Wal-Mart

[24]. From 2003, only BMW may make cars called Rolls-Royce. 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. From July 1998 until December 2002, Volkswagen's Bentley division also sold cars under the Rolls-Royce name under an agreement with BMW, which had bought the rights to that name. 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]. Volkswagen is part of the Volkswagen group, along with:. The presence of unions and the difficulty obtaining building permits are two possible reasons for this lack of success. In September 2005, Porsche announced it was buying a 20% stake in Volkswagen at a cost of €3 billion, with the intention that the combined stakes of Porsche, Volkswagen and the government of Lower Saxony ensure that any hostile takeover by foreign investors would be impossible [1].

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. Later collaborations include the 1969/1970 VW-Porsche 914, the 1976 Porsche 924 (which used many Audi components and was built at an Audi factory), and the 2002 Porsche Cayenne (which shares engineering with the VW Touareg). ASDA in the United Kingdom is the largest of the international businesses by sales. The first Porsche cars, the 1948 Porsche 356, used many Volkswagen components including a tuned engine, gearbox and suspension. Dollars):. The company has had a close relationship with Porsche, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer founded in 1947 by Ferry Porsche, son of the original Volkswagen designer Ferdinand Porsche. Current store counts and revenue for Fiscal Year Ending January 31, 2005 (revenue amounts in U.S. Shasta Snow Trip Challenge" and is a good example of VW enthusiasts' trust in the durability of their often 40-year-old cars.

Wal-Mart operates 5 major retail formats under 3 retail divisions:. This event is called the "Mt. 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. Shasta CA, entirely on unpaved jeep roads. 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. In the winter, a group of drivers of the "split window" bus model (1951-1967 Microbusses, trucks, campers, and panel vans) drive from Guerneville, CA, to Mt. 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. Die-hard and loyal "VW-heads" attend these shows regularly, often travelling 500 miles or more to attend their favorite event.

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. Many of these shows feature camping, a car show called a "show 'n' shine", drag racing, parts swap meet, raffles, and other events. Some praise Wal-Mart for benefiting consumers, while other criticise it for being harmful to employees, the community, the economy, and the environment. In the United States, most notably in California, Volkswagen enthusiasts frequent large Volkswagen-themed car shows, especially in the summer months. [20]. The last 3000 type 1's were called the "Ultima Edicion" or the last edition. [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 last car was nicknamed El Rey, which is Spanish for "The King".

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. In true Mexican fashion, a mariachi band serenaded the last car in the 68-year-old history. 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. It was car number 21,529,464, and was immediately shipped off to the company's museum in Wolfsburg, Germany. Wal-Mart increased net consumer purchasing power by $118 billion in 2004. On July 21, 2003, the last Type 1 rolled off the production line in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. 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. By 2002 there had been over 21 million Type 1's had been produced.

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). Part of their cult status is attributed to being one of a few cars with an air-cooled, horizontally-opposed engine design and the consequent ease of repair and modification as opposed to the more conventional and technically complex watercooled engine design. Also in that time period, it is responsible for the creation of 210,000 net jobs for the economy. Looks include the resto-look, Cal Look, German-look, resto-Cal Look, buggies, Baja bugs, old school, ratlook, etc. 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). The fans are quite diverse. economy (Several notable economists oversaw the study, including both political conservatives and liberals [18]). Currently, there is a wide array of clubs that are concerned with the beetle.

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. More so than those cars, it maintains a very strong following worldwide, being regarded as something of a "cult" car, like the Delorean since its 1960s association with the hippie movement. 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]. Like its competitors, the Mini and the Citroën 2CV, the original-shape Beetle long outlasted predictions of its lifespan. Basker's study did not distinguish between low-paying and high-paying jobs. In addition, all VAG TDI diesel engines produced since 1996 can be driven on 100% biodiesel. Basker concluded that the net change in the number of jobs was not significant. Products such as the Toyota Prius might have highlighted the economy of non-gasoline engines, but in reality, a Volkswagen TDI engine is often found to be more efficient than the Prius on the highway (although not so when driving in the city).

