You make a great point that I forgot to raise, Aunty. Once Walmart's been in the area for a couple of years, especially in a small town, it becomes the only place to shop, so ethics be damned, you'll be shopping there, too. Further testimony to the brilliance of their business plan.

+1 on Fred Meyer, and I also manage to justify shopping at Costco. No doubt, both of these chains have put some folks out of business, but at least they're Nortwest companies, and they take decent care of their employees so they don't have to go on welfare to see a doctor.

I also agree that going to 5 or 6 Mom and Pop stores is inconvenient, but I must say I'm encouraged to learn that you have that many Mom and Pops left where you live. Sorry to revel in your misery, but....

Thanks for the thought.