In 2013, Walmart blocked a Washington, D.C., living wage bill that would have applied to workers in big box stores by threatening to pull out of plans to build new stores in the city. In 2016, Walmart is backing out of building two of the planned stores … and they just happen to be the two stores planned for low-income neighborhoods. Those stores were crucial to the local government giving Walmart so much of what it wanted to begin with:
If the company would agree to build those locations, and hopefully spur new development in the process, then city officials would give Walmart the entree to the better-off neighborhoods that it wanted. The agreement helped Walmart boosters overcome loud opposition from labor and community groups that wanted to keep the retailer out for good. But after building three stores west of the river, Walmart is walking away from the neighborhoods that needed it most. [...]
“As part of a broad, strategic review of our existing portfolio and pipeline, we've concluded opening two additional stores in Washington, DC is not viable at this time," Brian Nick, a Walmart spokesman, said in an email. "Our experience over the last three years operating our current stores in DC has given us a fuller view on building and operating stores in the District. This decision will not affect our three existing stores and we look forward to continue serving these customers in the future.”
Walmarts in D.C.’s gentrifying neighborhoods? Yes, Walmart will “look forward to continue serving these customers.” Walmarts in D.C.’s lower-income neighborhoods? “Not viable at this time.” To be sure, this announcement comes as Walmart closes 154 stores in the United States, but it doesn’t take a hardened cynic to wonder if this was the plan all along, if false promises were made intentionally to get permission to build in the neighborhoods the company wanted.
The politicians who blocked higher wages for big box workers because they fell for Walmart’s promises should be ashamed of themselves. (They should have been ashamed of themselves all along.)