Alameda County Sued by Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, is attempting to block a law in Alameda County aimed at keeping out so-called supercenters that sell groceries along with other merchandise.

Wal-Mart filed a lawsuit in Oakland over the law passed this month by the county supervisors. It prohibits stores larger than 100,000 square feet from devoting more than 10% of the floor to groceries and prescription drugs, the Bentonville, Ark.-based company said.

“This ordinance is anti-competitive and anti-consumer and the consumers of Alameda, our customers, deserve the right to choose where they are allowed to shop,” said Amy Hill, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, in the statement.

Wal-Mart faces opposition in California, where shoppers spent $301.6 billion in 2002 at retail stores, from towns that want to block large grocery stores they say undercut local merchants and create traffic problems.