Wal-Mart Shoppers Are Trained To Be "Savages"

By Al Norman

"Outta My Way, I'm shopping at Wal-Mart."

That actual bumper-sticker sums up the attitude of the only thing worse than Wal-Mart in our culture: Wal-Mart shoppers.

The killing of a Wal-Mart worker this week during an early morning crush of customers at the retailer's Valley Stream, Long Island store has given the company a Black Eye from Black Friday.

Law enforcement officials are reviewing the video tape of the incident for possible criminal charges, but Wal-Mart corporate attorneys are no doubt looking at the video to determine the extent of the company's legal liability in the case. The retailer may be more preoccupied with how to prevent a multi-million lawsuit from the family of the dead worker, than how to prevent another Black Friday death.

The 2,000 or so Wal-Mart shoppers at the Valley Stream store were merely lab rats responding to a stimulus. When the door opened, they went after the cheese. In the past, it has been fellow shoppers who have been killed in the "savage" rush, as one onlooker at the Valley Stream store described the incident. Our culture of mass consumption has bred these "supershoppers," who will show up for every clearance, every special, with one goal in mind: to be at the cash register first.

Wal-Mart and the Nassau County Police now have to decide if they will press criminal charges against these supershoppers. There were at least four other people who were injured in the Long Island incident---one of several that took place across the country. A similar incident took place in Secaucus, New Jersey--but the woman injured in the 'shop 'til you drop' crowd was not killed. In Rapid City, Michigan, a teenage girl at Wal-Mart holding an Xbox 360 video game was "struck in the throat by a male shopper who was yelling and pushing his way through a line of shoppers."

Where better to carry out these random acts of violence than at a huge Wal-Mart, where price takes precedence over people? We can behave like 'savages' at Wal-Mart, because we are part of a large, anonymous throng. Wal-Mart spent $2 billion in 2008 on media advertising to encourage us to behave like out of control consumers. The crowd at Valley Stream was just following the program.

Wal-Mart has never been very good at protecting its workers or customers from crime at its stores--whether inside the store, or in the No-Man's-Land known as the parking lot. The latest Black Friday death is no exception. The poor temporary worker who happened to be given the job of unlocking the door, Jdimytai Damour, gave up his life so that some shopper could get a Playstation 3 Entertainment Bundle. Wal-Mart knew--or should have known---that shoppers on steroids are a dangerous breed. "We expected a large crowd this morning," Wal-Mart admitted in a press release, "and added additional internal security, additional third party security, additional store associates and we worked closely with the Nassau County Police. We also erected barricades. Despite all of our precautions, this unfortunate event occurred."

So far, all Wal-Mart has provided for the family of their dead worker is its "thoughts and prayers." But Damour's family is going to need a lot more than prayers to pay for the loss of earnings this young family has suffered." Instead of watching video reruns of the incident, or spending its corporate resources trying to track down the "savage" shoppers who crushed Damour, Wal-Mart should announce that it will use some of its vast wealth to provide the Damour family with a generous financial settlement. This is the moment for company Chairman Rob Walton to come to the aid of this family out of his own $23 billion fortune. The family should not be forced to file a lawsuit to receive justice from this company. Wal-Mart should have its compensation offer ready for sign-off within the week.

At Wal-Mart, they know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. It was the manager at the Rapid City, Michigan Wal-Mart store who said what the company's top brass in Bentonville could not say. "There's nothing in my store that's worth people's safety or lives."

Al Norman is the founder of http://www.sprawl-busters.com. His first book was "Slam Dunking Wal-Mart."

Comments

[missette]

Thank you for so articulately clarifying the true cause of this tragedy - corporate greed and people more than willing to behave like "savages" as one on-the-scene observer remarked to claim victory in nabbing a bargain. I was angered when yesterday's NY Times article about this led off by saying it was a sign of the "desperate times" etc., etc., in turn implying that somehow the rampage reflected typical bebavior of the poor. This despite the fact that the article later admitted that such mob scenes have become all too commonplace during the holiday shopping season. To stereotype the poor was at the least lazy reporting as there was no evidence it was the poor who trampled this young man, and at worst a troubling indicator of how the NY Times editors view the poor. They oughta know better.

