Wal-Mart Gay Seminar Draws Criticism

Wal-Mart Gay Seminar Draws Criticism : "Wal-Mart is coming under attack again, this time from an unlikely source -- the conservative American Family Association which is criticizing the Bentonville-based retailer for a seminar it held Friday called 'Why Market to Gay America?' "--nwaonline.net

War on Wal-Mart's shaky foundations

War on Wal-Mart's shaky foundations: "A union-led war on Wal-Mart is underway. The company which has brought low prices and improved the lives of low income Americans is derided by supposed guardians of the common man and woman. The company which has revolutionized the distribution sector and propelled the American economy forward while our European comopetitors stagnate, is reviled as a predator."--americanthinker.com

House panel members urge Wal-Mart bank bid delay

House panel members urge Wal-Mart bank bid delay: "A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Friday asked the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to delay action on Wal-Mart's application to open a bank until a vacancy on the regulatory agency's board is filled."--abcnews.go.com

Fun With Wal-Mart Numbers

Fun With Wal-Mart Numbers: "Some poor misguided soul on Alternet made a statement a couple of days ago that 'the lowest paid employee of Wal-Mart makes twice the federal minimum wage.' That would be $10.30 an hour or $21,424 annually. I immediately contradicted his statement but then I began to wonder, what does Wal-Mart actually pay? "--buzzflash.com

A sour note for choir at Wal-Mart

A sour note for choir at Wal-Mart: "A festive group of high school choir students from Central Islip singing at an Islandia shopping center discovered over the weekend that some people were not in the holiday spirit.After entering a Wal-Mart store, the choir was quickly asked to leave before even starting to sing its first song."--newsday.com

Two protesters arrested outside North Lauderdale Wal-Mart

Two protesters arrested outside North Lauderdale Wal-Mart: "The head of a South Florida labor-rights group was arrested on assault charges Thursday after about 20 protesters clashed with a Wal-Mart manager outside the retail giant's store in North Lauderdale."--miami.com
Wal-Mart's response can be found here Via Hispanicbusiness.com.

Wal-Mart viewed favorably in Pew survey

Wal-Mart viewed favorably in Pew survey: "A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that most U.S. residents have a favorable opinion of Wal-Mart."--upi.com

The Wal-Mart Question

The Wal-Mart Question
"Liberal media watchdog group Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) has released a piece suggesting that the money Wal-Mart spends to advertise in news outlets may be buying more than ads. "--cbsnews.com

Some retailers tightening return policies

Some retailers tightening return policies: "This Christmas, don't expect many happy returns.Retailers are further clamping down on return policies, imposing penalty fees and using sophisticated computer databases to flag serial returners trying to game the system. Some are also adding exceptions and caveats to their return policies -- for instance, making it particularly hard to return certain kinds of products, such as electronics."--post-gazette.com

Wal-Mart - ASDA fired worker for having small change in her pocket

Wal-Mart - ASDA fired worker for having small change in her pocket: "Wal-Mart - ASDA has fired a woman workers for having had 3 Pounds - 6 USD - in her pocket while working on the shop floor. This has sparked an angry response from her co-workers and from GMB, the British union that she is a member of."--union-network.org

Wal-Mart wins Japan Seiyu‘s approval for rescue

Wal-Mart wins Japan Seiyu‘s approval for rescue: "U.S. retailer Wal-Mart on Thursday won approval from Seiyu Ltd.‘s shareholders for a $1 billion rescue package for the struggling Japanese retailer, which will make it a Wal-Mart unit this month."--leadingthecharge.com

What Wal-Mart Wants from the WTO

What Wal-Mart Wants from the WTO: "At the dawn of what may be the end of the 'free-trade' movement, here's a look at what the world's biggest globalization profiteer hopes to achieve from this week's meeting."--alternet.org

Wal-Mart Buys Brazil Stores for Expansion

Wal-Mart Buys Brazil Stores for Expansion: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. took a firm step Wednesday toward boosting its presence in Latin America, buying 140 Brazilian hypermarkets, supermarkets and wholesale outlets from a Portuguese conglomerate."--abcnews.go.com

