Wal-Mart

[24]. Other sports such as volleyball and basketball are mostly popular in schools and colleges. He has since plead guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return related to embezzlement and theft from Wal-Mart while serving as a member of its board. In recent times Formula 1 racing has also caught the public's attention. Former members of the board of directors of Wal-Mart include Hillary Clinton (1985-1992), who also worked for Wal-Mart as a lawyer, [22] and Tom Coughlin, who went on to be vice chairman [23]. The event sees many of the city's glitterati attending, arrayed in the latest fashions. The presence of unions and the difficulty obtaining building permits are two possible reasons for this lack of success. Every February, Mumbai holds the Derby races in the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.

In Germany, however, after eight years in the market, Wal-Mart's yearly revenue is still less than one-tenth of the leading retailer, EDEKA. Mumbai also has a rugby club, the only one in the country. ASDA in the United Kingdom is the largest of the international businesses by sales. Other sports are mostly played in the numerous clubs and gymkhanas, and include tennis, squash, billiards, badminton, table tennis and golf. Dollars):. India's national sport, field hockey, has gone into a sharp decline in the recent years, losing out in terms of popularity to cricket, though many Mumbai players play in the national team. Current store counts and revenue for Fiscal Year Ending January 31, 2005 (revenue amounts in U.S. The Football World Cup is one of the most widely watched television events in Mumbai.

Wal-Mart operates 5 major retail formats under 3 retail divisions:. Soccer is the second most popular sport with the city clubs playing during the monsoons, when other outdoor sports cannot be played. He believes that Wal-Mart is merely a symbol of capitalism and success that leftists attack in order to associate capitalism with "exploitation" and "unfairness" to further their own big government/socialists objectives. The local Mumbai cricket team is among the strongest competitors in the Ranji Trophy, the nation's top domestic cricketing circuit. He compares this criticism to the same attacks upon Hummer SUVs while ignoring the issues with many other gas guzzling competitors like old cars the poor could only afford. The city has two international cricket stadiums, the Wankhede Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium. According to Jay Nordlinger of the National Review, criticism of Wal-Mart is more about what Wal-Mart represents; the sucess of capitalist enterprise and how Wal-Mart is the largest retail store in the world rather than what it actually does. International cricket is widely watched, and the city almost comes to a virtual standstill on days when the Indian cricket team plays important matches.

Specific areas of controversy include the company's product selection; treatment of suppliers, competitors, and employees; impact on local communities, and effects on world trade and globalization. Mumbai has produced several famous international cricketers), and is home to the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Cricket Club of India and the newly re-constituted Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some praise Wal-Mart for benefiting consumers, while other criticise it for being harmful to employees, the community, the economy, and the environment. Gully cricket, a modified form of cricket, is played in the narrow by-lanes of the city, especially on Sundays. [20]. Cricket is the most popular sport in the city, and is usually played in the maidans (grounds) around the city. [19] And, this savings has the largest effect on the poor since the average Wal-Mart customer earns $35,000 a year, compared with $50,000 at Target and $74,000 at Costco. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, one of India's premier engineering schools, and the SNDT Women's University are the other universities in Mumbai.

However, that $4.7 billion is overwhelmingly offset by the $263 billion it has saved Americans from spending from 1985 to 2004, ($2,329 per houshold) according to a Global Insight study. All professional colleges in Mumbai are affiliated to the University of Mumbai, one of the largest universities in the world in terms of graduation rate. The efficiencies created 210,000 jobs that would not otherwise exist, but at the same time reduced take-home pay for all retail workers (including the company’s competitors) by $4.7 billion. This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study (usually the same as chosen at the Junior College level), or a professional degree course, such as Law, Engineering, Medicine or Management. Wal-Mart increased net consumer purchasing power by $118 billion in 2004. Under the 10+2+3 plan, students complete ten years of schooling, and then enrol for two years in Junior College, where they choose from one of three streams: Arts, Commerce or Science. Additional findings from the Global Insight study include: Wal-Mart increased the US economy's overall productivity by three-quarters of a percent by highly efficient distribution systems and pressure on suppliers to be more efficient. The government run public schools lack many facilities, but are the only option for poorer residents who cannot afford the more expensive private schools.

