Walmart 2008 Annual Report Download - page 7

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5 WALMART 2008 ANNUAL REPORT
Across all merchandise categories, we
have three goals:
• oer price leadership on top-quality brands
• ensure clarity of product oerings
• invest in growth categories
Momentum is accelerating in our other
categories. In apparel, we are improving
our core brand assortment – Faded Glory®,
George®, NoBo®, Hanes®, Fruit of the Loom®
and others – with the addition of new
brands, including Garanimals®, OP® and
l.e.i.® In home, we launched the Canopy™
brand, which is positioned above our long-
standing Mainstays® line. Canopy™ now
includes bedding, furniture, bath accesso-
ries, dinnerware and décor products, with
expanded lines arriving throughout this year.
We also continue to see strong growth
in our nancial services business, which
oers customers nancial services and
products, including money orders, money
transfers, the Wal-Mart MoneyCardSM,
check cashing and bill payment. We saved
our customers more than $300 million
this past fiscal year with our financial
services products.
Improving Customer
Experience
We continue to invest in improving the
customer experience in our stores – faster
checkouts, friendlier service and cleaner
premises. Our customers are taking note.
We survey almost two million customers
every quarter, and they are validating the
improvements. The groundwork laid dur-
ing the past two years placed us in the
position to best serve our customers in a
challenging economy. We are confident
that our message – Save money. Live
Better. – is inviting more customers to
shop at Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart Stores U.S.
Highlights for Fiscal 2008
• Increased net sales by 5.8%,
to $239.5 billion
• Increased segment operating income
by 5.4%, to $17.5 billion
• Grew inventory at 0.7% versus a
sales increase of 5.8%
• Opened 191 supercenters, with
170 units slated to open in FY ‘09
• Improved signicantly customer service
scores above previous quarters
• Launched new marketing campaign –
Save money. Live better.
Strong Grocery Sales
Customers appreciate the fresh
presentations of produce and bakery
as they enter our supercenters.
5
$4 Prescriptions and More
Our health and wellness business continues to
grow, driven by the $4 prescription program.
Top-Quality Brands
In electronics, Wal-Mart showcases
top-quality brands, backed by the
latest technology.
rt U.S. aisle