Walmart

Asda, Walmart’s U.K. subsidiary, has big plans for 2012 that include investing more than £500m ($784 million) in its stores in 2012.

The company said it will invest the money in opening 25 new stores and three depots, as well as expanding and remodeling 43 of its existing stores. According to the company, this investment will create up to 5,000 new jobs in the United Kingdom. The company noted that current Asda associates would have the opportunity to enhance their careers through the company’s apprenticeship program.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Wednesday opened its second supercenter and fifth location overall in Chicago.

Matt Kistler is in a relatively new role at Walmart as SVP of merchandise execution and to explain what that means he is on the agenda for an upcoming event presented by Doing Business in Bentonville.

Kistler is scheduled to speak on February 8 at the DBB event which runs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and will be held at the John Q. Hammons Center. He is expected to provide an overview of Walmart’s merchandise services unit that was created last year.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In an unexpected turn of events, Brian Cornell is stepping down as Sam’s Club president and CEO and will be replaced by Rosalind Brewer who currently serves as president of the Walmart U.S. East business unit. The company announced a number of other senior personnel changes as well in advance of new fiscal year.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced a series of  management changes that include an unexpected change in leadership at Sam’s Club, and a new chief information officer. The retailer said Sam's Club president and CEO Brian Cornell, 52, is resigning so that he and his wife can move back to the Northeast for family reasons. His departure comes as Sam’s has experienced strong sales growth.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Walmart is offering consumers the chance to get their product sold on Walmart.com and in Walmart stores in its new contest, "Get on the Shelf."

The nationwide contest is the latest announcement from @WalmartLabs and similar to the popular American Idol television show, contestants will create videos of their latest inventions and the public will vote online for the winners.

San Francisco -- A Tuesday report by Reuters said that Wal-Mart filed a motion on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit filed last October by a regrouping of women whose earlier gender bias class action was ended by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced that Neil Ashe, 44, is the new president and CEO of the company's global e-commerce business, effective Jan. 16.

Ashe was most recently president of CBS Interactive, where he led all online properties and also drove development of new ways to distribute programming produced by the media giant and its subsidiaries.

Ashe is replacing Eduardo Castro-Wright, who announced his retirement in September and will assist in the transition.