Wal-Mart Rolls Out New Logo

Last September, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. changed its company slogan from “Always low prices.” to “Save money. Live better.” It was the first change in the company slogan in 19 years and the kick-off to a new marketing campaign that coincided with consumer needs at the onset of the credit crunch last summer.

Now the familiar Wal-Mart block letters separated by a star is on the way out as well.

During the week of Aug. 18, Wal-Mart replaced the well-known logo with a new, de-hyphenated design punctuated by a “spark” at the Fayetteville Mall Avenue and the Rogers Walnut Avenue Supercenters.

Both stores are undergoing extensive renovations as the Bentonville-based retailer tries to clean up its stores and image nationwide to lure and keep upper scale customers who shunned it during better times for rivals like Target Corp.

Business Week reported in September that the new slogan was the product of The Martin Agency of Richmond, Va.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Wyatt-Moore wouldn’t reveal any details of the new logo creation but said it would begin appearing in the company’s marketing communications and would be replaced at stores where the changes can be made “without incurring large, additional costs.”

Plastic bags and printed materials will begin to feature the logo as those supplies are depleted and come up for replenishment, Wyatt-Moore said.