Diane Peters and Joan Sherrard Respond to Explorer Letters

Both Diane and Joan had letters pertaining to Wal-Mart in the June 6, 2007 edition of The Northwest Explorer. You can read both responses by clicking here. Their letters respond to two letters from the Mar 23 edition.

Diane observes that we Wal-Mart protesters are not whiners. "We gave Vestar $23.2 million for the promise of an 'extraordinary' shopping experience and they gave us Wal-Mart. Mr. Gill, if you gave a car dealer $35,000 for a brand new Lexus and the dealer then delivered a 1975 Ford Pinto, would you walk away with your tail between your legs? I doubt it." And that, neighbors, is the crux of the issue.

Joan observes that there is no basis for Vestar's assertion that quality merchants aren’t interested in the Oro Valley Marketplace because Oro Valley's demographics and income level can’t support their high-end stores. Notes Joan: "Vestar’s own research shows that Oro Valley is an upper-middle class suburb with an average household income of $86,337. Are we to believe that this is Wal-Mart’s target demographic?"

We commend Diane and Joan for so eloquently framing the issue: We are supposed to be paying $23.2 for an upscale, unique shopping experience. Wal-Mart is not that.