Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Doubles Down on Renewable Energy With Wind Deal
September 29, 2015 at 10:58 am

Wal-Mart is taking a big step toward fulfilling its long-term ambition of being wholly supplied by renewable energy with a new deal to buy more than half of the electricity generated by a new wind power facility in Texas for the next 10 years. The world’s largest company will buy 58 percent of the expected output…

Wal-Mart Criticized for 'Little Amigo' Costume
September 25, 2015 at 11:33 am

It's almost Halloween, which means it's time for retailers to roll out their offensive Halloween costumes. This year, Wal-Mart's "Little Amigo," noticed by Complex, is kicking things off. It's everything you'd expect. The costume includes a serape shirt, sombrero and mustache that you can put on your probably-not-Hispanic kindergartner. The costume was taken off Wal-Mart's website…

WalmartLabs Acquires Shopper Insight Technology PunchTab
September 23, 2015 at 10:45 am

Wal-Mart Stores’ technology arm, @WalmartLabs, on Tuesday said it's acquired Silicon Valley software company PunchTab, with intentions of using the company’s technology to tailor offers to its Sam’s Club shoppers. PunchTab marks WalmartLabs’ 15th acquisition in the last four years.

Wal-Mart Launches In-Store SMS Customer Support
September 22, 2015 at 10:58 am

Wal-Mart has launched Wal-Mart Simple Text, a text messaging-based assistant for shopping at the retailer's stores. You simply text “hi” to 415-214-8445, thanks to Twilio, and you’re ready to ask Wal-Mart about the item(s) you’re interested in.

Wal-Mart to Reopen 5 Stores at Center of Union Complaint
September 3, 2015 at 11:51 am

Wal-Mart said it would reopen in late October to early November five U.S. stores whose closure had prompted a union to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the retailer was retaliating against workers for organizing. Wal-Mart will start hiring for the stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and California, and will encourage previous…

Wal-Mart Cuts Some Workers’ Hours After Pay Raise Boosts Costs
September 1, 2015 at 10:47 am

Wal-Mart, in the midst of spending $1 billion to raise employees’ wages and give them extra training, has been cutting the number of hours some of them work in a bid to keep costs in check. Regional executives told store managers at the retailer’s annual holiday planning meeting last month to rein in expenses by cutting…

Christmas in August: Wal-Mart to Launch Layaway Plan
August 28, 2015 at 11:27 am

The calendar may still say summer, but retail giant Wal-Mart is encouraging consumers to get in the Christmas spirit now. With Labor Day more than a week away, the world's largest retailer is scheduled to launch its holiday season layaway plan four months before Dec. 25. Starting today, two weeks earlier than it did last season, Wal-Mart…

Wal-Mart to End Sales of Assault-Style Rifles in U.S. Stores
August 27, 2015 at 12:03 pm

Wal-Mart said on Wednesday that it would no longer sell high-powered rifles in its stores in the United States. The decision followed years of public pressure on the retailer to stop selling some of the most lethal weapons associated with many of the nation’s mass shootings. The move predated the fatal shootings of two TV journalists…

Wal-Mart Losses May Be Funny Accounting, Not Sticky Fingers
August 24, 2015 at 11:16 am

One of the biggest problems Wal-Mart identified in its latest profit warning was what it calls “shrinkage.” Greg Foran, president and CEO for Wal-Mart U.S. said on the earnings call that “accelerating pressures in shrink” were one of three major factors that contributed to the company’s underperformance. The others were an overall decline in gross…

How Sam’s Club is Aiming to Be Less Like Wal-Mart
August 17, 2015 at 4:33 pm

Sam’s Club wants to move beyond its parent’s DNA. The warehouse-club retailer, owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for years has struggled to turn around sluggish sales. Now it's pursuing a more fundamental fix: breaking away from the low-income consumers who shop at Wal-Mart.