Wal-Mart Tries Again for New York City Store

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/nyregion/13walmart.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion

By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS
Published: December 12, 2010

The New York City Council was supposed to hold a hearing this Tuesday about a renewed campaign by Wal-Mart to open its stores in the city.


Carlos Barria/Reuters

Wal-Marts seem to be everywhere, except in New York City.


But it had to be rescheduled, for January.

“We needed a bigger room,” the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, said. “We heard from unions all across the city, small business leaders from across the city. It’s a growing list of people.”

Wal-Mart, an inescapable part of the retail landscape just about everywhere except in New York City, twice retreated on efforts to open stores in the city after fierce community opposition.

Now it is back, and mounting an aggressive campaign to crack the country’s largest urban market. Wal-Mart is looking at properties in each of the five boroughs and has hired Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s former campaign manager, Bradley Tusk, to help coordinate its lobbying efforts.

Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, predicted, “They’re not going to find it easy to get serious public support.”

“As you reap,” Mr. de Blasio added, “so shall you sow, and they’ve had a really bad history. You can talk to people across the spectrum and they’ve all heard something about the problems of Wal-Mart.”

FULL story at link.

[redirish28]

1. Why are they so desperate to "conquer" New York city?

[Dorian Gray]

2. Money

It's a huge market with a lot of shoppers. They stand to make a lot of money here.

[BlueJazz]

3. I don't think Walmart will get in there. New Yorkers are to Hip and Smart to let ...

...their city become another waste-land....

[AsahinaKimi]

4. Walmart is not in San Francisco

And, I am so happy about this.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Having a Wal-Mart job with NYC's cost of living?

Yeah, that'll work. :sarcasm:

[Stevenmarc]

6. As a NY'er I doubt it will happen