By these statistics alone, Wal-Mart is a corporation leader, but there is more to the story, when you look at how it reached its number one status. In the year 1993, there were only 10 super-centers, and today there are 600. There are 60 stores in Wisconsin alone, and in 1999, there were 3,562 Wal-Marts operating in seven countries. Wal-Mart claims that 93 million people shop at Wal-Mart each week, and in 1999, they did $137 billion in sales, meaning the average American spent $1,100 at their stores. This is versus the $360 spent at Wal-Mart in 1996. Are you disgusted yet?

Wal-Mart is also the main cause of the downfall of K-Mart. When K-mart knew it was fading they blue lighted just about everything. Wal-Marts response? They sent their yellow smiling face and slashed prices, undercutting K-Marts prices, driving the company to almost complete bankruptcy. This doesn’t only hurt businesses it hurts people too. Many have lost jobs due to K-Mart going under, and those who invested in K-Mart stocks have lost nest eggs that they had depended on.

Are you convinced yet? Here is some more food for thought. Did you ever think it was possible to get hurt while shopping at Wal-Mart? Well it is possible, and many people have filed complaints against the company, due to being injured by items overstocked on the shelves, falling off and landing on people’s bodies and heads. Another reason complaints have been filed against the company is because Wal-Mart has a tendency to counterfeit items. Selling jewelry that was claimed to be authentically made by Native Americans, when really it was mass-produced. It also has been selling items under a false impression of such companies like Nike, Hilfiger and other name brand designers. And of course who could forget the idea of sweatshops, Wal-mart brand clothing is made mostly out of the United States in countries that allow the use of sweatshops, and have lenient environmental laws.

<< ... >>