Draft rules may slow giant retailers

Proposed new rules could put a roadblock in the expansion plans of large retailers like Wal-Mart and Carrefour, the Wall Street Journal reported. Drafts of the rules are currently under review, but the State Council could release them later this year. If approved, large scale shopping outlets will be required to file detailed blueprints of new outlets and hold hearings on how communities would be affected, increasing expansion costs. Analysts said the move could put a hurdle in the major expansion plans of foreign operations, which expected a clear road ahead after the retail industry was liberalized in 2005, but the rules will apply to both foreign and domestic retailers.