Wal-Mart Canada Opens 24/7 For Holiday Season In Response To Shoppers' Request For Longer Store Hours

November 27, 2008 12:18 p.m. EST

Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - Wal-Mart Canada announced Wednesday it will operate 24/7 throughout the holiday season in 192 of its 310 stores in Canada. The new shopping hours will be effective from Dec. 1 to 24.

The extension of shopping hours was part of Wal-Mart's response to a survey which found out that 41 percent of shoppers want longer store hours. The store adjusted to the request as its way of battling the trend of lower sales among retailers even during the holiday shopping season.

The list of the 192 Wal-Marts which will be open around the clock is available at the company's website.

To respond to the challenges facing the retail industry in North America, the Wal-Mart parent company in Arkansas announced last week the retirement of Lee Scott as president and chief executive. Scott will be replaced beginning Feb. 1, 2009 by Mike Duke, the current vice chairman of Wal-Mart's international division.

Scott will stay as company chairman, while Duke automatically becomes a member of the board of directors. In mid-November, Wal-Mart USA announced its third quarter profit went up 10 percent, going against the trend in the U.S. of spending cuts by American consumers.