National: Aug. 3, 2001

Cincinnati-based retailer Federated Department Stores announced that July same-store sales were likely to fall below projections for the company’s stores that had been open more than one year; the retailer had predicted a 2 percent decline in same-store sales; the announcement came after Federated received sales for the week ending July 28...Bentonville, Ark.-based discount retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. laid off approximately 100 workers from its headquarters and eliminated about 300 open positions as part of a review of company operations.