OREANDA-NEWS. Walmart Supercenters in California benefit communities by supporting additional job creation, small business growth and more robust sales tax revenues, according to a new economic impact report. The study was conducted by economist Lon Hatamiya of the Hatamiya Group and announced today by Walmart.

“I first launched this study in 2008 and found similar results,” said Lon Hatamiya. “I added an element to the current version by looking at communities without Walmart Supercenters and comparing the results. It’s clear that communities with a Walmart Supercenter experience overall positive economic benefits to a local economy when compared to a community without a Walmart Supercenter.”

The research revealed that on average California communities with Walmart Supercenters experience positive gains in taxable retail sales and an increase in the average number of retail business permits. What’s more, similar-sized communities in both northern and southern California without Walmart Supercenters either experienced a decline in average taxable retails sales or fell short when compared to a similar-sized community with a Walmart Supercenter. And in some cases, both occurred.

Key findings from the study include:

On average, California communities with Walmart Supercenters fared far better on taxable retail sales than those communities without Walmart Supercenters.

Total taxable retail sales in California communities with Walmart Supercenters increased by an average of 20.3% after the opening of those stores.
Total taxable retail sales in California communities without Walmart Supercenters decreased by an average of 11.7% over the same time period.
On average, California communities with Walmart Supercenters experienced even stronger gains in the number of retail business permits issued than those communities without Supercenters.
Total retail business permits in California communities with Walmart Supercenters increased by an average of 48.5% after the opening of those stores.
Total retail business permits in California communities without Walmart Supercenters also increased, but only by an average of 20.3% over the same time period.

“Walmart is focused on the facts when it comes to talking about our presence in a community and evidence shows that California communities win with Walmart, particularly in regions of the state that have fewer economic opportunities,” said Kim Sentovich, senior vice president of the Pacific Division for Walmart.