Continue reading Wal-Mart drops laptop PC prices for back-to-school shoppers

Wal-Mart drops laptop PC prices for back-to-school shoppers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Can Wal-Mart keep its recession-era customers in the future?

Can Wal-Mart keep its recession-era customers in the future? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart, Bharti delay first India store opening

Wal-Mart, Bharti delay first India store opening originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 May 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 102nd 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has had one big, black eye in recent time that it just can't get away from: its relationship with labor. Wal-Mart's fiercest critics have pointed out many examples of the low pay, pricey health insurance, and low-end working conditions.

Are Wal-Mart workers really in that big of a bind, or does the largest retailer in the world have pay and benefit parity with all its competitors? When you're the biggest, you have the target painted on your back -- and Wal-Mart has been there for some time. However, the company has just announced a rather large bonus plan for its employees with a sizable target indeed: $2 billion dollars.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: $2 billion in bonuses coming to Wal-Mart employees

Wal-Mart Weekly: $2 billion in bonuses coming to Wal-Mart employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 101st 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has been the sole shining light at retail for over a quarter now as the recession deepens and retailers see huge slowdowns in spending. More customers have "traded down" to Wal-Mart to conserve cash while buying the basic necessities and the world's largest retailer has seen consistent growth as a result.

The company, in many ways, is doing what has always worked: marketing on value. The company can try as many upscale experiments as it wants, but it is and always will be the place where the masses shop for everything they can while saving every possible penny. But Wal-Mart is not resting on the value proposition alone from recent changes I've seen. The stores are getting cleaner, less cluttered, and easier to navigate. Yes, this is a big deal.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: More price rollbacks and clean, spacious stores

Wal-Mart Weekly: More price rollbacks and clean, spacious stores originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart and Dell team up to offer electronic health records to physicians

Wal-Mart and Dell team up to offer electronic health records to physicians originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 99th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has had a pretty good track record in clamping down on labor unionization inside its global contingent of stores. In North America, the retailer actually shut down the automotive department of a Canadian location after it unionized.

Will unions be able to ever crack the Wal-Mart barrier and sign up the retailer's employers to some kind of collective bargaining agreement? Wal-Mart's million-plus labor force would probably welcome union choice if it appeared in U.S. locations. The wages offered to many employees are not really in the realm of livable, and the retailer's critics have been extremely vocal about the company's growing sales and revenue -- even in this economy -- happening at the same time as employee wage stagnation.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Unions crop up again in the Free Choice Act

Wal-Mart Weekly: Unions crop up again in the Free Choice Act originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart's profit plans for 2009

Wal-Mart's profit plans for 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 97th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has always been about customer choice. The retailer has risen from the backwoods of Arkansas to the largest company in the world by providing the largest selection of products with the lowest arrangement of prices.

Would Wal-Mart drop incredibly popular items from its shelves -- and ones that sit near every checkout line in almost all its U.S. stores? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But, that is what has happened to many popular magazine titles, in what will really grate on the nerves of millions of customers in the coming months.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Your favorite magazines are going AWOL

Wal-Mart Weekly: Your favorite magazines are going AWOL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 95th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) continues to rack up sales as other retailers in general continue to see waning customer response and lower sales. This is not only due to the extreme downward turn the U.S. economy has taken recently, but those same customers are also flocking to anywhere that has the lowest price.

For category after category of products, Wal-Mart's reputation as a low-price leader has never wavered since its founding in the 1960s. Wal-Mart's "Save money. Live better" marketing slogan still hints at its status as "the discounter" of all discounters. It wants to save you money so you can spend it (of course) on other things that are important to you.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Is going small an idea for future growth?

Wal-Mart Weekly: Is going small an idea for future growth? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart opens Moscow office, eyes Russian market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 92nd 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.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has tried and failed in recent times. Tried to recruit a new legion of shoppers who don't make purchases on price alone and who crave environment and customized, tailored shopping experiences. Throughout 2007, these shoppers leaned more and more towards competitor Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT).

The tide changed with the financial and housing industry collapses in 2008 that brought many industries and consumers to their knees. As Wal-Mart probably knew all along, the only thing most of the U.S. consuming public cares about is price (although not many will admit it). It's reaping the rewards of growth as consumers pinch every penny they can and avoid much of retail like the plague. That is, except Wal-Mart.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Nothing in retail matters but low prices

Wal-Mart Weekly: Nothing in retail matters but low prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart settles $54 million worker lawsuit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 88th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a bit of an enigma these days: it's riding out the terrible U.S. economy in fine fashion as it grows sales and beats profit expectations. This is in the midst of one of the worst economies we've seen in a generation by some accounts.

The easy answer given by most on why Wal-Mart is excelling is due to its prevailing image of the low-cost leader. When times are tough, consumers want bargains and goods for next to nothing more than ever. Wal-Mart is more than happy to fulfill that need after a few years of trying to recruit other customer groups. Now, more than ever, all customer groups are searching for bargains, not just the prolific penny-pinchers. But what about holiday retail sales?

