Wal-Mart’s Latest Offering: Safety Program

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest retailer, has created a consumer safety program designed to keep shoppers and their kids safe during the hectic holiday season. Not surprisingly, most of the suggestions are the kind of stuff that your mother probably told you.

* When carrying a purse, wear it across your shoulder.

* Do not wear expensive jewelry or watches while shopping.

* When leaving a store after dark, don’t be afraid to ask the store’s security personnel to walk you to your car--especially if you’ve parked in a dark corner of the lot or are carrying a number of expensive purchases.

* Place purchases in the trunk, not in the back or passenger seats.

* Before shopping with children, create a game plan to ensure that the kids remain safe. Explain that children who get separated from their parents should seek out help from a security guard, a store employee or a woman shopping with other children. Children, Wal-Mart says, should never approach a lone male to ask for assistance.

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Greg Johnson covers retail businesses and restaurants for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5950 and at greg.johnson@latimes.com