Walmart

Regional independent WinCo Foods is gearing up to enter the Phoenix marketplace.

Sam’s Club said last week that it has become the first retailer in the U.S. to install a significant number of micro wind turbines, which it mounted on parking lot light poles to support the energy needs of its Palmdale, Calif., location.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will implement new process controls standards and goals for beef to further shield customers from foodborne illnesses.

Asda, Walmart’s U.K. retail operation, is looking to have the last word when it comes to low prices with its “Asda Price Guarantee,” introduced yesterday, which is a rock-solid vow to shoppers that the company can’t — and won’t — be beaten on price.

Even with fewer new product introductions, the specialty food industry rang up $63.09 billion in sales in 2009, an increase of 2.9 percent over the previous year, according to “The State of the Specialty Food Industry 2010,” an annual report from SPINS, Mintel International and the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade.

Club retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. yesterday extended its digital place-based media services relationship with San Francisco-based Premier Retail Networks, Inc. for the development of Costco’s in-store media network and content strategy.

In contrast to Colloquy’s last report on consumer loyalty to U.S retailers, in 2008, Walmart dominated the 2010 index, reflecting a reality in these recessionary times: low prices drove consumer loyalty.

Walmart Inc. extended its multi-year, network agreement with Discover through 2015, in which Discover will continue to be the exclusive network for transactions made on the Walmart Discover card, which was launched in 2005 and is issued by GE Money bank.