It may surprise--or even infuriate--critics, but a new study finds Wal-Mart benefits rather than harms the American economy.
The Minneapolis Fed doesn't claim that Wal-Mart is a boon to every local economy it touches, just that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages.
If higher gas prices and lower income levels represent a new normal, consumer spending is in trouble and with it, the fortunes of both Wal-Mart and the U.S. economy at large.
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In its 10-K filing, such impediments to growth are listed as the second risk Wal-Mart faces, right after the generally crummy economy.
Business leaders, politicians and academics have debated the "Wal-Mart effect" on the U.S. economy for several years now.
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The growth in container traffic in the 1990s powered America's booming economy as retailers such as Wal-Mart bought goods from China and manufacturers such as Dell sourced parts from Asia for assembly in America.
Wal-Mart is well positioned to take advantage of the improving economy sand uptick in consumer spending more than Best Buy is.
Investors have typically turned to discount retailers like Wal-Mart ( WMT) and Target ( TGT) when the economy weakens.
The dispute may be partly about protecting consumers or helping the economy, but it is also about Wal-Mart itself.
An economy meandering its way through tough times has Wal-Mart back on top of retailing.
The opening of Dragon Mart Cancun is going to have a big impact on the local economy and Randy believes it is the catalyst that will make Grupo Aeroportuario Del Sureste (NYSE: ASR) a great investment.
But Trius aims to expand Wal-Mart throughout Brazil, a country of 182 million people, with an economy second only to Mexico's in Latin America.
That result was "toward the low end of its previous forecast, " a phrase that's been used so often with Wal-Mart it's begun to take on cult status in the American economy.
"Wal-Mart is driving productivity, which has been crucial to the U.S. economy turning around, " says Louis Galambos, a professor of business history at Johns Hopkins University.
But critics say the changes amount to a drop in the bucket for the behemoth, and they question whether Wal-Mart's initiatives will have a major impact on the U.S. economy.
While many traditional malls in North America are getting squeezed by a big-box era that includes the likes of Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy and Target in nearly every county, Asia's rapidly growing economy has spawned a new wave of consumers looking for places to shop and play.
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