Walmart

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Thursday began testing a new online music service, which offers song downloads for just 88 cents per song, compared to the 99 cents charged by most of its competitors.

LOS ANGELES - Union leaders plan to urge members to boycott North American stores owned by Safeway, Inc. in support of 70,000 grocery clerks who've been on strike for two months in Southern California.

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - Henkel, the German conglomerate, said on Monday it will pay $2.9 billion in cash for Arizona-based Dial Corp. in a move which investors say allows it to gain access to the U.S. group's growing relationship with Wal-Mart.

NEW YORK - Starting next year, Visa USA will be offering retailers lower fees on certain debit-card transactions, according to a Reuters report.

TOKYO - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Japanese affiliate Seiyu Ltd. on Monday said it would open its first one-story large supermarket modeled after Wal-Mart's stores in April, Dow Jones Newswire reports.

CHICAGO - Information Resources Inc. and Symphony Technology Group have unveiled plans for the "Reinventing CPG 2004 Summit," the industry's first global conference for leaders with vision and passion for reinventing the CPG and retail industries.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced on Friday that the head of general merchandise for its U.S. discount stores planned to retire, and would leave the company as of April 30, 2004.

NEW YORK -- Penn Traffic Co. announced Friday that it's seeking bankruptcy court permission to sell nine Ohio stores as it restructures under bankruptcy protection, according to Reuters. Syracuse, N.Y.-based Penn Traffic plans to sell the stores by mid-December in a transaction valued at about $46.75 million.