Food Stamps 

Key to Wal-Mart Profits

For the first time, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is citing its dependence on customers using food stamps in order to maintain its revenues and profits.

Wal-Mart's annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission included a required cautionary statement which informs the public of factors that could harm future profitability, such as natural disaster and civil unrest; the public assistance inclusion was new. 

"Wal-Mart for the first time in its annual reports acknowledges that taxpayer-funded social assistance programs are a significant factor in its revenue and profits," according to the International Business Times. 

"This makes sense, considering that Wal-Mart caters to low-income consumers. 

But what's news here is that the company now considers the level of social entitlements given to low-income working and unemployed Americans important enough to underscore it in its cautionary statement."