Wal-Mart's Changing PR

"Executives with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. kept stressing during the company's recent media conference that the world's largest retailer is always changing," reports Anita French. "Wal-Mart made much of the revamping of its information Web site, walmartfacts.com, during the conference." The revamp of the website, which the company set up "to counter what the company said was false information circulated about Wal-Mart," will allow visitors to more "quickly find information about our company," explained a Wal-Mart spokesperson. Last month, PR Week reported on a new Wal-Mart initiative, "to pursue new-store construction in neglected urban areas" while simultaneously trying to "curry favor with the small businesses that will soon have Wal-Mart as a neighbor and competitor." Another Wal-Mart spokesperson said the planned "host of community relations measures targeting small businesses" will "help these small businesses learn how to thrive with Wal-Mart in the neighborhood."