Walmart

NEW YORK - The retail industry descended upon the Javitz Center in New York City this week for the National Retail Federation’s 100th Big Show, and despite the tough economy, the general mood of the show was one of optimism and excitement. 

Addressing the packed auditorium before Monday’s super sessions, NRF president and CEO Matt Shay said. “There are very few organizations that enjoy the stature of retail, very few businesses that contribute more to the local economy.”

Walmart Canada has a few years to get ready for the arrival of Target following yesterday’s major announcement that its arch rival would be heading north of the border via an acquisition. That is the same strategy Walmart employed all the way back in 1994 when it bought 122 former Woolco stores. Walmart now operates 323 stores in Canada, and by the time Target gets around to opening its first units in 2013 that figure will probably be closer to 400.

Retailers at NRF’s convention this week got a citing of Bill Fields, a former Walmart executive who spent 25 years with the company serving in various roles from 1971 to 1996. Today Fields is chairman of a group called China Horizon, a joint venture with the Chinese postal service charged with helping to develop retail and consumption in rural China, and it was the topic of China that Fields addressed during the super session: “Making the retail business dynamic,” sponsored by Microsoft.

New York City -- Though Walmart's desire to enter New York City is nothing new, its latest push shows that attitudes toward the retailer opening stores in the Big Apple are changing -- in Walmart's favor.

The company recently launched WalmartNYC.com, a "community forum for customers, associates, stakeholders and public officials who want to learn more about Walmart as it continues to evaluate opportunities across the city," according to a company press release.

Where Walmart goes consumer packaged goods companies follow, as is evident by the growing number of companies signing on or deepening their relationship with the FLW Outdoors fishing tournament sponsored by Walmart.

New York City -- Microsoft Corp. announced that Bill Gonzalez, general manager of its worldwide distribution and services sector, has been elected to the associate member advisory council for the board of directors of the National Retail Federation. The announcement was made at the NRF Annual Convention & EXPO in New York.

Columbus, Ohio -- Retail same-store sales eased to 3.2% growth in December in the wake of November’s exceptionally strong promotional activity and an ongoing shift toward online shopping, according to Kantar Retail. The sales-weighted composite for the 31 retailers reporting -- most of them apparel retailers -- was weaker than the 5.6% same-store sales gain last month, but slightly better than the 3.0% gain in December of 2009. (The calculations no longer include Walmart, which stopped reporting monthly results in 2009. )

The fourth installment of family movie night, a collaboration between Walmart and Procter & Gamble, is set to air Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox. The movie is called Change of Plans, and the plot line revolves around how lives can be turned upside down with a phone call. Also of interest is an upcoming CNBC special on Target, but more on that later.