Go to Yahoo, or any of the fine financial sites available, and chart the performance of Wal-Mart v. Costco over the past twenty years. Costco stock has seen a 500% gain. Wal-Mart has seen a 1500% gain. You will note, however, that Costco is gaining at a faster clip over the past five years. That's because consumers eventually get tired of the status quo. K-Mart got it's fanny kicked by Wal-Mart. Now, Wal-Mart is seeing increased competition from Target, Costco, etc. Eventually, Wal-Mart will be in decline and find themselves in trouble, just as K-Mart was before their restructuring. Consumers always want something new and bold. Above all, they want to save money. Sam Walton had a new idea and it worked. It saved Americans trillions of dollars, and made many, many people wealthy....but sooner or later, someone will come along with a better idea. That's what's great about America. Wal-Mart doesn't HAVE to do what Costco does, and you're free to shop at Costco or Wal-Mart.