"Within a few years, studies estimate that at least twenty cents of every retail dollar spent in the United States will be spent at Wal-Mart..."

"After smaller businesses go under, small to medium size communities become become dependent on the product offerings at Wal-Mart for their consumer needs. Studies have shown that within a five year period after Wal-Mart sets up shop, "stores within a 20-mile radius suffer an average 19 percent loss in retail sales." This is more than enough to put most mom and pop stores out of business..."

Issues re expanding global corporate influence in society

Numerous multinational corporations (MNCs), including Wal-Mart, have annual sales greater than the gross domestic product of the majority of countries in the world. This implies that MNCs are potentially becoming more powerful than national and local governments. This shift in power, in many instances, allows corporations to have an increasingly stronger influence on social, political, and economic aspects of people's lives.

What are the responsibilities of a corporation, especially one as large as Wal-Mart? Should a corporation be concerned with the effects it has on a society, ecosystem, or community? What are the rights of communities when it comes to allowing or not allowing businesses into their area? What are the policy implications