missed opportunity

Through a series of ridiculous circumstances, I undertook a reconnaissance mission at the local Wal-Mart the other day in a brand-new silver Mercedes.

The Wal-Mart part I can explain easily enough; the company had somehow managed to quell the furor initiated by activists that was bringing about such things as the local Big Box Ordinance (a law that set wage restrictions on new stores, called by the Nation “the most significant victory for the living wage movement to date,”) by proposing an initiative Wal-Mart was calling the "Opportunity Zone."

The Opportunity Zone is not only the spot inside the store where you can go to apply for jobs with the company, it offered a space to advertise actual local businesses inside Wal-Mart stores. In other words, according to Wal-Mart Vice President of Operations Todd Libbra, the Opportunity Zone "is a commitment to reach beyond our stores to further engage the communities and offer an even greater economic boost to people and neighborhoods that Wal-Mart serves."

Activists, however, saw a more nefarious ploy at work. Wal-Mart Watch, an organization set up to monitor both the company and the various local and national activist campaigns organizing against it, explained that linking the company with community success was a backhanded way of addressing the issues raised by the Big Box Ordinance (eventually vetoed in Chicago by Mayor Daley). "Wal-Mart relied on dirty tricks to ensure success. Notably, a phone bank [set up by a company representative] was used to harass Wal-Mart’s foes on the city council. Callers from the phone bank telephoned Chicago residents asking them if they wanted new jobs to come to their community. Those who answered yes were re-routed to the City Council, which was inundated with calls from confused and angry residents."

More specifically, the Opportunity Zone seems a way of linking Wal-Mart with independent stores in customer’s minds, but offers a bit too much control to the Big Box over how those stores will be represented—if they will really be at all.

The Mercedes part, however, I can’t really explain.

Well, the Opportunity Zone was going into effect anyway, and city council people and local business owners supported it enthusiastically. Opening ceremonies were emceed by Libbra in January, who re-confirmed that local businesses would be advertised inside the store in a QnA session: “I heard you mention you're going to advertising these particular companies in the Wal-Mart network. If there is success in that, are you going to add other small businesses?” one questioner asked. Libbra responded: “Absolutely. This is going to be a quarter-by-quarter program. We're going to choose different businesses every quarter. And we're going to focus on different businesses every quarter, again partnering with the chambers.” The session continues:

Q: Now will that just be shown in the Wal-Mart on North Avenue, or will that go to all the stores in the area?

A: We really haven't decided the particulars on that one yet, but it's going to be stores
in the area. It will not just be the store on North Avenue. It will be several stores in the
territory. (Read full text here.)

Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott enthuses about the Zone’s social benefits, remarking that it is
"an economic enterprise that, in fact, would attract other businesses. . . [that would] capitalize on the benefits of having a Wal-Mart store in their community, like customer flow and rising incomes."

So when the Opportunity Zone finally launched in mid-January, all sorts of local and community press got on board, heralding Wal-Mart’s dedication to the community, and praising its follow-through.

Only problem is: by February 10, I couldn’t find any evidence of the Opportunity Zone in the Wal-Mart on North Avenue. I scoured the store for close to an hour—distracted only by the occasional bargain—and found nothing. Whereupon I asked a cashier, who knew nothing. Whereupon I stood in line at the Customer Service Center for 20 minutes to inquire about where I might find the elusive Wal-Mart Opportunity Zone.

My customer service representative told me, “I don’t know anything about that.”

“So, OK, I hate to be pushy,” I told her, “but this is what I had read about the Opportunity Zone”:

“The program will provide support to local businesses by offering advertising inside Wal-Mart's store and in local newspapers as well as additional funding for local chambers of commerce. . . . 'Small Business Spotlights' . . . will include exposure in local newspaper advertising and free Wal-Mart store radio advertising. . . . Wal-Mart named the following five companies as Small Business spotlight companies: B & S Hardware; Active Auto Parts; Dandridge Hardware Center; Dream Bag; and Curlie's Bakery. . . . ‘'This will be a great boost to my business,’ said Chris Prayer, owner of Active Auto Parts. ''Having a Wal-Mart in the neighborhood will probably generate consumer traffic and will hopefully bring more business to my store.''(Read full text here.)

“That sounds pretty great, and I’d like to check it out. Would you mind calling a manager?” I asked my customer service representative, who didn’t.

The first assistant manager, however, had never heard of the program either, so my customer service representative called a different assistant manager, Veronica, out of the cash office. But the Opportunity Zone rang no bells for Veronica.

“Did you bring the article you mentioned?” She asked. It was a good question, and I clearly hadn’t planned for this.

“Sorry, no,” I told her. “I was pretty sure I wouldn’t need to provide documentation of something that was supposedly happening in this store to people who worked here.”

Veronica saw the logic in that but could really only offer me the number of the district office—708/488-8510—to find out more.

If the district office does get back to me, I’ll post an update then. In the mean time, I have to tell you: driving a Mercedes was actually kind of fun.