Paul M. Cook wrote:

> "Scott" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Mitch wrote:
> > > Jewel announced today they will be closing the doors in Sept. because
> > > of the newest Super WalMart.
>
> > > That sucks.
>
> > > The produce at WalMart sucks, the meat is horrible (Solution), the
> > > chicken breast is always $4.99/pound. What joke. I never pay more
> > > than $1.89 at Kroger.
>
> > > WalMart killed our Eagle, and now Jewel.
>
> > > I can't even buy horseradish at WalMart. Only mayo "sauce" with a
> > > slight horseradish flavoring.
>
> > It won't be long before walmart invades iraq and all of the middle east.
>
> No, they are smarter than that. India just passed a law forbidding Wal-Mart
> to open stores in the whole country. They know that some 96% of their
> economy is small shopkeepers and they know the disaster that Wal-Mart would
> bring to their country.


Interestingly, I read an article a whiles back about the burgeoning of
modern supermarkets in India. Middle - class Indian consumers now
have more money to spend and so are more and more frequenting shiny
new clean air - conditioned Western - style supermarkets with frozen
foods, packaged produce, coffee bars, etc. This is putting a number
of the traditional street stall food vendors out of business...

The majority of Indians are still very poor, so most buy their food at
the street stalls, but modern Western retailing concepts are gaining
ground amongst the affluent classes in bigger towns and cities...the
affluent now see shopping as a chic leisure activity, not the drudgery
it once was. I guess people are the same all over...

I predict that Indians will get their own style and sort of Walmart
eventually...perhaps the Indian gov't. was simply in "protective mode"
when they outlawed Walmarts.

Speaking of "small shopkeepers", another recent article I read spoke
of the HUGE amount of 7 - 11's in Taiwan (more per capita than
anywhere else), some city blocks have several, some right across from
each other. They are used as bill payment centers, package shipping
and receiving centers, etc...but IIRC the article said the Taiwan
stores don't yet offer the Big Gulp. ;-)


--
Best
Greg