Inside This Issue - Opinion

Walmart adopts new priorities

Where Walmart is the subject, neutrality doesn’t exist. Industry people either like the retailer or dislike it. Observers either admire the company or are dismissive of it. Competitors respect the retailer’s strategies or are disdainful of them.

Rising commodity costs a formidable challenge

Just as mass market retailers and their suppliers are beginning to see some signs that, despite the discouraging employment picture and uneven economic recovery, many consumers are starting to spend more freely, the specter of rising commodity prices threatens to stop the momentum.