[IamConservative]

"I'm not saying that there aren't downsides to WalMart"

My home town now has two empty Wal-Marts and a brand new SuperCenter. We had one of the very early "brown" WM's. WM vacated it for the newer bigger "blue" store before they started buiding the SuperCenters. Like about everyone else, one cannot afford not to shop at the SuperCenter for the bare necessities, but the empty boxes are becoming an eye sore. Where there is a SuperCenter, no other general merchandise retailer needs a building that large and they tend to sit empty until someone buys it, tears it down and builds something new. What is interesting in our case, is the three buildings are side by side by side. We also have a SuperTarget and a Kroger's doing quite well within walking distance of the SuperCenter.

[The Great Yazoo]

but the empty boxes are becoming an eye sore

Sounds more like a dumb landlord than like a vile Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart's old landlord in my town kept the old Wal-Mart vacant to vilify Wal-Mart for terminating its lease and building a new store on its own property across the street).