Current Affairs
Here are some current news stories regarding Wal-Mart. I will update them as I find new stories.
Stories can be found at walmartfacts.com/articles
Wal-Mart Saves Customers More Than $1 Billion
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Mar. 14, 2008 – In an address to the Council of Teaching Hospitals in New Orleans later today, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president and president of health and wellness, Dr. John Agwunobi will confirm a major milestone for the company’s $4 prescription program. Since its launch in September 2006, the program has now saved Americans more than $1 billion ($1,032,573,012.61 as of March 10, 2008).
In his prepared remarks, Agwunobi will mention that more than 100 of Wal-Mart’s $4 prescriptions are used to treat heart disease and diabetes. He will also add:
“While $1 billion in savings is an astonishing achievement, the real savings to America – and its health care system – are even larger. That’s because many of our competitors have also lowered their prices. $4 prescriptions now represent approximately 40 percent of all filled prescriptions at Wal-Mart. Nearly 30 percent of $4 prescriptions are filled without insurance – significantly higher than the 10 percent industry trend. But more importantly, this program has meant that people can now take the drugs that were prescribed to them. They no longer need to cut pills in half or not take the drugs at all.”
Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Neighborhood Market customers in Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Missouri top the savings list respectively, each with more than $40 million in prescription drug savings. A breakdown by state is available at www.livebetterindex.com.
Wal-Mart’s $4 prescription program covers most commonly treated medical conditions and continues to drive down health care costs for families. For further information on the program, customers can call 1-800-WALMART or visit their area Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market or Sam’s Club to discuss the program with their pharmacist. They can also learn more at www.walmart.com/pharmacy.
About Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company’s securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com
Wal-Mart Consumer Behavior Shows Buying Green is Going Mainstream
Nation’s Leading Retailer reveals 66 percent increase in Live Better Index that tracks eco-friendly shopping habits
BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 21, 2008 – On the eve of celebrating Earth Day, Wal-Mart issues new consumer research that shows shoppers are considering the environment before making a purchase. Today the retailer announced an adoption rate increase of 66 percent from last year in its sustainability Live Better Index, which has been tracking consumers’ decisions to purchase five key eco-friendly products since April 2007. This growth in the sustainability index shows that concern for the environment has a growing presence in shopping baskets of the retailer’s 200 million annual customers.
The sustainability Live Better Index follows the adoption rates – sales compared to other products in the category – of five eco-friendly products based on Wal-Mart sales data. The overall adoption rate of these products serves as a nationwide trend indicator of consumer demand for ‘green’ products. These products were selected because consumers can make a conscious decision to purchase them for their environmental and cost-saving benefits versus other products in the same category.
“When the sustainability Live Better Index was established, we wanted to help Americans understand that environmental choices were accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Stephen Quinn, chief marketing officer at Wal-Mart. “The fact that product adoption has increased dramatically in one year shows that the decisions our customers make in the aisles coupled with Wal-Mart’s commitment to providing more eco-friendly choices at the best value is helping consumers and the planet live better together.”
Eco-Friendly Products on the Rise
The sustainability Live Better Index data for April 2008 show a 37 percent increase in adoption of organic milk and a 47 percent increase in adoption of compact fluorescent light bulbs since April 2007. In October 2007, Wal-Mart began a nationwide transition to sell only concentrated liquid laundry detergent as part of its commitment at the Clinton Global Initiative, contributing to the increased adoption rate of concentrated liquid laundry detergent. As a whole, adoption rates of the five sustainable Live Better products have increased significantly over the past year:
1. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs – Average adoption rate of 19.7 percent (up from 13.39% in 2007)
- Delaware leads the category with an adoption rate of 25.8 percent
2. Organic baby food and formula – Average adoption rate of 4.12 percent (down from 4.31% in 2007)
- California continues to lead the category with an 8.58 percent adoption rate
3. Organic milk – Average adoption rate of 1.58 percent (up from 1.15% in 2007)
- Virginia has the highest adoption rate of organic milk at 2.7 percent
4. Extended life paper products – Average adoption rate of 67.5 percent (up from 50.77% in 2007)
- Minnesota has the highest adoption rate with 78.1 percent
5. Concentrated/reduced-packaging liquid laundry detergents – Average adoption rate of 76.3 percent (up from 22.86% in 2007)
- Oklahoma leads the category with an adoption rate of 96.3 percent
To reflect the growing consumer preference for eco-friendly products, Wal-Mart will now track additional product categories including sustainable coffee and eco-friendly cleaning products in the Live Better Index. These additions follow the introduction of the Sam’s Choice coffee (Apr. 2008) and Clorox Green Works™ (Jan. 2008) lines to Wal-Mart stores.
