Maybe so. But I still love Target. What’s a girl to do?
Went out to dinner last night (Il Bastardo in Chelsea, not too bad – but I wouldn’t go out of the way for it) to meet up with a couple friends from our Raleigh days.
Somehow Target / Wal-Mart entered the converation. While Wal-Mart elicited the typical “I don’t shop at big-box stores” from the well-dressed / well-shopped NYC boy, the reason surprised me. It was not because he wanted to support the little-guy. Rather, “Because I think the low quality perpetuated by these stores contributes to the increased ‘disposal society’ in America.”
Wow.
The argument is that the most even well-known brands make a cheaper quality of products to sell through the big-box stores. They need to cut corners to meet the pricing demands of these low-cost vendors. So what you see as a $20 discount, is partially due to inferior products. Which of course fail sooner than a high-quality product would. Which leads to more things being thrown away sooner. Y viola. Shopping at Home Depot, even when buying “green” products, is bad for the environement because we’re contributing to a disposable society.
<sigh> One more thing to think about when trying to change behaviors to be more thoughtful and good for the world.
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I feel your pain. As a Target devotee – media whore that I am, I even applaud during their stylish new commercials – I struggle with the fact that Target is technically a “red” store. But I love them. Where else can you get toilet paper, paper towels and Starbuck’s coffee at such great prices???
The best thing we can do is to be wise and responsible consumers and limit our “disposable” purchases.
I’m old enough to value the “why replace it if it can be fixed” ethic. It’s a noble, but increasingly financially un-viable position.
Buy green when you can. That’s my motto.
That – and medications work faster and better with alcohol. That’s my other motto.
Life is sweet.
Some of us on limited incomes (old age) have to shop where we find the best bargains. However, we DO try to find those that are “green” and not made in countries with sweat shop manufacturing. WalMart is now advertising things that are “green”.
Ginny (Mom R)
Amen to that Ginny! We definitely appreciate all the low prices we can find.