Wal-Mart: Go South and West

Wal-Mart’s chronic public relations battles are eroding its value. Monday’s revelation that an employee spied on critics is only the latest of the retailer’s serial blunders. Incidents like this don’t just increase the company’s legal costs. They combine with concerns over its controversial business practices to keep shoppers away and politicians on the warpath. To combat this, Wal-Mart needs more than a better PR firm - it needs a substantial shift in strategy. Part of the problem is Wal-Mart’...