I posed what I thought was a valid alternative - online shopping - but so far no one has addressed it. That's why I'm of the opinion that people would rather indulge in their old habits, however hurtful, than to change their ways and embrace a new technology.
So you're saying that price is king, no matter what? Isn't that a rather dangerous mindset, given the lead from China, the insecticides and steroids from the Mid-West and the slave labor in India and Mexico? Those all contribute to those low prices ...
I don't consider shopping for groceries online a viable alternative. It is super expensive and the choices are limited. I am a hands on shopper and can't give up control to someone else to pick out my cuts of meat, fruits and veggies. Freshness is also another factor, when you buy perishable items in the grocery store, they have already suffered from transit and waiting around on the shelf, add extra shipping time to that for online shopping and the quality is bound to suffer. I don't relish the thought of having a beef roast making it's rounds across the country via the postal service.
As far as pollutants from China, I don't purchase food from or processed in China, and you will run into this problem no matter where you shop. The key is reading the label and knowing where the food comes from. For instance, just because canned salmon says it is from Alaska, that doesn't mean it's not processed in China. You have to read the label carefully to determine this.
I have bought specialty grocery items, such as coffee, spice and condiments online that can't be found locally, that will remain the extent of my food shopping online.
Online perishable grocery shopping might be an experiment you could conduct and let us know the results of. If the quality, price, selection, delivery and shipping costs are in line with what I can buy locally, I'm in. I would love not to have to drive an hour each way to the store and back. In the meantime, my money is not going there.
The issue of slave labor in India and Mexico are up to those countries to fix, just as we have to fix and set our own economic policies. Walmart is not forcing those countries to engage in slave labor practices, the people are not enslaved or indentured by Walmart. It is up to the people of those countries to fix their own political and economic system. The economic standards are set by the country, not Walmart.
I am not going on a guilt trip over a third world country's economic policies. We have enough trouble surviving in this country these days. Also, I didn't say price was king. I was lamenting on the lack of viable shopping options in rural areas. If there were options and pricing was a bit higher, but still competitive, I would patronize those places.
As it is, the small local grocery store here charges 30-40% higher than Walmart for their store brand items. I buy my produce there and some meats as the quality is far better than Walmart. I shop their ads for some deals weekly. I will not buy fresh meat from Walmart, unless it is frozen turkeys or packaged meats from a known supplier.
There are two pharmacies in town which are proud of their drugs, and I don't do personal business in this town where everyone is the target of gossip. Point in case: My neighbor was recently sued by the local pharmacy to the tune of $5000 for a Medicare mix up. The gossip was all over town before the papers were served. So, local is not always better, doubt this would have happened with a Walmart pharmacy.
Just saying, there are trade-offs to consider living in a rural area, and you can't paint people who shop at Walmart with a broad brush.