The study indicates that "nominal wages are 2.2% lower, but given that consumer prices are 3.1% lower, real disposable income is 0.9% higher than it would have been in a world without Wal-Mart." (Global Insight Study). Demand is especially high for ICSE and CBSE affiliated schools, and those run by convents or the Jesuits. Also in that time period, it is responsible for the creation of 210,000 net jobs for the economy. All private schools are affiliated either to the Maharashtra State SSC board, or the all-India Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) boards. From 1985-2004, Wal-Mart "can be associated with a cumulative decline of 9.1% in food-at-home prices, a 4.2% decline in commodities (goods) prices, and a 3.1% decline in overall consumer prices" and, that this has saved consumers $263 billion in that time frame ($2329 per household). A majority of residents prefer private schools because of better infrastructure and the use of English as a medium of instruction. economy (Several notable economists oversaw the study, including both political conservatives and liberals [18]). Schools in Mumbai are either "municipal schools" (run by the BMC) or private schools (run by trusts and individuals).

A 2005 study by Global Insight, the world's largest economics organization, that was commission by Wal-mart found that the company has had a positive net economic impact on the U.S. There are nine radio stations in Mumbai, with six broadcasting on the FM band, and three All India Radio stations broadcasting on the AM band. In 2004, the University of California, Berkeley published a study which asserted that Wal-Mart's low wages and benefits resulted in an increased burden on the social safety net, costing California taxpayers $86 million.[17]. The metropolis is also the hub of many international media corporations, with many news channels and print publications having a major presence. Basker's study did not distinguish between low-paying and high-paying jobs. Mumbai households receive over a hundred television channels via cable, and a majority of them are produced to cater to the city's polyglot populace. Basker concluded that the net change in the number of jobs was not significant. Satellite television (DTH) has yet to gain mass acceptance, due to high installation costs.

Basker found an average decrease of 30 retail jobs in neighbouring counties and 25 wholesale jobs in the entered county. The national television broadcaster Doordarshan provides two free terrestrial channels, while three main cable networks serve most households. Half of this increase disappeared as other retail establishments closed over a five-year period. In addition to these papers, newspapers are also printed in Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu and Tamil. Basker found that Wal-Mart's entry into a county increased net retail employment in that county by 100 jobs in the short term. Popular Marathi newspapers include Loksatta, Maharashtra Times and Saamana. A 2002 study[16] by Emek Basker of the University of Missouri examined the impact of Wal-Mart on local employment. Mumbai has numerous newspaper publications and television and radio stations - English newspapers published and sold in Mumbai include Times of India, Mid-day, Economic Times and Indian Express.

The next largest employer employed the parents of less than 800 children in the program.[15]. Mumbai has six sister cities (the maximum permitted by the Indian government) – Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Saint Petersburg, Stuttgart and Yokohama. More than 10,000 children who qualified for the program had parents working at Wal-Mart. The city also contains most of India's tallest buildings. In 2002, the state of Georgia's survey of children in the state's subsidized health care system, PeachCare, found that Wal-Mart employed more of the parents of these children than any other employer. Built in 1833, the Asiatic Society of Bombay is the oldest public library in the city. Dean found that point out that though Wal-Mart openings cause some small businesses to close by offering lower prices, it also creates opportunities for other small businesses and that as a result, "the process of creative destruction unleashed by Wal-Mart has no statistically significant impact on the overall size of the small business sector in the United States" (the researchers also claim that the Stone study is flawed) [14]. There are also two art galleries: The Jehangir Art Gallery and The National Gallery of Modern Art, and a museum, The Prince of Wales Museum in downtown Mumbai.

Sobel and Andrea M. Besides cinemas, the city also hosts various plays and cultural performances. In 1997, Stone found that small towns "lose up to 47 percent of their retail trade after 10 years of Wal-Mart stores nearby."[12] In [2003], Stone collaborated with collaborated with Georgeanne Artz, also of Iowa State University and Albert Myles of Mississippi State University to show that there "are both positive and negative impacts on existing stores in the area where the new supercenter locates."[13] A study by Russell S. Mumbai also boasts of large number of cinemas, including Asia's largest IMAX dome theatre, which feature mainstream Bollywood and Hollywood films. Stone of Iowa State University has published several studies on Wal-Mart. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema, with the oldest film shot here in 1896. Kenneth E. In 2004, Mumbai received three heritage conservation awards from the UNESCO.

