is felt widely while transferring the gain to one newly happy property owner and the retail firm (and in the case of Walmart transferring a portion of the gain to China where most products are sourced.) China, a country with the largest espionage program aimed at the U.S. and its corporations, is building up their military with money made on our purchases. Let’s be mindful of the long term effects of our decisons!
S steve dunkelberger January 4, 2012
A small point: The Guest editorial was branded as such in the print edition of the newspaper, and seems clear online with the mentioning of his position with Walmart. But that should have been made even more clear since there seems to be a confusion with this editorial being seen by many as a news article.
Everyone, even retail giants, can state their opinions. The publication of said opinion has clearly prompted more discussion of such matters, which is the point of a newspaper.