Basker found an average decrease of 30 retail jobs in neighbouring counties and 25 wholesale jobs in the entered county. Sales of light duty diesel engine technology are increasing as gasoline prices rise. Half of this increase disappeared as other retail establishments closed over a five-year period. They were a three way tie for 8th (TDI Beetle, TDI Golf, TDI Jetta) and 9th, the TDI Jetta Wagon. Basker found that Wal-Mart's entry into a county increased net retail employment in that county by 100 jobs in the short term. in 2004 were powered by Volkswagen diesel engines. A 2002 study[16] by Emek Basker of the University of Missouri examined the impact of Wal-Mart on local employment. Environmental Protection Agency, 4 of the 10 most fuel efficient vehicles available for sale in the U.S.

The next largest employer employed the parents of less than 800 children in the program.[15]. According to the U.S. More than 10,000 children who qualified for the program had parents working at Wal-Mart. While extremely popular in the European market, light duty diesels do not yet enjoy the same wide acceptance in the American marketplace, despite increased fuel economy and performance comparable to gasoline engines due to turbocharging. 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. Volkswagen currently offers a number of its vehicles with an advanced, light duty diesel engine known as the TDI. 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]. Much of the criticism of the new Jetta was stated before the new GLI model came out.

Sobel and Andrea M. Much of this criticism is due to the poor quality of the last generation Jetta/Golf and the preceived lack of performance in the new Jetta. 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. Also, Volkswagen has faced harsh criticism that the Phaeton had used up money that was better invested in their smaller cars. Stone of Iowa State University has published several studies on Wal-Mart. In 2005 VW announced its discontinuance on the US market for fall 2006, mainly due to the disappointing sales there and the need for major investments in the cars line of engines (W12 and V8) to meet new emission requirements. Kenneth E. The Phaeton was critically acclaimed but not well received in the marketplace.

Several studies have been conducted to determined the nature and extent of this effect. In 2002, Volkswagen announced two models taking it into market segments new to the company: the Phaeton luxury car, and the Touareg ("tour regg") SUV. As Wal-Mart is an enormously large business, it has a significant impact on economies, especially in the United States. It has been popular in the USA, less so in Europe. 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]. Its genesis was secret and in opposition to VW management, who felt it was too backward-looking. Operatives hired include Michael K. In 1998, Volkswagen launched the J Mays-designed New Beetle, a "retro"-themed car with a resemblance to the original Beetle but based on the Golf.

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. The Scirocco and Corrado were both Golf-based coupés. 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. As of 2005, there have been four incarnations of the Polo: Mk 1 (1976), Mk 2 (1981, facelifted 1990), Mk 3 (1994, facelifted 1999) and the current Mk 4 (2002). 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. The other main models have been the Polo, a smaller car than the Golf, and the larger Passat for the segment above the Golf. Different explanations have been offered for this success:. The fifth generation Jetta, and the performance version, the GLI, are currently available in the United States and Canada.

Its stock has dropped more than 20% since then, closing under $50 in August 2005. The fifth-generation Golf is now available in Europe, and the GTI boasts a 2.0 L Turbocharged direct injection engine. Since then its stock has climbed from 5 cents (split adjusted) to a high of $63 in March 2002. The current Volkswagen Golf was launched in late 2003, came runner-up to the Fiat Panda in the 2004 European Car of the Year, and has so far spawned the new generation Seat Toledo, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3 hatchback ranges as well as a new mini-MPV, the Seat Altea. Wal-Mart went public in 1975. However, it was beaten into third place for the 1998 European Car of the Year award by the winning Alfa Romeo 156 and runner-up Audi A6. 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. The fourth incarnation of the Golf arrived in late 1997, its chassis spawned a host of other cars within the Volkswagen group—the Volkswagen Bora (the sedan, still called Jetta in the USA), Volkswagen New Beetle, Seat Toledo, Seat Leon, Audi A3, Audi TT and Skoda Octavia.

Wal-Mart also does 20 percent of the retail toy business. This time the sedan version of the Golf was badged Vento in Europe (but Jetta in the USA). $51 billion). The previous two versions had lost out to the Citroën CX in 1975 and the Fiat Uno in 1984. 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. In 1991, Volkswagen launched the third-generation Golf and it was third time lucky when the Volkswagen Golf was voted European Car of the Year for 1992. workers.[5] According to Wal-Mart's website, Wal-Mart provides insurance to more than 1 million people.[6]. The second generation Golf hatchback/Jetta sedan ran from late 1983 to late 1991.

