Wal-Mart: I love it, I love it not

It’s probably a measure of the role Wal-Mart plays in the U.S. economy that people have such strong feelings about the world’s most successful retail chain.

These range from conspiracy theorists who’ve elevated Wal-Mart to a position previously held by the Trilateral Commission to a sizable if unorganized throng of Wal-Mart devotees who’ve posted their presumably unsolicited testimonials all across the World Wide Web. Search on “I love Wal-Mart” and see for yourself.

Most of us are less constant in our affection, or our disaffection, as the case may be. We’ll join in when our peers are griping about the local Supercenter’s 35 cashier lines, of which only four are manned at any given time, or about Wal-Mart’s reputed role in the destruction of small-town commerce. Then we’ll turn right around and show off the lifetime supply of fire ant repellent that we picked up in the home and garden department for eight bucks.

The sages in Bentonville know these things, and they counter with advertising themes that reveal how the company manages to stay on top.

A couple of years ago, one of the chain’s most successful ad campaigns showed in dollars and cents how much you could save if you did all your shopping at Wal-Mart. The difference came to over $700 a year, if memory serves. Pretty convincing stuff.

The current television ad tries a new tack. Now, we’re told, if we shop at Wal-Mart, we’ll “live better,” plain and simple. The subtext: Wal-Mart is so superior that its value ultimately can’t be quantified.

I’m waiting for them to start promising the abundant life, of the sort that Jesus talked about.

However you feel about the place, you’ve got to give them some praise (though not everyone does) for selling generic prescription drugs for $4 a month. It may be a promotional ploy to get people into the store, or to bring in at least one $75 non-generic prescription for every three generic ones.

One way or the other, for a lot of folks I know — especially people on fixed incomes or under-insured young families — being able to get a month’s worth of medicine for under five bucks is like a gift from above.

I know this for a fact, because I discussed the matter with the other customers waiting in line with me at the Wal-Mart pharmacy last night. All 17 of them.