According to an article by Bloomberg’s Renee Dudley, published today, Jerry Murray, Wal-Mart’s vice president of finance and logistics told high-level executive colleagues in an email that month-to-date sales for February, 2013 is:

Read much more in her (disheartening) article here.

Frankly, I’m hoping that Wal-Mart’s troubles stem from over expansion, striking workers, their business model, or smarter competition. Because if Wal-Mart actually is a bellweather for the Nation’s spending habits, it could find itself the inheritor of the old adage “as General Motors goes, so goes the Nation“

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna visit my local Wal-Mart and see if their aisles, which were widened during 2009 to “accommodate people in wheelchairs*” are still wide enough to drive my car through.

*This was the reason given to me by a WalMart associate at my local store when I asked sometime during 2009 why they were cutting back the length of their aisles.

Thanks for reading!