[LeonBNJ]

Why do such cutthroat pricing on Black Friday? You take in lower income thus profits, then you have the additional staffing and other overhead costs by such stupid early openings, including additional security along with the customer relations risks. I think it is terrible marketing for both the stores and the customers. As another poster noted, the ultra cheap prices on a extremely limited number of products encourages mob beheavior and may hurt a retailer rather than help them, especially if you tick off 100's looking for those 5 items. I also suspect that some buying those supercheap items are 'professional' buyers who plan to resale to friends or on E-Bay - thus defeating the advantages of the cheap pricing to the actual consumers.
Some towns here in New Jersey ban stores from opening earlier than 7 am. That is a lot more reasonable than opening at 4-6 am. A number of retailers didn't open until at least 8 am. Some kept orderly lines giving out numbered tickets and special tickets for the limited number of super deal items as well as hiring regular and special police for overnight and early opening hours. Personally, I just waited for a few hours, got only a few items I wanted and didn't deal with any lines or hassles looking for parking places.

[gwhizz]

This might surprise you, but these early am "Doorbuster" sales are not exclusive to Walmart. Longer lines start forming outside my local Best Buy as soon as the turkey dinner is cleaned up.

[Project4NuBostonTeaParty]

Wal-Mart shoppers may be predisposed to behave as savages, but I hold the company itself responsible for this totally avoidable tragedy.

I hope the victim's family hires the best team of lawyers in New York (too bad Johnnie Cochran's gone) and sues the China-made pants off this obscene corporation.

[drewziGNY]

The only store I hope to make a mad rush to is Jo-Ann Fabrics for some yarn. SCARVES FOR EVERYONE!

[Puzzles]

Great! Add some cookies--best gift ever.

[relevancematters]

I was in Jo-Ann the other day to buy 3 spools of ribbon. There must have been 100 people in line! You'd have thought they sold Play-Stations!

[gwhizz]

LOL! I've been knitting like a madwoman since October.

[ashcom]

Mr Norman,

I am not familiar with your blogs, so I read your bio. Congratulations on preventing a WalMart ruining your local economy. Alone, the company's treatment of employees is the hallmark of greed. When the first WalMart in the area appeared I gave it a try -- once. What a horrible place it was. There was stock stored precariously up to the high ceiling. It was claustrophobic and the merchandise that purported to be inexpensive was just cheap.

Let's all shop wisely now and in the future.

[TheUnpopularQuestion]

Dear Mr. Norman, I want to thank you for saying what local newscasts have been scared to say, in my opinion, over this holiday weekend. It seemed telling that instead of making it their lead story, local news here in the Chicago area made it the fourth or fifth news item--not wanting to kill the holiday shopping buzz for advertisers no doubt, although the bloodbath in India was competition. Another reason for the programmed response of consumers, I think, has been the economic fear overkill to fill the news vacuum in this post-election season (and so to maintain ratings). "Oh my goodness, more than two months until Obama is sworn in, what will we talk about?" And so peoples' savage reflex to get that deal before God knows what happens to the economy...­.

Blessings, I hope your own personal holiday was pleasant.

[rabiddog6708]

Wal Mart and this Black Friday nonsense are all about greed and avarice...­..polar opposites of what Christmas is supposed to be all about. Capitalism run amuck. Stop shopping at Wal Mart and stop the mad rush to buy the latest shiny things. I don't need an Ipod or Xbox. I don't need a Plasma TV....and neither do you.

[Marysdude]

Pretending that Wal Mart has the lowest prices is today's biggest sham. Wal Mart buys electronics that spec says 'gold' connectors, that substitute 'copper'. Sell it for three bucks less and tells you its a bargain. Wal Mart sells mens' shirts that are one inch shorter in the tail and have half the thread holding buttons that other department stores provide, and tell you they 'sell for less', yeah, they sell 'less for less'. Wal Mart's buying power is huge, and it takes advantage of that by dictating specs and terms to sellers. Wal Mart's CEO, Lee Scott, is to American business what George Bush is to American politics.

[stanjz]

WalMart doesn't provide us with the things that we really need a break on like: healthcare, housing, energy and tuition. WalMart does go a long way to encouraging our deficit with China by importing cheap toys, electronics, clothinig et cetera. As an added bonus they close the doors of some small businesses and provide jobs that pay a couple dollars more /hr than minimum wage.

P.S.

Don't forget the blue smock.

[steveAC10]

The concept of early bird specials may not be new, but the ultra limited quantity, highly desirable loss leader is a recent development. I worked in retail back in the 80's and if we had a special on black Friday it was something we had hundreds of that we buyers had negotiated a killer price for. It was not 5 TV's or game consoles that 500 (or 2000) people would storm the store for. If there was not an adequate quantity of product for the anticipated demand, it didn't get advertised - PERIOD - because that would cause ill will with our customers and cost us business in the long run. Sure there were crowds when our doors opened. But they were there because the sale price was only good until 10 AM, not because they knew only a select and aggressive few would get to the shelf to get in on the deal. If we messed up and were out before ten we had to have a back up plan involving rain checks and substitutions.

