WAL-MART RAISES STANDARDS WAL-MART RAISES STANDARDS Wal-Mart said Wednesday it will raise quality standards for its suppliers, following a series of scandals involving Chinese-made products, which account for a major portion of the company's sales. Mike Duke, vice chairman of Wal-Mart's international division, said the company has been working on the initiative for three years. "We have to ask all our suppliers to take full responsibility," Duke said. "Not ... just the factories or final production, but to go all the way upstream to look at any products, any raw materials that go in the products." In 2007, melamine was found in a Chinese-made pet food ingredient and blamed in the deaths of dozens of dogs and cats in North America. In August 2007, Wal-Mart quietly began pulling two brands of dog treats from its shelves after tests found they contained traces of the industrial chemical melamine.

Later that year, Mattel recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys sold at retailers worldwide because they contained lead paint or tiny, detachable magnets that might be swallowed.

Wal-Mart also sold cribs recalled this week by Delta Enterprises, some of which were made in China. The cribs, sold between January 1995 and September 2007, were blamed in the deaths of two babies and have potentially faulty safety pegs or were missing the pegs. Earlier, in remarks at a Wal-Mart-sponsored conference in Beijing, Duke said starting next month suppliers will be required to "tell us the name and location of every factory they use to make the products we sell." -- Associated Press JOIN THE SHOPPER PANEL JOIN THE SHOPPER PANEL USA TODAY is looking for women and men 18 or older to join its Shopper Panel. The panel is composed of hundreds of readers whom we contact about consumer and shopping topics. As a member, you will occasionally be asked to answer online or e-mail surveys or questions for possible publication, and you may be interviewed by reporters and quoted in USA TODAY. If you would like to become a panel member, please complete our online survey at Shopperpanel.usatoday.com. LOS ANGELES  Financial insecurity is forcing Wal-Mart (WMT) shoppers to change buying habits, cut credit card use and live more paycheck-to-paycheck, the CEO of the U.S. division of the world's largest retailer said Tuesday. Economic pain is leading to what Eduardo Castro-Wright termed "disturbing behaviors" among shoppers over the past few months. For instance, more families are buying baby formula at the start of the month when they are more likely to have money. In the past, he said, the chain hadn't noticed such surges in formula sales. A double-digit decline in credit card use at Wal-Mart stores in the second quarter this year sharply contrasts with the first quarter of 2007, when a vibrant economy was resulting in double-digit increases in card use. "Credit has been declining dramatically," said the Ecuador-born executive who has run Wal-Mart Stores USA for three years. "That decline in credit means people have to make choices about how they spend their hard-earned money." Many don't have a choice when it comes to their form of payment. "They have maxed out on their credit limits," Castro-Wright said in an interview after a speech to Town Hall Los Angeles, a non-profit that provides a forum for public figures and opinion makers. "Customers are really going through some hard times." The observations are significant because of Wal-Mart's massive scope, with 4,000 U.S. stores. Castro-Wright said nine out of 10 American families shop at Wal-Mart at least once a year. How financial hurt is showing: •Money worries. About 80% of shoppers cite "personal financial security" as their top concern in internal surveys, up from 65% just a few months earlier, he said. A year ago, the price of gasoline was the top concern. More consumers worry: "Will I have enough to put on the table so my family can eat?" Castro-Wright added. •Fewer name brands. Wal-Mart has seen a rise in purchases of staples instead of discretionary items. Shoppers have more then doubled purchases of private-label items, eschewing name brands. Castro-Wright said, however, that Wal-Mart has no immediate plans to change the stores' merchandise mix to take advantage of the trend. •Changing shopping patterns. Some shoppers aren't coming to the stores as often so they don't have to drive as much. Others, who may be unemployed, are coming more frequently to buy a few items when they have money in their pockets, he said. And more sales are showing up around paydays. Wal-Mart has seen a 2.5% increase in sales at the start and the middle of the month, when workers are paid, compared with four months ago. Wal-Mart is responding to slower growth by cutting back on capital investment and not opening as many new stores. He also pointed to the chain's program to sell generic prescription drugs at $4, which he said has saved some of the neediest consumers more than $1 billion. He also pledged that Wal-Mart won't cut back on philanthropic spending this year, though other corporations may be forced to reduce their charitable donations. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more