The High Cost of Low Price

The High Cost of Low Prices
“It is pleasure for anybody to be the CEO of this company……we are focusing on doing the right thing and doing things right” (Greenwald, 2005). Wal-Mart is the number one retailer in the world, with 8,500 stores worldwide employing about 2.1 million people. (Lost Tribes, 2011) To provide everyday low prices for customers seems as its unique brand characteristic. Besides, it also serves more than 100,000 charitable and community-focused organizations by providing financial and volunteer support. (Lost Tribes, 2011) For instance, the company made quick response to Japan Earthquake by donating initial commitment of $ 5 million. (Lost Tribes, 2011) With these strong facts, everyone might consider Wal-Mart is a successful and socially-minded corporation. However, the dark side of Wal-Mart extremely destroys its accomplishments. The close of local family business and the painful experience of Wal-Mart employees tell a story about how un-ethical culture Wal-Mart holds.
First, Wal-Mart forces family retail businesses close when it enters in a new local market. Weldon Nicholson, a Wal-Mart store manager worked for 17 years, describes that whenever Wal-Mart comes into a new town, the management would predict how long they would take to make each business along Main Street close. (Greenwald, 2005) “Their intent is simply to come into a community and force everybody out,” Mr. Hunter, the owner of H&H Hardware, says in the film. An employee of H&H Hardware voices that “they busted up standard oil, and they busted up Ma Bell.” When local family retailers operate their businesses by providing good service and quality products to customers, and taking good care of employees, Wal-Mart holds its culture of always low price and the privilege that they gain from government to destroy the culture of those family businesses. For instance, H&H Hard ware, a family business in Middlefield, that opened in 1962 and experienced long hard times to build...