#SmallBusinessSaturday

When a chain store moves into a community inevitably you will hear the following argument, it brings more jobs which boosts the local economy. And that may be true BUT. But the jobs brought are generally minimum wage and part time so benefits don't have to be paid. In some cases this does not boost local economy because minimum wage doesn't really cut it these days in most, if any, states/towns/cities. 

Let's take Walmart, a popular big box store - that ironically enough started as a small business. For several years now there have been studies and reports done about the earning wages of Walmart employees. The majority of them need financial assistance through SNAP or WIC programs because their earning wages do not cut it and are not allowing them to put any money back into their communities. They still need the community to support them even though they have a job. I first heard about this problem a few years ago. In fact, here's one article about it from 2014. But that was 3 years ago, certainly by now things have improved? No, not so much. In fact, they've gotten worse. Here's a first person account from 2016. 

And then there's this - Walmart is perpetuating the poverty level existence of employees - who happen to be residents in their communities. So instead of boosting the economy of the communities these stores are in, they seem to actually be harming those communities AND making money off of that damage. Walmart's employees are on food assistance stamps because they aren't paid enough. And because of Walmart's low prices where do their own employees buy their food with that assistance? At Walmart, who receives government aid for accepting food assistance programs. So Walmart is underpaying employees and making money off of those employees through the taxpayers who are shouldering the money the government gives them. Oy vey. (Think I'm blowing smoke? Think again.) 

I know it seems like I'm picking on Walmart. I am. I have a deep aversion to Walmart that grows year by year. To be fair to Walmart I did Google Target to pick on them as well, but I couldn't find the dirt on Target that is available on Walmart. So Walmart is my target (ha) of this post. 

The whole point of this post? As much as you possibly can, shop local and support the community you live in - both the residents of the community and the economy of it as well. 

Conversely, for every $100 spent at a chain store only
approximately $33 returns to the community.