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Walmarts Latest Move to Crush the CompetitionWalmart loves to shock and awe. City-size stores, absurdly low prices ($8 jeans!) and everything from milk to Matchbox toys on its shelves. And with the recession forcing legions of stores into bankruptcy, the worlds largest retailer now apparently wants to take out the remaining survivors.Thus, the company is in the beginning stages of a massive store and strategy remodeling effort, which it has dubbed Project Impact. One goal of Project Impact is cleaner, less cluttered stores that will improve the shopping experience. Another is friendlier customer service. A third: home in on categories where the competition can be killed. Theyve got Kmart ready to take a standing eight-count next year, says retail consultant Burt Flickinger III, managing director for Strategic Resources Group and a veteran Walmart watcher. Same with Rite Aid. Theyve knocked out four of the top five toy retailers, and are now going after the last one standing, Toys R Us. Project Impact will be the catalyst to wipe out a second round of national and regional retailers. (See 10 things to buy during the recession.)Though thats bad news for many smaller businesses that cant compete, Walmart investors have clamored for this push. Despite the companys consistently strong financial performance, Wall Street hasnt cheered Walmarts growth rates. During the 1990s, the companys stock price jumped 1,173%. In this decade, its down around 24% (Walmarts stock closed at $51.74 per share on Sept. 3). Walmart is under excruciating pressure from employees and frustrated institutional investors to get the stock up, says Flickinger. (Read Can Toys R Us Sell Toilet Paper?)Many analysts believe that the store-operations background of new CEO Mike Duke will keep investors quite happy. Though the recession finally caught up to Walmart last quarter, when the company reported a 1.2% drop in U.S. same-store sales, Walmart was a consistent winner during the worst days of the finan