Summary

Two studies reveal that Walmart’s entry into communities lowers household incomes by 6% over 10 years and increases poverty by 8%, even when accounting for cost savings.

Its practices, such as undercutting competitors, suppressing wages, and squeezing suppliers, harm local economies by reducing employment and forcing smaller businesses to close.

Walmart’s “monopsony power” enables it to pay lower wages and dominate suppliers, compounding these effects.

The findings challenge the idea that low prices alone benefit communities, emphasizing long-term economic harm.

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Non-paywall link

  • @NotMyOldRedditName
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    43
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    22 hours ago

    Walmart encourages their employees to apply for federal and state programs like food stamps because they don’t give their employees enough hours and give them weird shifts making it hard to even have another job.

    And then they want them to use them at Walmart.

    It’s disgusting.

    • @Wogi
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      1417 hours ago

      Walmart is one of the largest welfare queens in the country. They profit off of poverty, and are actively incentivized to not only keep communities poor, but to make them poor.