This is another great observation Brian. You do well.Let me add that WMT closed down .37cents and Target closed down -$2.39 for a change. I don't know why but someone does. I close with my opinion I give often:fire Lee(wennie fuzz) Scott and buy out Rob Walton and watch things get better. But what do I know?

Sales are up but I see no mention of net operating profit? If they bought revenue with deep discounts it will hurt when it comes time to post earnings.

I used to be one of those loyal Wal Mart customers. They had good prices on quality products, all in one place. The only thing now is the quality. Used to be able to rely on what you bought there. Now, more often than not, its lowest quality junk.

If Wal-Mart is buying up a lot of smaller stores which will offer lower prices for Chinese merchandise, we'll all just have to become label readers so that we're not taken in by junk and 'food' that we don't want in our homes. Hint: where is the chicken used by Campbell's and Swanson's
"manufactured"?

I am retired, the company I retired from beat me out of my retirement and my 401k so my income is small. I buy what I need at Wal-Mart and save enough that I can eat and buy my medications for the month. If I purchased what I need from any other store I would have to give up my meds or quit eating, NOT, I would have to give up my meds, I like to eat, so thank you Wal-Mart for the food on my table.

I use to do all my buying at Walmart, then they went to Super Walmart and it has gotten so bad that I buy maybe thirty dollars worth a month. They would have their employees cleaning under the gondoylas in the grocery section at 10:00 Saturday morning, you could not get down the aisles. They would have two employees stocking the freezer section from one large pallet so you could not get down that aisle. By the time you finally got to the checkout counters you had a 30 minute wait, at least. They had no dress code for their employees, jeans would be around the guys butts, hickeys all over their necks, tattoos everywhere, see thru blouses, low cut tops, etc. Children would be riding bikes down the aisles, throwing balls back and forth, kids running into you thru out the store. No one cared, especially their employees. I am not saying this happens at every Walmart, but in my town, this is it. I now do most of my shopping at Target, their come on items or the lowest prices are not worth it to me. Sam Walton would be terribly disappointed if he saw what was going on with Walmart now.

I love Walmart. I go into the store aware that they might not have the lowest price of a particular item, but I'm loyal to the store and willing to lose 46 cents with the knowledge that the item I want will be there.
Walmart should continue to advertise lowest prices. It's worked so far....why change?

I hate Walmart! ..but, sadly, I shop there because It's closest to me and cheap. It's filthy, the parking is a rat race, there are times I have stood in line to check out for over 2 hours (post Katrina during the holidays), it offers little to no Organic produce, and overall I always leave feeing angry that I just had to spend my time there. Sometimes I travel over an hour away to shop elsewhere when I can afford the time and money difference.

If WalMart keeps lowering prices as they advertise they do, then why isn't anything free?

To Nancy
I don't know where you live, but that Walmart should be reported if what you say is true. It's a shame you stopped shopping there. I think Target is too expensive.

As the Chinese ships dock full of goods, and return with scrap iron and other worthless items for ballast, the trade deficit soars. I personally will pay a little extra to shop somewhere other than Wal-Mart based on principle, not on price.

Rural towns are becoming nothing more than whistle stops on train lines as downtown areas dry up and die because of the SuperCenter down the road. I'm all for capitalism, but at what cost?

Chinese products are becoming less safe every day as they apply third world standards to products coming to our shores. They then threaten to dump our currency and ruin our economy if we retaliate. What is the solution?

As retailer of 50+ years, Costco has greater values comparing dollars and quality without the "low price" logos.

Speaking of strategy shift, Good Morning America did a segment on Wal-mart's strategies this morning. As a long-term Wal-mart shopper, here in the southeast they definitely have lower prices than Target or Kmart. I don't think that shifting strategies to a smaller store is going to increase profit margins that greatly, simply for the fact that more and more middle to low income families can hardly to afford to shop anywhere else. If what Good Morning America reported is true, the "back to basics" route that Wal-mart is supposedly hyping up their store managers for, will do much more good for both the company and the average American family than any sort of personalized customizable shopping experience.

Wal-mart may have cheap prices now... but watch out... I was in wal mart a couple of weeks ago and the sign on the self said $3.69 and when I got to the check out.... mmmmmm it suddenly became $4.69.... that's a rip off and a way for the company to make you think that you are getting a bargain when you are not.... watch those cash register receipts.... also... when they take over .... look out you will have higher prices and lower quality in food and other merchandise... walmart was built on made in america products... Thanks for reading this

I love walmart but i dont shop there like i use to because on there dum part they took out there layaway stupid stupid stupid, that is by far the only way that alot of people can shop for christmas birthdays so on. why they would ever do that and yeah me too go alot to target or kholes so wal mart i hope you enjoy this christmas with a failer to bring down the house see ya

Wal-mart, will not allow employees to stop "out of control children" , they would rather pay a law suit, than offend the childs uncareing parent. Too bad for the customer who comes there to do a little quite shopping. No such thing. I have seen parents allow thier children to, climb displays, chew on toys, then put them back, pee on the floors, discard unwanted foods on and in displays. too many things to mention. And Wal-MART will do nothing to stop it. Not to mention the cheap shody stuff that comes from china.

WAL-MART SAID "IF WE DON'T HAVE IT WE'LL GET IT "
THIS IS NOT TRUE !! I'M BEEN TRING TO GET COFFEE THAT NOT HANDLE HERE IN MICH. BUT IS CARRIED IN GA,FL. AT OTHER WALMART STORES DOWN SOUTH BUT NOT HANDLE HERE IN THE NORTH. THE BRAND IS CAFE PILON IN REG OR DECAFE. TWICE WAS TOLD THEY CAN GET IT - BUT NOW BEING TOLD WAL-MAKE WON'T APPROVE OF IT !! MORE OF THE SAME THING, JUST BUNCH OF BS . PEOPLE GET TIRED OF THIS. I CAN SEE WHY WAL-MART IS LOOSEING GROUND ON THE MARKER

WALMART IS CHEAPER THAN TARGET OR K-MARK BUT I DONT LIKE SHOPPING WALMART ANY MORE BECAUSE IT's no more layaways.

Wal-Mart can get away with their low prices because they take money from their employees on a regular basis. Using"cost of living" guidlines that they themselves establish. They make money from the government when they hire people that recieve government assistance. Christmas is their fav time of year because they hire many of these people, then after 6 months(the required time to get money from the government), they are simply let go(layed off). I have seen people get layed off on Christmas Eve. Thank God my former employer re-hired me after Wal-Mart treated me like yesterday's newspaper!

I'm not impressed with Wal-Mart. It has caved into the demands of unrepentant socialists in Southern California, and the result is that the nearest Wal-Mart to me (in Burbank) without going to El Barrio is 22 miles away (Porter Ranch.)

Combine that with the fact that Wal-Mart's prices are NOT the lowest, and why should I shop there? Oh, sure, their prices are lower than "standard retail"...but who shops standard retail anymore? Their food items are just as expensive as every other grocery store, often moreso (see Milk, Orange Juice, Eggs) and their entertainment items are the same as Best Buy/Circuit City "on sale."

Combine that with the fact that EVERYTHING is cheaper "on the internet", and those items can be delivered to your door, often for free, and how can that be a "deal" to go to Wal-Mart? Harry Potter is a perfect example. Price at Wal-Mart: $17 and change. Price on Amazon.com: $17 and change. Buy $25 and shipping is free, and Amazon guaranteed to have the book on your doorstep the day of release.

Wal-Mart has also been raising prices by nickels and dimes for the last four years. It's annoying.