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Mercer Rogodzinski
Professor Dr. Noëlle Phillips
English 1130-029
16 April 2020
Term Paper:
Globalization and Its Effects on Small Local Businesses such as Pomme Natural Market
Globalization, a process that increases worldwide connections between people, from
product information to shipping, “[making] it possible for people to engage with each other at
unprecedented speed regardless of the distance separating them” (Grimalda 1). This is the
fundamental key to success for large-scale corporations as it allows them to stock their shelves
with products from around the world, at absurdly low prices. As a result, corporations are faced
with a dilemma; the need to cut costs to achieve the said low prices without going out of
business. Often hidden from the community, however, is the method in which these corporations
acquire and sell products at such low costs. Consequently, this results in many communities
ultimately supporting cheaper big box stores over the relatively expensive local stores;
subsequently, this forces small local businesses such Pomme Natural Market to work laboriously
to remain functional. As big chain corporations continue to swell across the world, their small
business counterparts are figuratively smothered. Society at large, including each individual
community are thus left in a quagmire; the need to decide whether to support local businesses or
instead turn a blind eye and let the “big box giants” take over (Barrison).
Franchises can acquire products from around the world from various cultures and sell
them for a fraction of the price. As a result, this permits stores such as No Frills, Superstore and
Save On Foods to dominate the grocery industry though seemingly hidden means. Stahlbrand
Commented [RMB1]: Add Word Count at end
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and his fellow colleagues discuss the immoral strategies big corporations use to reduce the cost
of production; one of the ways being the exploitation of poor farmers both in Canada and abroad.
Furthermore, Biles describes how corporations have the monetary ability to buy multiple farms
in poverty-stricken countries for extremely cheap via promises of a steady income for the local
populous. By enforcing private standards, this allows the corporations to acquire various farmed
goods for an eighth of the cost; at the same time, they can withhold payments of the delivered
goods for up to 45 days to ensure their ability to liquidate the products into income (Biles 59).
Subsequently, this makes it difficult for other surrounding farms in the given area to locate
enough buyers to sell their goods, thus prompting them to decide between joining the corporation
or risk bankruptcy and debt (Woods 34).
