Welcome to the 67th 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 to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.

This week, I'll be taking a look at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) entry into the world of locally grown produce and fresh food. The world's largest retailer has already conquered mass-produced food and produce (and fresh meat products), so why not enter the domain of locally grown food to find growth?

Finding ways to support local growers is never a bad way to ingratiate oneself into a community and find more avid fans of your operation. Wal-Mart has never shied away from strategies geared to grow its user base, and with the retailer in good fortunes now with the U.S. economy in a slump, it's never been a better time to find unique ways to grow. Can it succeed, though?

You would think that companies making standalone GPS devices would be making bank right now. The devices that never let you get lost when driving are important to many travelers, especially when you don't want to fumble with maps, let alone get lost and waste a bunch of expensive gas getting back on track. Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), one of the leading GPS makers, though, has seen tough times recently. Its shares have declined 56% recently. Why I'm not sure. I do know that it has nothing to do with Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iPhone that's about to be released in a few weeks.

Apple's new 3G iPhone will have embedded GPS, which will make the gadget all the more useful. Regardless, though, will consumers be using their iPhones as replacements for full GPS devices in all those vehicles? Unless there is a decent vehicle mount kit available, it's hard to believe so. The iPhone does have the best chance at displacing more units from Garmin and other GPS makers like TomTom in the car navigation arena, but the entire GPS experience is what some folks probably forget about.

If you've ever used a GPS navigation program installed on a normal cellphone or smartphone, does it works seamlessly like a standalone product? Can you take and make calls while the GPS continues working in the background, giving you all those voice directions? What makes standalone GPS devices so valuable is that they work even when we're multitasking with phone calls. That's the kicker: the first time you miss a direction by voice because you're busy chatting on the phone, a GPS solution on top of a cellphone -- at least for driving purposes -- would become useless to the average consumer. I doubt Apple's upcoming solution will be this drab, but I continue to see a bright future for standalone GPS device manufacturers (although profits will continue to dwindle). Apple, as always, is not the only game in town. It will still be big for non-driving GPS uses, though.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) said yesterday that it would be changing the logo at its U.S. locations by this fall. The current logo, which is simply the company's name with red lines above and below it, has been in use since 1992.

Wal-Mart continues to integrate the slogan "Save Money. Live Better" into everything it does. That saying is the retailer's current tagline, and even the announcement of the logo change mentions this: "This logo update is simply a reflection of the refreshed image of our stores and our renewed sense of purpose of helping people save money so they can live better." If that isn't a pre-scripted message from the corporate underbelly, I don't know what is.

It appears that the hyphen will be going away in the company's name-based logo. The hyphen was replaced a long time ago by the star anyway, so it's a moot point. According to rumors reported by the WSJ, the new logo will show the retailer's name in white letters on an orange background, followed by a small starburst. I guess orange is less confrontational than blue? Anyway, the image makeover of the retailer's logo comes at a good time. Sometimes breaking the mold and starting over can implant a new image in the mind of the consumer, and if all that is required is a logo change (and the millions of changes on signage it will require), so be it.

Best Buy Inc.'s (NYSE: BBY) Chief Operating Officer made a pretty strong pledge this week. Brian Dunn suggested that the largest consumer electronics retailer in the U.S. would double its sales to $80 billion within five years. This has an eerie air about it, as it sounds much like Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) then-CEO Kevin Rollins many years ago. While Dell's ambitious goal didn't really pan out nearly as nice, Best Buy has a much better proposition to get to its goal.

Dunn's announcement at the retailer's annual shareholder's meeting this week was backed up by the fact that Best Buy has already doubled in size from 2003 to 2008. Its sales went from $20 billion to $40 billion in that five-year period. Keep in mind that one of Best Buy's chief competitors, Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CC), is basically on the ropes hanging on for dear life. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is Best Buy's largest competitor, but it doesn't carry near the breadth of actual consumer electronic products that Best Buy does. This positioning still leaves Best Buy free to navigate to $80 billion by 2013. But, doubling every five years is no easy task, and especially in the consumer spending environment we're in now.

What is fascinating is that Best Buy apparently controls only about 20% of the consumer electronics market, and about 30% of retail PC sales in the U.S. Combine those low numbers with Best Buy's very aggressive international expansion and partnerships and it's easy to see that $80 billion in annual sales is already being attacked. Will it get there? We'll be checking -- all the way to 2013.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is having a good run right now. The world's largest retailer is seeing profit and revenue growth as consumers seek shelter from hue increases in energy and commodity costs and into the retailer's waiting arms. Make no mistake about it -- it's due to "low prices" more than any love for Wal-Mart in general.

