Wal-Mart to refresh logo as it redefines its public image

The familiar logo of the world’s largest retailer is getting a makeover.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Sunday that this fall the company will begin replacing logos on the front of its U.S. stores with a new design. Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said the decision would reflect changes customers already have seen in some store signs and advertisements.

“This logo update is simply a reflection of the refreshed image of our stores and our renewed sense of purpose of helping people save money so they can live better,” Gardner said in a written statement.

Gardner said he had no other information about the change. However, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the new look would include eliminating the hyphen in the company’s name, now shown as a star at its more than 3,600 U.S. stores.

The new logo would show the name in white letters on an orange background, followed by a small starburst, the Journal reported, based on an artist’s rendering filed with planners in Memphis, Tenn.

The revamp comes as Wal-Mart continues to tweak its image after facing criticism from union-led groups and communities across the nation that are opposed to big-box store developments.

In the time since, the company has launched a marketing campaign highlighting its environmentally focused practices and efforts to make healthcare more affordable for customers through a discounted prescription drug program.

Still, Wal-Mart’s low-cost advantage remains the key to its ability to draw customers as worries about the strength of the U.S. economy persist.

Sam Walton started Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart in 1962, opening a store in nearby Rogers. The company’s logo once included lasso-like script, still seen on older tractor-trailers and distribution centers around Arkansas and elsewhere.

The company said it last tweaked its logo in 1992. Customers remain most familiar with its current incarnation, a white block-type logo against a deep-blue background, with red lines above and below.