Wal Mart

Wal-Mart had a small note at Instapundit today. We, of course, have one in Tracy, and what I found curious about it, is how it destigmatized itself in the short few years while I lived here. When I moved in, Wal-Marts in general were stores where socially disadvantaged shopped for substandard goods. A dirty parking lot full of trash was a necessary attribute. Now it's still a cheap place, but it's something Target is trying to imitate.

So, what happened? I guess all other places simply started to cheapen a bit, in a futile attempt to compete, and that only served to drive shoppers over. Indeed, why pay more for the same level of quality? New people watered down the shady character of the place.

The only thing I cannot forgive Wal-Mart for is abandoning guns in California some time in 2003. They excuse they used was disgusting in its duplicity. They claimed that some associates violated California regulations, and closed down "to retrain associates". Of course, they never intended to reopen. They just wanted to dampen the backlash and present sportsmen with a fait acompli.