I’ve seen a lot of praise for Wal-Mart’s business processes, but I’ve never seen anyone try to estimate its impact on the economy. According to this article, it is HUGE (accounting for over half of the productivity gains in the 90’s – more than all computer technology, including the internet, combined – and reducing inflation dramatically). I haven’t read the underlying study and I’m sure it is subject to criticism (some of the typical complaints can be found in a recent article here), but I know for a fact that Wal-Mart has transformed productivity in a lot of industries I’ve worked with.