Several studies have been conducted to determined the nature and extent of this effect. The cosmopolitan residents have unique tastes in cuisine, music, film and literature, both Indian and international. As Wal-Mart is an enormously large business, it has a significant impact on economies, especially in the United States. The metropolis has its own local roadside fast food flavour, comprising vada pavs (split wheat bread with fried dumplings as filling), paani puri (deep fried crêpe with tamarind and lentil sauce), pav bhaji (split wheat bread with fried vegetables) and bhelpuri (puffed rice mixture), while South Indian and Chinese food are also very popular. Deaver who formerly worked on behalf of Ronald Reagan, Leslie Dach who worked on behalf of Bill Clinton, and Robert McAdam who worked on behalf of the Tobacco Institute [11]. Mumbai residents celebrate Indian and Western festivals with great fanfare. Operatives hired include Michael K. Mumbai is India's most liberal minded and cosmopolitan city, embracing many concepts that would be taboo in other parts of India.

Edelman has set up an internal "war room", a rapid-response public relations team, staffed with high-profile political operatives to respond to negative media attention. Thus, many live a fast-paced life, with very little time for social activities. It was reported in the New York Times on November 1, 2005 that in response to increased criticism the public relations firm Edelman had been retained. Many residents prefer to stay close to major railway stations for easy access to their workplaces, as a significant amount of time is spent on daily commuting. In 2005, Wal-Mart officials embarked on a public relations campaign to counter some of the criticism it receives, through its public relations website as well as through television commercials which show employees who have had a medical emergency and have been sent by Wal-Mart to the Mayo Clinic. A resident of Mumbai is called a Mumbaikar, or Bombayite. Different explanations have been offered for this success:. According to the Business Week, around 45-48% of the population lives in shantytowns and slums.

Its stock has dropped more than 20% since then, closing under $50 in August 2005. With available space at a premium, Mumbai residents often reside in cramped, relatively expensive housing, usually far from workplaces, and therefore requiring long commutes on crowded mass transit, or clogged roadways. Since then its stock has climbed from 5 cents (split adjusted) to a high of $63 in March 2002. Like other large cities in the world, Mumbai suffers from the same major urbanisation problems seen in many fast growing cities in developing countries - widespread poverty and poor public health, employment, civic and educational standards for a large section of the population. Wal-Mart went public in 1975. Most languages spoken in India have some degree of representation in the demographic fabric of Mumbai; the most widely spoken of these are Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, Urdu and Konkani. Sam Walton's family's holdings in Wal-Mart if combined would comprise the nation's largest fortune; at $100 billion combined they are significantly ahead of Bill Gates. English is also extensively spoken, and is the principal language of the city's white collar workforce.

Wal-Mart also does 20 percent of the retail toy business. Marathi is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. $51 billion). Mumbai has a large polyglot population, but the most common language spoken on the city streets is a colloquial form of Hindi, known as Bambaiya Hindi – a blend of Hindi, Marathi, Indian English and some invented colloquial words. Wal-Mart is now the largest grocery chain in the U.S., with 14 percent of all grocery sales -- nearly twice the sales of Kroger ($95 billion vs. The city's main jail is the Arthur Road Jail^[9]. workers.[5] According to Wal-Mart's website, Wal-Mart provides insurance to more than 1 million people.[6]. Mumbai recorded 27,577 incidents of crime in 2004, which is down 11% from 30,991 in 2001.

According to an October 2005 article in BusinessWeek, Walmart's health insurance covers 44% or approximately 572,000 of its 1.3 million U.S. For a city of its size, Mumbai has a moderate crime rate. At some Sam's Club these employees inspect the contents of the shopping carts of exiting customers. The remainder are Parsis, Jains, Sikhs, Jews and atheists ^[8]. All Wal-Mart stores in the United States have employees referred to as "People Greeters." They welcome people to the store and help prevent shoplifting. The religions represented in Mumbai include Hindus (68% of the population), Muslims (17% of the population), and Christians and Buddhist (4% each). Wal-Mart refers to its employees as "associates," and encourages managers to think of themselves as "servant leaders." Each shift at every store, club, and distribution center (theoretically) starts with a store-wide meeting where managers discuss with hourly employees daily sales figures, company news, and goals for the day. The overall literacy rate of the city is 77%, which is higher than the national average (82% of adult males and 71.6% of adult females are literate).

However, this proposal was rejected by the city councillors [4] on June 28, 2005 for several reasons including worry over the possible negative impact to small businesses and a potential increase in traffic as customers drive longer distances to go shopping. There are 811 females to every 1,000 males – which is lower than the national average, because many working males come from rural areas, where they leave behind their families. This design, too, included wind turbines, geothermal heating and collecting rainwater. The population of Mumbai is about 18 million, with a density of 4,205 persons per square kilometre. An environmentally-friendly design for a Wal-Mart in Vancouver, BC, Canada was proposed. Broadband internet penetration is increasing in the city, with MTNL and Tata being the leading service providers. Critics, such as the Institute for Local Self-reliance [3], while acknowledging that the features in the new stores are an improvement, still contend that Wal-Mart practices increase driving, and that it has a poor record of locating stores on environmentally sensitive sites, especially wetlands. Both GSM and CDMA services are available in the city.

