WAL-MART TO SLOW SUPERCENTER CONSTRUCTION

Good news for American grocery chains, Wal-Mart's expansion of the Supercenter format is slowing substantially, as the retailer has watched same-stores sales drop. WM execs say they will cut their plans for new supercenters this year by about 30%, in order to focus on the stores they already have. They will still open 190 to 200 supercenters this fiscal year, down from its previous plan of 265 to 270.