Grocery shopping isn't always black and white

Yes, I shop at Wal-Mart. There I said it. Now get over it.

I was on the phone with a friend last night who gasped when I told him in passing I had shopped at Wal-Mart. Generally, I don’t like the idea of purchasing my food and underwear under the same roof. Plus, I spent four years working in a grocery store during high school and college and I still enjoy walking the aisles of a traditional supermarket to do my food shopping.

Overall, the cost of living is much, much lower in South Dakota compared to Alaska. But here on the rez, food is particularly expensive. (The same reason is given here as in Juneau as to why that’s the case: shipping costs.) And the two small grocery stores in town do not offer the same selection as your local Safeway.

Thus, when I’m out of town, I make sure I have a list with me of items I need to stock up on. For example, I spent $100 at the Wal-Mart in Rapid two Saturdays ago when I was in town for the Stock Show. That trip would have cost me double in Mission, assuming I would have been able to find everything I needed.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a big fan of frequenting stores owned by locals. I love going down to Valentine to do just that. My routine is to grab a tea, look around Young’s, and head over to the bookstore. If a Wal-Mart were to ever locate in Valentine, some businesses in town would surely close. It wouldn’t be farfetched for establishments here in Mission to also suffer, as folks from Todd County would regularly make the quick, half-hour drive down 83 to shop there.

One could argue, however, that some of those businesses to be hypothetically impacted by a Wal-Mart opening in Anytown, USA, maybe weren’t that strong to begin with. Or Main Street was long dead way before Wally World even appeared on the outskirts of town along the highway.

An alternative is that I can go on food stamps. My VISTA stipend equals poverty wages, so I would certainly qualify. Would it be more honorable of me to apply for welfare from the state and get my food for free from the local grocery store, just to say I don’t shop at Wal-Mart?

Wal-Mart is not the evil, be-all and end-all scapegoat for everything that is wrong with this country. I’m willing to bet a few of their workers actually like their jobs and receive health benefits, just like there are others who have been taken advantage of. And the same dynamic most definitely rings true for other large retailers as well.

So, where exactly do I stand? Wal-Mart is not an adequate economic development strategy to cure the ills of rural America. Personally, I’ll continue to take my green bag, walk up to the grocery store, and buy locally whenever possible. But the next time I’m in Pierre or Rapid or Vermillion, I’m going to stop at the local Wal-Mart and buy the Clif Bars I can’t find in Mission and the celery LaCosta likes. And I’m going to sleep just fine at night.