Wal-Mart has new plan

A better title would be "as the worm turns". Walmart having just about completed its unannounced plan to put every mom and pop" discount retailer, and quite a few bigger ones out of business, now takes aim at the "higher" end retailers. Complaining that it doesn't get enough "affluent" customers, now wants to start selling upscale goods, such as 400 thread count sheets and organic foods.
Lost in all this is the fact that the poorest Americans could quite possibly be the losers here. Why, you ask? Isn't it Walmart that caters to them? Yes at the moment. And they flock to Walmart in droves, forsaking their old neighborhood standbys, who have long since disappeared. Well if Walmart is so good for them, then what is you're point? My point? Is Walmart really good for the poor people? Long term? Depends on who you ask. Some say sure, it enables the less affluent to afford what they otherwise could not. Still others say NO, it takes low end jobs from the less affluent in America by getting a large part of its goods from cheap labor in China.

Whatever you choose to believe, now try this. Having "hooked" the poorest Americans, Walmart now turns its sights on the wealthier. Fine, but what happens if they succeed? Well ask yourself. Would you rather sell 5000 of something @$10.00 each, or would you rather sell 1000 of something at $50.00? Less customers, same profit (or more), means they need less employees. Who works at Walmart? Why the less affluent of course; who were you expecting? Chelsea Clinton? The Bush twins maybe? Then when Walmart succeeds in gaining the higher income earners as their customers its decision time. Do we (Walmart) really need to have say four quality levels of goods? We'll call the A,B,C,D.
When they answer no, they don't need to carry all these products, what happens? Easy, unfortunately. The lowest quality "D" is discontinued. "C" becomes the "new" "D" Etc. Etc.

Now those most in need of lower prices are forced to pay more, because now their only choice is to buy "C" products, and at higher prices than the former "D" items were. So once again, long term, the poorest of Americans citizens suffer.