Wal-Mart says rival might be too big

The Chicago Tribune has a man bites dog story.Wal-Mart says one of its' rivals is too big:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the retail giant infamous for crushing competitors and putting mom-and-pop retailers out of business, is now worried that its British rival might be too big.

H. Lee Scott Jr., Wal-Mart's chief executive, told a London newspaper last week that British authorities should be concerned about a retail chain having too much market clout.

Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket, has a 30% share of the food market and is expanding fast, thanks in part to an aggressive discounting program. Wal-Mart-owned Asda Group Ltd., Britain's second-largest retail chain, controls 16% of the market.

"As you get over 30% and higher, I am sure there is a point where government is compelled to intervene, particularly in the U.K., where you have the planning laws that make it difficult to compete," Scott told the Times of London, adding that "at some point, the government has to look at it."

No we didn't make this up.