The Motley Fool Take

Change is in the air these days, and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) recently announced that CEO H. Lee Scott, who has led the company for almost nine years, plans to retire. With Wal-Mart firing on all cylinders lately, Scott is leaving while it's all on a roll.

He departs on Feb. 1, 2009, when the company's fiscal year ends. His replacement, Mike Duke, currently CEO of Wal-Mart's international segment, is coming in at an interesting time. Although Wal-Mart has been a bright spot in these tough economic times, it recently indicated that it may not be bulletproof — or recession-proof — as consumers struggle with their budgets.

Meanwhile, although it's been much easier to lure customers focused on cost-cutting these days, one can only hope Wal-Mart won't lose sight of the importance of protecting its brand while not seeming to do its business in a thuggish manner, which has often been a problem in the past. Plus, with the new Democratic administration coming in, an increase in the power and influence of unions could present a challenge for Wal-Mart.

If Wal-Mart can continue to make good changes (it recently announced plans to use wind power to power some stores, for example), any market share it steals during the recession might stick.