Walmart

BENTONVILLE, Ark. ¿ Wal-mart said yesterday that it will present a nationwide program in celebration of Black History Month, by offering shoppers free copies of "unique, inspirational, and educational" publications during the month of February.

LONDON -- U.S.-based grassroots consumer group CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) has launched a campaign urging a worldwide boycott of U.K. retailer Tesco PLC, to protest the chain's trial of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Meijer, Inc. has plans to open at least three new locations in greater Cincinnati, according to various reports.

HOWARD, Wisc. -- Discount store operator ShopKo Stores has officially entered the big-box drug business here with the grand opening of ShopKo Express Rx, a neighborhood drug store featuring pharmacy and typical front-end categories, as well as an expanded food assortment several non-traditional special services.

LEEDS, United Kingdom -- In an unusual move, Asda, the U.K. grocer owned by Wal-Mart, is lowering prices on selected fruits and vegetables in an effort to make healthy fare more affordable for budget-conscious shoppers.

SAINT-HYACINTHE, Quebec -- A second Wal-Mart store has received union certification from the Quebec Labour Relations Commission, after a majority of workers signed cards designating the United Food and Commercial Workers Union their official agent for collective bargaining.

NEW YORK -- The future of retail technology hinges on the adoption and execution of radio frequency identification, according to the top information executives at three of the world¿s largest retailers.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- In full-page ads published in more than 100 newspapers across the country, Wal-Mart c.e.o. H. Lee Scott said yesterday it was time for the public to hear the "unfiltered truth" about Wal-Mart, and time for the company to stand up on behalf of a workforce that includes 1.2 million Americans.