Walmart

The holiday force has awakened earlier than ever at Walmart with the Aug. 28 launch of a major initiative called Toy Week.

Walmart has released its top toy list of 25 products and announced details of a layaway program that is less restrictive than prior years. The program begins Aug. 28, two weeks earlier than last years, and those participating will find the price point of eligible items has been reduced to $10 with a minimum basket size of $50, there is no account opening fee and only a 10% down payment is required.

Walmart plans to stop selling certain types of assault and sporting rifles, the company said on Wednesday.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of demand for those products so we replaced them with products we have seen customers coming into purchase it," Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg told Fortune. 

The move comes as the largest seller of guns and ammunition in the U.S. has been a large part of the national gun debate following recent shootings.

New York -- Walmart plans to stop selling AR-15 assault rifles and other modern sporting rifles, a move the company says is motivated not by politics but by falling consumer demand.

Bentonville, Ark. -- How important is Walmart to Tyco Retail Solutions Inc.? Important enough that Tyco has built a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the giant retailer.

Located in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Walmart Retail Experience Center features a simulated retail environment and showroom where the retailer’s executives from around the globe will have access to resources and capabilities aligned to Walmart’s growing global footprint. It is Tyco’s first center built exclusively for one client.

Bentonville now has something in common with Buenos Aires, Seoul, Bangalore and Istanbul.

Walmart’s home town is now home to Tyco Retail Solutions’ newest Retail Experience Center, a 5,000-sq.-ft. facility designed to showcase the capabilities of a global company best known for its broad range of security and inventory management solutions.

As the 10th anniversary of Hurrican Katrina approaches, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are making a commitment to disaster relief efforts.

Supermarket anchors offer wide range of products and services

Grocery retailers have always served as ideal shopping center anchors, as they guarantee extra foot traffic by providing consumers with their daily needs.

Facebook and Twitter don’t have the power to move mountains (not yet anyway), but one thing is certain: Retailers are not only listening to the conversations going on out there about their brands, but, increasingly and when it makes brand-sense, acting on them. At least the smart ones are.

Consider Topshop. The global fashion retailer came under fire for using ultra-thin mannequins in its stores.