Would Walmart be good for Brooklyn?

The NYT seems to be purporting that we are seeing a lull in Walmart's efforts to come to NYC, because Walmart doesn't want to be an issue in the upcoming Mayoral campaign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/business/a-respite-in-efforts-by-wal-mart-in-new-york.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=nyregion

I think Shop Rite is a big enough store that it can attract people from substantial distances, who seek special (ie more expensive) items.

As a result, it would be difficult to tell the store manager he can only stock products which the local clientele can afford.

There is presently a showdown between the DC City Council and Walmart.

Walmart is stating that it is not going to open the stores it has in the works and the planning stages, because the City Council has passed a living wage bill that would mnake it unprofitable to do business there.

It should be interesting to watch. When smaller cities have tried to do this, Walmart has located its stores just outside the cities' limits, leading to the phrase "the only thing worse than having a Walmart in in your town, is having it in the town next door".

...because all of the jobs and tax revenue produced by Walmart are taken from one town and given to another.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/business/dc-council-passes-wage-bill-despite-wal-marts-threats.html?_r=0

It doesn't matter whether Walmart is "good" for Brooklyn because people will shop there regardless.

I agree.

If shoppers are given a choice between pursuing their self interests and those of some vaguely define affiliation or geographic area (aka "Brooklyn"), I suspect people will choose the former.

I state that because throughout the country, Walmart florishes, even in areas that seem to have a much stronger identity and things in common with each other than "Brooklyn".

In DC, it should be interesting to see whether Walmart actually stops construction on its stores.

The Gateway site was recently sold. Despite talk of Shop Rite, it seems a Fed Ex distribution center will come to the site:

http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/02/12/bawabeh-sells-428k-square-foot-brooklyn-site-for-40m/

ah, that makes sense. I guess the site that is to become a Fex Ex was going to be EVEN MORE big boxes.I must confess, I haven't been out to Gateway in a while.

For all the Walmart haters...I would suspect that any other retail establishment that opens won't pay that much more than Walmart. It's just that Walmart is more visible.

@pragmaticguy

The article speaks to your point very clearly:

"The new store has 15 employees, four of them transfers from Aldi's other Brooklyn store, which is on Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, Persohn said. The transfers are now working closer to their homes.

There were 400 to 500 job applicants.

Starting pay is $12.25 an hour for store associates and $25 an hour for management trainees, he said.

The chain is not unionized."

Yup.

...the price for labor is going to largely be determined by the intersection of supply and demand. Despite its efforts, the city hasn't been able to increase wages for entry level employees without increasing unemployment and decreasing tax revenue.

Sorry.

Welcome Aldi! ...I suspect the 15 number refers to FULL TIME employees, and there are lots more part time ones.

Went the other day. The second phase of Gateway is even bigger than the first. Definitely suburban sized. Applebee's, Pier 1, and Raymour and Flanigan are already open, in addition to Aldi. And to add to list above, I saw signage for Sketchers, Carters, GNC, Michael's, Five Below (which I'd never even heard of), Dress Barn, Sports Authority, and Petco.

Of the three points made above all chain stores do that whether it's Penney's (which has a store in Manhattan) or McDonald's. And let's not even bring up Starbucks which would have a store every block if it made sense. This is the only way to sustain business. The fact that there are quite a few stores in a strip mall setting means that people can get from one to the other easily. Coming from the suburbs has very little to do with it.

I would gladly welcome a Walmart to Brooklyn. NYC residents already shop at Walmart outside of the city. Thus, by opening up a Walmart in the city, we would add to shopper convenience, new jobs, and new tax revenues for the city. If people want to harp on Walmart's wages, then they should be protesting to demand the close of every fast food joint in the city, among other establishments. 

In addition, I don't think many Prospect Heights or Crown Heights residents are going to schlep to Gateway to save a few dollars. Doesn't make sense from an economic standpoint. Of course, if they were going there for another reason that would be a different story. I think Walmart is looking for the Canarsie, Starrett, East New York shopper as their core customers. Starrett alone houses 25,000 people. And they're catering to the people with less money than those who don't care about paying a little more for the same products found in the local supermarket or Best Buy for that matter.

Howard Beach residents impress me as more the Target type so they're probably going to Gateway #1.