Walmart Turns Up Holiday Heat

Holiday shoppers don’t have to wait until Black Friday to start shopping for deals at Walmart. At 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, Walmart will kick off a pre-Black Friday savings event in stores and online, lowering the prices on popular toys and electronics, to match select Black Friday offers from Target, Toys R’ Us and Best Buy one week early.
Beginning today, the retailer also extends its Christmas Ad Match* to Walmart.com customers. Customers who purchase an item on Walmart.com, and find a lower price in a local brick and mortar competitor. The same policy is in place for customers at Walmart stores for items purchased Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, excluding Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.

“Black Friday is our Super Bowl and we plan to win,” said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer, Walmart U.S. “With six fewer days from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the retail environment is more competitive than ever. Every opportunity to get a great deal – whether this weekend, on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday weekend – matters for our customers. When it comes to price, we’re going to deliver for them.”

On Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and any of their shopping trips, customers can take advantage of the everyday ad match policy* available at Walmart stores. If a customer spots a lower price on an advertised item, and comes into a Walmart store during the same day and time that the competitor’s ad is valid, Walmart will match the price at the register.

Walmart’s official Black Friday events will take place at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. The retailer will offer 21 one-hour guarantee items, “Manager Specials” and more hot deals than ever on the season’s top gifts. Starting early on Thanksgiving morning, customers can shop on Walmart.com for some of the Black Friday deals that will also be available in stores. Customers can also take advantage of hundreds of online specials on Thanksgiving and Black Friday while supplies last.  

Walmart Announces Plans for Black Friday 2013

Walmart unveiled its largest Black Friday plans to date, including seven times the number of one-hour guaranteed items compared to last year, “Manager Specials” and even more hot deals on the season’s top gifts. The retailer will hold Black Friday events at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.

“Black Friday is our day – our Super Bowl – and we’re ready to prove once again that no one does it better than Walmart,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO, Walmart U.S. “We’re excited to give our customers an incredible Black Friday with shopping hours that will allow them to take advantage of great prices on Thanksgiving night and all weekend long.”

Compared to last year, Walmart will offer 65 percent more inventory on televisions and double the number of tablets—some of the most popular Black Friday items. The retailer not only has more products, but lower prices too. For example, this year a 32” LED TV will be available at Walmart for $98. Last Black Friday, a 32” LED TV sold for $148 at Walmart.

“Delivering for our customers wouldn’t be possible without our associates. They are a critical component of our success throughout the year, and especially during the holiday season,” added Simon. “We appreciate each associate and the time they are dedicating to serve the families who shop our stores. As we have in the past, we’ll be recognizing their hard work with additional pay and free meals during their shifts. This year, as a special thanks, associates who work on Thanksgiving Day will receive a 25 percent discount on an entire purchase this holiday season.”

Details on Walmart’s Black Friday events include:

One-Hour Guarantee – It’s Back and Better!
In 2012, Walmart introduced the industry’s first One-Hour Guarantee, a Black Friday event that guaranteed customers select items during a one-hour period. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, the retailer is bringing it back and expanding from the three items offered last year to 21 One-Hour Guarantee items this year.

Customers who are in the designated lines at Walmart between 6 and 7 p.m. or 8 and 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 28 can purchase top gifts at special low prices with confidence that they’ll receive the item either that night or before Christmas.

New Grocery Option Opening in La Mirada

La Mirada shoppers will have a new, convenient option for their grocery shopping needs when the new Walmart Neighborhood Market opens on Wednesday, Nov. 6, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. The new store will provide local customers with a new, convenient option for their grocery shopping needs, including fresh produce and pharmacy services.

“We are looking forward to the grand opening of the Walmart Neighborhood Market,” said Steve De Ruse, Mayor, City of La Mirada. “Walmart has made a major investment in our community and is helping to modernize a shopping center that had underperformed due to vacancies for a number of years. The new jobs and expanded shopping opportunities are welcome additions to La Mirada.”

