In contrast to the government, Wal-Mart has been widely praised for its response to Hurricane Katrina — and a big reason why is because it was able to.
The chain’s scale has been an advantage in providing disaster relief.
The same sophisticated supply chain that turned the company into a widely feared competitor is being viewed as exactly what the waterlogged Gulf Coast needs.
Of course, if Wal-Mart’s critics had their way, that supply system would have consisted of hundreds or thousands more overpaid employees in an inefficient system. And the Gulf Coast would have been worse off.
