"In Category Killers, veteran journalist Robert Spector argues that retail giants have done more than dramatically alter our buying experience. They've also ingeniously rewritten the retail playbook and, in the process, forever altered cultural and economic factors from traffic patterns and land-use legislation to taxation, migration, and employment." "Spector traces the rise and influence - for better and worse - of category killers from pioneer Toys "R" Us to Home Depot to Starbucks. He also examines the impact of warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club, and every retailer's ultimate nemesis, Wal-Mart. Based on decades of research and investigative reporting, Category Killers provides insights into the past, present, and future of retailing."--Jacket.