So, after posting my half-articulated shpiel on Wal-Mart - I went there. I needed some prescriptions filled and well I just wanted to walk around and see what was up. At first I completely recanted everything that I had written about Wal-Mart being the answer (as a figurative tool) and was just totally disgusted by the mass-produced shit in there and the man I saw who's grocery cart was filled with a completely unnecessary amount of Funyons...Funions...Funyions? (I have no idea how to spell that). Anyways, then I went to the Pharmacy counter. I waited as Chantera copied down the information from my malaria meds and laughed to herself at how half of my prescriptions were from Vermont and the other half Connecticut. She made me happy. I just kept thinking about how much she probably gets shit on during the day by impatient customers trying to get their orders filled so they can go buy their life-ending quantities of onion snacks. It was just nice that we were laughing together. I was simultaneously thinking about how my dad handles customer service interactions and cringing uncontrollably.
Chantera made me think about the jobs that one store can create and how that job helped her. Looking around, I still saw potential. I just have hope in the idea that corporations and small business can work together. We need to get back to the old-school flea market style way of selling things. Why can't corporations use their power to empower the small business? (I'm getting choppy in my thought process here but hey - it's my blog)
Side note, a good friend of mine informed me that Heinz ketchup tastes different in Costa Rica than in the United States. This is because the tomatoes used in the Costa Rican condiment are local and it's just cheaper for Heinz to do business that way. Back to my question, why can't a big superstore like Wal-Mart integrate Joe Schmoe's home-made onion snack business into their assortment of comprehensive goods? I guess the issue is standardization of all items in all stores across the country. But, see - that's where I agree about dismantling a standing system.
I can understand about a chain store having the same items in each store but what about bringing in some local flavor? It would make the shopping experience a lot more interesting and socially engaging. There are stores that are all about this and there are standardized sellers that implement an integration but the question remains. Can we tap into this big power? This brings me to the conclusion that I need a crash course in economics because I want to know how to make this work. Why fight the man when you can be the man?
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