>Walmart:
>
>http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090205/wal_mart_stores_sales.html?.v=2
>
>While everyone else is recording record losses, Walmart same-store sales exceeded expectations.
>
>The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer says total sales edged up nearly 2 percent to $27.74 billion from $27.26 billion last year
>
>Everyone is looking for a bargain these days...

Some people think Wal-Mart is so influential that it noticeably holds down cost of living and the rate of inflation in markets where it operates: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/interviews/lichtenstein.html