The logo, which once appeared to [image-nocss] be stacked fruits or vegetables, also has been replaced in favor of the new Wal-Mart logo, which looks like a yellow sun or star, the report said.
Previously, the retailer had sought to distance the concept from the Wal-Mart image, David J. Livingston, a supermarket industry consultant. He said the company probably decided it was more advantageous to capitalize on its image as a low-cost leader in the retail and grocery store industry.
"Obviously, they're just making a business decision," he told the newspaper. "If you've got a name like Wal-Mart, which is a household name, why not use it to its full extent?"
Company officials would not comment on the change to the Tribune.
Tom Rex, an economist with Arizona State University's WP Carey School of Business, agreed with Livingston. "There's quite a market already for Wal-Mart," he told the paper. "So it would make sense to me that they'd keep pushing their name."
Wal-Mart had hoped the prototypes would be a hit with consumers and wanted to expand beyond the Valley and across the nation; however, as reported in CSP Daily News, the company is holding back on expansion plans given the current economic conditions. (Click here to view coverage.)
Marketside by Wal-Mart places a heavy emphasis on convenience, freshness and low prices; it is a rival of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the convenience/grocery chain that was opened in 2007 by United Kingdom-based retailer Tesco PLC.
Click herefor previous CSP Daily News coverage.
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