Does Wal-Mart Ruin Small Towns? Main Street Vs. Mainstream

We just got one in our town last Wednesday. The newest version of Wal-Mart in our tourist-trap town in the Northwoods has pitted brother against brother. Reactions range from "This is just what this one-horse town needs!" to "There goes the neighborhood!" I wish I could give an unbiased opinion, but alas, I cannot. Before last Wednesday, my wife and I drove forty-five minutes one way to shop at Wal-Mart; the only businesses in our town who are losing our money are the gas stations. I have sided with the Pro-Wal-Mart crowd, whose arguments have mostly to do with tax base, job creation, and saving money (presumably to be spent elsewhere in town).
That doesn't mean, however, that I don't see the valid arguments of the opposition. Here are a few:

"Wal-Mart drives out Mom-and-Pop stores!" Ah, the elusive Mom-and-Pop store. Not only does our town not have any true Mom-and-Pop stores, but we haven't for years. Pamida and the Fleet store ran them out of business years ago. Now, strangely enough, people are fretting for these stores. My theory is that in 50 years, people will be saying, "We can't have SuperShopperStore come to town! How will Wal-Mart stay open?" What about those Mom-and-Pop-Big-Box stores? I ask you. Who IS the little guy, Alan Jackson?

Here's another: "Main Street will close down!" Main Street is the tourist hub of our tourist-trap town. Main Street consists of barber shops, homemade candy stores, jewelry stores, barber shops, soda fountains, Knick-knack stores, barber shops, and an Amish furniture store. While it's true that our Wal-Mart does have a barber shop, I can't help wonder if all the barber shops on Main Street will go out of business, since they are already competing in a pretty thick economy. The Yellow Pages say that there are six beauty parlors on six block of Main Street, and two or three within a block of Main Street. Can juggernaut Wal-Mart single-handedly wipe out almost ten stores? Doubtful. As for the rest of the stores on Main Street (most of which, by the way, close down for the winter) I say only that Wal-Mart doesn't sell homemade candy, soda by the fountain, touristy knick-knacks, or Amish furniture. Nor does it sell overpriced books, shoes, or clothing. Will we stick up for the price-gougers who won't even support our town during the cold winter months? I won't.

By the way, do you know of any tourist who travels three hours into the "sticks" just to shop at the same kind of Wal-Mart he has back at home? But I digress.

And number three: "All that Wal-Mart sells is that Chinese junk!" I heard this at either the nursing home or the VFW. It's an indefensible point. Most items sitting on Wal-Mart's shelves are "Hencho en China." However, a quick look at the shelves in the stores on Main Street, Pamida, the mythological Mom-and-Pop store, et al. will show that most of those items are from China as well. It's part of the curse of living in the 21st century, and it's not entirely Wal-Mart's fault.

Here's my two cents: I took my maiden voyage through "WallyWorld" the night after it opened. I was greeted by the woman at the front door as I grabbed my cart. As I cruised through the store I saw the posh new decor of Wal-Mart 7.0, the shelves stocked with Chinese "junk," the low prices (ALWAYS! THAT's WAL-MART), and the friendly cashiers. I also saw something that amazed me. People I had never seen before were walking through this new Wal-Mart. I saw at least fifty people either working or shopping there that I had no idea lived in my community. I saw teens walking the aisles. Since we don't have a mall, I guess Wal-Mart will have to do. I saw my next door neighbor, who I never see besides as we both go into our respective houses. And as I walked out (with more money in my pocket. Sorry, I couldn't resist), I felt a sense of community. I felt like we had a new gathering place. I saw, prophetically, people saying to one another, "Every time you go into Wal-Mart, you'll see someone you know!" Could it be that Wal-Mart:Destroyer of the Small Town, could actually bring our small town together?

I can't say. We just got one in our town last Wednesday.