Empty Wal-Marts leave an angry feeling

Post #125,022 by lincoln 11/10/03 10:13:03 PM Reply	Empty Wal-Marts leave an angry feeling With three Supercenters under construction and a fourth in the works, the super-sizing of Wal-Mart is in full swing around Gwinnett County. But a nagging byproduct of Wal-Mart's success --- the empty box stores sometimes left in its wake --- has sparked a backlash in the county seat of Lawrenceville. Once loyal Wal-Mart shoppers such as Denise Nye have banded together by the hundreds in opposition to a Supercenter that, if it is approved tonight by the Lawrenceville City Council, would go up three miles from a shuttered Wal-Mart on Ga. 20. [...] This is no NIMBY movement of anti-Wal-Mart crusaders trying to preserve a Vermont vista or small-town Georgia charm. The rallying cry in Lawrenceville smacks of NIMBYA --- Not In My Back Yard Again. Residents say the empty stores make their neighborhoods look bad and create a potential breeding ground for crime. [...] As Wal-Mart's Supercenters spread across the country, communities are having to digest a retail twist: The same company opening up the largest store in town sometimes owns the biggest empty building as well. [...] Peachtree City, taking note of a vacant Wal-Mart building in nearby Fayetteville, launched a pre-emptive strike to stave off the arrival of any more giant stores. A city ordinance prohibits stores larger than 32,000 square feet. That's about one-sixth the size of a Supercenter. If several tenants are combined under one roof, under the ordinance they can't exceed 80,000 square feet. "We've had inquiries from all over the United States wanting copies of this," Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown said. [...] In Lawrenceville, residents are looking at two empty Wal-Marts, one in their city and one down the road in Snellville. Nye said the proposed Supercenter would probably force a nearby Ingles out of business as well as more stores around the darkened Wal-Mart near her house. That means more eyesores that could breed crime, she said. [link\|http://www.ajc.com/monday/content/epaper/editions/monday/news_f3fac3cc7029d1160061.html\|source] lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/resume.htm\|VB/SQL resume] [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/tandem_resume.htm\|Tandem resume] [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #125,028 by deSitter 11/10/03 10:45:46 PM Reply	Piss on suburban Atlanta! The thing is ugly beyond description in any case, Walmart or no - an endless spread of chain stores with not one unconfined quark of character, a horrible eyesore that does nothing but create traffic and smog. I am astounded that even GROCERIES are going to these monsters! Who in his sane right mind would buy his food in that hell, stand at one of 50 registers manned by 10 of the homliest, fattest women the suburban South can hock up from its tuburcular lungs, wait in line for 30 minutes, then undertake a 5-day hike to the car, which is parked somewhere in Tennessee? When I was in college, we had a perfect food store within walking distance - they would let you borrow a shopping cart if you had a lot of stuff to schlep home. This thing had a great wine selection, all kinds of nice cheese and deli food, real salami for example - along with staples - and to me it was ENORMOUS! - that is, 12 or so aisles and cold storage on either wall and in back. EVERYTHING the human being needed to consume, other than pickled termites and smoked tarantulas delicacies for the occasional Guatemalan indigenous immigrant, could be found in that store. The help were friendly and courteous - and female (who wants to buy food from a pimple-pocked high school kid?). The checkout aisles were well-spaced and lined up single file, instead of the cattle-pen inspired double and triple ganging they do at WalMart. It was a nice place to visit. I would never so much as buy a Snickers bar at Walmart. In fact from this moment forward I will never set foot in one again! One reason I love this city - the nearest WalMart is 12 miles away - and I live in sight of the Arch. These megastores are just a pestilence descended on civilization. -drl
Post #125,036 by inthane-chan 11/11/03 12:39:44 AM Reply	Maybe this is a regional difference... Who in his sane right mind would buy his food in that hell, stand at one of 50 registers manned by 10 of the homliest, fattest women the suburban South can hock up from its tuburcular lungs, wait in line for 30 minutes, then undertake a 5-day hike to the car, which is parked somewhere in Tennessee? ...but the register drones here tend to be hotties... The universe makes no sense until you accept that God uses base 13. Even then, it's still pretty dodgy.
