San Diego to ban Wal-Mart Supercenters

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, AP Business Writer

Wed Nov 29, 12:29 AM ET

SAN DIEGO - The City Council here voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores, dealing a blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s potential to expand in the nation's eighth-largest city.

The measure, approved on a 5-3 vote, prohibits stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of space to sell groceries and other merchandise that is not subject to sales tax. It takes aim at Wal-Mart Supercenter stores, which average 185,000 square feet and sell groceries.

Mayor Jerry Sanders will veto the ban if the Council reaffirms it on a second vote, which will likely happen in January, said mayoral spokesman Fred Sainz. The Council can override his veto with five votes.

"What the Council did tonight was social engineering, not good public policy," Sainz said.

Supporters of the ban argued that Wal-Mart puts smaller competitors out of business, pays workers poorly, and contributes to traffic congestion and pollution. Opponents said the mega-retailer provides jobs and low prices and that a ban would limit consumer choice.

"Quite simply, I do not think it is the role of the San Diego City Council to dictate where families should buy their groceries," said Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who opposed the ban.

Councilman Tony Young, who joined the 5-3 majority, countered, "I have a vision for San Diego and that vision is about walkable, livable communities, not big, mega-structures that inhibit people's lives."

Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin McCall said the Bentonville, Ark.-based company may consider a legal challenge or voter referendum if the measure becomes law.

"Certainly we're disappointed but there's still a number of steps left in this process," he said. "We need to look at what our options are."

The ban is modeled on a law in Turlock, a city of 70,000 people 85 miles southeast of San Francisco. Turlock prohibited big-box stores over 100,000 square feet that devote at least 5 percent of their space to groceries.

Wal-Mart recently dropped its challenge to the Turlock ordinance, which prevented it from building a planned 225,000-square-foot Supercenter store. In July, a federal judge in Fresno said Turlock's zoning law did not infringe on the company's constitutional rights. The state Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

Wal-Mart has about 2,000 Supercenter stores, including 21 in California, but none in the San Diego area. The retailer has 18 regular Wal-Mart stores in the San Diego area, including four within limits of the city of 1.3 million people.

Wal-Mart has not disclosed plans for a Supercenter store in San Diego area. Sainz, the mayoral spokesman, said the retailer probably wants to expand.

"It's complete and total guesswork but I'm inclined they would," Sainz said. "Everything I've seen and heard from them makes me think they would."

San Diego's move comes two months after the Chicago City Council failed to override Mayor Richard Daley's veto of a so-called "living-wage" ordinance that would have required giant retailers to pay their workers higher wages.

I know that Walmart is loathed by many in politics and the community in general, but those people seem to forget many families and individuals, like myself, live from paycheck to paycheck and that dictates how much we can budget every week to two weeks. So for me and others like me, Walmart for the most part is the only place we can afford to shop for groceries and household goods.

They can say it's their policies, or the size of the stores, but I really feel this is another blow against the lower/working class. Not everyone has the luxury of shopping at regular grocery chains and gourmet markets. Also, Target is no real prize either. My brother has worked there for five years and they pay their people lousy and their health insurance is nothing either.

Wal Mart is the anti christ of the corporate world.

I worked as a manager at Sam's Club for nearly five years while I was in college and they treat people horribly and they pay even worse.

I refuse to ever shop there. Target is much better. IMO.

Sucks for you guys. Supercenters are the shiznit, especially for suburb high school and college kids.

Wal Mart is the anti christ of the corporate world.

I worked as a manager at Sam's Club for nearly five years while I was in college and they treat people horribly and they pay even worse.

I refuse to ever shop there. Target is much better. IMO.

I SO agree! Target rocks! LOL. I've tried the supercenter kind of Wal Marts....and even though they have alot of items, it is way to crouded, and I have hardly ever found any decent clothes there, and aside from arts, crafts, and the food they have nothing really interests me there.

Finally, protest coming from the government themselves! How ironic is that???

I know that Walmart is loathed by many in politics and the community in general, but those people seem to forget many families and individuals, like myself, live from paycheck to paycheck and that dictates how much we can budget every week to two weeks. So for me and others like me, Walmart for the most part is the only place we can afford to shop for groceries and household goods.

Any why are there low-income families and individuals? Because corporations like Walmart feel that they can have a ton of workers give up their labour for a considerably low price. If people aren't getting paid enough, they can only shop at places with low prices. And if corporations can get away with selling an item way below it's production cost and underpay their employees to the point of poverty, then they'll do it. It's an ugly cycle and I'm glad that at least one community is deciding to put a stop to it. Of course, that would mean individual workers would have to not substitute one low-paying job for another and find a job that pays them right, treats them right so that they can go out and help support local business. Huge multi-million corporations can afford to sell their products at low prices. Local businesses can't as much. Unless multi-corporations start giving good salaries and benefits to all their workers, of course the cost of their items are never going to rise..otherwise, I'm sure they would.

They can say it's their policies, or the size of the stores, but I really feel this is another blow against the lower/working class. Not everyone has the luxury of shopping at regular grocery chains and gourmet markets.

I think I pretty much said why I completely disagree with your statement here.

Wal Mart is the anti christ of the corporate world.

I see the corporate world as totally corrupt so I'm not sure I'd agree with you...

I stick by what I said. I can't afford to shop at a lot of places, so I have to stick with what I can do, and for the most part, it's Walmart.

Target is overpriced on many things, and doesn't have a good selection of merchandise. Sure, their stores may be spaced out nicely, but they are not the end-all and be-all of stores. Like I said in my original reply, ask my brother about how crappy Target treats their employees. They are not the saviors everyone thinks they are. However, he stays because he's a manager, so he doesn't have to deal with the junk that regular floor employees do.

Unlike some, I cannot afford to be a retail snob.

I want my Wal-Mart, will always want my Wal-Mart, and I love my Wal-Mart. Thahnku!

Walmart is good for everything but clothes.

Target has pretty nice clothes at low prices. The Isaac Mizrahi and the 90 Day designer line works well for them.

I'm still waiting for a designer at low price line for men.

Unlike some, I cannot afford to be a retail snob.

Retail snob? I hate the Gap just as much as I hate Walmart and I'm not exactly swimming in money, either. But I refuse to spend my money and support a corporation that claims to make necessities more accessible to low-income families when its methods are helping to create the poverty that leads people to buy more of their products. If that makes me a retail snob, though...then so be it.

Although accessibility is definitely a valid point here...it's unfortunate that because such huge multi-corporations are making so much money, they have the resources other businesses don't to be more accessible.

Wal-Mart sucks.

I have nothing against those who go there, but for me personally....I hate it.

I'm sorry, what's so accessible about Wal-Mart? At least in my area, EVERYBODY and their long-lost soap opera brother and sister go to Wal-Mart. Traffic congestion on FOOT IN THE STORE is unbearable and trashy mothers spanking their children are EVERYWHERE. Please, spare me! That's why I choose Target. It's less congested, and at my Target, fewer families with crying, bratty babies are there, and well, that's the biggest selling point, really.

I'm VERY proud to say I haven't stepped foot in a Wal-Mart in six months. When I do go, it's because I literally HAVE to go there (for instance, perhaps an oil change or something), but for everyday items? TARGET. TARGET, TARGET, and TARGET!!!

Wal-Mart sucks.

Leave your babies at home.

As a former Wal-Mart employee of nearly 5 1/2 years, I hate Wal-Mart!

When I started working at my local Wal-Mart seven years ago, it was a small store. In 2003 we moved into a Supercenter. For the first several years I was just a regular sales associate, working in the lawn & garden, seasonal, pets, housewares and electronic departments. Then I was promoted to Department Manager of the Pet and Seasonal departments. I left Wal-Mart two years ago.

That being said, the horrible treatment the employees receive at their stores is deplorable. Since I parted ways with them, I have not been back into any Wal-Mart to shop. I will go to any and every other retail store to shop, except Wal-Mart.

I, like Bree, cannot afford to go to very many expensive stores to shop, but I find other stores to go to that I can afford besisdes Wal-Mart.

For example, when I did my Christmas shopping last year, I went to Target, KMart, Dollar General Store, Dollar Tree, a local mall, and Lowe's. I completly bypassed Wal-Mart.

They treat you like crap and I simply got tired of it and quit. The sad part is that, the first couple years I worked there, I actually liked my job. But after a few years of being treated like crap and seeing other people being treated like crap, I hated to go to work.

Leave your babies at home.

Hmmph, May I ask, Do you have children? I have two and I do hate to shop with them but there are times when it absolutely impossible to "Leave your babies at home." So before you complain think about the mom that is trying to shop for groceries, maybe picking up a prescription for her babies, and getting other esstential items for the home and handling a two year old at the same time because the babysitter had an emergency or the spouse/significant other had to stay late at work. Think about that and put yourself in their position.

Hmmm, well, JSF, not to burst your bubble or anything, but where I am, there are a lot of Target and K-Mart stores that I have been in, and they have congestion and howling babies/children there too...A lot of mothers just can't leave their children at home when they go out.. some may be even taking their children to get things for them.

There are about three Wal-Marts in my area, and I will be honest and say, I absolutely HATE going there. Not because of the lack of items they have, or the prices, but basically the snarky attitudes that run up and down the aisles in that store. It's not just the employees that are rude, it's the folks that shop there too; however, you can't just say Wal-Mart is the only place that has poor business ethics...There are some K-Marts and Targets that are that way too.

I don't like at all how they treat their employees; however, I look at it this way: If I need to get something, and I am near a Wal-Mart, I'll get it and move on. Same goes for any other store....I personally can get past all the "trashy mothers' and screaming babies, because they aren't hurting me and I am not bothering them.