US retailer starts wage war as competitors prepare to increase payAfter decades of shop floor and political campaigning, US retailers are finally finally beginning to increase their minimum wages. While the increase is benefiting millions of workers across the country, its driving force is market competition.Walmart’s decision last week to increase the wages of 500,000 staff to at least $9 (£5.80) an hour – $1.75 above the federal minimum – from April comes as retailers are struggling to find and retain good entry-level employees.