Ubiquitous Wal-Mart

(AP) - The family of the Wal-Mart temp worker who was trampled to death by a Black Friday stampede has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in New York's state Supreme Court against the retailer and the Long Island mall where the store is located. The family also filed notice that Nassau County, on Long Island, and its police department will be sued. More »

(Newser) - Trampling a Long Island Wal-Mart worker in a frenzied rush for flat-screen TVs may be a prosecutable crime, reports Newsday , but experts are split. “In order to prosecute a homicide, you have to establish that someone caused a death," said a lawyer. "If I stepped on his arm, or chest, or leg, even if you have that on video, how are you going to establish that I caused his death?" More »

(Newser) - Americans are reverting to cash for purchases in increasing numbers, according to top retailers Wal-Mart, Target and JC Penney. The shift away from credit is expected to further reduce spending by consumers—who will be limited to cash-on-hand purchases—not just during the holiday season, but during what could be a deep and long-lasting recession.  More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart sees an opening in the consumer credit market and is trying to start up its own credit-card operation, BusinessWeek reports. The retail giant is in talks with a veteran financial services firm to launch a card with low interest rates and few fees. It's not clear how far along the talks are for such a so-called "clean card," but the move would shake up the US lending industry because of Wal-Mart's huge customer base. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart is readying for bumper sales while most US retailers brace themselves for a miserable holiday season, the New York Times reports. Squeezed consumers are flocking to the discount chain as the economic downturn begins to bite. The firm is expected to report a modest increase in sales for October, while most retail chains fear a coming "bloodbath" of huge sales slumps. More »

(Newser) - Toy retailers have commenced a fierce price war as a particularly tough holiday season bears down upon them, the Wall Street Journal reports. Wal-Mart cut prices to $10 on key toys including Barbie and Hot Wheels last week, a move quickly mirrored by rivals KB Toys and Target. Toys 'R' Us, meanwhile, plans to focus on choice instead of cheapness. More »

(Newser) - A chemical found in many containers commonly used by Americans is linked to heart disease and diabetes in a new study, the Chicago Tribune reports. The first large-scale human study of Bisphenol A follows a government advisory on using the chemical near food, and a report connecting it to ill effects on fetal brain and prostate-gland development. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart's second-quarter profits surged 17%, spurred by bargain-hunting shoppers and tax-rebate checks, reports Bloomberg. The world’s largest retailer also revised its full-year estimates upward, while cautioning that rising energy and food costs make the outlook more volatile from week to week. The company said its net income rose to $3.45 billion from $2.95 billion a year ago. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart is warning store managers and department supervisors nationwide that a Democratic victory in November would likely lead to passage of a federal law making unionization easier, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a series of mandatory meetings, the company says it's not telling hourly employees how to vote, which is illegal, but acknowledges that it is making the case against unions—and letting them know that a vote for Obama is a vote for unionization. More »

(Newser) - Retailers and marketers are closely watching American shopping trends, knowing that recession habits can linger for years, the AP reports. Studies show that 63% of Americans have cut down spending by coupon-cutting, biking to work, and buying store brands. They're also buying smaller cars and shopping at discounters. "We are looking at stuff that reminds me of the 1970s," one investment manager said. More »

(Newser) - A Florida man has been released from the hospital after being bitten in the hand by a poisonous pygmy rattlesnake while browsing in a Wal-Mart garden department, the Miami Herald reports. Though potentially deadly to a child or elderly person, the bite "wouldn't have been fatal with an adult male. But you could lose a finger,'' said an officer with the antivenin unit. More »

(Newser) - As the country's leading brick-and-mortar CD seller, Wal-Mart occupies a special place in the music industry, earning perks like exclusive releases of CDs by bands like Journey and, soon, AC/DC. But with sales of physical CDs in freefall, even Wal-Mart is considering cutting the number of titles and artists its stores stock, reports the Wall Street Journal. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart, more accustomed to being lambasted than lauded by its critics, is seeing a shift in public opinion, reports the New York Times. The mega-retailer has reached accords with some of its most ardent detractors, even listening to their advice on issues like employee health care. The company, too, has gone green, becoming the largest retailer of energy efficient light bulbs. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart is testing a new service, cNet reports: free online classified ads. The big-box retailer launched the site last week, in partnership with start-up Oodle.com, and offers more than 40 million listings, featuring seven categories, in major US cities. More »

(Newser) - South Asia is still dominated by mom-and-pop grocery stores, but—as in the US about 70 years ago—the supermarket sector is expanding and will eventually overtake family-run shops, the Economist gleans from a new study. "Many people assume that Asia's shopping habits are peculiar to the region and uniquely resistant to change," the authors write—but sheer demand will change all that. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart is adopting stricter toy safety standards, going above and beyond existing government requirements, the Wall Street Journal reports. The standards set hard lead limits, and encourage “traceability information,” to show where toys are from. Complying could boost toymakers’ costs by 5%-7%, but since Wal-Mart is the world’s top toy seller, expect companies to fall in line. More »

(Newser) - Wal-Mart nosed out Exxon Mobil for the second consecutive year to land atop the 2008 Fortune 500, with $37.7 billion in revenues, the magazine said today. In profits, the oil company far outstripped the megaretailer. Three of the top 5 on the list were oil companies, the AP reports. ChevronTexaco (No. 3) and GM (No. 4) swapped places, and ConocoPhillips again rounded out the top 5. More »