Wal-Mart apologises over 'fat girl' Halloween outfits

Wal-Mart Stores apologised for labelling some Halloween outfits on its website as "fat girl costumes" after it drew criticism on social media.

The web address now redirects customers to a page listing "women's plus-size Halloween costumes".

Wal-Mart removed the original page, and teams were working to make sure the title was fully deleted from its site, said Ravi Jariwala, a spokesman for the giant US retailer.

"This never should have been on our site in the first place," Jariwala said. "It's unacceptable that it appeared, and we apologise."

Outrage over Wal-Mart's gaffe spread throughout Twitter, prompting the company to reply with apologies to individual users on the micro blogging site.

"This could be one reason Walmart's sale are down," one user wrote, while another commented: "Not sure a 'fat girl costume' section is going to win you any repeat customers."