Does everyone get a bargain

Over the course of 25 years, The Warehouse has grown from a single store in Auckland to a 128- strong national behemoth. In doing so, it has become New Zealand's largest retailer - and its ability to offer consumers a wide range of products at low prices has made it a national icon. But critics argue that this apparent success has come at the cost of significant economic and social problems. Laura Hubbard outlines these claims and assesses their validity by looking at research into similar arguments made about The Warehouse's US counterpart, Wal-Mart.