Consumers Vote Walmart Gift Cards "Most Wanted" This Christmas

Retailer Extends Cut-Off Dates for Free Shipping to Home and “Site to Store” Last Minute Gifts Available Online for In-Store Pick Up

Dec. 20, 2010 – Walmart announces it’s not too late to save on great last-minute gifts, including most-desired gift cards. According to a recent poll1, Walmart ranks as the number one preferred Gift Card consumers would like to see in their stockings this year. In addition, a recent survey of a panel of Walmart Moms2 found that approximately 77 percent still have gifts left to purchase this holiday season.

To help families give the perfect gift that never expires, Walmart offers a wide range of festive Gift Card3 designs available in stores that can be used at all Walmart stores or online at Walmart.com. Walmart also offers e-Gift Cards4 at Walmart.com which can be sent anytime – even Christmas Day – and used for online purchases.

Free Shipping Still Available at Walmart.com
Walmart.com will offer free shipping to home5 on nearly 60,000 items, including all electronics*, with no minimum purchase through 11:30 p.m. PST tonight. The retailer has also extended the order cut-off date for its popular “Site to Store” service from Dec. 17 last year to Dec. 20 this holiday season. “Site to Store” enables customers to choose from thousands of eligible items on Walmart.com and enjoy free shipping to a local Walmart store in time for Christmas. With Walmart.com’s “Pick Up Today” program, online orders can be placed up until 6:00 p.m. PST on Dec. 23 with free same-day pickup at select local Walmart stores. The new test began in October and customer response has quickly grown with the volume of orders more than quadrupling since Nov. 1. Walmart’s cut-off dates and times for gifts to arrive in time for Christmas this holiday include:

* Free Shipping to home: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Site to Store: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Ground & 97-cent: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Expedited: 12/22 11:30 p.m. PST
* Pick Up Today**: 12/23 6:00 p.m. PST

Last Minute Deals and Gift Card Bundles
Walmart is offering special bonus Gift Cards6 with the purchase of some of the hottest gifts this season, including:

* $20 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of Nintendo DSi, $149
* $50 iTunes Gift Card with purchase of 8GB iPod touch, $225
* $50 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of iPhone 3GS 8GB, $97 with two-year agreement
* $50 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of iPhone 4 16GB, $197 with two-year agreement
* New for this year, Facebook Credit Gift Cards7 - $5, $10, $15 denominations when purchased at Walmart Stores; $10 and $25 denominations when purchased online at Walmart.com

Facebook Gift Cards can be used to buy virtual goods in over 200 social games on Facebook, including EA’s FIFA Superstars, Zynga’s FrontierVille, CrowdStar’s Hello City and Playdom’s Social City, among others.

* Excludes iPods and iPads

** Available in select markets.

Consumers Vote Walmart Gift Cards "Most Wanted" This Christmas

Retailer Extends Cut-Off Dates for Free Shipping to Home and “Site to Store” Last Minute Gifts Available Online for In-Store Pick Up

Dec. 20, 2010 – Walmart announces it’s not too late to save on great last-minute gifts, including most-desired gift cards. According to a recent poll1, Walmart ranks as the number one preferred Gift Card consumers would like to see in their stockings this year. In addition, a recent survey of a panel of Walmart Moms2 found that approximately 77 percent still have gifts left to purchase this holiday season.

To help families give the perfect gift that never expires, Walmart offers a wide range of festive Gift Card3 designs available in stores that can be used at all Walmart stores or online at Walmart.com. Walmart also offers e-Gift Cards4 at Walmart.com which can be sent anytime – even Christmas Day – and used for online purchases.

