Wal-Mart suppliers resist new margin-squeezing terms

New York

AFTER years of meeting demands for ever cheaper prices, many Wal-Mart Stores Inc suppliers are saying no to new margin-squeezing storage fees and a payment schedule that could delay for months how quickly some are paid.

The world's largest retailer says the changes, laid out for vendors starting in June, reflect a push to simplify its relationships with suppliers, put them all on the same footing and reduce costs so it can offer customers the lowest prices. But some vendors see the new policy as an attempt by Wal-Mart to fatten its margins and offset wage hikes for store workers earlier this year.