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Phoenix, AZ — Feb 01, `08 — Wal-Mart is actively working to open its first small-scale grocery stores in Arizona, according to city planning officials, as the world’s largest retailer looks to fend off competition from British supermarket rival Tesco, reports Reuters.

Tesco entered the US marketplace last year, opening Fresh & Easy  stores in California, Arizona and Nevada. The company is seeking to woo U.S. shoppers with smaller convenience stores that emphasize ready-to-eat meals and fresh produce.

Wal-Mart, whose No. 2 British supermarket chain Asda competes with No. 1 Tesco in the United Kingdom, has long been rumored to be planning a new, smaller store concept that would rival the Tesco’s stores in the States.

According to planning officials for four different cities in Arizona, Wal-Mart is now refining plans it submitted to launch convenience store-sized markets — some close to recently opened Tesco stores — in former drug stores in four cities southeast of Phoenix. More at Reuters.

Little Rock, AR — The world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, has closed its video downloading service less than a year after it started selling films online.

The retreat for Wal-Mart, which accounts for about 40 percent of all DVD sales, follows the company’s 2005 decision to abandoned efforts to build an online DVD rental service. The world’s largest retailer instead turned its rental service over to Netflix.

It stopped the service on Dec 21, according to a message on the discount chain’s video download website. Wal-Mart said the decision had been forced by Hewlett-Packard withdrawing the software running the site.

The move ends a challenge to Apple’s iTunes store, Amazon and Netflix to win customers who rent films over the web.

The market for online video downloads has become very competitive with video rental chain Blockbuster buying Movielink over the summer to expand into this area.

Round Rock, Texas — Dec 21, `07 — Dell and Tesco today announced the availability of Dell notebook and desktop computers in Tesco, a premier international retailer with operations in Europe and Asia.

Beginning next month, customers will be able to purchase Dell XPS and Inspiron products in Tesco stores, primarily in the UK, with sales also in Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Dell products will soon be available in more than 10,000 stores and on-line around the globe.

In the past several months Dell has announced relationships with Best Buy in the US, DSG International and Carrefour in Europe, Staples in the US, Courts stores in Singapore, Gome stores in China, Bic Camera Inc. in Japan, Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Wal-Mart in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Mexico. More at Dell.

ROUND ROCK, Texas –BUSINESS WIRE– Dec 13, ‘07 — Dell and DSG international plc (DSGi), one of Europe’s leading consumer electronics retailers, announced the availability of Dell notebook and desktop computers in DSGi stores.

Beginning in January 2008, DSGi and Dell customers will be able to buy a range of Dell notebooks and desktops through PC World, Currys and Currys.digital stores in the UK, as well as Dixons.co.uk online.

Customers will also be able to buy Dell products through the European network of DSGi store brands such as Electro World, PC City, and Elkjop. Customers can buy products in stores from Norway to Greece, and from Spain to Finland.

Dell also plans to sell systems through DSGi stores in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

DSGi’s unique TechGuys services in the UK will be extended across the new Dell products, providing full IT customer service availability including telephone support, installation and set-up. DSG operates similar support services across its European operations.

With this agreement, Dell products will soon be available in more than 10,000 stores and on-line around the globe.

In the past several months Dell has announced relationships with Best Buy in the US, Carrefour in Europe, Staples in the US, Courts stores in Singapore, Gome stores in China, Bic Camera Inc. in Japan, Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Wal-Mart in the US, Canada, Brazil and Mexico.

The DSGi and Dell agreement will cover stores in UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

BENTONVILLE, Ark — Dec 06, 2007 — Wal-Mart announces today it is turning back the calendar with another “Black Friday”-style price event this weekend, unveiling new “Secret In-Store Specials” today on Walmart.com. With savings up to 30% on electronics and other items, Wal-Mart also brings the popular Webkinz toys to its stores nationwide for this event, beginning 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7 through Sunday while supplies last.

Since Nov 2, Wal-Mart has offered three rounds of “Secret In-Store Specials,” revealing on its Web site groups of items with incredible values for Christmas shoppers. Millions of customers have signed up for e-mail and text message alerts through Walmart.com to learn of these specials as soon as they are unveiled.

A few examples of the items and prices available tomorrow at 8 a.m. include:

• 50 inch Vizio plasma TV - $998
• 1 MB Gateway Laptop - $398
• Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player (with 12 free HD-DVDs) - $298

Through the weekend, Wal-Mart will continue to keep spirits festive offering free photos with Santa in stores from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and exciting demonstrations and samples in its Christmas Shops. More at Wal-Mart.

Dec 03, ‘07 — Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, is planning to open a 1,000-strong chain of discount stores in the US, pitting it against rival retail giant Wal-Mart.

The supermarket has just opened 15 of its Fresh & Easy stores in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix. It aims to open a further 200 outlets by 2009 with plans in place to expand the network.

