There is a lot of talk lately about whether or not Wal Mart is good for America.
Opponents say that Wal Mart forces independent and smaller retailers out of business, exploits workers and kills US jobs by forcing vendors to manufacture overseas.
Proponents say that Wal Mart provides affordable merchandise for consumers that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise buy. They also say it provides a large number of secure, good paying jobs with excellent benefits and many opportunities for advancement.
Wal Mart’s own ad campaign featuring employees has them expressing joy over having a real “career” and not just a job. It shows their employees feeling fulfilled, challenged and happy to work each day.
From a marketing perspective, Wal Mart barely exists. What I mean to say is that Wal Mart doesn’t really “market” in the proper sense. Their commercials are normally just for PR and not to sell merchandise. When they do occasionally have a commercial for their stores the theme is always the same – Price, Price, Price, Selection, Price. They don’t even routinely put an insert into the Sunday paper.
Wal Mart is all about price. They do of course also offer and promote a huge selection and one-stop shopping but this is not emphasized as much as the low prices.
We say “yes”. It’s better for a family to be able to afford what they need and want and get it in the shortest amount of time so they can spend more quality time together.
When I was a kid growing up in New York City, we had to go to many different stores for everything. It took all day. Many times we could not go to the park or a movie because there wasn’t time.
Now with Wal Mart, not only is there time left over, but there is money left over too. Children and families throughout the country are benefiting from this.
But what about the stores that get “put out of business”?
Decades ago, when the automobile was first introduced, there was tremendous opposition from the railroad owners and workers. Their arguments were essentially the same.
“The automobiles will mean the end of the railroad.” “All of the railroad workers will be out of work.” “The shops, towns and companies that service the railroad will be out of business.” “It will be a disaster.” Etc. Etc.
Well as you can see, it wasn’t a disaster and the country is substantially better off because of the automobile.
Entirely new businesses were created along with marked freedom and independence for the consumer. Industry evolved to a new level and expanded to accommodate the increase in people needing to be serviced.
Businesses unwilling to change and evolve, died like dinosaurs.
And so it is with the age of Wal Mart.
Consumers will continue to get what they want most – convenience & savings in a pleasant atmosphere. Businesses that don’t evolve and adapt to this new era will not survive.
We suggest that businesses who want to compete (or survive) with Wal Mart can do so by offering value added services.
Historically, people will pay more for convenience and additional services that make their lives more pleasant.
One idea is to add services such as personal shopping, other personalized services, exotic or hard-to-find merchandise, etc. Catering to a niche customer such as mom’s or golfers, etc., is also a way to compete with Wal Mart and other mass retailers effectively.
The point is to be creative. Find something special that’s needed & wanted that is not being delivered and deliver it. Be innovative with your business offerings and you’ll stand a good chance of surviving against the mega stores. You may even thrive and start a whole new trend yourself!
The result of the age of Wal Mart is a boon for the consumer. We now receive very affordable prices and the ultimate in convenience from Wal Mart and other mass retailers while we also get unique and specialized offerings from smaller shops with superior service.
It’s a win win all around.
----- Toli Cefail – February 24, 2005
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