Walmart Neighborhood Market Brings Local Fresh Food Favorites

Walmart will open a new Walmart Neighborhood Market on Friday, Nov. 1, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. The new store, approximately one-quarter the size of a Walmart Supercenter, is located at Highway 164 and Coral Drive and is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The new store will provide local customers with a new, convenient option for their grocery shopping needs, including fresh produce and pharmacy services.

"Walmart is a valuable community partner," said town chairman John Marek. "They have provided new jobs and support our local charities, which is so important to Waukesha."The Walmart Neighborhood Market format offers quick and convenient shopping, with a full grocery department, including organic and natural selections. The store features prepared food options, fresh-baked breads, self-serve deli and a bakery. The Waukesha store is also tailored to the community. Read more.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Dividend Stock Analysis

WMT is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a slight discount to its calculated fair value of $77.57. WMT earned a Star in this section since it is trading at a fair value.

Dividend Analytical Data: In this section, there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

WMT earned three Stars in this section for 1.), 2.) and 3.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. WMT earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1973 and has increased its dividend payments for 39 consecutive years. Read more.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Shoe Plant Moves to Hazlehurst

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. say they plan to move production of some shoes from overseas to a manufacturing plant in south Georgia, which they say will create 250 jobs in the state.

The retailer on Thursday announced plans for the facility in Hazlehurst, a Jeff Davis County town about 100 miles west of Savannah.Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart said its longtime supplier Elan-Polo Inc. will start production of injection-molded footwear in March 2014. Readmore.

Wal-Mart to Widows Will Feel U.S. Food Stamp Cuts

Annie Crist says she dreads telling her two daughters that cuts in food-stamp benefits taking effect today means less chicken and fewer hamburgers for dinner.

And with deeper cuts looming as part of a possible U.S. budget deal, Crist and other recipients may feel an even greater pinch -- along with retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), Target Corp. (TGT) and Kroger Co. (KR)

“I don’t bother them or worry them with adult issues or adult problems,” Crist, a 30-year-old self-employed babysitter in Lancaster, Ohio, southeast of Columbus, said in a telephone interview. “But if they ask me, ‘Well, why can’t we get this? We always get this,’ how am I going to explain that?”
Food-stamp spending reached a record $78.4 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, due in part to a temporary boost in benefits passed as part of the 2009 economic stimulus that expires today. WMT.

Man fired for aiding woman rejects Wal-Mart offer to hire him back

A Michigan man rejected an offer from Wal-Mart Stores Inc to rehire him after he was fired for helping a woman who was being attacked in the store parking lot during his meal break.Kristopher Oswald, 30, who worked nights stocking shelves at a Wal-Mart store in Hartland Township, located northwest of Detroit, said on Friday that he does not feel safe going back to work.

"I believe my job was only offered to me because of the negative publicity they received," Oswald said. "There is no way I can expect to walk in as if I was a new hire and everything would be OK."A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said the company has a strict policy against retaliation and offered to accommodate Oswald with safety measures such as an escort to and from his vehicle into the store. Read more.

Hypermarkets and Super Centers Industry: Costco Stands Taller

With the best customer service, highest same store sales and eps growth, best dividend yield and the lowest debt to equity ratio, Costco is Bidness Etc’s favorite stock in the hypermarkets and super centers industry.

The hypermarkets and super centers industry is led by three key players – Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT) and Costco (COST), and together, they account for more than 99% of industry revenues in the US. Walmart and Target’s stock prices have gone up around 25% over the last five years ending September 2013, while Costco’s stock has gone up 78% over the same period. The industry’s annual revenues are estimated to grow by 4-4.5% over the next three years. Read more

Hypermarkets and Super Centers: A Look at the Big Three

Costco is outperforming competitors in an industry dominated by only three major companies

Hypermarkets and super centers, a sub-industry within the food and staples retailing industry, comprises large retailers that buy food and staples from manufacturers around the world and sell them to end consumers. They are one-stop shops, and house everything from grocery to apparel under a single roof, which ranges in size from approximately 71,000-219,000 square feet.

The total size of the US hypermarkets and super centers industry by revenues is $644 billion, 99% of which is controlled by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT), The Target Corporation (TGT) and the Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST). Costco is the youngest company among the three. It opened its first store in 1983, nearly 21 years after Target and Walmart opened their first stores in 1962. Read more