Walmart

BENTONVILLE, Ark. and MINNEAPOLIS -- Leading U.S. retailers Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Target Corp. reported higher fourth-quarter profits yesterday, on double-digit sales growth.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Declaring that more than 90 percent of its charitable giving targets local communities, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said for its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2005, cash donations through its namesake and Sam's Club foundations exceeded a record $170 million.

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal referred yesterday to Wal-Mart's agreement to pay $135,540 to settle federal child-labor allegations as "a sweetheart deal," and said he would ask the two other states where violations allegedly occurred to join forces with his in a probe of the retailer's child labor practices.

The troubles of toy category killers may be a break for supermarket operators -- if they play the game well.

The flavored malt beverage category slowed down in 2004, but for supermarkets it's still a great draw to the beer aisle.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Publix is keeping its shoppers satisfied in terms of quality, service, and price, while Wal-Mart supercenters may have some work to do when it comes to those first two measures, according to the University of Michigan's latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), released today.

With everybody trying to get ethnic at retail, supermarkets have to fight harder than ever to stake their claim.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- PromoWorks, LLC, a leading provider of in-store sampling and retail-entertainment events and promotions, has launched what it says is the first national demonstrator identification and performance tracking system in the industry.