Welcome to the 40th installment of The Wal-Mart Weekly, a column dedicated to bringing you insight, wit, facts, results, opinions and just a bit of everything else when it comes down to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.
Last week, I looked at the "living wage ordinance" suggestion regarding Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and the level of pay and benefits the retailer supplies its employees with. A study out of the University of California (Berkeley) suggested that a tiny increase (1%, give or take) in the average bill of a Wal-Mart customer would be enough to give a decent chunk of pay to existing Wal-Mart employees at or near the poverty line.
Would most customers see the difference? Probably not -- but its employees would reap the benefits of small across-the-board price increase (in terms of total ticket). A plan like this would raise the standard of living for many thousands of Wal-Mart employees, concluded the study. But the question then comes back to: is Wal-Mart a private employer or a social pay and benefits company?
This week, I'll change gears a bit and delve into something entirely different -- private-label brands carried inside the world's largest retailer. Are some of its store brands in need of a refresh? You betcha.
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