Walmarts Low Pricess

Myth 1. Wal-Mart has low prices throughout the store. They focus on about 100 items known as "opening price points." The idea is to get you to believe that they have low prices because they discount things you know are cheaper than at other stores. Then you go and purchase a bunch of normal and higher-price things while you there.

But you say you've done the price comparisons yourself? You have seen it with your own eyes. Do you purchase over 100 different items at Wal-Mart regularly? If most people can't memorize anything longer than a 7 digit number, how can you expect to know the prices of even a significant fraction of all the goods available at a giant discount store? Shoot, most Wal-Marts won't even let you write prices down while you shop for fear that you might learn the truth.

People who believe that Wal-Mart always has the lowest prices are not stupid. They are simply falling victim to clever marketing and a gigantic television advertising campaign. Seriously, Terri Schiavo looked very much alert in the clips her family sent to the networks, yet you were willing to side with the army of doctors who said she was brain dead even though it contradicted what you saw with your own eyes. Why is this any different?

Myth 2. Wal-Mart's prices are always the lowest.. In fact, Wal-Mart's prices are often beat by other stores. That's why Wal-Mart sends out managers to price the opening price point items mentioned in point number 1. Sometimes Wal-Mart beats another Wal-Mart's prices in the same community; therefore, they can't always be the lowest. If one Wal-Mart has too much of a certain good, it's price on it will be lower than one where the good is selling at a normal pace. Stores that are close to competitors like Target and K-Mart have lower prices than those where Wal-Mart is the only game in town. They can't let anything get in the way of keeping this myth alive because otherwise nobody would have any reason to shop there.

Myth 3. Wal-Mart's low prices help millions of Americans make ends meet. Wal-Mart's low prices are not some kind of service to humanity. If there are instances where a Wal-Mart's broad range of prices are particularly cheap, this is part of their strategy to drive its competition out of business. This is why you get Wal-Mart overload in places like the San Diego suburbs. Once Wal-Mart is the only game in town, the sky's the limit.

In other words, by shopping at Wal-Mart now, you are killing