Wal-Mart seeks W.T.O. help in fighting growth limits

Wal-Mart seeks W.T.O. help in fighting growth limits: "In the United States, union leaders, politicians and antiglobalization activists have used the courts and local zoning laws to keep big-box stores such as Wal-Mart out of some neighborhoods.Now the Bentonville-based retail giant and other major chains are hoping to counterattack overseas with a powerful new weapon : the World Trade Organization."--nwanews.com--nwanews.com

The Wal-Mart employmeny effect

The Wal-Mart employmeny effect: "The U.S. economy entered its fifth year of expansion in November, with non-farm payroll employment, a broad economic indicator, having expanded by 4.5 million jobs (3.4 percent) since bottoming in May 2003. Wal-Mart, meanwhile, the nation’s largest private employer, has been creating new jobs at a much higher rate. Data obtained from Wal-Mart show the retail giant expanding employment by 15 percent in the same two-and-a-half-year period"--nationalreview.com

'Wal-Mart' DVD nears 100,000 sales

'Wal-Mart' DVD nears 100,000 sales: "The controversial anti-Wal-Mart film 'Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price' has sold nearly 100,000 DVDs its first month in release, peaking at No. 5 on Nielsen VideoScan's documentary sales chart."--biz.gamedaily.com

Wal-Mart unit offers gay wedding cards-British subsidiary also sells commitment rings as country legalizes civil same-sex partnerships.

Wal-Mart unit offers gay wedding cards-British subsidiary also sells commitment rings as country legalizes civil same-sex partnerships.: "Asda, Wal-Mart's British subsidiary, has introduced a line of wedding cards and 'commitment rings' this week -- just in time for the country's legalization of gay civil partnerships."--detnews.com

Kids shooed away

Kids shooed away: "Police escorted a group of fifth-grade protesters from the Rte. 9 Wal-Mart yesterday after the youngsters decried what they say is the retail giant’s use of sweatshop labor. 'Wal-Mart, instead of letting in what we’re telling them, they’re not listening,' said Newton 10-year-old Owen Weitzman. 'We’re not going to stop until they listen.' "--metrowestdailynews.com

Wal-Mart fires manager in alleged discrimination

Wal-Mart fires manager in alleged discrimination: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has fired the manager of a supercenter here for 'poor judgment' after he called sheriff's deputies to apprehend a black manager of a roofing supplies business whose $13,600 company check could not be verified.The decision came after a two-week internal investigation concluded the store manager violated the discount store giant's procedures but found no evidence of racial discrimination."--sptimes.com

New chips called a danger to privacy

New chips called a danger to privacy: "State lawmakers have crafted a bill that, if passed, would make New Hampshire the first state in the nation to regulate so-called 'spy chips' in an effort to protect consumer privacy."--fosters.com

I'll have a loaf of bread, milk, and a flu shot

I'll have a loaf of bread, milk, and a flu shot: "The company that radically reshaped the retail industry is getting into the healthcare business.
Wal-Mart is experimenting with ways to provide outpatient medical services to its millions of customers by opening walk-in clinics in about a dozen stores"--boston.com

Candlelight vigils at Wal-Marts

Candlelight vigils at Wal-Marts: "Faith leaders, citizens and community activists plan to hold a series of candlelight vigils at Wal-Marts in numerous U.S. cities in 20 states."--webindia123.com

Expert: Wal-Mart model may hurt U.S. economy

Expert: Wal-Mart model may hurt U.S. economy: "Wal-Mart, that familiar landmark of working class America, may never gain a foothold on the shores of Palm Beach, but more than 100 people, including islanders and 25 students from St. Edwards High School in Vero Beach, turned out Wednesday to learn why the retailing giant matters to all Americans."--palmbeachdailynews.com

LABOR: Wal-Mart letter irks UAW leaders

LABOR: Wal-Mart letter irks UAW leaders: "Organized labor's long-running battle with the world's largest retailer -- which is also the world's largest nonunion retailer -- reached a new level of testiness Friday that even brought the UAW into the fray."--freep.com