The buildings also include many other energy and cost-saving technologies. Cell phone coverage is extensive, and the main service providers are Hutch, Airtel, BPL group, Reliance Infocomm and Tata Indicom. Recently, Wal-Mart has designed two experimental stores [2], one in McKinney, Texas, the other in Aurora, Colorado, which feature wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels, and biofuel-capable boilers. The largest telephone service provider is the state-owned MTNL, which held a monopoly over fixed line and cellular services up until 2000, and provides fixed line as well as mobile WLL services. The WFF has also donated to advocacy groups promoting school privatization, such as a $3 million donation in 2003 to the Knowledge Is Power Program. Most of the city's electricity is hydroelectric and nuclear based. From 1998 through 2003, the WFF contributed $25,000 to the Heritage Foundation, $15,000 to the Cato Institute, $125,000 to the Hudson Institute, $155,000 to the Goldwater Institute, $70,000 to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, $300,000 to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, $185,000 to the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, and $350,000 to the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. Electricity is provided by the BEST in the city, and by Reliance Energy and MSEB (Maharashtra State Electricity Board) in the suburbs.

Also in 2004, Alice Walton donated $2.6 million to the Progress for America PAC, which supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Sewage treatment is carried out in Worli and Bandra. Walmart's company political action committee, the second largest corporate donor to the GOP, gave away $2.1 million in 2004, compared to $100,000 in 1994. Almost all of Mumbai's daily refuse of 7,800 metric tonnes^[7] is transported to dumping grounds in Gorai in the northwest, Mulund in the northeast and Deonar in the east. The Walton Family Foundation (WFF) gave away $106.9 million in 2003, twice as much as in 2000. The BMC is also responsible for the road maintenance and garbage collection in the city. According to the November 21, 2005 issue of The Nation, recently both the Arkansas-based company and the Walton family have elevated their charitable giving. The water is filtered at Bhandup, which is also Asia's largest water filtration plant.

About $1.5 million in emergency aid was given to displaced employees, and employees displaced by the storm were offered work at Wal-Mart locations elsewhere in the country. The BMC supplies potable water to the city, most of which come from the Tulsi and Vihar lakes, as well as a few lakes further north. An emergency contact website was set up by Wal-Mart to help locate displaced persons, accessible by Internet and at every store in the country. It is also an important base for the Indian Navy. In addition, an estimated $3 million in merchandise was donated to victims in several states, and in some cases the corporation was able to provide supplies before the federal government. With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world, handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. These donations made it the largest single corporate contributor. The nearby Juhu aerodrome was India's first airport, and now hosts a flying club and a heliport.

After the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster on the United States Gulf Coast, Wal-Mart donated $2 million to the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross and $15 million to the Bush-Clinton Hurricane Katrina Fund for a total of $17 million. Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (formerly, Sahar International Airport) is the busiest airport in India, and caters to cargo and international flights while Santacruz Airport caters to domestic flights. More than 90 percent of cash donations from Wal-Mart Stores and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation target local communities. These three-wheeled vehicles can accommodate up to three passengers. The typical Supercenter channels $30,000 to $50,000 a year to local causes and events. Auto rickshaws, allowed to operate only in the suburban areas, are the main form of hired transport there. Unlike most corporate donors, Wal-Mart does not provide a figure for its corporate contributions; instead Wal-Mart's reported contributions include those made by its customers in a larger aggregate figure. Black and yellow-metered taxis, accommodating up to four passengers, cover most of the metropolis.

In 2004, cash donations to non-profit organizations by Wal-Mart, its employees, and its customers made through Wal-Mart, the Wal-Mart Foundation and the Sam's Club Foundation totaled more than US$170 million. The BEST also operates ferries across creeks in northern Mumbai. According to a New York Times story, it is seen by 130 million people a month, making it the fifth largest network in America, behind NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox. The BEST fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker, air-conditioned and vestibule buses. The Wal-Mart Television Network is an in-store network showing commercials for products sold in the stores, concert clips and music videos for recording artists products sold in the stores, trailers for upcoming movie releases, and news. Buses are used for commuting short to medium distances, while train fares are more economical for long distance commutes. By focusing on a small number of low-cost products, and siting their retail operations in extremely convenient locations (primarily very small towns which cannot support a Wal-Mart as well as low-income areas of larger metropolitan areas), retailers such as Family Dollar and Dollar General have successfully competed head-to-head with Wal-Mart for home consumer sales. Public buses run by the BEST (an autonomous body under the BMC) cover almost all parts of the metropolis, as well as parts of Navi Mumbai and Thane district.

