Another pattern seen with Walmart is that of introducing drugs at lower prices than small franchise drug stores then hiking prices again after small competitors are out of business.
We have been customers of Walmart pharmacies for 30 years and that has not been true in the three small Texas towns we’ve lived in during that time. We are hoping they open a Walmart Heathcare Center close to us, since they will provide care that we cannot get within 40 miles of our rural community.
Something I learned 60 years ago BEFORE Walmart...
Small towns often had two of everything. Mom and Pop stores, two drug stores, two lumber yards, ect. The purpose was to show there was no monopoly in anything in town.
BUT, there were under the table hand shakes between the parties not to undercut each other on prices and keep the prices high. The local City Fathers also had a hand in it, keeping out more competition.
A few years back I was in California and noticed the difference between a local Walmart prices and a local grocery store prices on laundry detergent. The local grocery store price was DOUBLE the Walmart price.