Free Shipping Still Available at Walmart.com
Walmart.com will offer free shipping to home5 on nearly 60,000 items, including all electronics*, with no minimum purchase through 11:30 p.m. PST tonight. The retailer has also extended the order cut-off date for its popular “Site to Store” service from Dec. 17 last year to Dec. 20 this holiday season. “Site to Store” enables customers to choose from thousands of eligible items on Walmart.com and enjoy free shipping to a local Walmart store in time for Christmas. With Walmart.com’s “Pick Up Today” program, online orders can be placed up until 6:00 p.m. PST on Dec. 23 with free same-day pickup at select local Walmart stores. The new test began in October and customer response has quickly grown with the volume of orders more than quadrupling since Nov. 1. Walmart’s cut-off dates and times for gifts to arrive in time for Christmas this holiday include:

* Free Shipping to home: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Site to Store: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Ground & 97-cent: 12/20 11:30 p.m. PST
* Expedited: 12/22 11:30 p.m. PST
* Pick Up Today**: 12/23 6:00 p.m. PST

Last Minute Deals and Gift Card Bundles
Walmart is offering special bonus Gift Cards6 with the purchase of some of the hottest gifts this season, including:

* $20 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of Nintendo DSi, $149
* $50 iTunes Gift Card with purchase of 8GB iPod touch, $225
* $50 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of iPhone 3GS 8GB, $97 with two-year agreement
* $50 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of iPhone 4 16GB, $197 with two-year agreement
* New for this year, Facebook Credit Gift Cards7 - $5, $10, $15 denominations when purchased at Walmart Stores; $10 and $25 denominations when purchased online at Walmart.com

Facebook Gift Cards can be used to buy virtual goods in over 200 social games on Facebook, including EA’s FIFA Superstars, Zynga’s FrontierVille, CrowdStar’s Hello City and Playdom’s Social City, among others.

* Excludes iPods and iPads

** Available in select markets.

Plastic Bottles to Pet Beds

Walmart has teamed up with pet supplier Worldwise, Inc. to launch an innovative new program to bring the latest generation of environmentally responsible products to consumers nationwide. Under this partnership, Walmart will provide Worldwise with recyclable waste materials that will be turned into a variety of pet products for sale at Walmart including:

* Plastic bottles are being recycled into dog beds
* Hangers are being turned into cat litter pans, scoops, and scratchers
* Bags are being converted into cat littler liners
* Corrugated cardboard is being processed into cat scratchers

Secretary Napolitano Announces Expansion of "If You See Something, Say Something" Campaign to Walmart Stores Across the Nation

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the expansion of the Department's national "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign to hundreds of Walmart stores across the country - launching a new partnership between DHS and Walmart to help the American public play an active role in ensuring the safety and security of our nation.

"Homeland security starts with hometown security, and each of us plays a critical role in keeping our country and communities safe," said Secretary Napolitano. "I applaud Walmart for joining the ‘If You See Something, Say Something' campaign. This partnership will help millions of shoppers across the nation identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to law enforcement authorities."

The "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign—originally implemented by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and funded, in part, by $13 million from DHS' Transit Security Grant Program—is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.

More than 230 Walmart stores nationwide launched the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign today, with a total of 588 Walmart stores in 27 states joining in the coming weeks. A short video message will play at select checkout locations to remind shoppers to contact local law enforcement to report suspicious activity.

Over the past five months, DHS has worked with its federal, state, local and private sector partners, as well as the Department of Justice, to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign and Nationwide SAR Initiative to communities throughout the country—including the recent state-wide expansions of the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign across Minnesota and New Jersey. Partners include the Mall of America, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Amtrak, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, sports and general aviation industries, and state and local fusion centers across the country.

In the coming months, the Department will continue to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign nationally with public education materials and outreach tools designed to help America's businesses, communities and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe.

Wal-Mart increases giving in United States, Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG -- Wal-Mart announced its charitable giving in the United States totaled more than $467 million in cash and in-kind gifts in the fiscal year ending 2010 (Feb. 1, 2009 to Jan. 31) -- an $89 million increase over the previous year's giving.

In international markets, Wal-Mart gave $45 million in cash and in-kind gifts.

In Pennsylvania, Wal-Mart gave more than $11.59 million to support non-profits like Shriners Hospital for Children, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and dozens more like them.

Additionally, Wal-Mart associates and customers raised $3.6 million to help Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations in communities in the vicinity of their stores.

