Looks like Monday merger madness has hit the largest retailer in the known galaxy. This morning, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) made public its intentions to purchase South African retailer Massmart Holdings. Walmart offered 148 rand ($21.13) per share, bringing the total price tag for the purchase to $4.26 billion.

The move is an attempt by the American retail giant to establish itself in the quickly growing African market. Massmart operates 290 stores in 13 African countries, most of them concentrated in South Africa. Walmart considers the acquisition of Massmart "a compelling growth opportunity" that could "provide a platform for growth and expansion in othre African countries."

Continue reading Wal-Mart Offers $4.2 Billion for South African Retailer

Wal-Mart Offers $4.2 Billion for South African Retailer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart (WMT) seems to have the big-box retail format cornered. It is growing sales faster than the competition, is expanding internationally with success and seems to be able to do no wrong (albeit with a few small sidesteps).

Shares haven't really done much in recent years, closing yesterday right above $50 after sitting in $40 land for much of the past three years. About this time last year, shares were on a trajectory to hit $60 -- which they made before declining again.

Continue reading Walmart's 'Small Box' Strategy Moving Forward

Walmart's 'Small Box' Strategy Moving Forward originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Walmart Finally Coming to Chicago?

Walmart Finally Coming to Chicago? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Announces College Aid Program for Employees

Wal-Mart Announces College Aid Program for Employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) will be paying $86 million as the result of a class-action lawsuit in regards to back wages owed to California employees who left the company only to see built-up benefits apparently vaporize into thin air.

The amount is a small one for the retailing behemoth, and the retailer did not admit to not paying those back wages to some 232,000 former employees. The case, filed in 2006, claimed that back wages were either delayed beyond the amount allowed by state law or weren't provided at all to these former employees. The company had already settled another lawsuit in 2008 over similar issues for a total of $640 million.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Agrees to $86 Million Settlement with Former Employees

Wal-Mart Agrees to $86 Million Settlement with Former Employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 May 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In what is one of the largest corporate gifts in history Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) has pledged a cash-and-food donation of $2 billion to the nation's food banks. The donation, which includes 1.1 billion pounds of food and $250 million, will be distributed over the next five years. One-third of the food will reportedly be perishable, helping fill a need for produce and meat that tends to be lacking at food banks.

President of the Wal-Mart Foundation told The New York Times that WMT, as "the largest grocer in the country," should "be at the head of the pack in doing something about [the hunger problem]." A recent survey from Feeding America indicated that one in eight Americans uses a food bank to provide or supplement their food budgets.

Continue reading Wal-Mart Pledges $2 Billion Contribution to Nation's Food Banks

Wal-Mart Pledges $2 Billion Contribution to Nation's Food Banks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Kroger (KR) CEO David Dillon says that his company can fight Walmart (WMT) on areas outside of price, one has to wonder what he's referring to. As Walmart has shown over the past 18 months (inside of a recession), most of middle-class America cares about one thing at retail: price.

What could Kroger do to compete better with the world's largest retailer, price aside?

Continue reading Kroger CEO: We Have More Than Price to Battle Walmart

Kroger CEO: We Have More Than Price to Battle Walmart originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart (WMT) has created an initiative it's calling "Global.com" that will try to standardize the online and brick-and-mortar interactions customers have in the global markets where it operates.

Walmart Vice Chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright said "now that we have a well-defined blueprint to continue to grow our online business, it's time to leverage our size and global footprint to take advantage of this evolving customer trend." Evolving customer trend? What is this, 2004? It's no longer a trend, Mr. Castro-Wright; it's an absolute customer requirement. Right now.

Continue reading Walmart Creates New Global E-commerce Division

Walmart Creates New Global E-commerce Division originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Retailers Enjoy Solid January, Led by Luxury Set

Retailers Enjoy Solid January, Led by Luxury Set originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart (WMT) will be getting rid of more than 11,000 employees inside its Sam's Club wholesale stores and replacing them with outside marketers. Frankly, it's surprising the world's largest retailer didn't do this years ago.

Sam's Club offers so many products in bulk that goading some aisle surfers into buying 36-packs of portable sausages comes at a price: sampling and in-aisle live displays. The manufacturers of those products or their hired outsourcers will now get the joy of working those demo displays.

