Let's decide on Wal-Mart's name

Hal Morris, writing on his Grumpy Editor blog, wishes media outlets would decide on the correct style for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Morris writes, “While the formal name is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a new logo shortens it to Walmart.

“Associated Press, as in a story in Tuesday’s newspapers reporting that the company is about to add Apple Inc.’s iPhone in its stores, uses the hyphenated version: Wal-Mart.

“The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, New York Times and most media outlets also go for the hyphenated form.

“But with mailed advertising material and on some of the company’s own advertising pages on the Web, the New York Stock Exchange-listed firm is labeled Walmart* (that’s with a tiny ‘flower’ at the end).

“Other advertising observed places a ‘flower’ between Wal and Mart, making it Wal*Mart.  That mark also appears between Wal and Mart in big letters on sides of the company’s long-haul trucks.  That version also is seen on the opening page of Walmartstores.com.”

Read more here.