In the U.S., Wal-Mart doubled donations to food banks at a time when they are being accessed more than ever. Giving more than 127 million pounds of nutritious food -- the equivalent of nearly 100 million meals -- from Wal-Mart stores, distribution centers and Sam's Club locations, Wal-Mart increased food donations by 81 million pounds over its 2009 totals.

Also, more than 90,000 bottles of water, 24,000 blankets, 27,000 tents and more than 20,000 units of medical supplies, such as gauze and surgical masks, were donated in response to the Haiti earthquake.

Retailer donating $2 billion for food banks

San Antonio Food Bank will be among the hunger-relief agencies across the nation sharing a five-year, $2 billion donation from retailing giant Wal-Mart, a spokesman for the local group said Wednesday.

Director of development Zuani Villarreal said Feeding America, the national food bank network, notified all food banks Tuesday about Wal-Mart's commitment.

Villarreal said Texas could receive the nation's largest share of the donated foods, funds and other promised assistance.

"Hunger is a communitywide issue and we need to bring all stakeholders to the table. Wal-Mart is stepping up in a big way," Villarreal said, "not just here in San Antonio, but nationally. Hopefully, it's going to make a big difference."

A November 2009 U.S. Department of Agriculture report said hunger rates in the United States are the highest since 1995, with nearly 15 percent of households lacking access to an adequate supply of nutritious food.

Wal-Mart said its "Fighting Hunger Together" initiative has several components:

Food donations from Walmart stores and Sam's Clubs valued at $1.75 billion.

Grants totaling $250 million to support hunger-relief groups.

Mobilization of Walmart store employees and customers to help food banks become more efficient.

Collaborations with government, food manufacturers and others to reach more families in need.

Wal-Mart said the bulk of the donations will consist of more than 1.1 billion pounds of food that is unsold or close to expiration dates. Half of the food will be fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat - items that food banks say are in demand.

Wal-Mart estimated the food would provide 1 billion meals.

Villarreal said food bank drivers already pick up about 4,000 pounds of food every day from local Walmart and Sam's stores.

"We're helping more people than ever before," Villarreal said. "Anytime an organization steps up to help us meet that increased demand, it's really a blessing for us."

Boaz Walmart Unveils New Design

Renovated store offers a glimpse into the next generation of shopping

BOAZ, Ala., April 12, 2010 – The Boaz Walmart, located at 1972 Highway 431, will celebrate a grand re-opening this week, giving local shoppers a glimpse of the company’s next generation of store design and customer experience. The results of a three-month remodeling project will be unveiled at the Boaz Walmart at 8 a.m. Friday, April 16. Among the many improvements are a new layout, wider aisles, low-profile shelving, bright interior paint scheme, enhanced lighting and easy-to-read signage to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers than ever before.

“We listened to our customers and have redesigned the store to make shopping at Walmart even easier,” said store manager Bobby Green.

New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The remodeled Boaz store features a more open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays. Walmart also aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently, making it quicker to purchase everyday items.

“The new layout is easier to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for necessities,” said Green.

Among the changes, Walmart has combined the Site-to-Store pick-up location and photo lab into a single area at the rear of the store. Customers now have ready access to these services as well as associates who can provide assistance as needed.

A bright interior paint scheme and enhanced lighting creates a more inviting shopping experience and helps define the store’s merchandise areas. Low-profile shelving creates an improved sightline and directional signage helps customers find the products they need.

Expanded Departments Add Value and Savings
The remodel also brings Walmart customers an expanded electronics department featuring a wide selection of the latest consumer electronics and home entertainment. The new design includes a more hands-on experience for customers with interactive displays for hi-definition Blu-ray, video gaming and portable electronics. The interactive experience enables shoppers to test new technology.

A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons and helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap.

Wal-Mart vows to go green

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - Wal-Mart Stores, the world's largest retailer with thousands of big box stores around the world, is looking to make those stores more environmentally friendly.

Speaking at Fortune's Brainstorm Green conference, Lee Scott, chairman of Wal-Mart's executive committee said Monday that the retailer was eyeing stores made of materials that easily revert back to the earth. Scott didn't elaborate on the plan.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said the company is also looking to use more recycled materials in the construction process. The spokesman said the company currently uses rubber in store baseboards that is made partly from old diapers, steel containing recycled components and concrete composed of 20% fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal.

