There’s an article in the Detroit Free Press by Georgea Kovanis titled, “Yes, I’m shopping at Wal-Mart.” It’s a paean to a store formerly vilified by cultural creatives and eco-consumers. But with a tough economy, even people who have eschewed Wal-Mart for years are starting to shop there as money becomes tighter with rising fuel and food costs. Plus, Wal-Mart has been working hard to change its image, adopting green slogans, organic food, and hiring consultants, such as Adam Werbach, formerly the president of the Sierra Club, to help them accomplish their goals in sustainability. Thus, Ms. Kovanis feels justified and tries to convince her readers that shopping at Wal-Mart is now good.

But Ms. Kovanis didn’t convince me with her examples. She writes:

“A couple weeks ago I spent $2.50 on a Wal-Mart plant that was $4.99 at the nursery up the street. I stumbled upon DVDs for $5 and I’ve stashed away the fairly new releases to give as Christmas presents. And my favorite fat-free sugar-free Jell-O instant pudding mix is 25 cents cheaper than at my regular grocery.”

We might ask if there are even more thrifty and sustainable ways to satisfy these desires. For example, why not take a cutting of a friend’s houseplant (free), or give homemade cookies, coupon gifts for fun activities, or cool found objects from nature as Christmas presents? And there really are healthier and tastier options for dessert, such as local fruits in season (supporting our health and local farmers at the same time).

The problems associated with Wal-Mart, and all of the big box chain stores, are many, but they are hidden. When strapped for cash, those hidden problems recede even further from our willingness to make an effort even to view them. Whether the problems are the collapse of local economies, sweatshop labor abroad, fuel-intensive transportation costs, local water pollution and increased traffic accidents, excessive materialism, waste accumulation and disposal from extra (and largely unnecessary) items, there are costs, far greater ones than are apparent in the cheap price tag on the individual items. Costs certainly not explored by Ms. Kovanis.

I wish writers like Ms. Kovanis would delve just a bit deeper before justifying Wal-Mart purchases in a tight economy. Would our thrift-conscious, depression-era-surviving grandparents have thought that shopping at a cheap chain store was the answer to a slowing economy, or would they have advocated true thriftiness with a commitment to purchase well-made, long-lasting items when necessary?

~ Zoe