The US retail market is the world’s most competitive and has proved a tough nut to crack for many UK retailers.

The company is planning to open a second distribution centre in northern California. Like the first one, located near Los Angeles, the centre could serve up to 500 stores.

Fresh & Easy’s roll out in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix is being closely watched, with Tesco, the world’s third-largest retailer after Wal-Mart and Carrefour , bankrolling it to a tune of 250 million pounds ($516 million) per year over five years.

Tesco is targeting US grocers such as 7-Eleven and locally-run stores using a chain of convenience stores modelled on the Tesco Express blueprint. Fresh & Easy stores are 75% smaller than most American supermarkets.

Nov 26, ‘07 — Walmart.com, hoping consumers did not get their fill of shopping over the long Thanksgiving weekend, will roll out more holiday deals online every day this week. Reuters reports.

“The site will offer special prices on 150 items — three times more than a year ago — posting roughly 65 discounts on Monday and then adding new deals to the site daily through Friday.

Walmart.com will also promote one special “featured” item each day, like Monday’s Xbox 360 bundle, which includes Microsoft’s Xbox 360 premium video game console, an extra controller, three games and messenger bag for $399.” More at Reuters.

Wal-Mart Unbelievable Online Specials, Electronics Specials.

Nov 24, ‘07 — The lure of bargains trumped economic concerns at the start of the holiday shopping season as retailers logged sales that were significantly stronger than a year ago, a customer traffic counter said on Saturday.

According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with $9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than 4 percent to 5 percent.

“This is a really strong number. … You can’t have a good season unless it starts well,” said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, citing strength across all regions. “It’s very encouraging. When you look at September and October, shoppers weren’t in the stores.”

The upbeat reports were encouraging since merchants have been struggling with anemic sales in recent months, as shoppers, particularly in the middle and lower-income brackets, were becoming more frugal amid higher gas and food prices and an escalating credit crunch.

In an apparent sign of desperation, the nation’s stores ushered in the official start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with expanded hours, including midnight openings, and a blitz of early morning specials that were more generous than a year ago. J.C. Penney and Kohl’s Corp. opened at 4 a.m., an hour earlier than a year ago.

The strategy appears to have worked, as shoppers jammed stores in record numbers for early morning deals on Friday. Martin noted that judging by the strong figures on Friday, stores were able to sustain strong sales throughout the day. He said he’s counting on strong traffic throughout the weekend as many stores, including Macy’s Inc., are continuing with special deals.

While Black Friday — so named because it was traditionally when the surge of shopping made stores profitable — starts holiday shopping, it is not considered a bellwether for the season. However, merchants see Black Friday as setting an important tone to the overall season: What consumers see that day influences where they will shop for the rest of the year.

An increase in online shopping has somewhat defused the seasonal predictions based on Black Friday turnout to stores. The convenience of online shopping has caused an increase in shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Shoppers are browsing and researching more on Friday, but buying more on the Monday following Thanksgiving, or “Cyber Monday,” eBay said in a statement.

Nov 01, ‘07–As wal-Mart promised us yesterday, holiday deals has started arriving earlier this year. Starting Friday, Nov-02, 8 AM you can get this Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player for $99 and other ”In-Store Specials” at your local Wal-Mart.

Best Buy too has also jumped in to race of holiday deals not to left behind by Wal-Mart and is offering the same High-Def DVD player for $99. Though at the time of posting it was out of stock at Best Buy. More at Wal-Mart, Best Buy.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – October 31, 2007 – The nation’s largest retailer officially kicks off the Christmas season today by granting a valuable holiday wish to its customers – savings on the gifts they want to give.

Shoppers need not wait until after Thanksgiving for great deals. Wal-Mart will offer black-Friday prices three weeks early when the retailer unveils secret in-store specials: extraordinary prices on five of the most sought after gifts this season. Understanding that more and more consumers are using the internet to comparison shop,

Wal-Mart plans to reveal online a round of unbeatable savings on Thursday. The items will be available in stores beginning Friday morning, November 2 as the merchant officially opens special Christmas shops.

All year long, Wal-Mart saves people money so they can live better – in fact, independent research shows that Wal-Mart will save families more than $650 this Christmas season. 

“Our customers can fulfill all their holiday needs at Wal-Mart and not only save money, but buy gifts they can be proud to give,” said John Fleming, chief merchandising officer Wal-Mart Stores U.S.

Customers can sign up for email or text message alerts or go online Thursday at http://www.walmart.com/secret to be the first to learn the secrets items and these knock out prices. More at Wal-Mart

On the heels of Wal-Mart, Circuit City has started selling Toshiba A2 HD DVD player for $197.99. Add it in to the cart to see yourself. This year’s “Day After Thanks Giving Sales” going to be too good with deals like this popping up way early in the game. Circuit City

As per AVS Forum, Wal-Mart will start selling Toshiba’s A2 HD DVD player for $198 on November 3, ‘07. Forum member cdzie1 has posted this picture as a visual proof. Few forum members are reporting that some Wal-Marts have started selling this very low, low priced Toshiba A2 HD DVD player.

