Module 4: The Culture of Overconsumption

Walmart and The Culture of Overconsumption
 This article discusses the mass culture theory that states mass produced products have less value and also the point of buying from stores like Walmart who are mass produced, the products will be less valuable then if you bought your products from Target, Whole Foods, or Crate & Barrel. The article discusses how Walmart grew and the tactics they used. "Cheap prices and overwhelming selection have a powerful effect on consumer behavior" With so many of the products at Walmart being mass produced they can sell them at a lower price compared to the other retailers and make a bigger profit. Yes, Walmart was cheaper than the other leading stores, but the push for low prices led to cheaper goods, which then leads to unhappy customers. The price may be low but the quality is bad which means I'm going to have to keep going back to get the same product over and over. "In many ways, Walmart is the quintessential 20th century American company. It took an industry as old as time — retail — and revolutionized it by thinking critically about its conventions. And it used cutting-edge innovations like information technology to revolutionize supply-chain management." I thought this quote was great because it explained how Walmart was an ideal "American company" and this week we focused on the American dream.


http://business.time.com/2012/07/02/ten-ways-walmart-changed-the-world/slide/the-culture-of-overconsumption/