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.

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.

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.

Welcome to the 61st 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.

After examining two big sets of related shareholder resolutions for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE: WMT) annual shareholder meeting coming up in June in the past few weeks, we'll depart this week from that path.

I'll be examining one of Wal-Mart's newest websites, what it means and what (on earth) it'll have in terms of an impact on Wal-Mart customers. And, I'll ask one large question: why doesn't the world's largest retailer use its stores as a freely available advertising venue to let its customers know what it has available online? Let's examine, shall we?

Welcome to the 60th 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.

In this Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll continue my column from last week and take a look at another of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE: WMT) annual shareholder meeting proposals.

Last year, I covered Wal-Mart's annual shareholder's meeting live from the show floor last year, where all 11 shareholder proposals were easily and soundly defeated. Will it be the same this year? We'll find out in about three weeks. Last week I covered something very pertinent to the season -- political contributions. This week, it'll be something more close to the heart of many individual -- and institutional -- shareholders: executive compensation.

Welcome to the 59th 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.

In this week's Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll begin a multi-part column that takes a look inside some of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE: WMT) annual shareholder meeting proposals. As many of you may know, Wal-Mart's annual shareholder's meeting happens in early June, about a month from now.

I covered it live from the show floor last year, where all 11 shareholder proposals were easily and soundly defeated. Nothing new here, as Wal-Mart's board has a habit of glossing past many proposals that would give its shareholders a glimpse into its internal operations.

So, let's start off by looking at a shareholder proposal that asks for more public visibility into Wal-Mart's political donations. This is a great question for the retailer, and one would think that if Wal-Mart has nothing to hide, it would open the transparency book to answer this proposal. We'll only know in a month when the meeting actually happens, but we'll consider what the retailer could do in this column. Visit this link to get a rundown on Wal-Mart's SEC Form 14A for its upcoming shareholder's meeting, and then join me after the break.

Welcome to the 58th 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's Wal-Mart Weekly looks at the moves the world's largest retailer is making to actually slow its growth. When one thinks of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) -- or any other retailer -- the term growth always seems to come to mind. That's what Wall Street's short-sighted investors fret about every day, although by its nature this kind of focus keeps most public companies trying to plan for the future while appeasing the market makers.

How about actually trying to slow down growth? There is a lot to be said for "disciplined growth" and growing at a rate that fits the general retail landscape and economy of the countries in which you're operating. Would -- gasp -- Wal-Mart ever want to temper its growth and actually slow things down a bit? Perhaps.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is purging bottles made from the controversial material bisphenol A (BPA) from its shelves starting in 2009, according to company officials. Well, baby bottles, that is. But there's more: baby bottles, sippy cups, food containers, water bottles and pacifiers containing BPA are immediately being pulled from Wal-Mart's Canadian stores.

Although Wal-Mart has sold non-BPA baby bottles for years alongside BPA-containing bottles, this is the first move the retailer has made to strike BPA from its shelves in its entirety. This comes after a report from the U.S. National Toxicology Program that indicated BPA could cause behavioral changes in infants and children. In addition, BPA was indicated as possibly causing the onset of early puberty in females.

So, why isn't Wal-Mart jettisoning BPA from its U.S. stores now? Probably to give time to its vendors to change their packaging material over the course of the remainder of 2008. Of course, the American Chemistry Council trade group is lashing back by stating that recent reports are "unnecessarily confusing and frightening the public." Regardless, other retailers are seeing huge increases in customer demand for non-BPA children's products like glass alternatives and others. Even though the FDA seems to think BPA is safe, the American consumer needs more expediency than a federal review can provide, yes?

Welcome to the 56th 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.

This week's Wal-Mart Weekly will be focusing in one a rather high-stakes claim Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is now advertising into the mainstream media. The claim? The retailer saves the average American family $2,500 per year. To coin a phrase, them's fightin' words, yes?

Either Wal-Mart likes abuse from the media or it has substantiated facts to back up such a claim. In fact, there's so many variables that could conclude (or disprove) the retailer's claim that it could boggle all our minds collectively. So with that, let's start boggling.

Welcome to the 55th 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.

In this week's Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll be looking at the entry (although indirect) of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) into the consumer banking industry. While it may seem a stretch to think that Wal-Mart's new debit card program is anything but a way to help consumers, it could be positioning the retailer as a new banking partner for many consumers as well as adding handsomely to the retailer's bottom line.

Welcome to the 52nd 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.

In this week's Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll be looking at the retailer's entrance into the world of open and frank communication with the world at all levels. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) appears to be allowing some of its purchasing and merchandising employees to blog openly about products in the categories they procure for all Wal-Mart's store locations.

It would seem this is a touchy area, since allowing unfiltered blogging (bad and good) about products sitting on Wal-Mart shelves would not only get some vendors and suppliers charged up, but turn away sales to some potential customers as well.

Welcome to the 51st 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.

In this week's Wal-Mart Weekly, I'll be looking at the retailer's categorization of its food products. Specifically, how Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) merchandises its organic food products alongside its mainstream food products. There's an opportunity for Wal-Mart to really seize a new market niche that wants all organic products in one area.

In order to do this, a change in thinking would be required of the world's largest retailer. Could it possibly think "outside the box" and try to create smaller mini-stores inside its huge Supercenter locations? That's what this week's Wal-Mart Weekly will explore. Read on.

Welcome to the 48th 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.

In the last edition of The Wal-Mart Weekly, I focused on a two-part series that examined a speech a few weeks ago by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)'s CEO, Lee Scott. Part 1 and Part 2 are ready for your eyes in case you missed them last week.

This week, I'll be peering into an area that is rarely talked about in the venue of retail -- returns and exchanges. I've seen many inconsistencies in the last month on a series of experiments I've performed and found the results somewhat amazing for the world's largest retailer.

Welcome to the 47th 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.

In the last edition of The Wal-Mart Weekly from earlier this week, I took a look at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)'s "company of the future" concept based on last week's presentation by company CEO H. Lee Scott in Kansas City. Scott talked highly about energy efficiency (regarding products it sells to consumers) as well as the specific areas where consumer dollars are going.

Right now, a huge percentage is going towards energy costs in the form of gas prices and heating bills. Scott made the point that the world's largest retailer needs to help its customers help themselves before its consumer curbs retail spending and Wal-Mart gets hurt. And, the government won't do it, so Wal-Mart apparently will.

In Part 2 of this series, Scott's comments and presentation centered on labor relations and how the retailer could get involved in industries outside mass merchandise retailing. Scott even mentioned a self-proclaimed "out there" idea about getting involved with the auto industry to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. Because, you see, Wal-Mart can't afford for its customer base to be financially suffocated or sales will fall as a result.

Welcome to the 46th 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.

In the last edition of The Wal-Mart Weekly, I took a look at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)'s consumer experience regarding the "processing" of customers efficiently. Wal-Mart churns out a world-leading amount of retail sales every month. Still, my experience with the way it handles customers -- from inventory levels to paying for merchandise -- still needs a lot of work.

This week, I'll be turning out a two-part series on a large even that occurred in St. Louis, Missouri last week. Wal-Mart's CEO, H. Lee Scott, delivered quite a note to about 7,000 of his U.S. managers last week. The meeting referred to Wal-Mart as the "Company of the Future." Was it lip service or a milestone of change in Scott's upcoming tenure?