Criticism of Walmart - Local Communities

Local Communities

When Walmart plans new store locations, activists sometimes oppose the new store and attempt to block its construction. Opponents cite concerns such as traffic congestion, environment problems, public safety, absentee landlordism, bad public relations, low wages and benefits, and predatory pricing. Opposition sometimes includes protest marches by competitors, informed citizens, activists, labor unions, and religious groups. In some instances, activists demonstrated their opposition by causing property damage to store buildings or by creating bomb scares. Some city councils have denied permits to developers planning to include a Walmart in their project. Those who defend Walmart cite consumer choice and overall benefits to the economy, and object to bringing the issue into the political arena.

A Walmart Superstore opened in 2004 in Mexico, 1.9 miles away from the historic Teotihuacan archaeological site and Pyramid of the Moon. Although Walmart's proposal received protest and media attention, the location was supported by Mexico's National Anthropology Institute, the United Nations, and the Paris-based International Council on Monuments and Sites. Local merchants, helped by environmental groups and anti-globalization groups opposed the construction, and poet Homero Aridjis joined the protest characterizing the opening as "supremely symbolic" and "...like planting the staff of globalization in the heart of ancient Mexico."

Archaeologists oversaw construction and discovered a small clay and stone altar along with some other artifacts where the store's parking lot is now located.

In 1998, Walmart proposed construction of a store off Charlotte Pike near Nashville, Tennessee. The building site was home to both Native American burial grounds and a Civil War battle site. Protests were mounted by Native Americans and Civil War interest groups, but the Walmart store was eventually constructed after moving graves and some modifications of the site so as not to interfere with the battlefield. Civil War relics were also discovered at the site. The project developers donated land to permit access to the Civil War historic site. The Indian burials were removed and re-buried.

In 2005, developers tore down the long-closed Dixmont State Hospital in Kilbuck Township, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, with plans to build a shopping complex anchored by a Walmart on the site. While there were initially no general objections to Walmart itself, many residents didn't want to see Dixmont torn down, despite the fact that the Dixmont complex—having been abandoned in 1984—was beyond maintainable condition and teenagers were dangerously trespassing onto the property on a regular basis. However, while the land was being excavated after the complex was torn down in order to create a plateau for the Walmart to sit on, a landslide covered Pennsylvania Route 65 and the railroad tracks in between PA 65 and the Ohio River, shutting down both routes for weeks. While Walmart did "stabilize" the landslide, many residents argued that Walmart merely stabilized the hillside so that it could continue with work to build the store. Ultimately, in 2007 Walmart decided against developing the site, allowing the land to return to nature, with a Walmart location to be constructed in nearby Economy, Pennsylvania instead and scheduled for a 2013 opening. PA 65 remains restricted to one lane northbound near the former Dixmont site for safety concerns, though the entire roadway has since been cleared of debris. Despite this, Walmart is the largest retail chain in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and is the second-largest grocery store to locally based Giant Eagle.