Walmart

By Chris Stoneff, Lieberman Software

My experience in cyber security tells me that the retail sector probably represents the most fertile ground for cyber criminals. That's because professional hackers understand that retail has never focused on IT security to the extent seen in other industries (like banks or payment processors) that handle customer payment card data.

Mountain View, Calif. – Target’s back-to-school ad “Supplies They Need” resonated most with consumers among all back-to-school ads in 2014. According to TV and video advertising analytics provider Ace Metrix, consumers awarded an Ace Score of 673 to the Target spot.

The Family Dollar board is under new pressure to walk away from a deal with Dollar Tree after Dollar General further increased an already more generous counter offer.

Early Monday Dollar General increased its all cash offer to $80 a share from $78.50 a share and increased the number of stores it said it would be willing to divest to 1,500 from 700. The company also said it would be willing to pay Family Dollar a $500 million reverse break-up if the deal failed to secure antitrust clearance.

Latina Style magazine last week named Walmart, Target, CVS Caremark and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service four of the 50 best companies for Latinas to work for.
 
Walmart ranked No. 10 on the list, Target No. 36, CVS Caremark No. 41 and the Exchange No. 46.
 
The 2014 Latina Style 50 will be published in the magazine’s special August issue, and the companies will be recognized at the magazine’s awards ceremony and diversity conference early in 2015.
 

China is known for some of the worst air pollution in the world and to help improve the situation Walmart has launched a new initiative focused on helping suppliers reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Walmart’s seemingly endless Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation and mounting expenses drew the attention of the New York Times again this week which explored arcane legal issues that have muzzled a former Walmart lawyer.

Grocery-anchored centers respond to changing consumer tastes and consolidation

As supermarket tenants are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified and sophisticated consumer base, and given the significant trend toward consolidation, landlords are tasked with delivering top-notch grocery-anchored centers — with a diminishing number of anchors from which to choose.

Add in growing pressure on the grocery segment from competitors in the mass merchandise, discount and even dollar store verticals, plus small — but real — grocery in

Wal-Mart Stores is stepping up its use of solid-state lighting in a big way.

The discounter is installing LED ceiling lighting fixtures in new U.S.

Chile is the top destination for emerging market retail expansion, followed by China, where retail sales totaled a whopping $3.7 trillion in 2013, according to the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index.

With Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico also in the index of top emerging economies ready for retail expansion, Latin America continues to show strength as a regional retail growth market.

New York -- Walmart announced in a post on its corporate blog that its store-brand MasterCard holders can expect to receive a new chip-enabled card in the "next few weeks." The discounter said it is among the first retailers to implement chip technology as a more secure payment means for cardholders. It also noted in the post that Sam's CLub introduced a chip-enabled MasterCard in June. Both cards prompt customers not to swipe – but to insert and briefly leave the card in the payment terminal, so the card’s embedded chip can be accessed.