Walmart Coming To Colombia

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Oh great! Looks like Walmart is coming to Colombia. Here's the news article (in Spanish) from Cali's El Pais newspaper.

http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/paisonline/notas/Marzo212006/A721N2.html

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Personally, I think that is a good thing, although there are some A2Kers would disagree. I find that Wal-Mart is a convenient place to get a lot of different things all in one store. The selection is good, as are the prices. Enjoy!

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

I find that Wal-Mart is a convenient place to get a lot of different things all in one store.

At the expense of good paying jobs and quality of life for workers. Look for community standards to lower in the next couple of years... After all of the mom and pop stores are driven out of town, Wal-Mart will become so integrated into their society that nobody will care anymore... As long as they can keep buying cheap 2nd rate merchandise to decorate their home with.

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Quote:

At the expense of good paying jobs and quality of life for workers.

I do believe that one cannot make a blanket statement. No one is forced to work or shop at Wal-Mart.

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One thing Walmart probobly can't do in Colombia is go to rural areas outside the major cities and shut down all the local businesses because A. not enough money there and B. security (lack of). So they will have set up shop in the cities where they will compete with similarly styled EXITO (Colombian I think) and Carrefour the huge international French company.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

Quote:
At the expense of good paying jobs and quality of life for workers.

I do believe that one cannot make a blanket statement. No one is forced to work or shop at Wal-Mart.

They are forced to work at WalMart when it's the only job that they can get because all of the other jobs that they qualify for have been driven out of town.

Shopping, what are people in small towns supposed to do when a Walmart superstore opens up in their neighborhood and forces the local Albertsons to close. Are they supposed to go to the local Chevron FoodMart to get their groceries?

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Pitter wrote:

One thing Walmart probobly can't do in Colombia is go to rural areas outside the major cities and shut down all the local businesses because A. not enough money there and B. security (lack of). So they will have set up shop in the cities where they will compete with similarly styled EXITO (Colombian I think) and Carrefour the huge international French company.

WalMart has the same affect in the larger cities. It just takes longer for the results to show.

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The only benefits that will come from this will go the the investors who own WalMart and China which provides all its merchandise at substandard wages.

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roverroad wrote:

They are forced to work at WalMart when it's the only job that they can get because all of the other jobs that they qualify for have been driven out of town.

They do what every person does, whose job has been cut. They retrain, if they are smart. If they find that the area that they are in does not have work that is amenable to them, they move to a place where there is work for them.

I can understand, but do not agree with, the people who have focused a lot of hostility on Wal-Mart. Yes, there are downsides to Wal-Mart. But the upsides of Wal-Mart far outweigh the downsides, IMO.

I live in a middle class suburban area that is adjacent to a rural area that is populated by a lot of migrant field hands. There are a number of stores from which to choose in my area, none of them being very pricey. (You need to drive 20 minutes to the nearest mall, that contains department stores.) Where do you see all the migrant workers shopping? In Wal-Mart, of course.

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And why should you be forced to leave your home to find work elsewhere because fat Republican Wal-Mart executives wanted to get rich off of your home town?

You're a republican aren't you?

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roverroad wrote:

And why should you be forced to leave your home to find work elsewhere because fat Republican Wal-Mart executives wanted to get rich off of your home town?

You're a republican aren't you?

No- I am not a Republican. I consider myself a Libertarian. No one is forced to do anything...............and no one owes anybody a job!!!!

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Libertarian, now there's a party that will never have any real political power in the U.S...

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First place, I am not in the Libertarian Party. The capital "L" was a mistake. It is a philosophical stance. Second place, I agree with you that the Libertarian Party will never have too much clout. There are far too many people with the "gimmees", that libertarianism would not have much appeal!

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They are basically the Republican party without the religion.

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Actually what effect Walmart has in Colombia probobly will depend a lot on how the just signed free(?) trade agreement shakes out.

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@Pitter,

Why would they go Rural? Big cities flood with people shopping,, Price Smart has not an empty space 7 days a week.. You do not dare go on Sat or Sun,,or late after 5 pm...Walmart to Colombia would be blessing.. low prices,, availability of things never dreamed of here.. Yes, Exito and Carefour are the largest Supermarkets,, selling anything from vegetables to tvs.. also great for getting a plate at 4.00 with drink,, talking, nice homestyle dishes with salads for 9 mil (about 4.75 now with US Dollar taking a dive ) with drink.. Security here is better than USA malls and shopping areas. I have lived here 4 years ,, enjoy life like never in subs of Detroit,,, and danger? well try walking after sunset on a Detroit street or with in on mile of its borders,,, I walk here after midnight from local bars,, no fear.. stay where money is,, and never have too many problems,,, poor can not travel far when looking to rob someone,,hahahaha...

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Walmart Coming To Colombia

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