Strategy

Jackson, Miss. -- The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is not liable for selling bullets to an underage customer who then used the ammunition to commit murder.

The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Robert Williams, who was shot and killed by his girlfriend's son in 2006. The son, Xavier Zurndell Moore, was 20 years old at the time, and shot Williams with ammunition purchased at a local Walmart store. Federal law requires that a person be 21 to buy pistol ammunition.

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. reported a better-than-expected second quarter profit of $279.1 million, down from $280.8 million a year ago. The supermarket company raised its forecast for the full year, buoyed by its strong loyalty program and its ability to keep costs in line.

Revenue, including fuel, rose 3.9% to $21.73 billion.

City of Industry, Calif. -- Hot Topic announced that Jerry Cook has resigned as chief store officer, effective February 28, 2013. He is leaving the company to relocate his family to Texas, and will pursue other professional opportunities.

WASHINGTON — The Grocery Manufacturers Association has named Elise Fennig as VP industry affairs.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu is closing approximately 60 stores as the company moves forward with its turnaround plans. The company will shutter 38 stores in its retail food reporting segment and 22 Save-A-Lot locations. The majority of the stores are expected to close before Dec. 1, the end of the company’s fiscal 2013 third quarter.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dillard's has named Chris Johnson as the company's VP real estate. Johnson, who has served as the Dillard's VP accounting since 2006, will assume the role following the retirement of James Cherry, Jr. in December.

NEW YORK — Safeway will package $150 million in real healthcare savings into an overall wellness strategy to be implemented over the course of 2013, the grocer's chairman and CEO Steve Burd told analysts Thursday morning at the Goldman Sachs 19th Annual Global Retailing Conference.

If it seems like Dollar General stores are everywhere it’s because they are. And more keep coming presenting price sensitive shoppers with a viable alternative to Walmart.

The Marine Stewardship Council received a nearly $11 million cash infusion from a trio of charitable foundations, including the Walton Family Foundation.

Walmart this week modified a layaway program that had yet to begin after Toys "R" Us said it wouldn’t charge a service fee and lifted minimum purchase requirements for its program.

The layaway saga began in late August when Walmart said the start date of its layaway program would begin on September 16, a month earlier than the prior year. Curiously, Walmart also said at that time the fee to open a layaway account would increase to $15 from $5 the prior year.