Wal-Mart closing Ga return center

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is closing its return center in Georgia and laying off all 400 employees, in the second job cuts the retailer disclosed this week.
The Macon facility is one of six return centers that Wal-Mart operates across the U.S. to handle merchandise that is returned, defective or recalled.
The facility has been open for 15 years and has become too small to process all of the goods that are shipped to it, Wal-Mart spokesman Greg Rossiter said.
Wal-Mart will now ship the goods to a third-party contractor in South Carolina, said Rossiter, who declined to identify the contractor.
Wal-Mart filed its plans with the Georgia Labor Department this week, saying the Macon facility will close in mid-September, giving employees a long lead time to try to find new jobs.
Employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions at Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs in the area, Rossiter said.
Wal-Mart on Tuesday disclosed that it is cutting 700 to 800 positions at its corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., as the retailer realigns certain business areas.
Rossiter said the moves in Bentonville and Macon were unrelated and declined to discuss whether the retailer planned more layoffs at other facilities.
Wal-Mart is considering outsourcing business processes to India in contracts worth $300 million to $500 million, the Economic Times has reported.
When discussing the cuts at Wal-Mart's headquarters, a spokesman said the company will create thousands of jobs this year at the store level.
Wal-Mart on Tuesday is expected to post fourth-quarter earnings lower than a year ago, reflecting impacts from the poor economy, higher expenses and a stronger dollar.
Wal-Mart's results should still be better than its peers', "thanks to its low- price advantage, healthy trade-down momentum, and a much improved apparel offering that focuses on brands that matter," said Todd Slater, retail analyst at Lazard Capital Markets.
Wal-Mart shares recently were down $1.47, or 3.1%, to $46.65.
-By Karen Talley, Dow Jones Newswire