Kim Souza

Wal-Mart has a message for its vendors: keep those trade funds and put them toward the cost of goods. Wal-Mart wants even lower prices from suppliers to put more distance between itself and competitors, many of whom depend on vendor dollars. While it's not unusual for a retailer to pressure manufacturers for lower prices, the move by Wal-Mart, first reported by The City Wire's Kim Souza in February and again last week by The Wall Street Journal, is significant because of increasing competition from a wide range of rivals, including Aldi, Costco, Dollar General and Kroger.