Due to Wal-Mart's success in selling consumer goods and its necessary focus on more expensive items (and larger population areas) to increase revenue, a niche has been carved out of Wal-Mart's dominance by several shrewd retail corporations ^[1]. Mumbai is well connected by trains to all parts of India. Chief competitors of Sam's Club are Costco, which is slightly larger than Sam's in terms of sales, as well as the smaller BJ's Wholesale Club chain operating mainly on the East Coast. The Harbour Line is a sub-division of the Central Railway, covering a distance of 54 km along the south-eastern section of the city, near the docks, and extending into Navi Mumbai. Wal-Mart's move into the grocery business has also positioned it against major grocery chains such as Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, Giant Eagle, Safeway and dozens of local grocery chains. Both lines extend into the exurbia, each covering a total one-way length of around 125 km. Wal-Mart's chief competitors in the discount retail space nationally include Sears Holdings Corporation's Kmart chain and Target, Best Buy, along with many smaller regional chains such as Meijer in the midwest. The Western Railway runs along the western region of the city, while the Central Railway covers most of the central and northeast parts of the metropolis.

Wal-Mart stock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. The backbone of the city's transport, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, is composed of three seperate networks running the length of the city, in a north-south direction. In 2003 McLane Company was sold to Berkshire Hathaway. The city is the headquarters of two rail divisions – the Central Railway (CR) (headquartered at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus)), and the Western Railway (WR) (headquartered at Churchgate). In 1990 Wal-Mart acquired The McLane Company, a foodservice distributor. Most of Mumbai's inhabitants rely on public transport to travel to and from their workplace due to the lack of car parking spaces, traffic bottlenecks, and generally poor road conditions. In the past, Wal-Mart operated dot Discount Drugs, Bud's Discount City, Hypermart*USA, OneSource Nutrition Centers, and Save-Co Home Improvement stores. The city elects six members to the Lok Sabha and thirty-four members to the Maharashtra State Assembly.

This purchase has been approved by Seiyu Group shareholders and The Seiyu will be consolidated into Wal-Mart International in FYE 2006. Mumbai also has two lower courts, the Small Causes Court for civil matters, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases. in Japan, with a proposed US$597 million to increase its stake to 50%. Mumbai is the seat of the Bombay High Court, which exercises jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In addition to its wholly-owned international operations, Wal-Mart owns a 42% stake in The Seiyu Co., Ltd. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police. Wal-Mart also operates the largest real estate company in the United States, with an entire division devoted to building new stores, selling old stores, and developing shopping centers around its stores. The city is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Internationally, Wal-Mart employs over 410,000 people (excluding Japan) for a company-wide total of 1.7 million employees. The Mumbai Police comes under the state Home Ministry. Apart from retail locations, it operates 99 Distribution Centers and Transportation Offices in the United States. The Mumbai Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an IPS officer. Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters are located in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Federal Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city. As of January 2005, Wal-Mart employed 1.3 million people in the United States. The metropolitan area forms two districts of Maharashtra, with each district under the jurisdiction of a District Collector.

Wal-Mart also operates Sam's Club—a "warehouse club" (similar to Costco and BJ's) that sells discounted bulk merchandise to due-paying members. Almost all the state political parties field candidates in the elections for Councillors. Wal-Mart operates discount retail department stores selling a broad range of non-grocery products, though emphasis is now focused on the "Supercenters" which offer a full line of grocery items. An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes. . The BMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis. retail stores being spent at Wal-Mart. The Corporation comprises 227 directly elected Councillors representing the twenty four municipal wards [6], five nominated Councillors, and a titular Mayor.

