Walmart - Good or Bad? (Chicago, Cicero: unemployment, high school, stores)

[matth56]

Originally Posted by temp2290

While my stance is firmly anti-Walmart, the people of Chicago should ultimately decide what stores they want or don't want in their area. Any other method is undemocratic.

If people in Chicago don't want Walmart, they can not shop there once the stores are built and Walmart would pull out for not being financially viable.

That is the true free-market way.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by matth56

If people in Chicago don't want Walmart, they can not shop there once the stores are built and Walmart would pull out for not being financially viable.

That is the true free-market way.

Walmart is not doing well in Chicago with the stores they have right now.

[matth56]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Walmart is not doing well in Chicago with the stores they have right now.

I wonder how well their suburban stores are doing. Is there not only one Walmart currently in Chicago? And its in a bad part of town. I really doubt that Walmart hasn't looked at the financials to make this move into town...

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by matth56

... really doubt that Walmart hasn't looked at the financials to make this move into town...

They were getting their foot in the door to "condition" the public before they finally got the green light to go all out. They waited back in the rafters...

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

What small landslide? Stroger won by the skin on his teeth.

The people with sense in the burbs voted 60% for Peraica.

Meanwhile the morons in the city voted 69% for Stroger.

Stroger won 55% vs. 45% OMG I forgot that in Chicago that winning by only 10% is considered "skin of his teeth" when defeating whichever republican patsy shows up for the show election. Normally the margin is 20%.

Peraica Demands Answers On Election Results - cbs2chicago.com (http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/election.results.suburban.2.333364.html - broken link)

So, just exactly how is a 10% margin "skin of his teeth"?

[ParkerP]

I think the Walmarts on the southside will do very well considering the damn near non-existence of "mom and pop" shops. And the ones that do exist, either the goods suck or the customer service sucks. I just hope the walmarts don't end up being like the ones in the south where people go there to hang out in the parking lot for fun.

[jwaiter]

I noticed a WalMart commercial on TV this morning, maybe they were there before and I never noticed, but I think they are ramping up their advertising in the area.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Stroger won 55% vs. 45% OMG I forgot that in Chicago that winning by only 10% is considered "skin of his teeth" when defeating whichever republican patsy shows up for the show election. Normally the margin is 20%.

Peraica Demands Answers On Election Results - cbs2chicago.com (http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/election.results.suburban.2.333364.html - broken link)

So, just exactly how is a 10% margin "skin of his teeth"?

"A Democratic election judge from Berwyn Township told Blakley he had discovered several votes had not been counted. "

"I think we have to get some answers as to what may be causing this… there's something interfering, I think, with the judges' good work," Orr added.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/election.results.suburban.2.333364.html (broken link)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by ParkerP

I think the Walmarts on the southside will do very well considering the damn near non-existence of "mom and pop" shops. And the ones that do exist, either the goods suck or the customer service sucks. I just hope the walmarts don't end up being like the ones in the south where people go there to hang out in the parking lot for fun.

I can agree here.

[HumboldtParkShiner]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Nope. Not true at all.

Take Lincoln Square for example. Go from Lawrence to Montrose on Lincoln. A vast majority of the businesses there are not owned or part of a large corporation. And there is far more than "restaurants/eateries/bars" there.

How are most "yuppie" areas dependent on big box stores like Target or Petco or Border's?

Border's? There are plenty of independent book stores left in "yuppie areas."

Petco? Last time I looked people are dependent on large pet food stores just about anywhere in the country.

Target? Do you know how far the closest Target is from the core parts of Lake View,Lincoln Park,and Old Town? NEWSFLASH. They are not really any closer than Humboldt Park is for example! There is a Target at 1940 West 33rd Street. HARDLY a "yuppie" area. The Target at 2901 South Cicero Avenue in Cicero is HARDLY surrounded by "yuppie" areas. Target at 8560 South Cottage Grove Avenue? Oh yeah that is a "yuppie" area. Please.

Take no offense, but I think the amount of time you have spent away from the city has dulled your knowledge of it.

Maybe you're right, but still everybody I knew, including my parents and I, relied on Walgreens, CVS, Jewels, Dominicks, K-Mart, Best Buy, Whole Foods, Treasure Island, Home Depot, and yes, Target etc for most of our shopping needs. Who cares if they're not in the exact area they're living in? People in these areas still depend on those stores and merely just make the small 20 minute or so commute, if that even. For instance, Target might be further out, but many in Lakeview or Wirgleyville or Old Town (ie my mom) made the commute on a regular basis (in regards to the one across the street from the old furniture store warehouse-turned fitness center place). That was the point I was trying to make, I wasn't saying you're going to see a Costco right next to Wrigley Field or a Target on Belmont and Clark.

I see no difference if a Wal-Mart were to open up an extra store or two. 21 is a bit strong, I agree, but 3-5 stores will do nothing, as mom and pop shops have already been raped in the city from the above mentioned big box stores. No one in Chicago is lame enough to just sit in front of a Wal-Mart parking lot either, I doubt Wal-Mart's there will ever to turn into some dumb hang out spot like down here in the south (thank god too).