Ted Hurlbut

Wal-Mart Taking Hits Over Price, Selection

March 9, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Two separate articles conclude that Wal-Mart Stores is having a tougher go of it since the economy began to rebound, in part because a wide variety of competitors have found ways to beat the world's largest retailer on price. Do you see Wal-Mart as being more vulnerable to competition today than in the past?      [more...]

My instinct is that it's much too early in this cycle to be drawing any significant conclusions. As Walmart concedes, their SKU rationalization program is an on-going process that's really in its early stages. Others here today have pointed out that Target has been trying to cherry-pick prices for a while. And we still don't know how those consumers who traded down to Walmart when the recession hit are going to respond when they begin to feel they no longer have to shop there.