[vineetch]

Domination by large corporations in commodity products isn't necessarily a bad thing. It leaves the brightest & most ambitious entrepreneurs to solve more complex issues. In 2015, should an ambitious 25 year old create a new pizza shop or try to create a new tech or bio-medical research company? The examples I provided are up for debate, but the fact that our basic needs (food, clothes, home improvement) are taken care of by the Walmart & Home-Depots of the world might not be such a bad thing. Just aim higher on society's hierarchy of needs.

[cylinder]

Didn't say that it was. I like most chain stores actually, far better than mom and pops. However, it is diminishing opportunities for a lot of people, and immigrants especially. My main point of concern is access to capital -- certain people can raise easily without merit, simply by way of personal networks. Others can't. This is a source of inequality.

[nmandel]

Agreed; there's a massive difference between the capital needed to start something like a pizza shop, as compared to the resources necessary to start a web startup. Sadly, the larger companies have such strong roots that starting a traditional mom-and-pop shop is much more daunting now.