Shoppers, Protesters Flock to Wal-Mart

Shoppers, Protesters Flock to Wal-Mart


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Sandra Yi reporting Protesters go after a big-box retail store on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Protesters Chanting: "Stop Wal-Mart. Stop Wal-Mart. They have no shame."

Dozens of protesters joined the crowd of post-Thanksgiving Day shoppers. The demonstrators wanted to get their message out to the shoppers at Wal-Mart. But nothing could stop shoppers from taking advantage of post-Thanksgiving Day savings, this morning.

Tina, Wal-Mart shopper: "We haven't even checked out yet. It's a zoo. I'm not going to get out of here, and I have to work today, too."

At the Taylorsville Wal-Mart, shoppers sacrificed sleep for savings. Wal-Mart is open 24 hours. But customers couldn't check out until 5 am, so many anxiously waited by their items.

Tina: "Laptop. Four-hundred dollar laptop."

Shopper: "It's a flat top desk top computer."

Electronics were popular this year. In that section, customers waited in long lines, shoulder-to-shoulder.

Shopper: "Yeah, everybody had a tv."

Not Jacqui Hilton. She won't spend her money at Wal-Mart.

Jacqui Hilton: "We are very careful about where we shop now."

She joined others, who made their point, loud and clear.

Protesters: "Shoppers of the world, it's time to act. We have had enough rollbacks."

Protesters held signs outside this store, to let people know their savings come at a high price.

Ben Beals, Protester: "I'm here because they have no regard for their workers."

They had this message, for consumers.

Ben Beals: "Shop elsewhere. Shop someplace that takes care of their employees better, has retirement plans, pays them overtime."

A corporate spokeperson for Wal-Mart responded to protestors, calling them misinformed. She said the average employee is paid $9.68 an hour, and more than 86 percent have some kind of medical coverage.

She says, because of the company's size, Wal-Mart is often the target of criticism by special interest groups.

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