Analysis: Cautious Wal-Mart missing out on Russia's retail boom

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PayPal is extending its reach to more physical stores, having signed up 50 merchant acquirers which help process payments but the

SAN FRANCISCO — Wal-Mart Stores Inc is considering a radical plan to have store customers deliver packages to online buyers, a new twist on speedier delivery services that the company hopes will enable it to better compete with Amazon.com Inc. Tapping customers to deliver goods would put the world’s largest retailer squarely in middle of a new phenomenon sometimes known as “crowd-sourcing,” or the “sharing economy.”

We are not talking about a couple of empty shelves. This is throughout the store in every store. Some places look like they’re going out of business Wal-Mart Stores Inc, already struggling to woo shoppers constrained by higher taxes, is “getting worse” at keeping shelves stocked, the retailer’s U.S. chief told executives, according to minutes of an officers’ meeting obtained by Bloomberg News.

NEW YORK – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will buy an additional US$50-billion in U.S.-made goods over the next decade in areas like sporting goods and high-end appliances in what the world’s largest retailer called a bid to help boost the U.S. economy. Wal-Mart, the largest private employer in the United States, also said on Tuesday it plans to hire 100,000 newly discharged veterans over the next five years, at a time when the U.S. unemployment rate is at 7.8%.

By Dutch Trader: Once the 'big box' format or hypermarket was a winning concept in the food retail industry - it capitalized on the ability to leverage existing customer traffic by selling non-food items adjacent to food offerings. The model has been similar in style to the department store model, which sells a range of items under one roof. In recent years, however, structural and cyclical factors have undermined this model.

(Reuters)

Jefferson Starship submits: Like most articles, this was inspired by things going on in and around my hometown, where a giant lot of trees has recently been cut down so that a new membership-style discount variety retailer can be constructed. I am indeed for this if the store will create jobs, offer reduced prices, and mainly, give out food samples on the weekends.