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. Its chassis also spawned the Scirocco coupe and Jetta sedan. At some Sam's Club these employees inspect the contents of the shopping carts of exiting customers. There have been five generations of the Volkswagen Golf, the first of which was produced from the summer of 1974 until the end of 1983, sold as the Rabbit in the United States. 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. While Volkswagen's range of cars soon became similar to that of other large European car-makers, the Golf has been the mainstay of the Volkswagen lineup since its introduction, and the mechanical basis for several other cars of the company. 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. Beetle production continued in smaller numbers at other German factories until 1978, but mainstream production shifted to Brazil and Mexico.

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. Its design followed trends for small family cars set by the 1959 Mini and 1972 Renault 5—the Golf had a transversely mounted, water-cooled engine in the front, driving the front wheels, and had a hatchback, a format that has dominated the market segment ever since. This design, too, included wind turbines, geothermal heating and collecting rainwater. This was a car unlike its predecessor in most significant ways, both mechanically as well as visually (its angular styling was designed by the Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro). An environmentally-friendly design for a Wal-Mart in Vancouver, BC, Canada was proposed. Production of the Beetle at the Wolfsburg factory switched to the VW Golf in 1974, marketed in the United States as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the 1970s and as the Golf in the 1980s. 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. Audi influences paved the way for this new generation of Volkswagens, known as the Polo, Golf and Passat.

The buildings also include many other energy and cost-saving technologies. The Ingolstadt-based firm had the necessary expertise in front wheel drive and water-cooled engines that Volkswagen so desperately needed to produce a credible Beetle successor. 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 key to the problem was the 1964 acquisition of Audi/Auto-Union. 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. The company knew that Beetle production had to end one day, but the conundrum of replacing it had been a never ending nightmare. 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. The Type 3 and Type 4 models had been comparative flops, and the NSU-based K70 also failed to woo buyers.

Also in 2004, Alice Walton donated $2.6 million to the Progress for America PAC, which supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Volkswagen was in serious trouble by the end of the 1960s. 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. The US Thing version only lasted two years, 1973 and 1974, due at least in part to Ralph Nader's automobile safety campaigns. The Walton Family Foundation (WFF) gave away $106.9 million in 2003, twice as much as in 2000. The military version was produced for the NATO-era German army (Bundeswehr) during the cold war years of 1970 to 1979. 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. In 1973, Volkswagen introduced the military-themed Thing (Type 181) in America, recalling the wartime Type 81.

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. VW expanded their product line in 1967 with the introduction of several Type 3 models, which were essentially body style variations (Fastback, Notchback, Squareback) based on Type 1 mechanical underpinnings, and again in 1969 with the relatively unpopular Type 4 (also known as the 411 and 412) models, which differed substantially from previous models with the notable introduction of unibody construction, a fully automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, and a sturdier powerplant. 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. By 1973 total production was over 16 million. 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. During the 1960s and early 1970s, although the car was becoming outdated, American exports, innovative advertising and a growing reputation for reliability helped production figures to surpass the levels of the previous record holder, the Ford Model T. These donations made it the largest single corporate contributor. Not until 1998 and the Golf-based New Beetle would the name be adopted by Wolfsburg.

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. Despite the fact it was almost universally known as the Beetle, it was never officially known as such, instead referred to as the Type 1. More than 90 percent of cash donations from Wal-Mart Stores and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation target local communities. Production of the Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle (German: 'Käfer', US: 'Bug', Mexican: 'Vocho', 'Vochito', French: 'Coccinelle', Portuguese: 'Carocha', Brazilian: 'Fusca', Danish: 'Boble, Folkevogn', Polish: 'Garbus') increased dramatically over the years, the total reaching one million in 1954. The typical Supercenter channels $30,000 to $50,000 a year to local causes and events. market, the VW was briefly sold as a "Victory Wagon". 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. On its entry to the U.S.

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. Apart from the introduction of the Type 2 commercial vehicle (van, pickup and camper) and the Karmann Ghia sports car, Nordhoff pursued the one-model policy until shortly before his death in 1968. 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. In 1949 Hirst left the company, now re-formed as a trust controlled by the West German government. 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. Heinrich Nordhoff (1899–1968), a former senior manager at Opel who had overseen civilian and military vehicle production in the 1930s and 1940s, was recruited to run the factory in 1948. 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. From 1948, Volkswagen became a very important element, symbolically and economically, of West German regeneration.

