It turns out Wal-Mart is bad for the communities where they are located. Very bad. Two new studies described in a recent article in @theatlantic found that when a Wal-Mart opens in a given county, total employment there falls by 3% within 5 years, and poverty rises by 8%. Even the most optimistic estimates of "savings" customers enjoy by shopping there are far outweighed by the depressed wages and fewer job opportunities that result.