Conference to Scrutinize Impact of Big-Box Stores

by James Parks, Jun 1, 2006

When big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart come into a community, public officials often dole out public subsidies and tax breaks on the promise of new jobs and prosperity to come. But in reality, these stores eliminate more jobs than they create and add to the poverty level, according to several recent studies.

Next Wednesday, a National Consumers League (NCL) conference—“The High Cost of Cheap Goods: Measuring the Impact of Big-Box Retailing on Workers, Consumers and Communities”—will examine just how much we pay to enjoy the low prices these stores provide.  Activists, economists, social scientists, local and state officials and union leaders at the conference in Washington, D.C., will discuss the impact of big-box retailers on health care, community infrastructure, product safety and workplace protections. The forum also will provide firsthand accounts of communities taking a stand to block big-box stores.

A highlight of the conference will be a presentation by Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works—and How It’s Transforming the American Economy.

NCL President Linda Golodner also will release results of a national consumer survey on corporate social responsibility.

For more information on the conference, click here.

The conference follows the recent release of a report showing Wal-Mart stores contribute to higher local poverty rates by driving independent retailers out of business and lowering wages for workers.

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