That's the American way. The philosophy of our society is to look out for ourselves, save ourselves as much hassle as we can afford to avoid, and to gain as much as we can with little effort. That's what drives corporations to outsource to cheap manufacturers overseas to have a supply of low-quality, mass-produced goods that can be sold quickly. That is also what drives the average consumer to shop at a big box store, where everything is convenient and cheap.
When the average family around this area (the most illiterate area in NC, and that's a fact) can barely afford to keep the power in their house on, do you think that they sit back and go "Hmm, but how can I support my local farmer's market?" Nope. They think "I got $50 to spare on groceries this week, I have to drag my 3 screaming kids with me, and I can go to Wal-Mart on the way home from wherever and stretch my dollar out for some food and necessities." One could argue that because of places like Wal-Mart, independent stores have to charge more to compete. Well, that's capitalism. If you believe in capitalism and all that, then you have to acknowledge that such is the price we pay to live the way we do: someone is going to get exploited, and you best thank God it ain't you. Or, one can realize that maybe this is a wicked form of industry for our country, but then you'll go spouting off like some class of socialist or a liberation theologian from the 70s.
Where I live, there is an abundance of small scale "mom and pop" stores to compete with Wal-Mart. I can walk 2 miles off-campus and go either to Wal-Mart or the shops downtown. The shops downtown have all of the specialties in food and beverage and wares that wal mart doesn't, but when it comes to needing a pack of socks, a lamp, and a pound of cheese at 2am Wal-Mart is the place for it. There aren't many jobs in this area as our economy has shifted from textile/agricultural to servile, so guess who the largest employer in the area is? Yes, Wal-Mart.
Does this mean the status quo is good? No. We make do with what we have until everyone realizes this isn't working right, for the betterment of the human condition. Heck, it's great for the human condition in America, but obviously, overseas, it's hell.