According to a New York Times report in 2005, Costco was paying its employees 42 percent more per hour than Walmart at that time, while offering lower prices than other establishments. According to an Op-Ed published in response, an academic study showed that Walmart entering a market decreased prices in rural areas by 8 percent and in urban areas by 5 percent. This resulted in consumer savings of approximately $16 billion per year, primarily in rural locations and primarily for customers who, according to the analysis of the Op-Ed writers, need the most help. As far as you can judge by these reports, were Costco and Walmart being true to their mission statements