The 35,000 square-foot Neighborhood Market is located at 14865 Telegraph Road and is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

“The La Mirada Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome a Walmart Neighborhood Market to our community,” said Dustin L Dahl, President of the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce and La Mirada resident. “This business will bring an added value to La Mirada and will offer an opportunity for job growth, thereby, strengthening our local economy. The new Walmart Neighborhood Market will hire about 65 and will bring viable tax revenue to our city so we can enhance our public services.”

While other Southern California Walmart Neighborhood Markets have brought business back to vacant storefronts, this is the first newly-constructed Walmart grocery store in Southern California. Other area Walmart Neighborhood Markets include La Palma, Stanton, Anaheim, La Puente, Downey, Bell Gardens, Hawthorne, Torrance, downtown Los Angeles and others.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market format offers quick and convenient shopping, with a full grocery department, including organic and natural selections. The store features prepared food options, fresh-baked breads, self-serve deli and a bakery.

The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions and customers can ask about health and wellness solutions.

Walmart Implementing Worker Safety Initiatives in Bangladesh

Walmart is working every day to improve worker safety in Bangladesh. In fact, we did not have sourcing in the Rana Plaza factory specifically because it did not meet our safety standards. While there are many challenges ahead, we are committed to being part of the solution. In light of recent factory tragedies, this work is more important now than ever. Over the past several months we’ve taken a number of actions related to worker safety, empowerment and transparency, including the following:

Safety Inspections & Factory Improvement - We have partnered with Bureau Veritas to conduct in-depth electrical and building safety inspections of all factories sourcing directly to Walmart in Bangladesh. Walmart is paying for these inspections to support our suppliers and the facility owners. We have committed $50 million of low cost capital available to factory owners to help with the necessary remediations. As part of the inspection process a team of two to eight experienced civil and electrical engineers conduct in-depth electrical and building safety reviews of each factory. This process has already begun, and usually takes up to 10 days per facility.

Worker Safety Training - As part of both our partnership with Bureau Veritas, and  a donation we have made to the Institute of Sustainable Communities to establish The Environmental Health and Safety Academy, we are providing important worker safety training to workers and factory owners in Bangladesh.

Unauthorized Subcontracting - We have implemented a zero-tolerance policy for unauthorized subcontracting. This includes any undisclosed subcontracting conducted with or without the supplier’s knowledge.

Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety - We are working with more than 20 brands and retailers to develop common fire and building safety standards as part of our work with the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety.

In addition to these enhancements to our program, Walmart has implemented a number of programs over the past several years to support local suppliers and workers including:

Through Walmart’s British-based Asda banner, we have been improving the jobs for more than 17,000 workers in 34 factories in Bangladesh through our Lean Manufacturing program. Through this program workers are able to become more empowered through job skills and factory efficiency training.
In 2013, we launched a program aimed at empowering the women who work in Walmart’s supply chain factories through the company’s Women in Factories program. This program is teaching 60,000 women critical life skills including conflict resolution, communications, skills, personal health and wellness.
For many years we have been working with our supplier partners and their factories to help them develop the capability to improve working conditions by investing in education, training and operational efficiencies through our Supply Chain Capacity building programs including the Supplier Development Program, Violation Correction Training, Orange School Program and Supplier Round Tables.

Gonzales Walmart Welcomes Customers to Relocated Store

 A newly relocated Walmart will open Wednesday, Oct. 23, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 a.m. The new store at 1114 E. Sarah Dewitt Drive is conveniently located at the corner of East Sarah Dewitt Drive and Church Street and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will provide Gonzales residents with one-stop shopping convenience for their grocery and general merchandise needs. The store is relocating from its previous location at 1620 Sarah Dewitt Drive. The store also offers pharmacy services.

"The relocated Walmart is a welcome addition to Gonzales. We welcome the new jobs, services and offerings it brings," said Daisy Scheske, executive director of the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. "Walmart has been a Gonzales Chamber of Commerce member, community partner and employer here for 33 years since the store originally opened in 1980."

