RE: RE: RE: Understanding the Wal-Mart Effect

Steve Brenneis responds to Behethland B. Clark:

"I'm sure they have terrible benefits and poor retirement packages..."

Actually, that's just more propaganda. Wal-Mart's benefits are industry leaders for the type of business they represent. Some people like to make much of the fact that Wal-Mart's turnover is 50% per year. What they don't tell you is that K-Mart, Target, and Sears have 65% to 75% annual turnover rates. Additionally, Wal-Mart hires and gives medical benefits to older people who would not be eligible for such benefits otherwise.

It's easy to blame Wal-Mart for the ills of small business, but the true culprit is government. Sure, Wal-Mart can buy in bulk and undercut prices, but if it wasn't for the fact that over half the cost of every item you purchase goes to fund the government and that just about every commodity in this country is heavily over-regulated, outfits like Wal-Mart couldn't take advantage of a large enough price differential to overcome their obvious aesthetic flaws. It is the sheer size and weight of government that is wiping out small retail business in this country, not the mega-boxes.