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]. In Italy it was the Fiat 500. 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. In France Citroën started the 2CV on a similar marketing concept. 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. Ford representatives were equally critical: the car was "not worth a damn". 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. If you think you're going to build cars in this place, you're a bloody fool, young man." (In a bizarre twist of fate, Volkswagen would manufacture a locally built version of Rootes' Hillman Avenger in Argentina in the 1980s, long after Rootes went bust at the hands of Chrysler in 1978—the Beetle outliving the Avenger by over 30 years).

Wal-Mart stock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. After an inspection of the plant, Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car "is quite unattractive to the average motorcar buyer, is too ugly and too noisy .. In 2003 McLane Company was sold to Berkshire Hathaway. Famously, all rejected it. In 1990 Wal-Mart acquired The McLane Company, a foodservice distributor. It was offered to representatives from the British, American and French motor industries. In the past, Wal-Mart operated dot Discount Drugs, Bud's Discount City, Hypermart*USA, OneSource Nutrition Centers, and Save-Co Home Improvement stores. It was still unclear what was to become of the factory.

This purchase has been approved by Seiyu Group shareholders and The Seiyu will be consolidated into Wal-Mart International in FYE 2006. The car and its town changed their Second World War-era names to Volkswagen and Wolfsburg respectively, and production was increasing. in Japan, with a proposed US$597 million to increase its stake to 50%. By 1946 the factory was producing 1,000 cars a month, a remarkable feat considering the factory was still in disrepair: the damaged roof and windows meant rain stopped production; the steel to make the cars had to be bartered for new vehicles. In addition to its wholly-owned international operations, Wal-Mart owns a 42% stake in The Seiyu Co., Ltd. The first few hundred cars went to personnel from the occupying forces, and to the German Post Office. 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. Short of light transport, in September 1945 the British Army was persuaded to place a vital order for 20,000.

Internationally, Wal-Mart employs over 410,000 people (excluding Japan) for a company-wide total of 1.7 million employees. Hirst painted one of the factory's cars green and demonstrated it to British Army headquarters. Apart from retail locations, it operates 99 Distribution Centers and Transportation Offices in the United States. Since it had been used for military production, and had been a "political animal" (Hirst's words) rather than a commercial enterprise, the equipment was in time intended to be salvaged as war reparations. Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters are located in Bentonville, Arkansas. At first, the plan was to use it for military vehicle maintenance. As of January 2005, Wal-Mart employed 1.3 million people in the United States. The factory was placed under the control of Oldham-born Hirst.

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. In April 1945, KdF-Stadt and its heavily bombed factory were captured by the Americans, and handed to the British to administer. 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. The company owes its postwar existence largely to one man, British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst (1916–2000). . War meant production turned to military vehicles, the Type 81 Kübelwagen utility vehicle (VW's most common wartime model) and the amphibious Schwimmwagen . retail stores being spent at Wal-Mart. None were actually delivered to holders of the completed saving stamp books, though one Type 3 Cabriolet was presented to Hitler on his fiftieth birthday, in 1938.

It holds an 8.9 percent retail store market share, with $8.90 out of every $100 spent in U.S. The new factory in the new town of KdF-Stadt, now called Wolfsburg, purpose-built for the factory workers, only produced a handful of cars by the time war started in 1939. It is the largest private employer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It was one of the first to be designed with the aid of a wind tunnel; unlike the Chrysler Airflow, it would be a success. 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). Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Porsche chief designer, developed the car body of the prototype, which was recognizably the Beetle we know today. 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 VW car was just one of many KdF programs which included things such as tours and outings.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. The car already had its distinctive round shape and air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mounted engine, features similar to the Tatra. Accessed January 11, 2006. Prototypes of the car called the KdF-Wagen (German: Kraft durch Freude = "strength through joy"), appeared from 1936 onwards (the first cars had been produced in Stuttgart). ^  Wal-Mart giant can be tamed The Boston Globe, November 23, 2003. Volkswagen honored its savings agreements after World War II; Ford, which had a similar "coupon" savings system, reportedly did not. 121; Can't Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More? The New York Times, May 4, 2005. The intention was that ordinary Germans would buy the car by means of a savings scheme ("Fünf Mark die Woche mußt Du sparen, willst Du im eigenen Wagen fahren" - "Save five Marks a week to drive in your own car"), which around 336,000 people eventually paid into.