One-Stop Shopping Convenience - The store features quality, value-priced general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and lawn and garden items. It also offers a full line of groceries, including organic and natural selections in addition to local favorites. Some local products available include Purina Dog Chow, Kitchen Pride mushrooms, Adams Extract, Fiesta Spices and Tyson Foods chicken.

The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions and customers can ask about health and wellness solutions.

Community Giving In addition to the grants given this year to local community groups, the new store will further Walmart's pledge to fight hunger in America. As part of Walmart's and the Walmart Foundation's $2 billion commitment to fight hunger through 2015, Walmart stores in Texas donated approximately 43.7 million pounds of food, in fiscal year 2013, or the equivalent of 36.4 million meals. Additionally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $86.2 million in fiscal year 2013 in Texas alone. 

New Store, New Jobs - The newly relocated store employs approximately 200 full- and part-time associates, including 85 jobs created by the relocation. Store manager Adan Davila began his Walmart career in 2005 as a stocker in Port Lavaca. Several associates have been with Walmart since the original store opened in Gonzales in 1980. Forty associates have worked for Walmart for 10 years or more.

"We look forward to serving customers while they enjoy a pleasant experience shopping at Walmart. We are a convenient, one-stop shop that will save people time, effort and money," said Davila. "We are committed to continue the legacy that Walmart was founded on, which is everyday low prices. Everyone is invited to join us to celebrate the opening of the new store."

A Big Family Welcome - Walmart is happy to be part of the Gonzales community and is ready to celebrate with residents on Saturday, Oct. 26. A Big Family Welcome will give customers a chance to meet Davila and enjoy fun family activities such as face painting, cupcake decorating and free food samples while supplies last. Join the celebration from noon to 3 p.m.

Focusing on improving the medical care their employees receive while reducing costs to employees, Walmart, Lowe’s and other large employers joined the Pacific Business Group on Health Negotiating Alliance (PBGH-NA) to launch a national Employers Centers of Excellence Network that will offer no-cost knee and hip-replacement surgeries for employees at four hospital systems in the United States.

“These companies are working to help make sure that their employees get higher quality care and incur lower costs,” said David Lansky, president and chief executive officer of PBGH. “The Employers Centers of Excellence Network is designed to serve as a model for delivering high quality health care with transparent and predictable costs.”

The four designated center of excellence health care organizations include Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.; Kaiser Permanente Orange County Irvine Medical Center in Irvine, Calif.; Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo.; and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Wash.

PBGH, working with health care management company Health Design Plus, will oversee the new national Employers Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN), which will include treatment for knee and hip replacement surgeries for the more than 1.5 million employees and their dependents enrolled in Walmart’s, Lowe’s and other large employers’ medical plans. Employees will receive consultations and care covered at 100 percent without deductible or coinsurance, plus travel, lodging and living expenses for the patient and a caregiver. Patients must be healthy enough to travel for the surgeries. The program is voluntary and employees or their covered dependents can still choose to receive care from local providers and incur routine costs.

“This national program is about providing our associates with exceptional care and reducing their medical costs so that they pay nothing out of pocket when they use one of the designated facilities,” said Sally Welborn, senior vice president of global benefits at Walmart. ”Each of these providers has a proven record of practicing evidence-based medicine with above average positive patient outcomes in knee and hip replacement procedures.”

“Under this program, employees and their dependents covered under Lowe’s medical plan have access to medical care at renowned medical facilities at no cost,” said Randy Moon, Lowe’s vice president of international human resources, benefits and human resources information systems. “This is especially important for our employees who live in areas underserved by high quality health care providers. The four health care centers are located throughout the U.S., making it easier for employees who wish to use this benefit to travel.”

The national Employers Centers of Excellence Network complements Centers of Excellence programs that Walmart and Lowe’s have and will continue to offer separately from the alliance with PBGH-NA.

