Retail Roundup: Site Analyzes Wal-Mart's Political Past, Rite Aid in Hot Water, and More

(MoneyWatch)  New Web site analyzes Wal-Mart's political influence -- Although Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton believed his company should not be involved in politics, Wal-Mart Watch unveiled a new Web site, waltoninfluence.com, on Oct. 10 to chronicle the history of the retail chain's political weight. After Walton's death, the chain's lobbying expenditures for outside firms skyrocketed. Additionally, the majority of the $7.5 million the Wal-Mart PAC has donated to political parties in the past 10 years has gone to conservative groups. [Source: MarketWatch]

Rite Aid gears for financial scares this Halloween -- While a struggling Rite Aid has been busy promoting its selection of Halloween costumes, candy, and novelties, a much longer-lasting scare came in the company's recent 10-Q filing. Rite Aid stock is trading at 53 cents (as of the morning of Oct. 10), and the company is in danger of being delisted. Read the complete filing here. [Source: footnoted.org and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]

Cino takes dollar-store concept to new heights --- Entrepreneur Gary Cino, who opened a retail chain called the 98 Cent Clearance Centers more than two decades ago, is back in the headlines thanks to new bargain-store chain with a 21st century twist. Cino recently unveiled his first WiseBuys store in Roseville, CA, with a simple hook: Nothing in the store is priced higher than $9.98. Cino, who said expanding past the 98-cent limit allows him to sell a wider range of goods, plans to open at least a dozen more WiseBuys in California. [Source: The Sacramento Bee]

Duane Reade execs indicted -- Accused of scheming to falsely inflate income and reduce expenses that the company reported to investors, Duane Reade Inc. former CEO Anthony Cuti and former CFO William Tennant were indicted Oct. 9. "The defendants are alleged to have deceived the investing public by providing false and misleading information about Duane Reade's financial condition while lining their own pockets with millions of dollars in compensation," Deputy U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin said in a statement. [Source: Bloomberg]