Post #125,037 by deSitter 11/11/03 12:44:32 AM Reply	Re: Maybe this is a regional difference... WalMart is Hell, I'm convinced. Somewhere in the back is a guy with horns and a red suit. Only in Hell can you buy cheesedoodles, a lawnmower, and a bowling shirt made in China, at midnight - in a crowd. -drl
Post #125,049 by pwhysall 11/11/03 3:08:18 AM Reply	I hate supermarkets. Which is why I do my grocery shopping on the internet and get it delivered. Peter [link\|http://www.debian.org\|Shill For Hire] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Blog]
Post #125,105 by neelk 11/11/03 10:24:51 AM Reply	Re: Piss on suburban Atlanta! I am astounded that even GROCERIES are going to these monsters! Who in his sane right mind would buy his food in that hell, stand at one of 50 registers manned by 10 of the homliest, fattest women the suburban South can hock up from its tuburcular lungs, wait in line for 30 minutes, then undertake a 5-day hike to the car, which is parked somewhere in Tennessee? God damn, listen to yourself. This style of argument suggests that hatred of Walmart is merely sneering contempt for the lower orders. People buy stuff from superstores because it's cheaper. Cheaper prices mean that they can buy more stuff with the same amount of money. This means that they can afford a higher standard of living than they otherwise could. I think this is good, and I also think it's bad to raid the pockets of the poor to subsidize your aesthetic prejudices. If I had a car, I'd happily shop at the superstores. I don't, so I have to put up with a local supermarket that offers me high prices, bad selection, and low quality.
Post #125,110 by inthane-chan 11/11/03 10:38:13 AM Reply	I must be lucky. I've found a (relatively) local store that offers a wide selection, high quality, and low prices. [link\|http://www.tacomaboys.com/\|Tacoma Boys], while about 1/2 hour away from my apartment, is WELL worth the trip - if you're in the Seattle area, that is. Susan+I go about once a week... And when we don't get something there, the difference as compared to the supermarkets is just insane. Prices are roughly similar, but the quality at the supermarkets just ain't there. The universe makes no sense until you accept that God uses base 13. Even then, it's still pretty dodgy.
Post #125,125 by deSitter 11/11/03 11:36:34 AM Reply	Re: Piss on suburban Atlanta! I grew up around it, so I'm entitled to state how miserable it is. The dedicated markets have great selections in Atlanta, a town chock full'o demanding yuppies. It's not all horrid, just the burbs. St. Louis has horrid burbs, but not quite as horrid. Burb life is dehumanizing. Feel lucky that you can live without a car. Or get a car and visit the nearest WalMart. -drl
Post #125,214 by lincoln 11/11/03 7:11:27 PM Reply	Which is why California just endured a shutdown of several grocery store chains. Since Wal-Mart is busting everyone's chops to keep costs down ,and since they're become one of the biggest grocery stores in the country in just a few short years, the national and regional chains see what was done to "mom and pop" hardware stores, clothing stores, five and dime stores, pharmacies, etc., and are scared shitless. They have to compete somehow or perish, and their biggest cost is salaries. Personally I think Wal-Mart's produce is shit, but the wife goes there because, generally, the prices are lower than at the major food stores (Kroger, Randall's and H-E-B). I refuse to go there for anything unless I have absolutely NO CHOICE. Fortunately, I usually do have alternatives. (And don't even get me started on the arrogant, pathethic, pompous, overbearing, know-it-all Wal-Mart employees and shills who troll the Internet boards...) lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/resume.htm\|VB/SQL resume] [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/tandem_resume.htm\|Tandem resume] [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #125,216 by deSitter 11/11/03 7:21:45 PM Reply	Re: Which is why Two miles from my door is a violin repair and sales shop. I found a time warp to slip into. You can't possibly imagine how nice it is to cruise down a 2-lane city street, framed by colorful fall trees and blue-gray skies, beautiful well-kept houses on smallish, trim lawns, and pass by a violin shop instead of Transmission Memorial Square and the Museum of Fast Food, directly across the 10-lane from WalCorp International Airport. -drl
Post #125,284 by boxley 11/12/03 7:55:04 AM Reply	solution Require all box stores to adhere to building codes for schools. When the dam things shutdown throw some cubes in it and call them a classrooms. thanx, bill "You're just like me streak. You never left the free-fire zone.You think aspirins and meetings and cold showers are going to clean out your head. What you want is God's permission to paint the trees with the bad guys. That wont happen big mon." Clete questions, help? [link\|mailto:pappas@catholic.org\|email pappas at catholic.org]

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