It holds an 8.9 percent retail store market share, with $8.90 out of every $100 spent in U.S. The city is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with executive power vested in the Municipal Commissioner, who is an IAS officer appointed by the state government. It is the largest private employer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The epicentre of the Hindi movie industry, Bollywood, is also located in Mumbai, along with its largest studios and movie production houses. For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2005, Wal-Mart reported net income of US $10.3 billion on US $285 billion of sales revenue (3.6% profit margin). Most of India's major television and satellite networks are headquartered in Mumbai, as well as its major publishing houses. It is the largest retailer in the world and one of the largest companies in the world based on revenue; in 2004 it was the largest, but the recent rise in oil prices has taken at least one oil company past it. The entertainment industry is the other major employer in Mumbai.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. The port and shipping industry too employs many residents, directly or indirectly. Accessed January 11, 2006. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled labour population, who primarily earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such blue collar professions. ^  Wal-Mart giant can be tamed The Boston Globe, November 23, 2003. Mumbai’s status as the state capital means that state and federal government employees make up a large percentage of the city's workforce. 121; Can't Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More? The New York Times, May 4, 2005. Up until the 1980s, Mumbai owed its prosperity largely to textile mills and the seaport, but the local economy has since then diversified to include engineering, diamond polishing, healthcare and information technology.

^  See Palast, p. Many foreign banks and financial institutions also have branches in this area. ^  Down and Out in Discount America, The Nation, January 3, 2005; Wal-Mart's Welfare Dependency, San Francisco Chronicle by Sally Lieber, November 7, 2003. A number of Indian financial institutions have headquarters in downtown Mumbai, including the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Reserve Bank of India, the National Stock Exchange of India, the Mint, and numerous conglomerates (the Tata Group, Godrej and Reliance etc). House of Representatives Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat, February 16, 2004; Wal-Marts Cost State, Study Says, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2004. Mumbai contributes 10% of all factory employment, 40% of all income tax collections, 60% of all customs duty collections, 20% of all central excise tax collections, 40% of India's foreign trade and Rupees 40 billion (US$ 9 billion) in corporate taxes^[5]. ^ Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay For Wal-Mart (pdf), A Report by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S. The record high is 43 °C (108 °F) and record low is 7.4 °C (45 °F) on 1962-01-22.

^  Wal-Mart public relations web page, section regarding Benefits (retreived May 25, 2005). Annual temperatures range from a high of 38 °C (100 °F) to a low of 11 °C (52 °F). ^  Retaliating first, Wal-Mart in Canada, The Economist, Feb 24th 2005; Ex-Wal-Mart Workers Win Battle Globe and Mail, Rhéal Séguin, September 17, 2005. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a mild chill during January and February. Coughlin Told Others Bogus Expenses Hid Plot Against Unions Retailer Disputes His Claim, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2005. The dry season, between November and February, is characterised by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather. ^  Petty Cash A Wal-Mart Legend's Trail of Deceit Mr. The highest rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37.16 in) on 2005-07-26.

119-120; Chinese Workers Pay for Wal-Mart's Low Prices, Washington Post, February 8, 2004; [Wal-Mart faces sweat-shop lawsuit Wal-Mart faces sweat-shop lawsuit], Financial Times (London), September 14, 2005; Suit Says Wal-Mart Is Lax on Labor Abuses Overseas, New York Times, September 14, 2005; Workers Sue Wal-Mart Over Sweatshop Conditions, Reuters, September 13, 2005, Sweatshop Workers on Four Continents Sue Wal-Mart in California Court, Press Release, September 13, 2005; Human cost behind bargain shopping Dateline hidden camera investigation in Bangladesh, Dateline NBC, June 17, 2005. The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (135.89 in) in 1954^[4]. ISBN 0745318460., p. The monsoon rains lash the city during the monsoon season (June to September), and supply most of the city's annual rainfall of 2,200 mm (85 in). The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: An Investigative Reporter Exposes the Truth About Globalization, Corporate Cons, and High-Finance Fraudsters, Pluto Press. The humid season, between March and October, is characterised by high humidity and temperatures of over 30 °C (86 °F). ^  Palast, Greg (2002). The climate of the city, being in the tropical zone, and near the Arabian Sea, may be broadly classified into two main seasons — the humid season and the dry season.

ISBN 1585424226.. The city region is also commonly referred to as the Island City^[3]. The United States of Wal-Mart, Tarcher. It consists of two distinct regions — the city and the suburbs, which also form two separate districts of Maharashtra. Dicker, John (2005). Mumbai is classified as a metropolis of India, under the jurisdiction of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation. ISBN 155369855X.. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale may be expected.

Megamall on the Hudson: Planning, Wal-Mart, and Grassroots Resistance, Trafford. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone^[2] owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. Porter, David (2003). The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows, and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene eras. ISBN 0745318460.. In the suburbs, the soil cover is largely alluvial and loamy. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Owl Books. Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy due to its proximity to the sea.

Ehrenreich, Barbara (2002). The eastern seaboard of Salsette Island is covered with large mangrove swamps, rich in biodiversity. ISBN 1580086683.. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. How Wal-Mart Is Destroying America and the World: And What You Can Do about It (3rd edition). Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. Quinn, Bill (2005). The first two are located within the Borivali National Park, and supply part of the city's drinking water.

