Wal-Mart
From RationalWiki
Wal-Mart is the official Chinese import outlet in the United States is a major department store chain that has become the largest and one of the most successful retailers in the world. Wal-Mart is known for building stores bigger than most major shopping malls that sell more things than most major shopping malls. Because of its status as one of the most prominent companies in the world, Wal-Mart has become a significant symbol of corporate America.
As of 2003, Wal-Mart was the biggest employer in the USA (aside from the federal government).[1] As of January 2008, Wal-Mart was the largest company and the largest employer in the world, boasting over 2 million employees. [2]
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[edit] Criticism
Wal-Mart receives a large amount of criticism from groups such as labor advocates and local merchants, who claim that it encourages unjust wage labour, shuts down local providers and stores, and is generally evil as a matter of corporate policy. Whether these claims are justified is a matter of debate. Wal-Mart also tends to contribute heavily to conservative religious causes, especially Wal-Mart heirs in the Walton family. Wal-Mart has also seen controversy in its initial refusal to fill prescriptions for the "morning after pill."[3]
[edit] Demographics
Recently, it has become popular among demographers to compare the number of Wal-Marts in an area of the United States with the number of Starbucks: the ratio that results is often seen as an indicator of the "yuppieness" of the region.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ Lori Grant. "Retail giant Wal-Mart faces challenges on many fronts". Published 11/10/2003. Retrieved Friday, November 7, 2008 from www.usatoday.com.
- ↑ You Li and Shuchi Saraswat. Wal-Mart's entry in CNNMoney.com's "Global 500". Published July 21, 2008. Retrieved Friday, November 7, 2008 from CNNMoney.com.
- ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11391926/
