BUSINESS: Wal-Mart Opens Store Targeting Amish

After nearly circling the globe with their stores, Wal-Mart is going down home, so to speak. In Middlefield, Ohio, Wal-Mart has a store that caters to the needs of the Amish Community, selling such things as block ice, canning supplies, bolts of sturdy fabrics used by the Amish to make their clothing. The parking lot even has eighty-four parking spaces designed especially for horse-drawn buggies.

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This is the basic policy that has made Wal-Mart such a success--offering people the products they want at prices they can afford. The Amish Community in Middleton Ohio is the largest in the region and as an economic force is not to be ignored.

I do have to wonder about the Amish philosophy. Clearly, they do not avoid technology per se, as even the limited technology they use was cutting edge, at one time and they do obviously trade with businesses that are very high-tech, indeed, using such things as the internet as part of their regular business practices.

For myself, I love Wal-Mart and don't think I could get by without them and tip my hat to them for reaching out to serve an often forgotten and misunderstood community.

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Courting the Amish Vote!

The story is misleading.

The Amish work in some of the most high tech jobs around. They build Furniture with modern machines, make clothes with machines, bake and cook with modern machines, All at work mind you. The only time they do not use technology is when they are not working.

As for Walmart giving them hitching posts



Some Walmarts in Wisconsin and Iowa have had them for years. Nice to see the media finally catching up though

[edit on 5/20/2005 by shots]

Things we don't see on the news. I wish they had an Amish section in every store- it would be nice to be able to buy a real cast iron Dutch oven, or good woodworking tools without having to go online.

I just hope WM doesn't convert them to The Dark Side...

Hmmm... Luke Skywalker, farmer- AMISH!

Oh why not..the one behind my house here in Arizona caters to Mexicans, with lots of Mexican products and food. I would expect the one for the Amish will carry plenty of blue material and bonnett making kits.

Good marketing strategy, thats all.

Wal Mart used to be about "Made in America", now everything there comes from China. It is hard to compete with slave labor.

actually, i live by amish, they live down the street from my house, and no, not all of them create things with technology, my dad buys furniture off them hand made, as well as fresh-baked stuff from there old gas oven. and some of there clothes are handmade by themseves, so i think this is a great marketing plan. and by the way, i actually dont live in pittsburgh, i live about 7 miles away from mahoning county, im just north of pittsburgh and nobody would understand my location so i just say p-burg.

Wal Mart is good for some things. I usually buy toiletries and cleaning supplies there, since products like well known soap or shampoo is the same in any store, and at wal mart it costs less. But that is all I buy there. Most of the stuff they have is cheap crap that is niether unique, attractive, nor high quality. For things like clothing, furniture, ect, I prefer to shop at smaller, local outfits that provide unique, personal, and well made goods.

I really cant see the Amish shopping at Wal Mart, as they are known for high quality, hand made for the individual goods, and Wal Mart is the poster child of generic, mass produced dull boring products.

By the way, those who say they know of Amish who work in high tech furniture factories or use machines, you are mistaken. What you more than likely saw were the Mennonites, who tend to be more tech friendly than the Amish, who generally are very secluded and tech shy.

You Americans get all the cool stuff I just cant imagine a car park full of horse drawn carts!!