More at AVS Forum

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 23, 2007 — Today Microsoft Corp.’s Zune^® team announced that a Zune music player produced in collaboration with Latin Grammy-nominated artists Wisin y Yandel, Machete Music and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will go on saleexclusively at Wal-Mart retailers Oct. 29 for $199 (ERP). The black, limited-edition Zune will come pre-loaded with the new Wisin y Yandel album, “Wisin vs. Yandel: Los Extraterrestres,” before it is available in stores, and will also feature an exclusive track, music videos, photos and concert footage.

“It was great working with the Zune team to create this custom device and come up with cool ways to promote our new album via their digital music platform,” said Edgar Andino, Wisin y Yandel’s manager. “Connecting with fans digitally is really where music is going, and we’re psyched to have this opportunity.”

The new Wisin y Yandel Zune is being introduced as the band prepares to release its new album on Nov. 6. The collaboration between Microsoft, Wisin y Yandel, Machete Music and Wal-Mart includes the following:

The limited-edition Zune will go on sale exclusively at Wal-Mart retailers Oct. 29 for $199 (ERP) and is available for pre-order at http://www.zune.net/wisinyyandel.

More at Microsoft

TOKYO (Reuters) - October 22, ‘07 - Wal-Mart will spend up to 100 billion yen ($878 million) to buy out minority shareholders in Japanese supermarket unit Seiyu Ltd in an effort to turn around the money-losing chain. The world’s largest retailer has invested more than $1 billion in Seiyu since 2002, but has yet to see anything more than temporary upswings in sales amid tough competition with rivals such as Aeon Co.

Seiyu is headed for its sixth straight annual loss in 2007, which had led to speculation that Wal-Mart would either need to invest more in the unit or that it would pull out of Japan, as it did from South Korea and Germany last year. The buyout will put an end to rumors Wal-Mart may abandon Japan, making it easier to do business with local suppliers and lenders, Kolodzieski said.

More at Reuters

WALLDORF, Germany - October 18, 2007 - Demonstrating ongoing leadership in providing innovative solutions to retailers worldwide, SAP AG today announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will enhance its financial information systems using SAP. Wal-Mart chose SAP® ERP Financials for its ability to support the retailer’s global expansion and its need to efficiently respond to changes in the business and regulatory landscape.

Wal-Mart recently conducted a thorough evaluation of its financial information systems to determine what was needed to support the company’s $350 billion business as well as its next stage of growth. Wal-Mart plans to implement SAP globally in phases, with the first phase expected to be completed in calendar year 2010. This solution will replace some legacy systems while integrating with other internal Wal-Mart systems.

“Technology has played a central role in the growth and success of our business,” said Rollin Ford, executive vice president and chief information officer, Wal-Mart. “We believe SAP’s experience in helping global companies with their financial systems will bring more flexibility and scalability to our growing business.”

More at SAP

Rollbacks roll on as research shows retailer saved families more than $600 last holiday season. BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Wal-Mart today affirmed its aggressive holiday pricing plan, increasing rollbacks by 20 percent over last year. With 15,000 items reduced this week, Wal-Mart is poised to increase customer savings even more this year.
New figures release today by Global Insight, a leader in economic and financial analysis, found Wal-Mart saved the average family $652 over the busy October through December shopping months. The findings are based on the independent research unveiled last month on Wal-Mart’s economic impact on household savings. Global Insight found that in 2006, Wal-Mart saved families $287 billion, or $2,500 on average per household. Some families saved even more, depending on where they live.

“In an effort to help stretch the dollar, we’re giving customers an early start on holiday savings with even more targeted price cuts to come,” said Bill Simon, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Wal-Mart. “These rollbacks are just the start of special values we’ll unveil now through December to remind people that our prices will remain unbeatable and you will save money on great products here.”

With the $652 in savings, this season Mom could buy every toy on Wal-Mart’s top 12 toy list plus five full tanks of gas for a family road trip!

PC World reports, “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. could increase sales by US$287 million by fixing just a small portion of its inventory problems using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology, and that could be just the start, an executive said Friday.The world’s largest retailer, with US$345 billion in sales last year, is gearing up to roll out the RFID gear to make that prediction a reality in its 4,068 North American stores. The key behind it all is making sure RFID tags are installed on all products, and using a forklift with RFID equipment installed to show the driver exactly where merchandise is inside store warehouses. It’s a big issue for Wal-Mart, said Ron Moser, RFID strategy leader at Wal-Mart, speaking at the Taiwan International RFID Applications Show in Taipei.”

More at PC World