May 7, 2008
I was shocked by what I saw in Lome last Friday at my mechanic’s “shop”. One of his apprentices walked by and I did a double take. Calling him over for inspection confirmed my suspicions. He had escaped from his previous employer and had found his way to Togo. He even still had his Wal*Mart vest on.
Could this be a mirage? Upon further investigation he revealed that he is Togolese and has never left. Alas, does this mean there is now a Wal*Mart in Togo, for here before my very eyes was a “vested” employee (albeit of the mechanical persuasion)?
Or is this the reality washing up on the shores of Togo, West Africa? Wal*Mart is now so prolific that
employee clothes are for sale in the third world.
Or is this a foreshadowing of Wal*Mart’s future ventures into the African market?
Oh that we could waltz into a Wal*Mart with ease and take a gander at the multitude of products lining the shelves.
Sigh.
May 12, 2008 at 2:50 am
So how did he get it?
June 11, 2008 at 9:46 pm
So a year or so ago I was in Bentonville at Wal*Mart’s HQ’s and the group of college students I was with met with the VP over International ventures. I asked about Wal*mart in Africa. He politely responded that there’s not chance of that anytime soon.