Holiday Sales Tops for Wal-Mart Stores

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hit a single-day company sales record during the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving shopping sprees, taking in $1.43 billion nationally.

Last year, Wal-Mart reported sales of $1.25 billion for the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The retailer said the rise in sales was driven by improvements in both the number of shoppers and the average spent. Top-selling categories included home electronics, small appliances and toys.

• On Nov. 21, a federal regulator said Wal-Mart would be allowed to acquire Supermercados Amigo Inc. if it divests four stores in the Puerto Rico chain.

The Federal Trade Commission said its proposed consent order calls for Wal-Mart to divest the stores in the Puerto Rican cities of Cidra, Ponce, Manati and Vega Baja.

The commission voted to accept the proposed order, which will be subject to public comment for 30 days.

The FTC said that in its investigation, the agency determined Wal-Mart’s Supercenters and club stores compete directly with Amigo supermarkets in several areas of Puerto Rico.

• A union sponsored protest rallies at Wal-Mart stores across the nation on Nov. 21, but picketers were absent in the Arkansas-based company’s home state.

In March, a state judge in Arkansas issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union from soliciting inside Wal-Mart buildings and stores.

Union spokesman Greg Denier told The Associated Press that members avoided Arkansas because of concern about the response state courts would have to the pickets.

“Wal-Mart uses the judicial system in the state of Arkansas to promote its interest,” Denier said from a rally in Alexandria, Va. “We stayed out basically because of the court injunction and the concern over what Arkansas courts might do on behalf of Wal-Mart.”