Jeremy wrote:
] The annual celebration of the American consumer economy --
] the holiday shopping season -- is just underway, and Wal-Mart,
] the juggernaut of retailing, already seems to have claimed its
] first victim.
]
] No, it's not the frequent faller. (But there is a sidebar on
] the design of cheap DVD players.)
]
] To the company's critics, Wal-Mart points the way to a
] grim Darwinian world of bankrupt competitors, low wages,
] meager health benefits, jobs lost to imports, and devastated
] downtowns and rural areas across America.
]
] "Wal-Mart is the logical end point and the future of
] the economy in a society whose pre-eminent value is getting
] the best deal," said Robert Reich.
]
] Is it the end of retail?

I'm not signed up to read that link, but I have been reading a bit about this since it effects me because I'm one the albertsons employees in California who were locked out as a result of the strike at Vons. The 3 companies (ralphs, albertsons and vons) main argument is that they have to cut costs in labor in order to compete with Walmart. I still don't know enough to know for sure if Walmart is truly a significant threat to their business, or if the companies are using it as an excuse to increase profits. We're entering the 9th week or so of picketing.

Here's a good link I found: http://www.ufcw135.org/Food%20Fight.htm

I read that if the family that owns walmart were still alive they'd be worth more than bill gates. I think they threaten to fire people that try to organize.