Wal-Mart Stores Inc fired its first volley in the holiday pricing wars this week, slashing prices on toys and calling it an "aggressive move to lead the market on holiday savings."That could be good news for consumers looking for deals but bad news for other retailers as Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, tries to drive shoppers into its stores with ever lower prices this holiday.
"From the department stores on down, it's going to become a very price-conscious Christmas," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group.
While deals, discounts and Wal-Mart price cuts have become as entwined with the holiday season as Christmas trees and candy canes, the questions ahead of each season are always how promotional it will become and how deeply the season's deals will hurt retailers' margins.
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