Walmart News Now

03/16/2011 - 10:38
Walmart pledges $5 million toward Japanese earthquake relief

Walmart announced that it is committing $5 million in cash and in-kind donations for emergency relief efforts in response to Japan's recent earthquake and resulting tsunami.

03/11/2011 - 11:24
Small format countdown begins

The retail industry is abuzz these days with talk of small format stores; whether it is Best Buy Mobile, CityTarget or now Walmart Express. Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., added more fuel to the fire this week with comments about several 15,000-sq.-ft. test stores that would open during the second quarter in rural and urban locations. Simon also introduced the prospect of rapid organic growth and potential acquisitions even though the first stores have yet to open.

03/11/2011 - 10:53
Asda to surpass 500 units this year

Completion of a previously announced acquisition combined with organic growth will result in the addition of 168 stores to Asda’s existing 386 units and push Walmart’s U.K. division past the 500-unit mark.

03/11/2011 - 10:50
The EDLP invasion begins anew at Walmart

Product assortments have been restored, feature displays are back in most store aisles, and now Walmart is looking to restore sales growth with a new ad campaign beginning next month that reacquaints shoppers with the company’s core value proposition.

As Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon explained earlier this week at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer Conference, shoppers need to have the confidence that if they make the effort to drive to a Walmart store, walk across a large parking lot to shop in a large store they are going to find everything they came for, and then some, at the lowest overall price in the marketplace. And in those instances where a competitor has a lower price, Walmart will match the price at the checkout. No questions asked.

03/10/2011 - 16:48
Women now majority on Walmex board

Shareholders of Wal-Mart de Mexico elected three new female board members at the company’s annual meeting yesterday, bringing to six the number of women on the company’s eleven-member board.

03/10/2011 - 16:40
Walmart makes multichannel move with same-day service

An online order and same-day pick up service will be expanded to all Walmart stores beginning this month, the company announced. The “Pick-Up Today” service allows shoppers who make a purchase online to pick up their merchandise within about four hours if the order is placed before 6 p.m. Orders place after that time are available for pick up the next day before 10 a.m.

03/10/2011 - 13:36
Walmart Foundation commits to helping women in Latin America

The Walmart Foundation announced that is committing more than $2.5 million in grants to various projects aimed at improving the lives of women in Latin America.

03/10/2011 - 12:31
Sam's Club kicks off free allergy screenings

This weekend, Sam's Club is offering free allergy health screenings in select locations across the country.

03/10/2011 - 12:25
Reading between the lines

Have you noticed lately how discussions of the Sam’s Club business include references to Sam’s international presence? First it was Sam’s president and CEO Brian Cornell during the fourth-quarter conference call when he said, “We continue to see growth in the Sam’s Club brand in our international markets as Doug (international division president and CEO Doug McMillon) and his team opened 14 new Sam’s Clubs this fiscal year. We continue to work with the international team to share best practices across the organization to ensure we’re meeting our members’ need both in the United States and around the world.”

Then, earlier this week at an investor conference in Orlando, Cornell was talking about Sam’s international presence again.

03/10/2011 - 12:14
Same-store sales gaining momentum

Speaking at the Raymond James and Associates investor conference earlier this week in Orlando, Sam’s Club president and CEO Brian Cornell reaffirmed that Sam’s would achieve its first-quarter sales plan that calls for comp growth in the range of 1% to 3%.