Just saw this tonight. Wal-mart is closing 269 stores in small towns where they have been competing against small, local businesses. Many small businesses went out of business and closed because of the often cut-throat competition when Wal-mart came to their areas.
Most critical are the loss of grocery stores and pharmacies. There is often nothing left nearby to service the local residents.
There are more details in the article, including some personal stories about the devastation caused to the local business owners.
