Walmart

BOSTON -- Wal-Mart's stance against the so-called "morning after" pill -- dealt another round of publicity by the Massachusetts State Pharmacy Board's decision this week to require the retailer to carry the drug at its 44 stores and four warehouse clubs in the state -- could lead to the further tarnishing of Wal-Mart's bruised public image, if the company isn't careful, according to a New York-based retail expert.

The numbers show beverage alcohol sales are a nice buzz for grocers now, but a broader assortment of premium-priced wine, spirits, and even beer can help keep the party going.

RFID will offer unprecedented supply chain visibility, says an expert panel. But first, retail managers must be able to see the way to strategic employment and real ROI.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- The latest advertising campaign from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. here is designed to encourage shoppers to see the retailer in a new, or at least different, light.

INGOMAR, Pa. -- Michael Bergdahl, a full-time motivational speaker and writer based here, has published "The 10 Rules of Sam Walton," (Wiley, May 2006), his second book to reveal the secrets behind Wal-Mart's success and show readers how they might emulate some of the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail behemoth's most effective entrepreneurial strategies. His previous book, published in 2004, "What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World," details his experiences working for the world's largest retailer.

NEW YORK -- What might seem like a baby step from the United Kingdom's leading retailer could have giant implications for U.S. food and convenience stores, industry observers said yesterday.

MIAMI -- In a presentation here on Tuesday, Wal-Mart vice chairman John Menzer outlined the retailer's plans to open more than 1,500 stores in the United States in the coming years. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. currently operates nearly 3,200 stores in the United States.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), a retail trade group here representing companies that operate more than 100,000 stores, yesterday filed suits challenging the so-called "Wal-Mart law" and another health care law, arguing that they "unlawfully mandate a specific health care expenditure, single out the retail industry, and threaten to eliminate the flexibility that businesses require to meet the needs of their diverse workforce." The lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Courts in Baltimore and Brooklyn, N.Y.