M E M ORANDUM

Re: Poll Results for W al-Mart’s Entry into NYC

Date: January 13, 2011

Gotham Government Relations through Gotham Polling recently conducted a survey of 300 
owners and managers of small to medium sized retail stores in New York City as  to their 
opinions  concerning  Wal­Mart’s  proposed  opening  of  stores  throughout  New  York  City.  
The poll was conducted from December 14, 2010 through January 1, 2011 and has a margin 
of error of +/­ 4.9% in 95 out of 100 cases.  

Purpose: To address the Wal-Mart Poll results released on December 13th, 2010
revealing that 62 percent of the city’s small business owners favor bringing the retail giant to 
the five boroughs. 
 
Poll M easures: Contact small and medium sized independent retail stores throughout
New York City.

Poll Q uestion: “Are you for, or against Wal-Mart opening stores in New York City?”

Industry T argets:
 Grocery
 Convenience
 General Discount
 Hardware
 Pharmacies
 Sports
 Arts & Crafts
 Home Furnishings
 Appliances
 Electronics
 Office/School Supplies
 Toys
 Clothing

A rea T argets:
 A variety of neighborhoods in:
o Manhattan
o Brooklyn
o Bronx
o Queens

Polling L ist: Collected from the www.yellowpages.com online business directory.

Responses: Spoke with managers and owners.

1
  Many employees chose not to participate.
o Did not feel comfortable.
o Their boss was not in.
o They did not speak English very well.
o They were busy during the Holiday Season of sales.
o They hung up before the question was asked.
 Small business owners were adamant in their opposition of Wal-Mart’s entry into 
NYC.
 Sample responses:
o Support for Wal-Mart to open urban stores:
 Welcome competition, business is business
 A great place to shop for everything at a cheap price
 Employ many people who need jobs
o Opposition for Wal-Mart to open urban stores:
 Absolutely against it, would kill small businesses
 Employee benefits are disgraceful
 Not needed in NYC, can go outside the boroughs
Results:
 Y es to W al-M art
o 97/300
o 32%
 No to W al-M art
o 169/300
o 56%
 Indifferent to W al-M art
o 34/300
o 11%

B reakdown of Results:
 By Borough
o Manhattan – 136, 45%
 Vote no – 72, 53%
 Vote yes – 44, 32%
o Brooklyn – 101, 34%
 Vote no – 55, 54%
 Vote yes – 35, 35%
o Bronx – 36, 12%
 Vote no – 25, 69%
 Vote yes – 10, 28%
o Queens – 27, 9%
 Vote no – 17, 63%
 Vote yes – 8, 30%

2
 By G ender
o Male – 172, 57%
 Vote no – 95, 55%
 Vote yes – 47, 27%

o Female – 128, 43%

 Vote no – 50, 39%
 Vote yes – 50, 39%
 By C ategory
o Appliances – 29, 10%
 Vote no – 9, 31%
 Vote yes – 16, 55%
o Grocery – 61, 20%
 Vote no – 40, 66%
 Vote yes – 15, 25%
o House Furnishings – 23, 8%
 Vote no – 11, 48%
 Vote yes – 8, 35%
o Supermarket – 16, 5%
 Vote no – 11, 69%
 Vote yes – 4, 25%
o Toys – 12, 4%
 Vote no – 10, 83%
 Vote yes – 0, 0%
o Arts, Crafts & Supplies – 51, 17%
 Vote no – 29, 57%
 Vote yes – 12, 24%
o Hardware – 15, 5%
 Vote no – 9, 60%
 Vote yes – 5, 33%
o Electronics – 17, 6%
 Vote no – 12, 71%
 Vote yes – 4, 24%
o Childrens Store – 10, 3%
 Vote no – 2, 20%
 Vote yes – 6, 60%
o Sports Supplies – 28, 9%
 Vote no – 12, 43%
 Vote yes – 11, 39%
o Convenience Store – 26, 9%
 Vote no – 19, 73%
 Vote yes – 7, 27%
o Pharmacy – 10, 3%
 Vote no – 4, 40%
 Vote yes – 6, 60%

3
 o Discount Store – 4, 1%
 Vote no – 1, 25%
 Vote yes – 3, 75%

THE BOTTOM LINE

Only 32% of small businesses in New York City favor Wal-Mart opening up stores here.
The majority of people surveyed believe that Wal-Mart will destroy small business and
that the employee benefits are unacceptable. The respondents are not part of a special
interest group as Wal-Mart would like to argue, rather small business is the heart and soul
of this city and they overwhelmingly are against Wal-Mart. The poll did not ask owners if
they were for and against Wal-Mart, while educating them on how an opening of a Wal-
Mart usually means the closing of small businesses. The surveys were not conducted by
call centers overseas which are the basic problem with so many polls, but rather by direct
phone calls in house to small businesses throughout the city. The spreadsheet of answers
will be made available upon request. This poll accurately reflects the thoughts and
feelings of small business owners throughout New York City. The poll results
corroborate many other informal surveys and focus groups that Gotham has conducted.