ISBN 0465023169.. Three lakes are located within the metropolitan limits — the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and Powai Lake. Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart. Mumbai spans a total area of 468 km² (169 mi²). Featherstone, Liza (2004). The northern part of Mumbai is hilly, and the highest point of the city is at 450 metres (1,450 feet)^[1]. ISBN 1932857249.. Much of Mumbai is at sea level, and the average elevation ranges from 10 to 15 metres.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Disinformation Company. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of India, in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Spotts, Greg (2005). In 1995, the city was renamed Mumbai, by the right wing Shiv Sena party government of Maharashtra, in keeping with their policy of renaming colonial institutions after historic local appellations. ISBN 0385513569.. A few months later, on March 12, simultaneous bombings at several city landmarks by the Mumbai underworld killed around three hundred people. The Bully of Bentonville: How the High Cost of Wal-Mart's Everyday Low Prices Is Hurting America. The city's secular fabric was torn in 1992, after large scale sectarian violence caused extensive loss of life and property.

Bianco, Anthony (2006). The late 1970s witnessed a construction boom and a significant influx of migrants, which saw Mumbai overtake Calcutta as India’s most populous city. ISBN 155860684X.. It became the capital of the new linguistic state of Maharashtra in 1960. Data Warehousing: Using the Wal-Mart Model. After independence, the city expanded to its present limits by incorporating parts of Salsette Island. Westerman, Paul (2000). It later became a major base for the Indian independence movement, with the Quit India Movement called by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942 being its most rubric event.

ISBN 0785261192.. The population of the city swelled to one million by 1906, making it the second largest in India after Calcutta. The Wal-Mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company. Over the next thirty years, the city grew into a major urban centre, spurred by an improvement in infrastructure and the construction of many of the city's institutions. Soderquist, Don (2005). The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. ISBN 1591840430.. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the city became the world's chief cotton trading market, resulting in a boom in the economy and subsequently enhancing the city's stature.

The Wal-Mart Triumph: Inside the World's #1 Company. This project, known as the Hornby Vellard, was completed by 1845, and resulted in the total area swelling to 438 km².In 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the town of Thane. Slater, Robert (2004). From 1817 onwards, the city was reshaped with large civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the islands in the archipelago into a single amalgamated mass. ISBN 1591840066.. The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661, to 60,000 in 1675; In 1687, the British East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Bombay. The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Generation of Leaders Turned Sam Walton's Legacy into the World's #1 Company. The company found the deep harbour on the east coast of the islands to be ideal for setting up their first port in the sub-continent.

Slater, Robert (2003). These islands, were in turn leased to the British East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum. ISBN 0812963776.. They were ceded to Charles II of England in 1661, as dowry for Catherine de Braganza. In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and Wal-Mart, the World's Most Powerful Retailer. In 1534, the Portuguese appropriated the islands from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Ortega, Bob (1998). Some of the oldest edifices of the archipelago – the Elephanta Caves and the Walkeshwar temple complex date from this era.

ISBN 1595580352.. The Hindu rulers of the Silhara Dynasty later governed the islands until 1343, when the kingdom of Gujarat annexed them. Wal-Mart: A Field Guide to America's Largest Company and the World's Largest Employer, New Press. In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the Buddhist emperor, Aşoka. Lichtenstein, Nelson (2006). Documented evidence of human habitation dates back to 250 BC, when it was known as Heptanesia (Ptolemy) (Ancient Greek: A Cluster of Seven Islands). ISBN 0471679984.. Artifacts found near Kandivali, in northern Mumbai indicate that these islands had been inhabited since the Stone Age.

What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World. Present day Mumbai was originally an archipelago of seven islands. Bergdahl, Michael (2004). The name was officially changed to Mumbai in 1995, but “Bombay” is still used by the popular media and by many of the city's inhabitants and famous institutions. [26]. After the British gained possession, it was anglicised to Bombay. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, a 2005 documentary by Robert Greenwald, the creator of Outfoxed. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahia (Good Bay), later corrupted to Bomaím or Bombaim, by which it is still known in Portuguese.

