Wal-Mart, with sales of $285 billion, accounts for 8% of all U.S. retail sales, excluding autos and gasoline, and is expected to hit 12% by ’10 when sales will hit $500 billion. Al Meyers, Retail Forward VP, says the company “will have a material influence on gross domestic product” by ’10-’11. Richard Hasting, economist with RDH Co., believes as Wal-Mart exerts greater influence on prices, competition, employment and supply chains globally, “it’s possible that the FTC will begin looking into domestic retail disruptions near the end of this decade.” The number of Wal-Mart supercenters will increase from 1,900 this year to 3,131 by ’10. (Knight-Ridder Newspapers 5/16/05)
http://garydfoster.com