But, should you be buying shares of Wal-Mart and dumping shares of financial institutions and banks that are behind the subprime mortgage mess that still plagues the U.S. today? Is the worst behind us in terms of the hundreds of billions of writedowns and losses due to the mortgage implosion? Some investors seem to think so, and they're buying finance stocks again and not going hog wild on stocks that are benefiting directly form consumers trying to save money. Remember, the consumer economy runs the U.S. economy, not the other way around.

For example, shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) have perked up 10% in a little over a week after hitting their lowest level in five years. Is the rise an anomaly, or are bank stocks seeing the light? The market seems to think that March was the "bottom" and that bank stocks (particularly Goldman's) are "near the end instead of the beginning" in terms of working their way back to a solid valuation instead of hitting 52-week lows. This is not to say that Wal-Mart's share rally in 2008 is over by any means, but its shares are trading near four-year highs. Expectations are for WMT shares to peak above $62 soon. Are you shorting?

Welcome to the 64th 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 to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.

This week, I'll be examining how Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has an effect on the American economy that's easily contrasted against the inability of the U.S. government these days to control inflation.

It seems odd that a single nongovernment entity could be responsible for single-handedly controlling prices in such a way that could be interpreted as controlling inflation, but that's just what a recent Forbes article claimed. Is it true? Let's find out.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is taking steps to eliminate the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPQA) from plastic products on its shelves due to safety concerns. Products containing the chemical are no longer available on store shelves. Previously, they were marked as such to give consumers the choice to purchase BPA-free products. Now, BPA products are gone for good.

The chemical, which is used to make plastic products shatter-proof, is used in baby bottles and water bottles, among other products. Although the FDA has not officially banned BPA from consumer products, several powerful consumer groups have disagreed

While some retailers speak of removing products that contain controversial chemicals or ingredients, it's refreshing to see the world's largest retailer leading the charge on this one. Also joining Wal-Mart in banning BPA products from shelves will be children's toy retailer Toys R Us.

Although this ban was officially announced by Wal-Mart in April, it's great to see the world's largest retailer act on it so quickly. If this is the kind of response to "consumer demand" that makes changes happen, it's impressive to see a compressed timeframe on a consumer safety issue like this one.

Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) has done an admirable job of taking back control of its sales in recent quarters. After getting stomped by Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) in the last 18 months, the Round Rock, Texas company has installed itself in over 10,000 retail locations across the U.S. and in other countries and has started growing its marketshare back. Gone are the days of the direct-only business; in are the days of a multi-channel selling model. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dell's laptop PC sales.

The company has taken back the number two spot in global laptop PC sales from Taiwan's Acer by growing its marketshare for such products to 15.1% of all global laptop PC sales as of its last quarter. In addition, that figures includes a whopping 45% growth in its year-over-year laptop PC shipments. It's amazing what a few quarters and retail availability can do to one's laptop PC sales, yes?

Dell is making steady process to see if it can inch back into leading quarterly PC sales on a global basis with HP, but it won't be easy. The Palo-Alto competitor just announced more than 50 new products this week (its biggest launch ever within that segment), and many of the newly-announced products are new consumer laptop PC designs. HP, the current king of the laptop PC hill with over 35% of the market, won't give up that spot -- or even a single marketshare point -- easily. But then again, Dell's efforts so far have shown great results. the race to the top of the laptop sales world is on.

Welcome to the 63rd 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 to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.

This week, I'll be examining the just-completed annual shareholder's meeting that took place for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) yesterday. After I covered last year's meeting live, this year's meeting seemed to be quite different from all aspects.

Mostly, the timing of the recession (yes, I said it) this year has helped bolster Wal-Mart's most recent sales figures and gave it reason to give itself much self-congratulatory praises. Wal-Mart, despite recent efforts to cater to anyone other than the bargain-seeking shopper, went back to its one core strength this year: offering the lowest prices on everything it can.

Best Buy, Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is rolling out a complete consumer electronics recycling program at 117 of its stores across the U.S. If all goes well and consumers start bringing in old televisions, microwaves and dishwashers, the retailer may expand the program nationwide to all stores. Best Buy states that more than two million tons of electronics are thrown in the trash each year. The small part it could play would make an impact on the amount of electronics that end up in landfills.

That sentiment is all nice and mighty, but don't think for a second there won't be an incentive to purchase that replacement piece of electronics right there on the spot as you're unloading your old console television. Best Buy has a knack for neat programs that have the end goal of driving more foot traffic into its stores, and this one is no different. This time, though, the benefits right up front equal less electronics contamination in landfills.

When many consumer electronics recycled products are shipped overseas to be "demanufactured" in unsafe conditions (then dumped into local landfills), Best Buy's effort to have its recycling partners actually recycle all the parts possible from all the products received in is admirable. If the retailer really wants to make an impact, give the customer 10% off a new piece of equipment for recycling that old microwave, then really watch the customers line up.

