In June 6th’s Financial Times article entitled, “Wal-Mart finds turmoil brings more opportunities than ever”, Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke states, “there is a ‘new normal’ in which people want to save money and are getting smarter about saving money.”

Wal-Mart now also recognizes that fundamental behaviors must change (both their own and their consumers) in the “new normality”, which will be with us for many years into the future.