Case study: Chicago's urban Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. began targeting urban areas for development after the superstore saturated the rural market, but a study has shown the company’s claims of bringing jobs and retail growth don’t always ring true in cities. The 2009 report, which studied the effect of a Walmart that opened in Chicago’s west side in September 2006, found that the superstore had a negative effect on businesses closest to it.