Survivors of "W-day": an assessment of the impact of Wal-Mart's invasion of small town retailing communities

A mail survey of 428 Nebraska and Kansas businesses from five towns in which Wal-Mart opened stores between 1989-1994 resulted in 191 returns regarding retailer response and subsequent performance impact. Less than one third of the businesses with $1 million or more in sales reported a negative impact. In contrast, nearly one half of the businesses with less than $1 million in sales reported a negative impact, with the effect most felt among those retailers located in the central business district. An inverse relationship was observed between changes in retail strategy and store performance.