Donald Adolf, mayor of La Quinta, Calif., cuts the ribbon on the first California supercenter operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark., during the store's grand opening in his town last week. The company said it plans to open 40 supercenters in California in the next three to four years. Wal-Mart's incursion into California was seen as an impetus behind the recently ended strike-lockout at Southern California supermarket chains (Page 1) because of the company's relatively low wages.