Continue reading Walmart to Cut Over 11,000 Sam's Club Positions, Outsource In-Store Product Demos

Walmart to Cut Over 11,000 Sam's Club Positions, Outsource In-Store Product Demos originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailers don't like competition. As it is, they get enough of it from each other in the pursuit of razor-thin margins. It's standard practice to squeeze manufacturers for lower prices and more concessions as part of this battle.

For years, it's also been the norm for retailers to push back on manufacturers' direct-to-consumer models, as it gives consumers one less reason to enter the store, results in smaller basket sizes and greater pressure on wallet share. When a consumer product giant decides to bypass the retailers, eyebrows rise across the consumer business industry, with manufacturers thinking about new revenue possibilities while retailers worry that other product companies will follow.

Continue reading P&G Tinkers with Direct-to-Consumer Model

P&G Tinkers with Direct-to-Consumer Model originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Retailers appear to have been rescued at the last minute, according to data from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Shoppers looking for deals the week before Christmas -- and making up for the day lost to stormy weather on the East Coast -- spent aggressively, sparing the retail sector a dismal 2008-like performance.

The healthy conclusion to the holiday season led to a positive change from November and made December one of only three months (including September and October) in which retail sales increased year-over-year.

Continue reading Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped

Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart to Squeeze More out of Supply Chain

Wal-Mart to Squeeze More out of Supply Chain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The holidays have ended, and the real sales have begun. Those choosing to sacrifice sentimentality for savings found retailers only too willing to help, as prices were slashed in the wake of the Christmas rush. Recipients of gift cards stand to see their purchasing power extended, as well, now that redemption time has arrived, and retailers are looking to squeeze in any extra sales they can to pump up their top lines before the books close on the fiscal year, which, for many, comes at the end of January.

Toys "R" Us has offered a deal on Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii games, with the second coming at half price, and Target (TGT) is nearly halving the price of wine glasses and dropping the tag on an argyle women's sweater by nearly a third. Walmart (WMT), which kicked off its cuts at the end of September, is throwing a $50 gift card on top of any Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360 buy.

Continue reading After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces

After Christmas, Retailers Pick Up the Pieces originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Anxious to grab every last dollar they can out of holiday shoppers, retailers are pulling out all the stops. Especially given the snowstorm on the East Coast last week, they have to make up some ground, and time is running out. They lost the Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year -- and a favorite of people like me who wait until the last minute.

"Super Saturday," as it's called, was off close to 13% compared to last year, says research firm ShopperTrak. Only $6.9 billion came in, off $1 billion-year-over-year. And, let's not forget that 2008 was a drag. Its $7.9 billion performance was down from $8.7 billion in 2007.

Continue reading With Christmas Looming, Retailers Make Up for Lost Time

With Christmas Looming, Retailers Make Up for Lost Time originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart's (WMT) new "Project Impact" plans to enhance the store experience as a way to retain those consumers who have found the big-box retailer a money-saving haven for over a year while the U.S. was mired in recession.

This isn't just planogram changes, though: Walmart is lowering shelf heights (to greatly increase in-store visibility), is getting rid of the pallet clutter commonly seen in most Walmart supercenters and is increasing its food offerings.

Continue reading Walmart trying to keep new customers by enhancing store experience

Walmart trying to keep new customers by enhancing store experience originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Santa hasn't even been tugged down Central Park West yet, and Wal-Mart (WMT) is already slashing its prices. The market among major retailers is intensifying, with many offering products as loss leaders in order to entice customers into the store (physical or otherwise) and boost their basket sizes. Along with Target (TGT) and Amazon (AMZN), Walmart is slashing DVD prices, the same tactic it's using with books.

Retailers are rushing to undercut each other this year, which is causing prices to spiral down quickly. When Walmart announced reduced prices on several titles to $10, Amazon followed at $9.99, with Walmart stepping back in at $9.98.

Continue reading Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next?

Walmart, Amazon now slash DVD prices: What's next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed?

Wal-Mart shares are dead money -- so where is it headed? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has been the leader in DVD sales in the U.S. for years now. It's estimated that 40% of all U.S. DVD sales originate within the doors of the world's largest retailer. But, could those days be coming to an end?

With Blu-ray DVD players coming with built-in internet video streaming, cable and satellite having video-on-demand choices of all recent movies, and more people buying content from Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iTunes every day, what is the future of the physical DVD?

Continue reading Walmart doing away with new-release DVD displays

Walmart doing away with new-release DVD displays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wal-Mart upgraded as international sales continue growing

Wal-Mart upgraded as international sales continue growing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.