This is an off topic link, but there was a discussion recently about Wal-Mart onlist.  Interested parties may wish to read this piece from last month's Fast Company (note: no music relevance; it is a retail article):

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

Here is the teaser paragraph:

The Wal-Mart You Don't Know
The giant retailer's low prices often come with a high cost. Wal-Mart's relentless pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. Are we shopping our way straight to the unemployment line?

The article is free without registration.

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This one, from today's NY Times, requires registration at the site if you haven't already.  It is about the practice of big music acts doing exclusive deals with one retailer (e.g. Four Flicks and Best Buy.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/business/media/29custom.html