Honestly, this doesn't surprise me all that much. Wal Mart already tailors what it carries according to country, so I figured tailoring it according to region was not far behind. I'm pretty sure they have been doing this for a while, though. I used to live in Ohio in a very homogeneous town and I love in Northern Virginia now. The Wal Mart in my town in Ohio carried little, if any, music by Spanish speaking artists, but when I go to Wal Mart in Alexandria, where a decent percentage of the population is Hispanic, I see much more Spanish language music. And a lot of national companies, such as McDonald's, carry different foods in different regions.

Well if you want to have your target niche market to shop at your store; you need to advertise and provide them with the products that they will use and make their life easier. I just hope WM doesn't dominate the market and try to close the mom and pop stores down-something they are famous for.

I think the whole Wal Mart debate is interesting because I hate the fact that when they enter a neighborhood, they tend to close down local businesses. However, because Wal Mart does so much volume, they are able to provide items at lower prices. Wal Mart provides an extremely valuable service to poor families who cannot afford to shop elsewhere, especially at local businesses, where prices tend to be higher.

I think this is the first time I've ever agreed with anything that has to do with Wal-Mart. It's great that they've agreed to cooperate with local businesses instead of forcing them out of business as usual.

I agree, Jude.

Anyone read in the new Domino that WalMart is one of the top "green" companies? I was suprised.
Anyways, Alhamdulillah, maybe I can get a job at the Arabic Walmart when I separate from the Air Force. Big dreamin'!

I don't get why this is really news. Most stores, including national retailers, have buyers that buy for their store based upon the needs of their communities.

I heard a rumor, never got any factual data on this and would love it if someone has it, that WalMart is going to open an organics store. (Not just organic foods in their store, but an actual seperate store like a Whole Foods, but with more reasonable prices.)

That would be fantabulous! I love Whole Foods, but I can't get with their Whole Prices.

3M i heard that too, but I don't have any facts on it. I too would love a cheaper version of Whole Foods.

I don't really understand why this is news either. Is it because they are catering to Arabs?

The fact that they are making the effort to cater to Arabs does make it news to me. I live in a very diverse part of the country, and even here one doesn't see very much of that at all. It's good to hear that this much-maligned segment of the American population is getting catered to at all. Certainly gives me some more hope for the Wal-Mart culture we live in.

Foxie! Thank you! I knew I had read that somewhere but I could not for the life of me remember where. Domino! You win MVP for the day.

These little things they do for communities aren't done out of kindness or to reach out. They just want to make money at the expense of whomever they can. They end up sucking the life out of a town and dumping it all on the edge of town, the only place there is room to put a Walmart.

I didn't hear about an organic Wally world, how exciting! I do all the grocery shopping, and my husband isn't exactly happy about how much I spend at Earth Fare.

Kris, no one is forcing people to shop at WalMart... it really isn't their fault that they are such a huge enterprise or that other businesses just can't keep up.

Hey Foxie, don't quote me on that.

Someone had told me they were going to try one store somewhere on the West Coast (Oregon maybe?) and if that worked they might consider going wider with it, but I have never found any verification of that.

I wouldn't say this is about kindness or reaching out. What I found encouraging is that they are recognizing the Arab-American population as a viable demographic to cater to. In other words, recognizing them as valid American shoppers just like any other. We live in a very capitalistic and commercialized society, and one of the ways in which we can gauge the level of disenfranchisement of a certain group is by how much corporations pander to them--or not.

Still, the very idea makes me want to piddle my pants.

Additionally, Foxie, in my free time I like to take people hostage at gun point and force them to shop at Walmart.

So, please retract your last statement.

Thank you.

I didn't say anyone was forced to shop at walmart. I'm just saying it sucks, and I hate it.

I think it's interesting that people berate Wal-Mart for being successful, but want success for small businesses. Wal-Mart started out as a small business! Sure, they could do a little more for people, but they aren't necessarily obligated to. I personally don't shop much at Wal-Mart, but it is more because of customer service issues than anything else.

And, whatever their intentions, you can't deny that Wal-Mart gives many people the opportunity to buy things they couldn't otherwise afford. Sure, they do it to make a profit, but in the end, they do provide a valuable service to low income families.

Ah. I have misspoken then. Damn evil Walmart and the evil Republicans behind it!!

Thank you.

This is not about republicans, foxie. I am one, and yet I hate walmart. It's just my opinion.

"I'm just saying it sucks, and I hate it."

I can agree with that.

I mostly just hate shopping at Wal-Mart because of the crowds, and because I have a deep aversion to Sam Walton.

I think she's joking Kris. I'm a die-hard repub too!

... I was kidding. I was also kidding about pissing my pants, just in case it's unclear.

Jude C, why in particular do you dislike Sam Walton?

Just to clarify, I was serious about forcing people to shop at Walmart at gunpoint.

