, Columnist
Walmart’s Worried. That’s a Bad Sign for Everyone.
The retailer’s outlook isn’t as downbeat as it first appears — but it could still be a bad omen for the consumer sector.
So far, Walmart shoppers are still filling their carts.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
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If the mighty Walmart Inc. is worried about the future, the rest of the consumer world should be on high alert.
On Thursday, the world’s biggest retailer delivered a 5% increase in revenue — for a total of $681 billion — and an almost 10% lift in operating profit for its fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31. In the final holiday quarter, US same store sales excluding fuel rose 4.6%