"Here is what Wal-Mart's 2008 annual report says: The company is a defendant in 'numerous cases' for alleged violations of wage and hour laws. Generally, they involve employees who say they were forced to work 'off the clock,' who were denied meal and rest breaks, or who claim the company simply found other ways not to pay them for hours they'd worked.And yet, they pursue obviously stupid lawsuits (like trying to get sites that link to sites with Black Friday information to remove those links). They continue to send insane amounts of money to China for poisonous toys. The continue to exploit healthcare systems and their employees to squeeze every dime they can for their shareholders.
Wal-Mart also is ensnared in the largest gender-discrimination lawsuit ever, with women claiming they were paid less and denied promotions and transfers that men received. It faces environmental charges from federal and state prosecutors who say Wal-Mart has flouted hazardous waste disposal and other laws."
There are other places to spend your money, places that treat their employees with respect, places that don't even cost more than Wal-Mart (studies have shown that Wal-Mart's prices are no better than Target's) and places that don't sell knockoffs as originals (the recent story of fake Apple Nanos on Wal-Mart shelves comes to mind).
Don't get me wrong, I know the economic downturn hits the poorest folk the hardest. I know because I am in the poorest folk class. And we squeeze every penny as hard as we can get the most out of it. But giving my money to Wal-Mart doesn't enter into the equation because I just can't stomach the idea of giving them money when they behave in such a reprehensible (and codified throughout the company) manner.