Walmart

BEIJING and BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- An order by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was behind a labor group campaign that ultimately led to the creation of the first union in a Wal-Mart'in China, according to a report in the Beijing Times.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Steady sales of food and consumables helped Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. during a challenging second quarter in which the world's largest retailer suffered its first profit slip in a decade.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Steady sales of food and consumables helped Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. during a challenging second quarter in which the world's largest retailer suffered its first profit slip in a decade.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Tom Coughlin, the former vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. here who admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from the retailer, was sentenced to 27 months of house arrest late last week.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southern Family Markets, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers, has decided the North Carolina market's heat is just too much. The retailer will completely vacate the market with the closure of nine supermarkets and the potential sale of its remaining eight locations.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. and BEIJING -- Is it a case of, When in Rome? In an unprecedented move from the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. reportedly met with officials from Communist China's main trade union group yesterday to discuss how to expand unions into all of the retailer's Chinese stores.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart said yesterday that it has raised the starting rate in more than 1,200 Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs throughout the country, and is taking other steps to make its pay rates and benefits more competitive.

NEW YORK -- After mixed results in June, big-box retailers Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, and BJ's Wholesale Club all saw growth in same-store sales, with a powerful assist from food, back-to-school items, and pharmacy, among other items. The only hiccup was that Costco's 3.1 percent same-store sales increase was smaller than expected -- but the warehouse club store chain still expects to meet or exceed analysts' second-quarter profit prediction of 69 cents per share.