[hennie pennie]

MAYBE this is what the contract with the manufacturer demands -- that Walmart can get money charged back for unsold goods, but instead of shipping back the goods, they must be destroyed.

Publishers of books will give bookstores credit for unsold paperback books -- but the bookstores must rip off the cover of the paperback and are supposed to burn them... it is cheaper to have the retailer destroy the unsold merchandise, rather than ship it back.

I don't understand what the "big" deal is -- this practice has been SOP for decades.

[mnehring]

MAYBE this is what the contract with the manufacturer demands -- that Walmart can get money charged back for unsold goods, but instead of shipping back the goods, they must be destroyed.

EXACTLY! Too many suppliers have been burned when they had contracts to reimburse for unsold merchandise. The store told the supplier that the merchandise was destroyed after none being sold, only to find out that it wasn't destroyed but stayed on the shelves being sold. The supplier was screwed out of their costs.

[SunkenCiv]

Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, acted surprised that these items were found, claiming they typically donate all unworn merchandise to charity.