As Doug reported on earlier, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is searching feverishly for a possible CEO to lead the company that will be created when it spins off its cellphone division. The only problem is that the candidates aren't just lining up for this one. Respected turnaround executive Todd Bradly said yesterday he would not be leaving his post as Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) for the top job at Motorola. And this is from a guy who has made a habit of taking the reigns of troubled companies and turning them around very successfully.

It's hard to completely understand why Motorola's cellphone division went from shining start just a few years ago to a complete and total mess. Former CEO Ed Zander blames former cellphone division head Ron Garriques, who bolted for Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) in January 2007 just as Motorola's long slide down to insignificance and missed profits was just beginning to take hold. Did Garriques time his exit almost perfectly? It sure seems that way, but the mess that he left behind was either his own doing or was partly the fault (if not completely) of Zander, who ended up resigning under pressure as a result.

It's hard to see how Motorola can completely turn around its cellphone business, even if that part is indeed spun off into a separate company. It's a textbook story of how, within just a few years, a company can go from best to worst as it misfired on about every possible front. It's been in a rut before, such as the 1990s when it missed the transition to digital cellphones and gave up tons of marketshare to rival Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK). This will be a lot harder for someone to fix, although it's a massive and unique opportunity. If Bradley won't bite, though, who will?

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Vodafone Group Plc (NYSE: VOD) and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ), is in talks to acquire Alltel Corp. in a deal valued at about $27B, the Wall Street Journal reported. If successful, the combined companies would create the largest cellphone company, and would be better positioned to compete against AT&T Inc (NYSE: T).
• Gregory B. Penner, the son-in-law of Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE: WMT) chairman S. Robson Walton, is expected to join the company's board of directors, a move seen as the beginning of a leadership change at the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• The Financial Times reported that Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek refused to provide funds to Bear Stearns shortly before Bear's sale to JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM). Temasek reportedly refused the request for practical and political reasons.
• Russia's Interior Ministry questioned the head of BP Plc's (NYSE: BP) Russian oil venture as part of a criminal investigation into possible large-scale tax evasion, the Financial Times reported.

Next week's annual shareholder's meeting in Fayetteville should once again be more spectacle that business.Last year, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) seemed to spend more money lining up speakers, having pieces of its global operations dance with flags and having a pep rally rather that digging into issues.This year, expect the same -- as the retailer has already opposed all the shareholder proposals anyway, so it should be a nice, big party full of entertainment. Nothing else.

But Wal-Mart is enhancing one of its corporate messages this year: the way shareholders vote on the proposals. The annual report this year will include less pages and will be printed on lighter, recycled paper with Wal-Mart's investor relations website printed on it to direct shareholders there for further reading. This is an area where Wal-Mart can afford to be not so green. If you're like me, you may prefer annual reports on printed paper. Call me old fashioned, but a highlight marker, a quiet desk and a good reading light comprise the best environment for reading an annual shareholder report.

Wal-Mart, of course, defended its action to sway more shareholders to its IR website for the full annual report by stating that "we're glad that an increasing number of our shareholders worldwide have joined us in that effort ... by filing their proxy ballots electronically." Seems there is little choice for the alternative to me. If you're interested, head over here and read the proxy statement. If you're a shareholder, you can go ahead and vote on the web as well. Put away the highlighter, though.

Welcome to the 62nd 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 to a very hot topic these days: Wal-Mart.

This week, I'll be examining the extended warranty practices practiced by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT). In the mood to see how consistent the retailer's extended warranties were, I visited no less than three Wal-Mart locations this week to determine what kind of policy existed in the one product category where extended warranties really count: consumer electronics.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is being sued by a computer accessory company over its use of the name "Mighty Mouse." No -- it's not CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) suing the computer maker due to its pilfering of a name for a cartoon character, but an accessory maker. Oh wait -- CBS is being sued, too. Oh, the insanity.

A company names "Man and Machine" (droll, yes?) is suing CBS for licensing the term Might Mouse to Apple for use in its iMac computers. The Mighty Mouse, if you have not seen it, is a very neat concept on the standard computer mouse. It has two buttons that you can't see (but which react due to pressure), and a small trackball meant to be used by the computer user's index finger.

The beef is that Man and Machine already uses the term Mighty Mouse for some waterproof and chemical-resistent computer mice it sells to labs and hospitals. Since there is some confusion here about consumers or hospital users using one Mighty Mouse or the other (yes, I'm kidding), it seems to me that this case has no merit.

Although the term in question is used by a computer mouse maker, the market which it serves is vastly different and disconnected from Apple's consumer and business focus for its same-named computer mouse. I wonder if the court will see it that way? Apple won't settle this one, and it shouldn't.