Growing up in New York City, you encounter diversity, culture, and community every single step you take. New York City isn’t called a “melting pot” for no reason: the city brings people together from every corner of the world. Every neighborhood is filled with its own unique languages, traditions, families, and so much more. Yet, what makes New York extra special are its small businesses — including mom-and-pop shops and the generational family businesses. These stores and businesses aren’t just shops for New Yorkers and tourists to browse. Rather, they are the backbone of New York City’s culture. The city is home to nearly 200,000 small businesses, providing jobs, experience, and a unique feel to every block. More specifically, New York City holds the second highest percentage of small businesses in the United States, with 62.71% of its businesses being small.
However, there is an ongoing conflict in New York City — should Walmart, a huge corporation notorious for its low prices and high expansion, be allowed to come to New York City? The last time Walmart attempted to build a store in New York City in 2012, the company was met with fierce opposition from local unions and citizens. Some could argue that having a Walmart could be more convenient and help save New Yorkers money, but there’s a hard truth behind this decision: having any amount of Walmarts in New York City could have a devastating impact on the local communities and businesses, especially the working class. While its convenience is immensely appealing, the long-term consequences of establishing a Walmart must be explored, especially in such a densely populated and community-driven city.
To begin my evaluation of the situation, I surveyed 50 Bronx High School of Science students in person. Only three said that there should be a Walmart in New York City. All of these students have been born and raised in New York City; they know the city better than anyone. These students agree that a few of the city’s best qualities is its tight-knit community and loyalty to these small businesses. Maia Leung ’27 said, “My neighborhood is made up of small, family-owned businesses that work hard to support their families with our money. All the businesses near me know my friends by name. By buying the same products from bigger corporations, we deny a family a community and a source of income.” So many corner stores, pharmacies, and coffee shops know all their customers by name. With Walmart, the workers are serving hundreds, sometimes thousands of people a day. At that scale, it’s impossible to build the same personal connections with its customers.
With Walmart’s large inventory and its low prices, Walmart could easily drive these small businesses out of operation, as these small businesses have small profit margins. They simply cannot compete with a company as large as Walmart. The potential loss of these small businesses could erase years of sacrifice and perseverance from many immigrant families and working-class New Yorkers. Combining the small shops closing and a massive Walmart, New York City’s neighborhoods could lose their sense of community and identity. They could become corporate shopping centers with no loyalty or familiarity. Small businesses help sponsor local events and circulate money within the community, but Walmart’s profits wouldn’t even go to New Yorkers. Instead, it would be sent to its headquarters, which isn’t even close to the communities it would take over. As a result, Walmart would contribute little to no economic growth locally. Money spent at local businesses is much more likely to stay within the community, whereas money spent at large corporations is often extracted and redistributed elsewhere.
Walmart promises low prices, but that means that the money that consumers are “saving” is deducted from somewhere else. Walmart is notorious for paying employees very low wages with little to no health or financial benefits, as well as poor working conditions. Tony Dokoupil, a writer from CBS News, notes, “Walmart, America’s largest private employer, was once the poster company not only for low prices but also low pay. For years, unions targeted Walmart with protests and pointed to worker testimonials. Some said paychecks weren’t covering their rent, bills, and groceries.”
New York City’s cost of living is already higher compared to other major cities. Anna Turner previously worked at Walmart for over eight years until she was fired due to her numerous complaints towards Walmart’s management, locally and corporate-wide. Turner said, “After eight and a half years working the most difficult area of my store, I was making just under $15 an hour at part-time. They would always cut our hours so we couldn’t get full-time and health benefits.” With such instabilities, the workers will not be able to sustain themselves and their families, especially in New York City. They may not be able to maintain a good quality of life, and this could leave them on the edge of poverty.
By undercutting small businesses and forcing them to close, Walmart eliminates jobs that were previously held by New Yorkers and causes higher rates of unemployment. Many New Yorkers could be forced to work for Walmart and regress to a lower quality of life. Not to mention, that while Walmart may have low prices now, once it collapses local businesses, Walmart would have almost no competition, which would ultimately allow the corporation to drive up prices. While low prices may be tempting in the short-term, in the long-term, they most likely will not remain and increase.
Walmart doesn’t just affect New York City locally and economically — it also affects New York City environmentally. Stores as massive as a typical Walmart store would take up a lot of space and energy – space and energy that New York City cannot spare. The city is densely populated, and to fit in a substantial-sized Walmart, buildings and infrastructure would need to be replaced, resulting in the replacement of historic neighborhoods and the displacement of residents. On top of that, the increase in delivery trucks and customers would add to traffic congestion, air pollution, and overall city noise.
While it can be tempting to compare New York City to other major cities in the United States, it is important to remember that New York City is famous for its strong community and diverse local businesses. These are exceptional qualities that are rare to find anywhere else in the United States, and its culture and uniqueness must be preserved. Protecting small businesses, supporting fair employment practices, and preserving the individual identity of the city is far more important than the temporary convenience of a corporate company that cares more about profit than about the city’s inhabitants.
In a city that historically fought hard for workers’ rights and protections, sanctioning a Walmart in the city will completely undermine these efforts and erase the struggles previous New Yorkers had endured. The impact of adding a Walmart to New York City isn’t just a matter of a new store — it’s a matter of harboring and maintaining what makes the city and its inhabitants so special. For New Yorkers, allowing Walmart in the city would not be progress; rather, it would be a step backward for the city and New Yorkers. Ultimately, the decision is a reflection of what matters more: New Yorkers and their community or profit and corporate expansion.
“My neighborhood is made up of small, family-owned businesses that work hard to support their families with our money. All the businesses near me know my friends by name. By buying the same products from bigger corporations, we deny a family a community and a source of income,” said Maia Leung ’27.