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Wal-Mart gets a new logo

Posted Jun 30 2008, 10:29 AM by Anthony Mirhaydari
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Wal-Mart has finally decided to do something about its staid white-on-blue logo and red, blue, and grey color scheme. In a surprising move for a company that acted as though it was too big, too powerful, and too damn cheap to bother with its image problem, Wal-Mart's new face to the world will be a white "Walmart" logo and starburst on a burnt orange background and brick store exterior. This is according to planning documents filed for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter outside Memphis.

Accompanying the new look is a new, smaller store format that features "new department titles, less signage, curved lines and earth-tone colors" according to company public affairs and government relations manager Dennis Alpert. The building will also feature lighting systems that turn on when they detect a shopper in close proximity, large skylights, and other "green building elements" in an effort to conserve energy.

Word has it that an official unveiling of the logo will come later this week. A company spokesman proclaimed that the "update is simply a reflection of the refreshed image of our stores and our renewed sense of purpose of helping people save money so they can live better." That's a nice thought, but don’t let them fool you: Everything Wal-Mart does is driven by the profit motive.  

Wal-Mart's makeover couldn't come at a better time as the American consumer feels the squeeze of a slowing economy and rising inflationary pressures. May same-store sales were up 3.9%, more than double analysts' projections, as consumers continued to trade down to discount retailers and spend their tax rebate checks on necessities over luxuries. Wal-Mart's vast scale and purchasing power helps extend the purchasing power of each dollar, an important quality discussed in a previous post.

If the company can fix its dowdy shopping experience and continue to modernize its offerings, while moving into untapped urban markets in the United States and growing internationally, there's no reason the company can't hit Morningstar analyst Joseph Beaulieu's $60 fair value target and beyond. A commitment to environmental sustainability, a wider selection of organic foods, hip-hop inspired clothing, exclusive sales rights to the new AC/DC album, wider aisles, a friendlier corporate image, happy employees, and a new grocery store format are just some of the ways Wal-Mart is challenging preconceived notions of itself. The new logo is just another facet of this transformation.

Here's the new logo:

Previous posts:

Wal-Mart’s public relations disaster

Why Wal-Mart will save America

Wal-Mart kills video download service

(Disclosure: I don't own any shares of the companies mentioned.) 

 

Comments

 

I bet you Sam is turning in his grave.  That signs sucks ass.  The original was fine:  bold, red white and blue. As American as apple pie.  Nothing wrong with it.  

All I can say is, buy American, if you want decent jobs in this country. Drive less, buy fewer imported clothes, cars, dishes, food, you name it. Oil is the biggest part of our national debt. Do you think the Saudi's are our friends? China makes most of the crap in Wal Mart, do you think China is our friend? WSork hard, graduate from high school, don't pump out kids until you can afford them, don't spend beyond your means, have some money in the bank. That's what is good for this country. If enough of us stop our foolish ways, things will change. Vote with your dollar, write to comapnies whose goods you thought were made here and then find that they're not. Vote with your dollar. Spend a little more to keep jobs here. After all, can you wear all fifty of those cheap Chinese shirts that you already own all at once? The things individuals do really do make a difference.

You all say take care of the workers? Well why don't the workers do something about it instead of whining and crying? If they don't like the job QUIT. I mean nobody put a gun to their head and said you have to stay. QUIT! Oh wait, MOST but not all are to STUPID and inbred to work somewhere else! As for the LOGO WHO REALLY GIVES A #$^%.

New sign, big deal. How about going back to having mostly American products in the store? I only shopped at Wally World a few times, years ago. I noticed everything seemed to be imported, so I quit. If I can only get something from Wally Workd, I will do without. Capitalism is all wonderful, but what's wrong with capitalism with some kind of conscience? How much money does Wally World need for the family and the shareholders? Do these people ever think they have enough?

"a friendlier corporate image, happy employees, " I would like to know where is this Walmart now that has this?  Everytime I go to the local Wal-Mart you have to put up with poor customer service, maybe a few "happy employees" but overall they hate working there.  I worked there years ago, a 3rd job and the one supervisor was as snotty as all get out.  I quit after only 3 weeks, for what I got paid it was not worth the aggravation.  I agree alot of people could have been fed with what it cost them to come up with a sunburst, whatever!  It is unfortunate that the American people have to shop there only because every place else cost too much. I ahve a small business and it really irks me when I see Walmart selling stuff for more then I do and poeple think they are getting a deal.  yeah right!

It's just a logo. It is not going to change what the store is or how they operate. No matter what anyone thinks of Wal*Mart, the last time I checked no on holds a gun to anyones head to get them to shop there. People go by choice. America is about choice.

It won't make me shop there. Never have, never will.

There is nothing "green" or "friendly" about that horrible place.

The plastic fumes were overwhelming when I went into a Walmart by mistake once.

They treat their employees horribly and make local communities pay for their underpaid worker's healthcare and food stamps.  Not to mention the damage to the environment..... Boycot Walmart!

I worked for over 3 years for Walmart as a cashier and "gopher" for whatever else was needed when the cashiers "weren't busy" (which was NEVER).  I remember when they started  the Mexican Cinco De Mayo celebration and pissed off lots of peeps esp truckers!   Even the mexican's said "Hey, we came to American..we don't celebrate Mexiican holidays here".  They still do it and hang the Mexican flag at the front door!

Management steps on its employees, over works and underpays and ALWAYS finds a reason to "eliminate" personnel making $10 plus an hour only to tell them "reapply in 6 m onths" which means they will rehire at reduced rate like $6.50 an hour.  Stock options and benefits are a joke on their pay scale but those who have managed to be there 10 plus years while Sam was alive have been able to stay.  His KIDS ruined Walmart and his grandkids are doing a good job of that too.

Walmart is now expensive as old supermarkets used to be.  Less selection, less personnel to help and more "ethnic" concentrated to "get the dollars".  I quit as pressure became more bothersome than the job was worth.  

YOu are told "NO LABOR UNION TALK OF ANY KIND" as they will not allow it - management gets the perks and bonus' while employees have the sore feet, bad backs and little extra income.  LOTS OF WLAMART peeps on Food STamps and WIC!

Wal Mart and the Walton family forgot where Sam Walton started and what he considered  good business sense.  The Walton's and their mega-corporation don't care how much they rip the consumer off, their employe's backs that they stand on.  A little paint, a bigger star and its supposed to be magic and they hope everyone will think they have changed and are all brand new. New paint new logo same crap just a different design and color.

Here in Iowa K-Mart was here years and years before Walmart. Now the K-Mart stores should be torn down. Is it just possible that Walmart is playing the game much better than K-Mart(that's obvious)Target and Pamida stores? And you must admit if Walmart could market and sell gasoline the way they do with other products a gallon of gas would cost 78 cent's per gallon.

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