Pro-WalMart Study Refuted

A new and widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. A close inspection of the study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance argues that the report is flawed.

1 minute read

December 11, 2008, 2:00 PM PST

By jdahlheimer

"The study's sensational findings have attracted significant local and national media attention, including featured interviews with Dr. Sobel in U.S. News & World Report and on Fox television, and blog articles on the web sites of Business Week and the Wall Street Journal. A shorter version of the study ran as the cover story in Regulation, the quarterly magazine of the Cato Institute.

Wal-Mart has also leaped on the study, producing a fact sheet that highlights key findings and quotes from the study. The fact sheet is being distributed in communities where the company is proposing new supercenters.

A close inspection of the study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, however, found fatal flaws. Most remarkable, the study's authors apparently lack an understanding of the definitions used by the U.S. Census Bureau and are in fact using the wrong dataset."

Thanks to Justin Dahlheimer

FULL STORY: Major Flaws Uncovered in Study Claiming Wal-Mart Has Not Harmed Small Business

Monday, December 1, 2008 in The Hometown Advantage

Community / Economic Development Urban Development United States Localism Local Business Wal-Mart Big Box Retail View More

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