With the City Council set to hold hearings on Wednesday on Wal-Mart’s pursuit of a New York City store which will be boycotted by Wal-Mart because the Council won’t also be deliberating on similar chains like Target and Costco the giant megastore has unveiled a New York–specific website to help promote its cause. As the Times points out, the site resembles “the Internet face of a politician running for office,” one which seeks to mobilize supporters through the use of petitions and social networks. The problem for Wal-Mart, though, is that, while the vast majority of New Yorkers are in favor of bringing Wal-Mart to the city, do they care enough to mobilize to make it happen? Opponents of Wal-Mart see the chain as a neighborhood killing, labor-exploiting, morality-pushing corporate monster that they are duty-bound to keep out of the city limits. Supporters are like, “I wouldn’t be opposed to some cheap lightbulbs.”
Wal-Mart Opens Major Campaign to Take New York [City Room/NYT]
