The holidays are coming, which means it is an exciting time to be in retail.  (Unfortunately, that also means the bad weather is coming…  I know people like the fall/winter, but I’d prefer the warm weather all year long.)  At Sam’s Club, lots of the seasonal merchandise is already out in the clubs.  If you see me out in the clubs, it would be hard for you to know if I was looking at the items professionally or personally.
Professionally, I’m looking at the packaging performance.  Did the packaging protect the product during distribution?  Does the in-club presentation meet our expectations?  Can the members quickly understand the product and get it into their carts?
Personally, I love these items!  I think I’ve stopped to watch the Halloween animation items at every club I’ve been in the last 6 weeks.  I’m big fan of the Tombstone that starts off “plain” but then adds scary text that seems to appear out of no where.  It’s fun to watch others see the animation.  When I was at the club last Friday, a dad was holding his little boy up to be able to see the animation of the mirror, shown below.  (The boy wasn’t sure if he thought it was cool, or if he was scared.)
One of the items also has our “Simple Steps” icon: the Member’s Mark LED Pumpkin lights.  This product takes a step by being Energy Star certified.  The LED lights use less energy, which saves Members money.  Check out the actual product box for more details, but we estimate you’d save $4.20/season if you are using ten light strings.
I hope that these items help you have fun this holiday season, and I’d be interested to hear about how your Halloween party/decorations turned out, especially if you bought one of the items from Sam’s.  (you can also check out www.samsclub.com if you are interested in the items)

Haunted Mirror

Tombstone

In-club picture

Today the Wal-Mart Foundation announced its annual giving numbers from last year. More than $423 million in cash and in-kind gifts. That's a number that makes me very proud to be a Wal-Mart associate!

I had the pleasure of speaking with Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation, on the heels of Wal-Mart's annual giving announcement.

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Tara:  It's no secret that Wal-Mart prides itself in being a store of the community that gives back locally. Given the current economy, how have we stepped up our efforts to help?

Margaret:  As the economy changed, I wrote a letter to store managers asking for their help. I asked that our stores help us shift our giving strategy to refocus on efforts that support those hit hardest by the financial crisis. We discussed the importance of focusing on hunger, homelessness, day care and job training. We've also stepped up our efforts by continuing to give, in fact we announced that we increased our giving by nearly 30 percent over last year. As always, we'll continue to look for opportunities to give in the upcoming year.

Tara:  The Wal-Mart Foundation gets so many requests for donations. How does the Foundation decide where to give?

Margaret:  We've traditionally focused on organizations that support education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness. Now, as I mentioned, we're emphasizing basic need areas. We look for organizations that sustain. The best way to describe this is the analogy, "give someone a fish and they'll eat for a day. Teach someone to fish and they'll eat for a lifetime." All that to say, we look for organizations that create long-term opportunities for people to live better. Job skills training and education are good examples.

Tara:  You've encouraged associates to step up volunteer hours this year? Why do you think it's important?

Margaret:  Giving back is important all the time. While we can't always give by opening up our wallets, we can give of our time and nonprofits are always looking for qualified and enthusiastic volunteers. Additionally, there are statistics that discuss how depression and anxiety can become widespread during times of recession. Giving back is a rewarding way to boost spirits, whether you're doing it on your own or as a group. I think it's especially rewarding to see someone get matched with a nonprofit that fits their interest. I'd encourage our associates and customers to gauge their areas of expertise and interest--then find a local organization that aligns with what they've come up with.

Tara:  Anything else you'd like to share following the Foundation's announcement about last year’s giving?

Margaret:  Of course we're encouraged to be able to announce that we've increased giving over last year, especially in light of the current economy. However, I think it's most important to look at the bigger picture. At Wal-Mart we feel incredibly honored that customers continue to shop at our stores and that we're able to help them save money and live better. In closing, I guess it's most appropriate to thank our customers, associates and colleagues who help support our charitable efforts. It's amazingly rewarding to do the work that we do, and it's our responsibility to continue supporting community organizations in the upcoming year.

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While we don’t spend a lot of time on Check Out discussing our Foundation, listening to Margaret reminded me to review and upgrade my own volunteerism and donation efforts - and that, friends, holds true daily and not just around the holidays. It's clear that now, more than ever, "extra" is needed for those in need.

