Wal-Mart

For Office Depot, the problem wasn't attracting shoppers but converting them to buyers. A year ago, the retailer set out to address what it viewed as a core issue: shoppers in its stores had difficulty finding everything they needed and lacked a clear understanding of the breadth of products available. 

Wal-Mart is holding a contest for inventors to compete for a spot on their shelves. The "Get on the Shelf" competition is along the lines of "American Idol," except no one is singing and Simon Cowell isn't there to berate anyone.

Women who refiled a gender discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart have failed to come to grips with the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended their nationwide class action against the company, Wal-Mart argued in a court filing.

Wal-Mart has named Neil Ashe as the new president and chief executive of its global e-commerce business as the world's largest retailer moves to bolster its online presence. 

Wal-Mart unveiled a blog on sustainability featuring posts from Andrea Thomas, the retailer’s senior vice president of sustainability. Called The Green Room, Thomas introduced the blog as an opportunity to “develop into a vibrant conversation about helping people live better around the globe."

Michael Fuller stood in the checkout aisle at a Wal-Mart in North Carolina trying to buy a vacuum cleaner, microwave oven and some other random products which totaled $476. He handed the cashier the fake $1 million bill and awaited his change.

Macy's, Wal-Mart and others continue to get high marks from Wall Street as the busy season draws to a close, while Sears proved that it's really not a jolly holiday for all stores. Wal-Mart's return to layaway helped the world's largest retailer and pressured others.

On the eighth day of its "12 Days of Giving" Facebook campaign, Wal-Mart awarded $140,000 to nine nonprofits aiding veterans, active members of the military and their families. Over 12 consecutive days, Wal-Mart will award a total of $1.5 million to 145 organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Organizations being honored on the company's Facebook page on Monday are serving communities in California, Delaware, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.

After a Good Samaritan helped her pay off the layaway bill she’d accumulated to buy Christmas gifts for her grandchildren, Lori Stearnes planned to collect her paycheck Friday and head to Kmart anyway. Her new plan? Pay the stranger’s kindness forward by using the money she’d budgeted to instead support somebody else.

Wal-Mart is investigating potential corruption in its overseas practices, the company said. In a quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Wal-Mart said it began an internal investigation “into whether certain matters, including permitting, licensing and inspections, were in compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” and that it had already taken unspecified remedial measures in relation to the investigation. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits bribery and enforces accounting standards for U.S. companies doing international business.