You Get What You Pay For

Wal-Mart has found itself stuck between a rock and a super box store sized hard place. With sales falling they've decided to try opening smaller neighborhood stores. To quote the CEO of Wal-Mart, they plan to "beg, borrow, and steal business concepts from smaller store formats", and put that ideal to work for the Wal-Mart chain in outlying urban communities. Hmm, this is different in what respect? This business approach was already put to work by them in rural areas. Numerous small locally owned stores have been put out of business over the last decade as Wal-Mart spread it's own brand of cheap across America. What might be different this time around is the simple fact that Wal-Mart's novelty has worn off. Most consumers have discovered they can find significantly higher quality products with affordable pricing at their local merchants and farmers markets; and the shopping experience at these places comes with a much higher degree of overall customer service and satisfaction. People are rediscovering the simple fact that you get what you pay for, and in these days of tough economic times they want their hard earned money to buy more than the Wal-Mart brand of low quality, low service.