Wal-Mart

page type::article thing type::company thing type::business thing type::corporation company type::retail company type::chain retail type::big-box

About
Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer and the world's largest corporation. It is also the subject of some considerable controversy regarding claims that it is bad for small towns and treats its workers poorly.

Benefits
Wal-Mart does represent what might be called "retail technology" – a collection of "best practices" for getting everyday goods to the public at low prices – which does contribute significant value to a community. There may also be costs that play out in the long term or in more diffuse ways, however, and more data is needed in order to have a realistic idea of how the costs & benefits play out.

Reference

 * Wal-Mart official home page
 * Annual Report
 * Analysis of Income Taxes for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
 * groups / projects:
 * Wal-Mart Subsidy Watch
 * Wal-Mart Watch: labor-oriented watchdog organization
 * groups / projects:
 * Wal-Mart Subsidy Watch
 * Wal-Mart Watch: labor-oriented watchdog organization

News

 * 2005-12-29 Wal-Mart to pay $200 million to workers
 * 2005-10-21 Wal-Mart yanks its own chain: signs of reform?

Postings

 * 2007-02-07 Why I Hate Walmart: a relatively minor quibble, but with interesting discussion afterwards

Stories

 * The Wal-Mart Prank

Video

 * Wal-Mart Hatred Is Bullshit! (no longer at this URL) by Penn & Teller
 * what is the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research?
 * "that's the choice that American consumers made" is... a statement fraught with complications