Vermont Pact Would Give Wal-mart Its 50th State  August 12,
1994|By Bloomberg Business News.  BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart
Stores Inc., the nation's retailing Goliath, is yielding to a
small town in a small state.  Wal-Mart operates 2,056 discount
stores across the U.S.-in every state except Vermont. But that
could change after an agreement reached this week to build a
75,000-square-foot store in St. Johnsbury, Vt.  That's small for
a new Wal-Mart, compared with its recent megastores of at least
100,000 square feet. The company also usually puts its stores on
the outskirts of towns and cities, but the first Vermont outlet
will be in downtown St. Johnsbury, pop. 10,000.  And just to
make sure the Green Mountain state is happy with Wal-Mart's
arrival, the store will have a section selling Vermont products
such as maple syrup, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and other food
specialties.  "Right now Vermont is the only reason why Wal-Mart
can't say it's in all 50 U.S. states," said Ken Stone, an
economics professor at the