Walmart

LEEDS, England - U.K. grocer Asda yesterday introduced four new Cafedirect hot beverage lines in response to the success of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight, a two-week awareness campaign that, according to the retailer, led to a huge increase in sales of fair trade products at the its stores.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is supporting Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s fight to have a judge's order approving class-action status for a large sex-discrimination lawsuit against the retailer thrown out. The chamber, which represents U.S. businesses, filed a brief in support of Wal-Mart dated July 13, according to an Associated Press report.

LONDON - Britain's Tesco on Wednesday announced its first expansion into China via the purchase of a 50 percent stake in the Hymall chain of hypermarkets. Tesco joins other global retail contenders--including Wal-Mart, Metro, and Carrefour--seeking to capitalize on the sixth largest economy in the world.

BOULDER, Colo. - Wild Oats Markets, Inc., the nation's No. 2 natural and organic supermarket chain, will be moving into the Cincinnati market with a new store opening in the Deerfield Town Center July 21.

CINCINNATI - Hoping to strike a counter-blow against Wal-Mart and other supercenters, The Kroger Co. here is launching the Kroger Marketplace one-stop-shopping concept later this year in Columbus, Ohio.

LOS ANGELES - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has added international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP to its legal team as the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer gears up to appeal a San Francisco federal judge's ruling turning a sex-discrimination lawsuit into a class action.

Men's HBC products offer tremendous potential for growth -- if they're managed correctly.

A marketplace roiling with competition will make the site selection game more complex than ever -- and those retailers that play it smarter will get first dibs on the best locations.