Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) Issues an Urgent Memo

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By Ross Schwartz on November 12, 2014 Company

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) is dedicated to helping people all over the world; by saving their money and giving them better living. The company achieves its purpose through retailing, Internet and mobile technology. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has about 11,000 stores which are visited by about 245 million people on a daily basis. The stores fall under 71 different banners and are distributed in 27 countries. The company maintains websites for e-commerce in 10 countries. All over the world, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) currently employs 2.2 million associates, of which, 1.3 million are employed in the United States alone. The sales for the fiscal 2014 are worth about $473 billion.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) started off as a small discount retail shop. Business bloomed and eventually, thousands of stores were opened throughout the U.S. Soon, the business became international as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) expanded and grew to serve more and more people.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) introduces innovation to help their customers achieve a consistent shopping experience. The company makes things easy for its customer base by allowing them to shop from anywhere and at anytime either through their mobile devices or in the bricks-and-mortar stores. The company is creating opportunities for the people. It brings value to communities at a global level; i.e. to all communities and customers.

In the last month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) sent an urgent memo to all of its store managers across the U.S. The memo laid out guidelines to help increase the sales of fresh food. This memo was marked as highly sensitive. According to a report, marketing managers were encouraged to give discounts on aging bakery products and meat so as to ensure their sales before expiration.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) has had six consecutive quarters with either declining or flat growth in the store sales. The company has had to struggle with the reduced benefits on U.S. food stamps and a stronger valued dollar. These things have impacts on the budgets of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT)’s core customers.

The urgent memo sent to the store managers called for markdown over 32 departments. It also said that the store managers must find ways to get rid of the clearance items quickly. All stores must maintain daily records of the poultry and meat throws.

A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT) store manager had leaked the memo to the public. He was unhappy with the reduced staff members of stores. The urgent memo also urged all store managers to reduce the inventory. It warned them not to exceed the given budgets. Stores were asked to start meat department’s markdowns at 7 in the morning and execute this several times throughout the day.

Another thing that was mentioned in the memo was that stores must rotate eggs and dairy products. Rotation means that expired items must be removed and new items must be placed in the back of the display shelves and at their bottom.