And I always thought when Ronnie Reagan was talking about the evil empire he was talking about the Soviet Union, but I now I think he was having visions of the future and talking about Walmart.

Kris, they are just being smart asses they are not really directing it towards you. Don't take them seriously

I fear and loathe Sam Walton because the giant monstrous retail big-box empire he's created--while a great American success story--has sucked all the variety and fun and interest out of shopping (and, as Kris pointed out, sucked all the life out of many small towns' former business districts, run by local business owners and etc.). I find shopping at Wal-Mart boring and soul-deadening. I'd rather have the "inconvenience" of going to a few small, different stores, and making shopping for the things I need also a way to bond with my community and feel that I am, in fact, part of a community, not just another faceless shopper in another generic big-box store.

I've just moved to a neighborhood which has many small shops along the main business streets, and I'm so excited to be out of range of a Wal-Mart or a Target. I'll actually have to get out into my neighborhood and world to get what I need!

(Sorry for the rant!)

The rant is ok, Jude C. I just wondered because most people that I know who have a problem with Wal-Mart have a problem with Lee Scott, not Sam Walton. Especially considering that Walton died in 1992.

=:true:

well that didn't work.

That did.

This just another way that Walmart continues to ruin small/location businesses. Blah.

Although, it was apparent to me when I moved to where I live now (semi-urban) from a really small town, that the Walmart here has tons of products that appeal to different minority groups. There's a large Hispanic population here, so there's a huge section of "typical" Hispanic cuisine, music in Spanish, and lots of products that only have Spanish labels. We also have a pretty high Thai population so there are tons of products, mainly cooking, for Thai people.

Walton started it, therefore I will continue to blame him

Don't get me started on Wal-Mart's labor issues, either.

I know they're kidding now.

I don't begrudge Walton for starting a business and being wildly successful. I just don't like the soul-deadening, faceless aspect of it, as Jude pointed out. I would take my little Mayberry town back any day. Of course that's not all Wal-Mart's fault. Time has taken care of things too. I'm going to go find my Alan Jackson CD and listen to Little Man. Dammit.

Huh. While I see the shortcomings of walmart I see a lot of the good as well. I happen to live in Bentonville Ar- the home of the "evil empire". I moved here after graduate school and after living here a few years I have a new perspective on the company.
Yes there are things it could do better--healthcare for employees being the first that comes to mind. But they are striving to provide better customer service (it creeped me out the first time a walmart employee asked me if I needed help. I'm used to being ignorned or even loathed by the blue-vested!), conservation is a huge corporate push and there are a lot of good people that I respect who work there.
Do I prefer Target? For some things, yes. I believe that Walmart serves a purpose in our economy.
To respond to the article-- catering to a region isn't very new to Walmart. For this particular population it's new but it's practical. They want their stores to reflect what the people in the region want to buy.

To respect the existing businesses that already cater to the Arab-American population, Wal-Mart has agreed for instance, to charge a dime more for a pack of pita — and that one thin dime represents a world of change that shoppers can take to the bank.

I'm more impressed by this than by them providing special goods to their large population of Arab Americans. The latter is just business. The former is ethical business.

But still, Walmart sucks. Long live Target.

I hate Wal Mart too, only because the shopping environment there is so gross and the people who shop there... oh dear Lord... I've never seen so many people in their Sunday's best hunting outfits before! Shudder...

So I'm a Target gal, I'll pay a bit more for a more pleasant environment.

When driving through the southwest a few years ago I saw a Wal Mart that had closed down! I couldn't believe it! All I kept thinking was, How desolate must this place be for the Wal Mart to close?!

M3 - According to Bowling for Columbine, you could actually buy that gun at Wal Mart... I bet its $19.97...

Cabaker:

i live near Dearborn and actually work there and i think it's cool, but not that big of a deal. and as for whoever was hoping they wouldn't force out the mom and pop stores, i wouldn't worry about it. there are tons of them and a lot of my arabic families i know specifically shop at them rather than the walmarts and meijers of the area.

cabaker - i feel the exact same way as you! my mom think i'm a snob for it but i just feel gross and dirty when i shop there. it's just not a fun atmosphere.

note: i work IN Dearborn, not at the Dearborn Wal-Mart. I'd hate for someone to think that lmao

Cakebaker, too funny, but wasn't that Kmart? I could be wrong. Either way, I'm not a Wal-Mart fan just simply for how they treat their employees.

Can anybody tell me why such a large population of arab-americans in Dearborn? Just curious...it seems like such a random place.

and in regards to Wallie world...i grew up shopping there, and i still shop there...i dont like the people nor the atmosphere...but i love that it saves me money that i can spend on something else.

Viva la WalMart! I find it amusing that several of you state that you hate WalMart... then follow it with... because shopping there sucks because blah blah blah. If you hate it, why do you continue to shop there?
Rhetorical, of course.