Independent America, a 2005 documentary on the larger issue of independent businesses fighting for survival against corpprate chains. The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba — the name of the Hindu goddess Mumbadevi, and Aai — mother in Marathi. Outrageous Fortunes, BBC Three, aired on 26 April 2004, about the workings of Wal-Mart. . Featuring interviews with both Wal-Mart top brass and critics, it won a Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody Award for television excellence. Mumbai is also one of the rare cities to accommodate a national park, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, within its city limits. The Age of Wal-Mart, a 2004 documentary produced by CNBC. The city is home to India's film and television industry, known as Bollywood.

and China. Mumbai has attracted migrants from all over India because of the immense business opportunities, and the relatively high standard of living, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. Frontline: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?, a PBS Frontline documentary on the impact of Wal-Mart in the U.S. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, and houses important financial institutions, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Store Wars, a PBS special taking a close look at one community's battle over Wal-Mart. The port handles over half of India's passenger traffic and a significant amount of cargo. Why Wal-Mart Works & Why That Makes Some People Crazy, a pro-Wal-Mart documentary (not affiliated with Wal-Mart). The city has a deep natural harbour, which is the largest port in western India.

Wal-Mart Space a blog run by Bobby Gerry which explores Wal-Mart's financial statements. Along with its neighbouring suburbs, it forms the world's 4th most populous metropolitan area, with a population exceeding 20 million. AlwaysLowPrices.net a blog run by Kevin Brancato (discontinued on November 14, 2005). Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. Wal-Mart political donations. Mumbai (Hindi / Marathi: मुंबई) (pronounced /'mumbɐɪ/ in Marathi, and /mʊm'baɪ/ in English), formerly known as Bombay is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with a estimated population of about 18 million (2005). 2004-04-09 10-K. 1188 kHz.

WMT: Profile for WAL-MART STORES - Yahoo! Finance. 1044 kHz. Company Profile. 558 kHz. Yahoo! - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. AIR FM Rainbow — 107.1 MHz. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price A feature-length documentary. AIR FM Gold — 100.7 MHz.

The New Rules Project(critiques big box development, not limited to Wal-Mart). Radio Mirchi — 98.3 MHz. Wal-Mart Free NYC A group fighting to keep New York City Wal-Mart free. Red FM — 93.5 MHz. Wal-Mart Wiki Though not strictly critical, this wiki is definitely weighted against Wal-Mart in its current state. Go 92.5 FM — 92.5 MHz. Wal-Mart Watchlabor union-funded website. Radio City — 91 MHz.

Wake-Up Wal-Mart website by the United Food and Commercial Workers. Index of numerous studies on Wal-Mart's economic and social impacts from The American Independent Business Alliance. Sprawl Busters, site Al Norman, an activist who helps local "site fights" against big box stores. Rotten Library: Wal-Mart.

Video report of Wal-Mart using child labor, CBC News, November 30, 2005. Wal-Mart caught using child labor, CBC News, November 30, 2005. Maryland's House approved a bill that would require all businesses in the state with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits for workers. Sweet Victory: Maryland Stands Up To Wal-Mart, The Nation, Sunday, April 17, 2005.

Retaliating first, Wal-Mart in Canada, The Economist, Feb 24th 2005. Wal-Marts Cost State, Study Says, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2004. House of Representatives Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat, February 16, 2004. Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay For Wal-Mart(pdf), A Report by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S.

Article argues that the decline of Union Industry jobs and the rise of Wal-Mart is destroying America's middle class. In Wal-Mart's America, Washington Post, August 27, 2003. Up against the Wal-Mart, Business Week, March 13, 2000, Explains union's attempt to unionize Wal-Marts. "Wal-Mart: High Prices for American Workers" file, (PDF February 16, 2004) from the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

California Legislators Call for Oversight of Wal-Mart's Health Benefits (Study of Peachcare). "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know", Fast Company, Issue 77, December 2003, Page 68 Wal-Mart's relentless pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. "Inside the Leviathan" by Simon Head for The New York Review of Books, December 16, 2004. UC Berkeley report on the community impact of Wal-Mart's lower wages(pdf).

How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart, The New York Times, July 17, 2005. Costco's Dilemma: Is Treating Employees Well Unacceptable for a Public Corporation? The Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2004 Costco's compensation for its employees with comparison to Wal-Mart. Company for the People Seattle Weekly, December 15 - 21, 2004, Article which contrasts Wal-Mart with employee-friendly Costco. The Freedom to Hate Wal-Mart?, Paul Jacob, The Free Liberal, December 5, 2005.

Should We Admire Wal-Mart? Fortune Magazine, March 8, 2004. Economy a study funded by Wal-Mart, determining the net economic impact of Wal-Mart at the national, city, and county level. Measuring the Economic Impact of Wal-Mart on the U.S. of Economics, University of Missouri, 2002.