Walmart

Brazil's bustling economy, driven by higher income and cheaper consumer credit, grew by 5.4 percent last year.

PriceRite is a no-frills chain with a format similar to limited assortment store Save-A-Lot and Aldi, which are already in the market.

A looming Dec. 31 deadline to gain tax advantages for these installations is pushing projects along.

A Wal-Mart executive reportedly said its Marketside format “is expected to start with 10 stores and evolve to between 1,000 to 1,500 stores with over $10 billion annual sales,” the Financial Times reported Friday. The statement was said to be contained in an advertisement on Wal-Mart’s Web site, which the chain subsequently pulled.

Thanks in part to a lift from consumers who spent their economic stimulus checks disproportionately at discounters and warehouse clubs, Wal-Mart, BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco, and Target all reported increased July 2008 sales.

Costco Wholesale Corp. is committing to warning its customers about mercury contamination in fish by posting Food and Drug Administration mercury advice on signs at seafood counters in all of its stores.

This contrasts with traditional supermarkets, which have seen sluggish growth in the category.

Not just lower- and middle-income consumers are shopping for bargains at the megaretailer, as gas prices soar.