Wal-Mart Stores may be moving its apparel-buying operations back to the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, only a year and a half after consolidating them to New York, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous.

The decision to move to New York, announced in February 2009, was a painful one for employees. Some 700 to 800 workers at Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters were terminated as a result and the decision to move back may produce more casualties in New York this time.

Uh oh.

Hewlett-Packard said it is laying off 9,000 people.