Wal-Mart

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc <WMT.N>, which has already cut prices on everything from toys to turkeys to TVs to win holiday shoppers, is now reducing the price it charges for money transfers. Through January 31, U.S. Wal-Mart stores will charge customers a $7 fee to send up to $200 anywhere in the United States or abroad. Previously, the price for a money transfer started at $9 for an international transfer and $11 for a domestic one. Money transfers can be sent and received at its more than 3,500 U.S. stores. The transfers are offered through MoneyGram <MGI.N>. Spokeswoman Linda Blakley said ... Read Full Story

Kennett, Missouri (CNN) -- A woman accused of cutting in line at a Wal-Mart, shoving merchandise and assaulting police officers will plead guilty to disturbing the peace and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. Under the agreement -- reached after the jury received the case for deliberations -- Heather Ellis will plead guilty to disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. She will serve a year of unsupervised probation, attend an anger management course and serve four days in jail before the end of the year. The sentence stipulates that if Ellis stays out of trouble for a year, the charges will be sealed and the arrest ... Read Full Story

Shoppers' focus on staples such as socks and underwear is driving murky holiday outlooks at Wal-Mart and Kohl's, even as both posted higher third-quarter earnings Thursday. Both signaled they plan aggressive discounting to hang on to customers and drive sales this holiday season. Wal-Mart Stores' price-cutting campaign is bringing more shoppers in the door. But they're spending less when they get there because the goods are priced lower — because of deflation, especially for meat and dairy items, and discounts designed to bring people into its stores. The price decreases at Walmart helped fuel a second consecutive quarterly decline in sales at U.S. stores ... Read Full Story

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reported a 3.2 percent increase in third-quarter profit, helped by inventory controls and other cost-cutting measures. But a key sales indicator slipped, and the discount-store chain expects sales weakness through the critical fourth quarter, fueling more worries about a broad weakness in consumer spending. The discounter, based in Bentonville, Ark., on Thursday reported a profit of $3.24 billion, or 84 cents per share, for the period ended Oct. 31. That compares with $3.14 billion, or 80 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $99.4 billion from $98.3 billion. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of 81 cents ... Read Full Story

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's biggest retailer, is offering its clothing vendors a faster way to get paid. Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., told its more than 1,000 clothing suppliers earlier this month that they would could get paid within 10 to 15 days of delivering goods, versus the 60 to 90 days it took under its customary arrangement. Retailers have worried whether vendors can get enough financing to fulfill orders amid the tight lending market. Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley said the new option lets vendors present their bill to a bank, which pays the vendor, then gets paid by Wal-Mart. Simley said it ... Read Full Story