I'd be interested in hearing from readers ... How have you been finding ways to give back?

I know I am. Often. Thinking about my budget and how to stick to it. Keeping a close eye on the balance in my checking account. And it’s tax season so of course I’m thinking about my taxes, which I still have to do, and wondering if I’ll have to pay in this year.

I recently realized how fortunate I’ve been to have a banking account most of my life, which makes all those things I think about when it comes to money that much easier. I’ll get to why I realized that in a moment, but first a stroll down memory lane …

I started working in high school and my parents helped me open up my first checking account. They taught me how to balance my checkbook, track to a budget and tuck money away in savings. I grew up one day and moved away from small town North Dakota to find that getting a new checking account wasn’t as easy as I thought. In the first several months after I moved, I didn’t have a bank account set up and I utilized check cashing services. It drove me crazy to carry around an entire paycheck of cash in my pocket and pay these incredibly high fees to have access to the money I worked so hard to earn!

That history ties back to why I realized how fortunate I am … First Manhattan Consulting Group estimates that more than 35 million American families are underserved by traditional financial institutions. In other words, more than 35 million families don’t have the advantages of a checking account, including depositing and cashing paychecks, checking their balances, paying bills, etc. 35 million families are in the same situation I was - without a banking account.

Because of this incredible need, Walmart is now offering its Walmart MoneyCard - a reloadable, pre-paid Visa debit card – at an activation fee of just $3. It works just like a debit card from a bank. For much less than what it would cost to cash a paycheck elsewhere, a family that does not have the option of a traditional banking account can have the advantages of a debit card. No overdraft fees because you can’t spend more than what is on the card. Accepted where VISA is accepted. And, easy to reload.

This kind of access to their money will help families budget, be able to pay bills online, and have the kind of financial freedom not had before. It will impact lives. Listen to some of the people who are realizing its benefits …

Now that warm weather has hit most of the country, it's time to get off of the couches and outdoors.  With gas prices the way the are though, many people won't be wandering too far from their couches.  A marketing genius has coined the term "staycation" to describe the growing trend of families spending vacations in their own backyards.  But even if you're not going any further than the backyard, you still need entertainment!

My favorite outdoor activity as a kid was the temporary swimming pool.  The swimming part was fun, but the best part for me was when we first took it out of the box and prepped it for the summer season.  We would lay the lining out on the lawn, down a huge hill in the backyard and then hose it down and soap it up.  You can see where this is going.  We had the biggest slip-n-slide EVER!  Well, it seemed pretty big to a 5 year old.  The swimming part was okay too. 

Bike riding was my second favorite summer activity.  The saying "It's like riding a bike" is true....you never forget, but it sure does get a lot tougher when you're older and haven't done it in years.  We have a lot of great bikes to get you from A to B: cruisers, road bikes, kids' bikes, tandems, mountain bikes, bikes you don't even have to pedal...the list goes on and on.  Don't forget your helmet!

The final favorite was the swingset.  Mine was old and metal with one leg that would lift up a few inches every time I swung a little too high.  The accompanying sandbox was handmade and better served as a home for hundreds of tiny frogs than a place to build my future (sand) castle.  Oh, how things have changed.  Driving around town today, I can see the tops of wooden swingset structures, whose roofs tower over the roof of the house that it is nestled behind.  Swingsets that take loving dads many weekends, multiple drillbits and a lot of aspirin to construct. 

The weather is starting to warm up and summer is right around the corner, so what does that mean?  It's time for the big summer blockbusters to start hitting theaters!  Movie licenses are a huge part of the toy industry and are really what keep the shelves fresh.  Last year rocked because of Transformers....this year we have Batman, Indiana Jones, Star Wars Clone Wars, Kung Fu Panda, Ironman, Hulk, Wall-E.  The list goes on and on.  One of the first big theatricals will be on May 9th, kicking off the summer with Speed Racer.

The movie was done by the due that brought us the Matrix trilogy.  It's amazing CGI that really brings you into the world of Speed.  There's a great cast, a lot of action, and plenty of cool cars that translate well into toys...of course!  The toys are in Wal-Mart stores now- everything from cars, track sets, role play, action figures and more. 

In addition to killer graphics and amazing action, you will walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling from the message in the movie.  Is it better to win the right way or cheat to win?  Hope I didn't give away the ending!

Go Speed, Go!!