[HamletsMill]

But that was back in the 80's when we still were a rational people with some semblance of perspective in life. Now we are just a nation of Pavlovian idiots.

[LREKing]

Um. Did you actually LIVE through the '80s?

[drewziGNY]

Even in the 80's there were mad rushes for the latest toy to which people acted like total imbiciles to get a hold of...remem­ber Cabbage Patch Dolls or Teddy Ruxpins? Mad crowds stormed the store for those useless pieces of crap, and there were even violent episodes there back in the 80's.

[jcnycdude]

All for some plastic crap from China, that will end up, sooner or later, spiraling around in the Pacific.

Happiness comes from within, everyone.

[LREKing]

And with any luck, it will find its way back to China.

[LMPE]

This only makes me prouder to have never been inside a Wal-Mart in my entire life. Not once. And I hope that it stays such.

[Dystopic]

Same here... There is nothing at Walmart that I cannot get at Target or Kmart. Wish we had more options here.

I can't stand the idea of sending money to the Bentonville Hillbillies, prob spending it on Gold plated single wides, with a bentley up on stand in the overgrown yard

[Oahspe]

LOL!

[OkieIntellectual]

I will drive several miles out of my way to find an alternative to WalMart. Typically I go to Target instead, even though it is about two miles farther than the local WalMart. Its been my experience that you simply find a better class of shoppers at other retailers.

[bokiluis]

"A better class of shoppers".­........uh­! So you do blame the shoppers and not the
"circle of poverty" shoppers that Walmart creates??????

[OkieIntellectual]

Yes, I do blame the shoppers. I do not care how impoverished you are, there is absolutely no excuse for savagery like this.

[gwhizz]

Sounds like you're far more interested in classifying yourself as a "better class" of person than anything else. Where would you go if you couldn't "drive several miles out of my way?" What if the bus stopped a block from Walmart? OMG I suggested you take a bus!

[OkieIntellectual]

I have never participated in the trampling of other human beings in a rush to save 15% on a plasma TV, so yeah I do consider myself a better class of person. Come on down off the high horse, everyone who has eyes to see and half a brain to think knows what kind of person typically makes up the majority of WalMart's shopper demographic. There is a reason we have so many little jokes and digs at WalMart shoppers. And as far as the bus thing, IF my town even had public transportation, I would take the bus that drops off by another retailer, even if that means transfering busses or going miles out of the way.

People have allowed themselves to be convinced that there simply isn't an alternative to WalMart, which is complete BS. Arguments like "well the other stores are too expensive" is weak at best and just goes to show that people DO care more about money than they do about principals like integrity, fairness, and equitable treatment. That is why they continue to patronize thie behemoth rather than voicing their displeasure at WalMart's business practices by taking their money elsewhere.

[guyfrombrooklyn]

How did the store remain open?

Did the pd have the power to shut store ops down?

When did the excitement of saving $20 or more on a gift become so much more important than human life?

That was someone's son, brother, uncle or dad.

Those who were involved have his DNA on their shoes. Hope the guilt makes them understand how DUMB and HEARTLESS their actions were.

It's amazing how a holiday built on compassion and love can whip the people up into a feeding frenzy.

The same thing happened in CA, with two men exchanging gunfire. It happens every year in every kind of neighborhood.

These are gifts that will eventually break, tear, wear out or just be forgotten.

Teach your child that positive relationships will always trump any material item. Or teach yourself if you need to.

[tcjimm]

For what it's worth there is no Walmart located in, or adjacent to Rapid City, Michigan.

[gwhizz]

The store was shut down--after shoppers were FORCIBLY removed kicking and screaming. These same shoppers then lined up to get back in and complained to anyone who'd listen that they were entitled to go back inside because they'd waited a long time.

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for this great article!

I'm glad to see the comments here reflect that HuffPo readers are on to the insanity of Wal-Mart and the whole "supershopping" craziness. Guess I'm being unpatriotic, but retailers are going to have to get along without me this year. I'm giving only experiential gifts this time.

I have a post over on the Living page with more thoughts about this subject. There's a great little video on my blog about Buy Nothing Day, which also took place on Black Friday. I hope your readers will come check it out and leave their comments as well.

Black Friday At Wal-Mart: The Cost of Crazed Consumerism