In 2013, Walmart expanded its long-standing program covering transplants at the Mayo Clinic to also include treatment for certain heart and spine surgeries at five leading hospital and health systems in the U.S., including ECEN providers Virginia Mason and Mercy Springfield, for associates and their covered dependents enrolled in medical plans.

In 2010, Lowe’s began an alliance with Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, to provide its full-time employees and their covered dependents enrolled in the company’s self-funded medical plans enhanced benefits coverage for qualifying heart surgery procedures.

GP Stan 10 (Winstrol)

Stanozolol, most commonly known as Winstrol or Winny is a powerful anabolic steroid that can be found in both oral and injectable forms; the injectable form being commonly known as Winstrol Depot. While there are other steroids that can be found in both injectable and oral forms Stanozolol is one of the few that works equally well in either form; further, the injectable Winstrol Depot can be taken orally just as the standard oral tablet form. By its ease and convenience of administration, coupled with more hype surrounding the steroid than any other form Stanozolol remains one of the most popular steroids of all time.

Adverse Effects

All medications, steroidal and non-steroidal alike carry with them possible negative and adverse side-effects, in that Stanozolol makes no exception. It is important to note, such side-effects are by no means guaranteed and when speaking of anabolic steroids such effects are often largely avoidable through responsible use. Many anabolic steroids can have a negative effect on one’s cholesterol and often this problem is avoidable by proper diet and even through aromatase inhibitor use as cholesterol issues are often estrogenic related. However, Stanozolol has a very pronounced negative effect on cholesterol and for this reason use must necessarily be kept brief and in responsible levels.

Stanozolol can also increase liver enzymes quite heavily, especially when taken in tablet form, as oral Stanozolol is a 17-aa steroid. However, most will find their liver values return to normal after use is discontinued and the liver will not be harmed. Even still, responsible use must be implored but understand, even massive doses of Stanozolol are not as damaging to the liver as every day alcohol consumption.

Optimal Stanozolol Use

While Stanozolol is a strong anabolic with a low androgenic nature it is far from the most powerful anabolic available but far from the weakest as well. Without question the attributes of this anabolic steroid are best seen during a cutting cycle as Stanozolol will provide a harder more vascular look to an already lean physique. However, the benefits do not end with hardening; Stanozolol by its nature is well-suited for increasing strength, even when dieting which can normally be very difficult; no, one will not gain massive strength when dieting but it can go up a little; especially in the early stages. By its strength attributes Stanozolol remains a favorite for many athletes in a host of various performance sports.

While an excellent steroid to use when dieting Stanozolol will not do a lot for you when trying to bulk up in-terms of actual growth. It can have a place in a bulking cycle for secondary purposes but most will stick with powerful steroids with strong androgenic qualities for this purpose. Nevertheless, whenever the steroid is used it is important to note it will suppress natural testosterone production to a degree and most men will necessarily supplement with some form of exogenous testosterone. While it will suppress natural production it will not do so to the extent of many other steroids but still enough to warrant caution and remedy.

Stanozolol Administration

As both injectable and oral forms will produce the same results, administration in-terms of frequency will follow suit and be identical regardless of the form at hand. As injections can be very painful with this steroid due to the Depot version being suspended in water many choose to simply drink it or take oral tabs; regardless of the form every day administration will prove to be optimal. However, every other day administration will yield positive results as the half-life extends to 24 hours but most will find every day administration to be the most efficient.

To get the most bang for your buck most men will find 50mg of Stanozolol to be just about perfect with 100mg being about as high as you’d ever want to go. 100mg per day is very common in competitive bodybuilding circles but generally only the last 7-10 days before the competition as that high of a dose for long periods can be very side-effect ridden. In most cases, 50mg per day for approximately 6-8 weeks will prove to be fantastic.

For our female athletes, 5mg-10mg is perfect and most are highly cautioned against going above this dose and staying within the 6-8 weeks of total use. Failure to abide will result in nasty virilization effects; even though it is only slightly androgenic it’s still androgenic in nature. When used responsibly most women will find Stanozolol to be very well-tolerated.