Walmart is Out to Better Its Image ... in Texas ...

Wal-Mart is on a mission to make its stores less cluttered. Out are towering shelves and narrow aisles. In are bold displays popping with trendy colors and the latest and greatest in consumer electronics.

Jeff McAllister, senior vice president for the company's Texas division, stood in front of neatly stacked fruit at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Austin Highway store on Tuesday.

“Customers are telling us they like it. We've made it convenient for the customer to see the product,” he said, letting shoppers see at a glance what's available in produce.

When McAllister walked the newly renovated store, he talked about the giant retailer's plan to refurbish several stores in Texas.

It's all part of a plan to retain Wal-Mart's discount reputation while leaving behind its stark warehouse setting.

There has been a perception, he said, that Wal-Mart's food was lacking when compared with its competitors. These days, “we think it's comparable to our competition, but at a better value.”

Wal-Mart's clout and strategy have elevated it to No. 1 in market share in Texas' grocery market, besting H-E-B in the state, with more than 370 Walmart stores in the state.

Walmart's proposed site on Yale would have a full grocery.  Better image or not, Walmart is hurting Texas companies ...