...economy?

I think Wal-Mart is harmful because when they first opened up, they were ok with their low prices but now their prices are just as bad as the other stores.

I feel that wal-mart is a blessing and a curse on the US economy. True that wal-mart encourages spending by its convience and somewhat lower prices but it also cuts out a market where the "little man" can sell his goods. Since wal-mart has everything, it is next to impossible for a small retail business to flourish in a town with a walmart. Therefore the local economy is hurt but as far as the economy of the nation i believe walmart causes no major threat and most likely is benificial to the US economy but could improve its benifits by selling more US made products instead of imported goods.

It of course depends upon how you define the measurements. If you mean does the US GDP go up because of Wal-Mart this is a different question than is it good for jobs, or helping efficiency and logistics, or just-in-time delivery.Wal-Mart has a huge ability to set the low price because it is the big boy on the block. If Wal-Mart orders from a vendor it is in most cases the largest customer. This can be good for small vendors who then need to scramble to be able to keep up with demand, but challenging for those whose margins are cut because they finally have a partner large enough to go head to head with them.There are jobs that are displaced, but the consumer is saving money (and we are all consumers.) My guess is that is about a wash, but the big guys always get the bad press.Business has an interesting story about this here:http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...9049_mz011.htm