Poll: Most New Yorkers Think Walmart Will Be Bad for the City's Businesses

A poll conducted recently by Quinnipiac University has found that most New York City residents (68 percent) believe Walmart's lower prices would hurt smaller nearby businesses.

So that's... a bad thing for Walmart, right? Well you wouldn't know it from some of last week's headlines about the poll, declaring that "New York voters want Walmart."

There is an element of truth to that claim. It stems from one of the poll's other findings -- that 74 percent of New Yorkers think Walmart's lower prices would benefit New York shoppers.

But here's the problem with pronouncing New Yorkers pro-Walmart based on that information: just because New Yorkers think the retailer would bring lower prices to the city doesn't mean they think Walmart would be good for New York City overall.

There's a critical difference there. Who wouldn't agree that lower prices would be good for city residents? Prices are too high here, no question! But what's the point of lower prices if the retailer that brings those prices to the city also drives down wages and has a net negative effect on jobs? The very people in the community who could have benefited from those price-cuts would be hurt by Walmart's poor treatment of its workers.

By the way, the New Yorkers polled by Quinnipiac agree -- only 19 percent said they think Walmart pays its workers enough.

Here's Wal-Mart Free NYC's response to the poll: “New York didn’t become great because of Walmart, it became great because of the thousands of small businesses owners who worked hard to make our mom and pops the engine of our economy — the same neighborhood mom and pops that New Yorkers agree Walmart would destroy,” said Wal-Mart Free NYC spokesperson Eric Koch.

Tell Mayor Bloomberg you thinks his support of a New York City Walmart is misguided, and you want him to stand up for the city's workers instead.

Photo credit: The Consumerist