[ SECRET POST #3499 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3499 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 24 secrets from Secret Submission Post #500.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Venting Thread

[feotakahari]

The national chain that poached one of our employees just opened a new outlet across the street. They have bulk deals with two of our big sellers, so they can afford to sell those items for $5 less than we can. I have no idea how we can compete with that.

Re: Venting Thread

[iceyred]

Madness like that is why I refuse to shop at big chains. I love capitalism like the Pope loves wearing white, but putting small businesses out in the cold is just shitty.

Re: Venting Thread

[(Anonymous)]

Serious question - could you talk more about how that particular stance plays out? Because it's really hard for me to envision a model whereby you get the virtues of capitalism without also being in favor of big box stores.

Re: Venting Thread

[diet_poison]

This.

I mean it's possible to be in support of a version of a free market that allows small businesses to thrive, but I don't think that's really capitalism by definition.

Re: Venting Thread

[iceyred]

I haven't been to a big box store in years. Not joking. I hate them. They smell weird, the merchandise is all crap, and the food is usually rotten. The employees are treated terribly, and the environmental impact of giant parking lots is best left unsaid because it is so depressing. Sure, prices are low, but they do not fully pay for the social and economic costs.

Compare that to the small Mom and Pop stores close enough to my work that I walk over there in 5-10 minutes. I get to support a local business where the employees will go out of their way to help me with what I need (I bought a wedding gift for a friend and they wrapped it beautifully for me!), the money stays in the community, and I don't have to drive but can instead get a short walk after a day or sitting. I know the employees and I get a pretty good idea of their working conditions, and who is a good person and who is a fucking lunatic. The prices might be a little higher, but the money pays for things and intangibles I value more than what big boxes give us.

Re: Venting Thread

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, sure, and I respect those beliefs. But the market as a whole clearly does not share those preferences. So I'm just curious how that plays out? Where on the one hand you have these individual preferences but you also support a system that would seem to undermine those ideas?

Re: Venting Thread

[iceyred]

I recognize that I can't force the market to believe and behave as I would prefer it, and I recognize that legislation forcing the market to support my preferences would be wrong and would probably harm the small businesses I love. The only thing I can do is avoid big businesses and shop small and local.

The system is flawed, but I have yet to find anything better.

Re: Venting Thread

[(Anonymous)]

That's fair! Thank you for your answer.

Re: Venting Thread

[(Anonymous)]

It's easy enough.

When people say free market what they mean is a fair market that ensures the maximum amount of freedom and opportunity to all parties... not a market with zero rules where evil corporations dominate everything.

Easier in theory than in practice.