Walmart

An amazing variety of people shop at Walmart stores, which is understandable given the company’s often cited statistic that 140 million people visit its stores weekly. This diversity of customers is one of the things that makes Walmart unique as this video from singer Jessica Frech cleverly illustrates in a light-hearted way. Click here to watch.

Driving same-store sales at U.S. stores is the top priority of Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon and his boss, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., president and CEO Mike Duke. Both executives stated U.S. comp growth is their top priority on Friday and went on to add that they are confident the company has the right strategy and people in place to make it happen.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores's board of directors has approved a new program authorizing the company to repurchase $15 billion of its shares, the company announced at its 41st annual meeting of shareholders Friday. This program replaces the previous $15 billion program, announced on June 4, 2010, that had approximately $2 billion of remaining authorization. Under the program, repurchased shares are constructively retired and returned to unissued status.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — After nearly four hours of music, cheering, celebrity appearances and brief presentations by senior executives, Wal-Mart Stores president and CEO Mike Duke wrapped up the company’s annual shareholders’ extravaganza Friday morning by sharing five priorities associated with serving what he called the next generation of customers.

Given all the talk of EDLP at Walmart’s annual shareholders’ meeting, it was understandable the company chose Maki Nakamura, chief merchandising officer at Walmart Japan, as the recipient of the Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Walmart’s Seiyu stores in Japan have been implementing every day low prices for several years, and the company’s patience has finally paid off with improved business results in what has been a challenging market.

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New York City -- Wal-Mart will debut its Walmart Express format on June 8, in Gentry, Ark. The 15,000-sq-.ft.-store will sell many of the product categories that a traditional Walmart carries, from general merchandise to consumables. There is also a pharmacy. But it will have from 11,000 to 13,000 items, compared with the more than 100,000 items found in a typical supercenter.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores on Friday morning kicked off its annual shareholders meeting in Fayetteville, Ark., by announcing a $15 billion stock buyback.

Among the early speakers was Doug McMillon, chief of Wal-Mart Stores' international division, who told the audience that the chain is building sales around the world by using the same retailing style that company founder Sam Walton developed.

Bentonville, Ark. -- A report Thursday by the Associated Press said that Wal-Mart Stores executives met Thursday to discuss the proposed Massmart acquisition, which is expected to close in June.

According to the report, as Wal-Mart expands its international business, the company wants to bring ideas it gains from the South African chain to other markets.

Target and Walmart remain in what is essentially a dead heat as far as prices on food and consumables are concerned, according to the most recent study of prices in Dallas and Chicago conducted by Credit Suisse. The firm looked at a basket of 60 items across the two markets, as it does every month, and in keeping with prior comparisons, the data for April showed Target lagged Walmart by 3.4% in Chicago and 4.6% in Dallas.