Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart stores are about to get smaller. The new ones, anyway. The company still runs the giant, sprawling supercenters that we're familiar with. But now it's opening more midsized stores under the Wal-Mart Market name. 

Wal-Mart is planning to expand its test of in-store mobile specialty shops to a total of 350 supercenters this year. The in-house pilot was launched in 200 stores last fall and will be extended to an additional 150 locations this year.

At the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Wal-Mart's President and CEO Mike Duke energized associates, managers and leaders behind the goal of winning over the global customer of the future, which he called “the next generation customer.”

Wal-Mart said it would introduce a small-store format, called Wal-Mart Express, aimed at rural and urban areas without nearby grocery stores. The first prototype store, set to open this week, stands 15 feet to 20 feet tall and has 45 parking places — a big change from the typical Wal-Mart superstore with high ceilings and vast parking spots.

A report by Forrester Research titled Customer Experience Boosts Revenue shows a strong correlation between customer experience and three keys to loyal behavior: intent to buy again, reluctance to switch and likelihood to recommend. The fundamental idea here is that as a customer's relationship with a company deepens and extends, profits increase — and not just by a little. 

Have you seen the new ad campaign from Newegg.com? The online electronics retailer recently began airing spots that take aim at Best Buy — the same way Best Buy ran ads in 2009 that took aim at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has revealed an integrated 360-degree marketing and media relationship with Hispanic family media company Todobebé, Inc. Wal-Mart is now the sole, year-round retail sponsor for the company's multiple platforms, which target Hispanic mothers and families raising children under 5 years old in the United States.

Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is about to propose sweeping legislation that would impose a tax on all online purchases in a move aimed at closing states' budget shortfalls. Durbin's bill, dubbed the Main Street Fairness Act, intends to push online retailers to collect state sales tax on items purchased out of state. For more than a decade internet shoppers have enjoyed a sales tax holiday as a result of sales tax moratoriums established in 1998 to foster growth in the digital sales business. But with e-commerce businesses like Amazon.com no longer fledgling entities, and with states' budget deficits growing, imposing an e-commerce sales tax has become a hot-button issue.

Wal-Mart has begun testing an online grocery delivery service in San Jose, Calif., a company spokesman said. The world's biggest retailer had been rumored to be considering dipping its toe into online grocery delivery for the past few years.

OfficeMax announced that Michael J. Lewis will assume the role of executive vice president and president of retail, effective May 2.  In this position, Lewis will report directly to Ravi Saligram, president and CEO of OfficeMax, and will have full responsibility for the retail P&L and all aspects of the retail business, including merchandising, store operations and real estate.