Entrance to Wal-Mart's home office in Bentonville, Arkansas

March 24 - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it would manage nearly 1,600 stores in 20 eastern U.S. states from Atlanta, putting a closer focus on opportunities to grow its business in states such as New York.

The new eastern business unit will be run by Rosalind Brewer, president of Walmart East and executive vice president of Walmart U.S., who already lived in Atlanta. She is responsible for areas such as store innovation, staff, supply chain and real estate.

Brewer joined the world's largest retailer in 2006 as regional vice president for operations in Georgia and then became president of the Southeast operating division. She was then an executive vice president and president of Wal-Mart's South business unit.

The states in the new eastern business unit are: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl; editing by John Wallace)