^  See Palast, p. Hitler's changes to the original design included better fuel efficiency (to make it more economical for the working man), reliability, ease of use, and economically efficient repairs and parts. ^  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. Adolf Hitler's desire that almost anybody should be able to afford a car coincided with this design—although much of this design was inspired by the advanced Tatra cars of Hans Ledwinka. House of Representatives Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat, February 16, 2004; Wal-Marts Cost State, Study Says, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2004. Though the origins of the company date back to the 1930s, the design for the car that would become known as the Beetle / "Käfer" date back even further, as a pet project by car designer Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951). ^ 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. .

^  Wal-Mart public relations web page, section regarding Benefits (retreived May 25, 2005). It forms the core of Volkswagen AG (VWAG), one of the world's four largest car producers. ^  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. Volkswagen, [literally: "people's car"] (also known as VW) is an automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. Coughlin Told Others Bogus Expenses Hid Plot Against Unions Retailer Disputes His Claim, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2005. Lamborghini —bought in 1998. ^  Petty Cash A Wal-Mart Legend's Trail of Deceit Mr. Bugatti—name bought in 1998.

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. Bentley—bought in 1998 from Vickers along with Rolls-Royce -cannot produce cars using the Rolls-Royce marque because the trademarks went to BMW. ISBN 0745318460., p. Škoda—bought in 1991. The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: An Investigative Reporter Exposes the Truth About Globalization, Corporate Cons, and High-Finance Fraudsters, Pluto Press. SEAT—majority owned since 1987. ^  Palast, Greg (2002). NSU—bought in 1969 by Volkswagen's Audi division, a brand not used since 1977.

ISBN 1585424226.. Audi (the former post-WWII Auto Union/DKW)—bought from Daimler-Benz in 1964. The United States of Wal-Mart, Tarcher. Dicker, John (2005). ISBN 155369855X..

Megamall on the Hudson: Planning, Wal-Mart, and Grassroots Resistance, Trafford. Porter, David (2003). ISBN 0745318460.. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Owl Books.

Ehrenreich, Barbara (2002). ISBN 1580086683.. How Wal-Mart Is Destroying America and the World: And What You Can Do about It (3rd edition). Quinn, Bill (2005).

ISBN 0465023169.. Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart. Featherstone, Liza (2004). ISBN 1932857249..

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Disinformation Company. Spotts, Greg (2005). ISBN 0385513569.. The Bully of Bentonville: How the High Cost of Wal-Mart's Everyday Low Prices Is Hurting America.

Bianco, Anthony (2006). ISBN 155860684X.. Data Warehousing: Using the Wal-Mart Model. Westerman, Paul (2000).

ISBN 0785261192.. The Wal-Mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company. Soderquist, Don (2005). ISBN 1591840430..

The Wal-Mart Triumph: Inside the World's #1 Company. Slater, Robert (2004). ISBN 1591840066.. The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Generation of Leaders Turned Sam Walton's Legacy into the World's #1 Company.

Slater, Robert (2003). ISBN 0812963776.. In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and Wal-Mart, the World's Most Powerful Retailer. Ortega, Bob (1998).

ISBN 1595580352.. Wal-Mart: A Field Guide to America's Largest Company and the World's Largest Employer, New Press. Lichtenstein, Nelson (2006). ISBN 0471679984..

What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World. Bergdahl, Michael (2004). [26]. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, a 2005 documentary by Robert Greenwald, the creator of Outfoxed.

Independent America, a 2005 documentary on the larger issue of independent businesses fighting for survival against corpprate chains. 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. The Age of Wal-Mart, a 2004 documentary produced by CNBC.

and China. Frontline: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?, a PBS Frontline documentary on the impact of Wal-Mart in the U.S. Store Wars, a PBS special taking a close look at one community's battle over Wal-Mart. Why Wal-Mart Works & Why That Makes Some People Crazy, a pro-Wal-Mart documentary (not affiliated with Wal-Mart).

Wal-Mart Space a blog run by Bobby Gerry which explores Wal-Mart's financial statements. AlwaysLowPrices.net a blog run by Kevin Brancato (discontinued on November 14, 2005). Wal-Mart political donations. 2004-04-09 10-K.

WMT: Profile for WAL-MART STORES - Yahoo! Finance. Company Profile. Yahoo! - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price A feature-length documentary.

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

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.