Market News

Wal-Mart Canada Advises Suppliers on Price

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. has advised its suppliers to explore new ways to lower prices. In a letter signed by Mike Huffaker, chief merchandising officer, and Jim Thompson, senior vice-president, merchandising, Canada\'s biggest retailer said that the Canadian dollar is "trading at near-historic highs, providing unanticipated inflation of profit margins" among the company\'s suppliers. Wal-Mart said the healthy Canadian dollar is an "opportunity to lower prices for Canadians." One money-saving tip in the internal letter is for suppliers of package goods being sold in Canada and the United States to do so in English, French and Spanish, erasing the cost of separate packaging print runs. Source: Canadian Grocer E-Newsletter, August 25, 2006.