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Riding out the holiday sales season

Wal-Mart Weekly: Riding out the holiday sales season originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 86th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) recently unveiled a "fan website" of sorts. You know, the kind where raving customers and ardent fanatics of the world's biggest retailer can tell tales on how Wal-Mart saved their families with low prices and having everything under one roof.

Wal-Mart's critics are much more vocal about the retailer, however. From harping on about low-paying jobs to low-quality goods to employee treatment, it's not a rare event for Wal-Mart to be grilled on something 365 days a year. Regardless of any emotional or logical criticism about the retailer, the end-of-the-day results for Wal-Mart come packaged in how many customers it services consistently come back to shop. Let's take a look at that, shall we?

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart fights back against opponents

Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart fights back against opponents originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 85th 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.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has seen its share of ups and down in recent years. It has tried to change its strategy, brought more stores into its fold, had a hand at recruiting more customers from higher-margin spending segments and has eventually returned to its strength: supplying discounts on everything it sells to as many consumers as possible.

Where is Wal-Mart headed? Right now, in a straight line. I firmly believe that the world's largest retailer is in the best possible position to ride out the current global economic crisis better than any other company in any industry. Why? People won't stop eating and clothing themselves and their kids, while buying birthday cards and placemats. And, they want it as cheap as possible. Enter Wal-Mart.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart wary of economy, but should it be?

Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart wary of economy, but should it be? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 80th 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, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is under fire for alleged major human rights violations in some of its Bangladesh factories. Although global manufacturers have often come under fire for slave labor conditions in PacRim-area factories, could this really apply to a retailer? After all, a retailer is a distributor, not a manufacturer.

In most cases, this is true -- but not when it comes to Wal-Mart. According to a SweatFree Communities report, Wal-Mart workers in Bangladesh were made to work 19-hour days while being paid $20/month. Sounds like a raw deal, so let's take a look.

Continue reading The Wal-Mart Weekly: Retailer accused of sweatshop conditions in Bangladesh

The Wal-Mart Weekly: Retailer accused of sweatshop conditions in Bangladesh originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 78th 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, let's take a look at a major initiative by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) to cut down on the amount of plastic shopping bags it provides. Wal-Mart has made itself part of the "green" movement in recent years, from being the leader in sales of CFL-type lighting to natural-gas powered fleet vehicles to the sale of items made from recycled materials.

But still, it doles out tens of millions (that's a conservative estimate) of plastic bags every single month, most of which probably end up in landfills. In my area, plastic bags are not accepted as recycled even though there is the recycling mark on them. In some counties, only specific kinds of plastic are accepted for recycling. Thus, just making something recyclable does not mean it will be or can be. How should Wal-Mart assist in this effort? Read on.

Continue reading The Wal-Mart Weekly: The elimination of plastic shopping bags

The Wal-Mart Weekly: The elimination of plastic shopping bags originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 76th 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.'s (NYSE: WMT) apparent unwillingness to lower gasoline prices along with the thousands of other price rollbacks on its store shelves. In fact, a possible price hike was on tap for the retailer's Murphy USA gas stations just last week in Texas as thousands of residents were urged to evacuate their homes as Hurricane Ike roared towards the U.S. shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico.

As oil barrel prices dropped last week and hurricane situation became worse and worse for South Texas, Wal-Mart gas stations saw a $0.12 per gallon price increase in less than 12 hours. On the day the official call was made for South Texas residents to flee their homes, gas was raised another $0.10 per gallon. While Murphy USA is the actual gas provider (not Wal-Mart itself), how could such a drastic increase in such a precarious position come to pass? The evacuating folks sure were not given a break on this one. In fact, the word "gouging" comes to mind. Was it really that severe?

Continue reading The Wal-Mart Weekly: No rollback on gas prices

The Wal-Mart Weekly: No rollback on gas prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Welcome to the 72nd 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 delving into Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT)'s decision earlier this year to jettison many hundreds of magazines from its shelves in order to thin out its reading offerings inside its stores. But, more importantly, what's going on regarding magazines in its Asda division in the UK? Is Wal-Mart trying to extend its reach just a bit too far? It tried similar tactics back in January -- so why again in August?

Ever since the 1990s, Wal-Mart has been a powerful force in American retailing as the Supercenter concept starting taking root in metro areas throughout the U.S. As the retailer became the dominant discounter, it brushed aside the competition just dirt under a rug.

Of course, along with powerful growth comes powerful opposition. I like to draw comparisons to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), when it comes to Wal-Mart. Microsoft has its operating system that has standardized a complete personal computer industry under one umbrella and became the de-facto standard that, more than anything, revolutionized the computer industry. For Wal-Mart, its relentless pursuit of finding lower prices and passing those savings on to the consumer made it become the largest retailer in the world.

Continue reading The Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart needs more profits from the magazine aisle

The Wal-Mart Weekly: Wal-Mart needs more profits from the magazine aisle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.