The Wal-Mart Blowout

As I write this, the day before the "Black Friday" shopping day, the area's buying frenzy is reaching a crescendo. Much of that excitement will undoubtedly find release in Wal-Mart stores across the country. But this holiday season, the nation's largest retailer is facing some never-ending controversy. Type in "Wal-Mart" on Google News and the first page contains stories about a lawsuit that accuses the chain of purposely hiring illegal immigrants; about a pricing investigation in Connecticut; and about zoning troubles in Indiana. The biggest headache for the chain, however, may be a new documentary that's critical of the company on many levels. "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," by Robert Greenwald, is in the same vein as "Roger and Me," a controversial Michael Moore documentary from a few years back. Then there's Wal-Mart Watch, which aims to shine a spotlight on what it sees as harmful Wal-Mart business practices, such as dampening competition. I'll leave others to fight this debate, but one observation: The sheer size of Wal-Mart is astounding. Wal-Mart last year recorded almost $300 billion in revenue -- roughly $1,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. (Profits were $10 billion.) I venture a guess that the company's size will always draw some degree of intense criticism.