Stop the presses!

I can say that, I work at a newspaper. What would prompt such a declaration?

The NY Times publishing a positive piece about Walmart, that's what. Courtesy of Marshall, here is a look at something positive coming out of Bentonville, Arkansas (of course, we already knew there were plenty of positives; it's the rest of the world that struggles to keep up):

RIGHT or wrong, it has somehow become conventional wisdom: Wal-Mart is bad for small businesses, outspending, outmaneuvering and outgrowing lesser rivals until they change their strategy or close their doors.

But for Sparky Electronics, a family-owned store in California that sells hard-to-find watch batteries and record-player needles, Wal-Mart is more ally than enemy, more lifeline than threat.

The 43-year-old store, which has a loyal customer base of handymen and contractors, wanted a Web site to reach consumers beyond its home in Fresno. But the big technology companies wanted up to $1,000 for a simple site, far more than the owner, Cheryl Cook, was willing to pay.

Then there was Wal-Mart. For $100, the retailer helped create sparkyelectronics.com, complete with the icon that sits above its store, an oversize electrified cartoon character. "The nice thing was that it did not cost us an arm and a leg," Ms. Cook said.

For thousands of independently owned convenience stores, restaurants and hair salons, the nation's largest — and most feared — retailer also happens to be a business partner. Through its Sam's Club division, a chain of 570 club stores, Wal-Mart helps them process credit-card transactions, build Web sites, pay employees and take out loans, all at bargain prices.

Erstwhile Walmart assassin Michael Barbaro goes on to discuss the PR campaign-in-waiting that is this new Walmart strategy:

At a time when Wal-Mart is under assault by critics for, among other things, driving mom-and-pop stores out of business, Sam's looms as a relatively untapped public relations success story.

But that may be about to change. Wal-Mart's unusual plan to offer training to small businesses in urban areas where it wants to build stores, announced last month, will rely on the expertise of Sam's Club, which has provided such support to its members for two decades, executives said.

And Wal-Mart says marketing for Sam's Club, which has traditionally focused on its low prices and the good works of its blue-smocked employees, will soon focus on its relationship with small businesses.

It is a relationship that the company has invested heavily in. Sam's Club has exclusive hours for small businesses (7 a.m. to 10 a.m., five days a week), a designated online ordering system for small businesses (order by 5 p.m., pick up anytime the next day) and a team of sales representatives who even make house calls to small businesses.

Sam's Club is not the only warehouse club store to pursue small businesses — Costco offers services like health care and Web site development, too — but Sam's is the first to put those customers at the center of its business plan and marketing strategy. Its slogan: "In business for small business."

We can attest to this, personally. In late 2004 my wife took over operations of the gift shop at the Crowne Plaza hotel she worked for in North Central Phoenix. The prior operator's lease was up and the hotel elected not to renew, rather taking back control of the operation. Management obviously believed there was more money in sales than collecting rent.

For six months my wife operated the new space (the shop was moved into a smaller space directly off the lobby) as though it were her own business, given total autonomy by the GM. The only guideline: show a profit.

Where does a shopkeeper go to stock up on gift items, food and snack concessions, touristy chotchkies and the like without breaking the bank? That last phrase being key, as the hotel never authorized payments in advance for stocking the shop. Everything came out of our pocket, later reimbursed by the hotel.

The answer consisted of a few places, the major contributors being--you guessed it--Sam's Club and even the neighboring Walmart on occasion. The reasons are clear as Barbaro illustrates: ...small-business owners are ideal shoppers. They consume more merchandise and earn more money than the average consumer. The average household income of a Sam's Club member is $72,000, says Scarborough Research, compared with about $45,000 for a Wal-Mart shopper.

Sam's Club, started by Sam Walton, the Wal-Mart founder, in 1983 (the year Costco opened), relies on a simple model: buy and sell products in bulk, charge little more than the original cost and earn profits from annual membership fees.

Like I said, we already knew there were a lot of good things coming out of Bentonville, Arkansas. Nice to see Michael joining the party, late or not.