Wal-Mart Winning Battles in California

Advertising, legal battles, and consumer interest continue to lead the harsh but successful path of Wal-Mart.

1 minute read

March 14, 2004, 5:00 AM PST

By Adam Weiss


All over California, citizens hate what can be best described as a "love-hate" relationship with Wal-Mart. "In Contra Costa County, an increasingly upscale area near San Francisco, voters rejected by 53.8% an ordinance that would have blocked the development of Wal-Mart's giant supercenters, which combine groceries and general merchandise, in unincorporated areas. Farther south, in the immigrant-rich town of San Marcos, opponents overwhelmingly won their fight to reverse the city's approval of a second Wal-Mart discount store in that community...Its new ad campaign paints the chain as a friend of local communities and a rich source of opportunity and good benefits for workers. Wal-Mart also plays up claims that critics are a vocal minority trying to protect union jobs at the expense of consumers' pocketbooks. A recent Wal-Mart-financed study by the nonprofit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found that Southern California consumers could save at least $3.76 billion a year, or $589 per household, if Wal-Mart grabs a 20% share of the grocery market. And the savings would create more jobs than Wal-Mart might destroy, the study contends."

Thanks to Adam Weiss

Monday, March 8, 2004 in Business Week

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight