The Wal-Mart At Teotihuacan?

Wal-Mart begins construction on a new store north of Mexico City, next to the pyramids of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. For some, the symbolism is too great as Wal-Mart becomes Mexico's largest private employer.

1 minute read

October 18, 2004, 7:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The Teotihuacan empire is thought to have begun as early as 200 B.C. It grew into a thriving city estimated at over 200,000 inhabitants at its peak. Its streets and sacred buildings are a marvel in urban planning, organized geometrically along the Avenue of the Dead and punctuated by the massive pyramids. The placement of each structure is believed to have a cosmological and social significance that researchers are only beginning to decipher.

...While little is known for certain about the rise and fall of Teotihuacan, much is known about the rise of the Wal-Mart empire.

...In Mexico, Wal-Mart's conquest of the supermarket sector began by buying up the nation's extensive chain, Aurrerá, beginning in 1992, and from there building new stores across the country. Today, with 657 stores, Mexico is home to more Wal-Marts and their affiliates than any other country outside the United States. Buoyed by $244.5 billion dollars in annual net sales, the chain can afford to make ever deeper incursions into the country's retail sector.

The chain has already become Mexico's largest private employer, with over 100,000 employees."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Sunday, October 17, 2004 in Counterpunch

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