Do big box stores belong in the big city?
Mayor Bill de Blasio has voiced his discomfort with Walmart, which currently doesn’t have any stores in the five boroughs, opening in NYC.
“I have been adamant that I don’t think Walmart — the company, the stores — belong in New York City, and I continue to feel that,” the mayor said last June.
While the big box stores like Costco and Target have multiple NYC locations, concerns over employee wages have been at the forefront of controversy regarding Walmart opening in the city.
A Quinnipiac poll released Monday, August 10 stated that 55 percent of New York City voters believed that Walmart should be allowed to open stores in NYC. 54% of NYC voters in union households also polled in support of Walmart.
While 39 percent don’t believe Walmart should be allowed to open, if Walmart did come to NYC, 64 percent of voters say they would shop there.
Voters however showed some inconsistent opinions on how Walmart’s presence would effect NYC. Seventy-one percent believed that that Walmart’s lower prices would benefit shoppers while a similar 70 percent also said that Walmart’s lower prices hurt smaller businesses.
Fifty-five percent agreed that Walmart doesn’t pay enough in wages and medical benefits.
