It’s hard enough schlepping through the stores these days, fighting crowds — let alone with throngs of reporters tripping you up.

The media overtook the Rogers, Arkansas Wal-Mart supercenter on Thursday, just outside the retailer’s Bentonville headquarters – all part of a media day in advance of an annual shareholders meeting on Friday.

But company executives, always looking to ring up another sale, warned the group of more than 60 reporters on a tour of the store not to get in the way of customers.

“As we tour the store, we’d appreciate it if you give our customers a little bit of room as we go by, because we want to make sure they are able to buy as much as they can,” said Bill Simon, chief operating officer of Wal-Mart U.S.

Simon also took the opportunity to let reporters know that if they were in the market for any flat panel TVs — for watching CNN, of course, not football — associates could help them out.

As befits the Fourth Estate, we newshounds handled ourselves admirably and there were no unfortunate incidents involving shoppers — at least any that you’ll read about. 

– By Alexandria Sage