We're sure landlords will be happy about this news: Walmart plans to open between 185 and 205 stores domestically next year. But is this such a good idea when the retailer's sales are down due to its core customer still getting hammered by the recession?

One strategy that seems like it will work well is the opening of smaller-format stores in urban areas and smaller markets. Walmart has between 30 and 40 of those on tap for next year, and we would assume that urban locations especially will be a big hit with consumers.

A point of Reuters article on the company's annual meeting (linked above) is that Walmart is now going after a higher-end consumer. Maybe going into urban locales will better help the retailer reach this demographic.