NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wal-Mart (WMT) is making an aggressive push to come to the Big Apple -- and, in the process, re-igniting a heated debate about whether or not the discount giant is welcome in New York City.
The City Council is slated to discuss just how big an affect Wal-Mart will have on small businesses, at a hearing taking place this afternoon. But Wal-Mart will be noticeably absent from the meeting. Wal-Mart sent a letter to the Committee on Small Business explaining why it will not attend the hearing entitled: "When Walmart Comes to Town -- The Effect on A Small Businesses and Communities: A Historical and Prospective View." "New York City is home to many of our best competitors. Companies such as Sears(SHLD), Kohl's(KSS), Macy's(M), Trader Joe's, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Dollar Store, Home Depot(HD), Costco(COST), Target(TGT), Best Buy(BBY), BJ's(BJ), Lowe's(LOW), Ikea, Kmart, Office Max(OMX), Office Depot(ODP), Toys 'R Us, Borders(BGP) and Barnes & Noble(BKS) certainly have changed the face of retail across all [five] boroughs," Walmart said in the letter. "We believe that the jobs, business competition and economic growth created by Walmart and companies such as these are to the benefit of any community." >Click here to vote in our Wal-Mart poll Wal-Mart continued: "The joint hearing, however, does not appear to consider the impact of the hundreds of NYC stores operated by these companies; rather it focuses solely on Walmart. Since we have not announced a store for New York City, I respectfully suggest the committee first conduct a thoughtful examination of the existing impact of large grocers and retailers on small businesses in New York City before embarking on a hypothetical exercise." The company is also launching an ad campaign this week taking a shot at the Council, some labor unions and other opposition groups. "You don't ask the special interests or the political insiders for permission to use the bathroom," reads a mailer being sent to homes in Council districts this week. "So why should they decide where you're allowed to shop?" Similar ads will also air on radio stations and appear in community newspapers. Earlier in the month, Wal-Mart rolled out a Web site dedicated to convincing New Yorkers that it can help the city "Save Money and Live Better." Add Comment Tweet 1 2 3 Last » Next › var OutbrainPermaLink='http://www.thestreet.com/story/10993499/should-wal-mart-come-to-nyc.html'; var OB_Template = "thestreetcom"; var OB_demoMode = false; var OBITm = "1276003897985"; var OB_langJS ='http://widgets.outbrain.com/lang_en.js'; if ( typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined' ) OutbrainStart(); else { var OB_Script = true; var str = ''; document.write(str); } adsonar_placementId=1341527;adsonar_pid=879768;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_zw=600;adsonar_zh=280;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com'; TheStreet Premium Services Compare All Services Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS: Now any level of investor can trade right alongside a Wall Street pro — and enjoy 24/7 access to his portfolio! 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