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The memo, marked "highly sensitive", asks
Wal-Mart marketing managers to make sure they discount aging
meat and baked goods to maximize chances of selling them before
their expiration dates, according to the report. (http://nyti.ms/1v1YwHO)
Wal-Mart, which has posted six straight quarters of flat or
declining same-store sales growth, has been battling a stronger
dollar and a reduction in U.S. food stamp benefits, which has
eaten into the budget of the retailer's core customer base.
The Times said the memo calls for comprehensive markdowns across
32 departments, asks stores to find creative ways to sell
clearance items and to keep "complete records of daily throws"
of meat and poultry.
Walmart spokeswoman Deisha Barnett confirmed the memo's
existence.
"Our CEO has been vocal about our need to improve in this (fresh
foods) category. We know it's very important to our customer and
... to us as the largest grocer in the U.S.," she told Reuters.
The memo, which the Times said was leaked for public use by a
Wal-Mart manager unhappy about understaffing, urges managers to
reduce inventory and warns them not to exceed budgets.
For meat departments, the report cited the memo as saying
markdowns should start at 7 a.m. and be executed multiple times
daily.
The memo also advises stores to be sure to "rotate" dairy
products and eggs, which means removing expired items and adding
new stock at the bottom and back of display cases, the Times
said.
(Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar and Nayan Das in Bangalore;
Editing by Savio D'Souza and Simon Jennings)
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