Wal-Mart

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about Wal-Mart in which I expressed disappointment with comments President and CEO of U.S. Stores Greg Foran made to analysts. At that time, he shared a top-line review; he seemed pleased with the performance of Express and Walmart Neighborhood stores and also endorsed the Superstores. Few specifics were provided as to his plans to set a new direction for the business other than state his intention to focus on food areas of the store, manage inventories carefully and improve the customer shopping environment. 

J.C. Penney wants people to know that it had no supplier relationships with factories housed in the building that collapsed in Banglade

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to expand its footprint in China by nearly a third by opening 115 new stores by 2017, the firm's chief executive said, in a renewed push to lure China's grocery shoppers despite slowing growth. "Our aim is to become an integral part of China's economy," Chief Executive Doug McMillon said at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Wal-Mart's new push in China comes as global supermarket firms seek ways to tackle slowing growth in the world's second-biggest economy.

Wal-Mart, J.C.Penney, The Children's Place and the government of Bangladesh have been sued by victims and families of victims of a garment factory collapse that killed more than 1,000 people two years ago. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, claims the retailers and the government were aware of the unsafe conditions. When the eight-story building collapsed on April 24, 2013, 1,129 people were killed and about 2,515 people were injured. Many of the people were women and children.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was slow to get into alcohol, but now it's fighting for the right to sell more of it. A prime target is Texas, where the world's largest retailer has sued the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, saying legal limits on sales of hard liquor are unconstitutional. One restriction prevents public companies — those with more than 35 shareholders — from selling spirits. The state beverage code also says no company can own more than five liquor stores unless permits for the others are bought from a blood relative.

Wal-Mart is eliminating a layer of in-store management, part of efforts to simplify operations at the world's largest retailer. The company will cut the role of zone manager and transfer the duties to other managers, Wal-Mart spokesman Kory Lundberg said. The change, affecting about 14,000 employees, is meant to reduce bureaucracy and put more power in the hands of people running Wal-Mart's 4,500 U.S. stores. The company began notifying employees of the decision this month, Lundberg said. Until now, employees in zone-manager positions — generally about six workers per store — had responsibility over several departments. 

A union representing Wal-Mart workers who lost their jobs when the retailer suddenly closed five stores last week said it would seek an injunction on Monday from the National Labor Relations Board to have them rehired. Wal-Mart announced last week that it was closing five stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and California temporarily to fix plumbing issues. It said it would seek to reopen the stores, which employed about 2,200 people, as quickly as possible.

The digital disruption of retail and commerce is transforming retailers' customer interactions. It's evolving into a far more flexible, seamless omnichannel fulfillment model, which is critical for retailers' continued success, viability and relevance. Online and mobile commerce has grown significantly in size and scale, leading to the misguided perception that brick-and-mortar stores are becoming obsolete. Rather, it's simply become more important for retailers to revitalize the in-store shopping experience in a way that's compelling, interesting and personalized for an increasingly empowered, informed and socially connected consumer.

Wal-Mart has a message for its vendors: keep those trade funds and put them toward the cost of goods. Wal-Mart wants even lower prices from suppliers to put more distance between itself and competitors, many of whom depend on vendor dollars. While it's not unusual for a retailer to pressure manufacturers for lower prices, the move by Wal-Mart, first reported by The City Wire's Kim Souza in February and again last week by The Wall Street Journal, is significant because of increasing competition from a wide range of rivals, including Aldi, Costco, Dollar General and Kroger.

Wal-Mart, which has deployed its financial might to squeeze extra gallons of gas out of its trucks and shave pennies off the price of laundry detergent, did something unexpected this week: it muscled its way into a divisive social debate. In an announcement circulated and recirculated among incredulous gay-rights advocates, Wal-Mart posted a statement on its Twitter feed that asked the governor of Arkansas, its home state, to reject legislation that critics say could allow discrimination against lesbians and gay men.