The Wal-Mart You Don't Know

In the December issue of Fast Company, we lead with a little-known look at Wal-Mart: how the big-box retailer affects the suppliers it works with -- and how partnering with the company can make or break a business.

Preservation magazine, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers a good parallel read in its November/December issue. Focusing more on the big box vs. small town narrative that most stories about Wal-Mart provide, the feature takes a look at Chestertown, Maryland, a historic burg that struggled against Wal-Mart's attempts to open a location bigger than the city's entire downtown -- and won.

Both pieces bookend to give a solid perspective on the outer -- and inner -- workings of the world's largest retailer.