Wal-Mart: The Next Microsoft?

As Wal-Mart's power grows, some analysts are starting to wonder: What if allegations and lawsuits against it proliferate? What if its growing control over suppliers turns them into subjects that survive only at the discount king's whim?

Outfits like Safeway and Albertson's in groceries, Toys 'R' Us, and lower-end department stores have started to blame disappointing financial results on Wal-Mart's competition. What if they were to fall victim to the giant's steady expansion?

If these complaints continue to build, might they transform the behemoth of Bentonville, Ark., into the discount equivalent of that other colossus, the one in Redmond, Wash.? If it isn't careful, Wal-Mart could take Microsoft's place as both the target of endless government probes and a symbol of heavyhanded corporate practices.

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