Today’s Jackson Citizen Patriot has an article on the Felpausch Food Center closing the middle of next month. Like everyone else, they want to blame Wal-Mart.
Jeanne Norcross, vice president of corporate affairs for owner Spartan Stores Inc., said the grocery at 2105 W. Michigan Ave. is closing primarily because of competition.
“It’s been a challenge for us to operate the store profitably,” she said Sunday.
In 2004, a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened across the street next to the Westwood Mall.
I don’t buy it. I never have bought it. If you’re doing the same thing everyone else is doing of course you’re going to fail. I really have very little sympathy for corporate chains like Felpausch who blame other corporations for their demise. Yes, Wal-Mart undercuts places on prices, but they also do worse on customer service, selection, and freshness. That’s all it takes. Offer your customers something they can’t get it a Wal-Mart.
It’s funny that I read this today because just yesterday my girlfriend and I were talking about Horrock’s Farm Market is always packed despite being located between a Wal-Mart and a Meijier. If it were true that these mega-markets kill off other business, there is now way in hell Horrock’s would survive. The difference is Horrock’s fills the market with fresh products at a competitive price. They’ve found a nitch and done it successfully.
Competition is what drives our economy and there’s always going to be casualties. One day, there will be something that comes along that de-thrones Wal-Mart and we’ll all have something new to complain about. For now, let’s just support farmer’s markets and not worry about what Wal-Mart is doing.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
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