The company has been criticized for its buildings in the past, especially for its tendency to build stores and then move out of them once they get too small. The empty buildings can become a headache for communities.

Scott said Wal-Mart realizes the impact this can have on towns, and is working hard to fill the spaces with other businesses once Wal-Mart moves out. He said the company has just over 100 empty stores out of over 3,000 buildings in total. That's down from over 300 empty stores a few years back.

He also said Wal-Mart has a plan to build more stores in urban areas, but that the company is facing opposition from certain segments of society that didn't want it to succeed.
0:00 /4:37Walmart's green balancing-act

'"That would be the unions," chimed in Time Inc. editor-in-chief John Huey, who was interviewing Scott at the green business conference. Unions have criticized the company for paying its employees too little.
The greening of Wal-Mart

Scott's comments were part of a wide-ranging talk with Huey on the company's plan to green up its operations.

Wal-Mart, once vilified by environmentalists for its large ecological footprint, has recently been praised in the green community for its efforts, which include commitments to use 100% renewable energy, generating zero waste at its stores and requiring its suppliers to measure their greenhouse gas output.

"The federal government isn't asking a Chinese company if they've done their carbon footprint, but Wal-Mart is," Kert Davies, research director at Greenpeace, said in an interview before the conference. "They are way ahead when it comes to this."

Davies also said the company had made big strides in reducing its energy consumption, although he said they could still do more when it comes to selling sustainable seafood and lobbying the federal government for stronger greenhouse laws.

Scott said the transition to a greener Wal-Mart did not go exactly as executives expected. He thought they would have to convince the company's rank-and-file employees on the merits of sustainability, but many of the younger workers were wondering why they hadn't done it sooner.

"We thought we were leading, but we weren't," he said. '"There were a lot of young people who were wondering when we were going to do things differently."

It's not just about saving the planet - some eco changes have paid off handsomely for the company.

Scott said repacking on certain toys has resulted in 215 fewer containers the company needs to ship each year. And an emphasis on loading trucks more efficiently has shaved 38% off the company's fuel bill.

"We were leaving 38% on the table," said Scott. "For a company that prides itself on efficiency, that was shocking."

Walmart Supports "Let's Move" Initiative

Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the "Let's Move" initiative, calling for better access to and greater affordability of healthy foods for all Americans.

As the nation's largest food retailer, Walmart knows firsthand how important it is to make healthy choices more convenient and more affordable for American families. That is why the company supports the "Let's Move" campaign. For more details on our support of this initiative, please see the attached letter to the First Lady from Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs and government relations.

Walmart Pharmacists Prepare and Offer Tamiflu® for Oral Suspension

For Children and Elderly at More Than 4,000 Locations

Bentonville, Ark., Oct. 9, 2009 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced today that more than 4,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies nationwide will address the national shortage of Tamiflu® oral suspension by converting the capsule to liquid form. The FDA-approved process, known as compounding, will ensure Americans have greater access to the well known antiviral drug often prescribed when individuals contract influenza. The liquid form is commonly taken by children, the elderly and those with difficulty swallowing the capsule form.

Due to limited inventories and commercial supplies of Tamiflu® oral suspension, the FDA approved the directions pharmacists use to compound the liquid medication from Tamiflu® capsules. This provides an alternative when the commercially manufactured oral suspension formulation is not readily available.

“We want to assure families and their physicians that our team of pharmacists stands ready to meet the needs of our patients young and old,” said Dr. John Agwunobi, president of Walmart’s health and wellness division. “We have the medication available, and we have pharmacists skilled in compounding oral suspensions.”

Tamiflu® is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat and prevent influenza. Tamiflu® (oseltamivir phosphate) is one of two FDA-approved influenza antiviral drugs that is recommended by CDC for use against the seasonal influenza virus and the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The liquid form is usually given to children and adults who cannot swallow a capsule.

Comprehensive information from FDA is available at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm100228.htm.