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I think we all joke about large corporations being evil, just by the very basis of their vast expansion being based on greed. However we do have to appreciate the size of many of them and fully understand that they are not there to aid us, as they would have us believe. "Everyday low prices" or "every little helps" are actually just products of consumerist advertising, they actually have very little truth behind the pretence. This isn't about 'the shopper' being dumb, it's actually just about them being bombarded with information that is more to do with 'how to' rather than 'why to'. This bombardment can only be used by those people/companies that already have, and this is why we should be cautious, although not fanatical!
The media we are presented with almost all has an agenda, chosen by just a few, consumerism is used as a way of forgetting about real issues. 'Retail-therapy' is very real and it is amazing how the purchase of something meaningless and mostly ephemeral, can mask real issues. This is the underlying principle of why people are prepared to get themselves into debt for a widescreen TV or new laptop, when their kids could actually benefit from some plain old fashioned attention. Widescreens, and many other materialistic items, fall into the 'stuff' category and I love it too. However every time I see a kid getting a hard time over the fact his trainers are not branded I find it hard to believe that large corporations don't have an 'evil' element. What do I do as a parent? I buy the brand, so my child fits the normality that is set by the corporation/brand, even if I can't afford it. Choice is what you think you have but actually this is largely defined by the big boys. Thankfully both my children still wear unbranded plimsolls at the moment...as do me and my wife.
The Supermarkets are the same, 'rolling back the prices' we are told, presenting us with a nonsensical graph of some kind comparing their prices to other 'high street stores' 95% of these shops listed don't even exist on the high street. If you compare their prices to the 'real' high street you realise they're seriously ripping you off, and all the time you are buying online you will never know! 'Oh it's about the convenience' I am told and that I totally understand! But you have more time to do what? Sit at home and stay out of the way of other people? Tesco is the most awful place for interaction and I honestly believe people take their kids there just to shout at them! The experience is a chore, shopping in a town can be an event, we should remember this!
Now whether I like this or not is irrelevant, this is change/progress and this is defined by the actions of society (or a group of individuals, if that's how you like it) and Rick is right in saying the high street has failed to keep up with our wants, although how much of these are actually 'ours' is another matter. It actually does provide perfectly well for our needs already. It is also true on the face of things that globalised consumerism has increased our choice, but actually when we bury down into what is on offer the choice has always been there and we are just being sold another 'lifestyle' in this case convenience. If we think about the richness of the experience offered by travelling to London to buy some music, not only at a personal level but to a more widespread economy/community I'm not sure we can just measure everything in terms of money. The music idea also provides another good analogy for the problems of relying on the 'big boys'. Much of the obscure music is being accessed by a larger group, which is good. However I know from my own collection (most of which I have bought online) that many of these artists would not even have published music if it were not for small independent labels. It is not the Warners or Sonys that provide us with obscure pieces of delight because they do not see them as viable, and if it were to them I think I would stop listening to music, you don't think the Spice Girls were big because they were good?! In the same way towns can offer obscure and unique delight (as Wil Alsop is more than aware) But we are not reminded of this, because towns don't have the advertising clout or cash and are not promoted.
We are not that savvy and actually buy into so much that is not essential, just nice...god knows I have bought smoothy makers, foot-spas and health grills. I know why as well: because I have been sucked in, thankfully not too far and not to my financial detriment. It's the people at the top pedalling this idea of 'choice' forcing the consumers at the bottom slowly into tertiary employment to sustain the presented lifestyles(Tesco already employ more people than the British army and have £1 in every £10 spent in their stores). Choice is their control not ours, as politics is just as much defined by the media as by us.