Wal-Mart tapped into the growing influence of environmental concerns on consumer shopping behavior, as shown by the new sustainability Live Better Index findings, and launched its most comprehensive environmental sustainability campaign this April to celebrate Earth Month. The campaign highlights eco-friendly products available at budget-friendly prices, including all of the products tracked on the sustainability Live Better Index. New products introduced to consumers included t-shirts made from transitional cotton and recycled plastic soda bottles and Sam’s Choice sustainable coffees.
American Consumers Continue to Drive Change: Live Better Index 2008 Findings
- As the number of eco-friendly products at Wal-Mart grows, many states across the country are starting to take notice and are increasing their commitment to eco-friendly products:
- California is now the “greenest” Wal-Mart state in the country, surpassing last year’s leader New Hampshire, with an average adoption rate of 38.8 percent.
- New Mexico had made the most progress since 2007 with a more than 96 percent increase in their overall adoption rates.
- In just three months, eco-friendly cleaning products garnered a 4.8 percent adoption rate across the United States.
- Washington leads the way for sustainable coffees with a 0.7 percent adoption rate.
| Wal-Mart Becomes First Nationwide U.S. Grocer To Adopt Global Food Safety Initiative Standards |
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Nation’s largest grocery chain requires suppliers of private label and select food products to comply with standards above FDA or USDA requirements by end of 2008
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 4, 2008 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has become the first nationwide U.S. grocery chain to require suppliers of its private label and other food products such as produce, meat, fish, poultry and ready-to-eat foods to have their factories certified against one of the internationally recognized Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards. A group of major international retailers committed to strengthening consumer confidence in the food they purchase, the GFSI now lists Wal-Mart among the companies who have agreed to improve food safety through a higher and consistent auditing standard. Selected by CIES (http://www.ciesnet.com/), the Food Business Forum, to safeguard and ensure high quality in the international food supply chain, GFSI standards provide real time details on where suppliers fall short in food safety on a plant-by-plant basis, and go beyond the current FDA or USDA required audit process. Under the GFSI program, producers of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club private label and other foods sold in the U.S. must be audited by independently trained, approved and licensed auditors who are experts in their industry. “The requirement for suppliers to complete these certifications demonstrates our leadership in food safety and our commitment to global safety standards,” said J.P. Suarez, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president and chief compliance officer, and a board member of the Global Food Safety Initiative. “Food safety has always been a top priority at Wal-Mart. We are taking this additional step to ensure the integrity of our products throughout the entire food supply chain. We encourage other U.S. retailers to follow our lead and to also endorse these standards.” The GFSI requires food suppliers to achieve factory audit certification against one of its recognized standards, which include Safe Quality Food (SQF), British Retail Consortium (BRC), International Food Standard (IFS), or an equivalent such as Global-GAP. Wal-Mart has published a schedule to suppliers requiring completion of initial certification between July and December of 2008, with full certification required by July 2009. Audits will be completed by approved third party auditing companies. Wal-Mart private label food brands in the U.S. are Great Value and Sam’s Choice. Sam’s Club private label food brands in the U.S. include Member’s Mark and Bakers & Chefs. “Our customers expect high quality at every day low prices when they purchase any of our private label foods, and we’re committed to meeting – and exceeding – their expectations,” said Andrea Thomas, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president, private brands. “The GFSI standards are an added step that will help us – and our U.S. food producers – keep our quality commitment.” Internationally, Wal-Mart stores in the United Kingdom (ASDA) and Japan (Seiyu) also require suppliers of food products to comply with GFSI standards. The Global Food Safety Initiative was launched in May 2000 to establish food safety management systems to ensure confidence in the delivery of safe food to consumers. The initiative has fostered a convergence among food safety standards, achieved cost efficiencies through common acceptance of GFSI recognized standards, and provided a forum for exchange of best food safety practices. About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
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| Wal-Mart Buyers Put Packaging Scorecared Into Practice |
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Scorecard to help Wal-Mart buyers and suppliers make better decisions that are good for business, customers and the environment
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Jan. 31, 2008 – Tomorrow, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) will officially begin using its packaging scorecard to rate suppliers on their progress toward developing sustainable packaging, as well as their ability to help Wal-Mart reach its company-wide sustainability goals to reduce waste, use renewable energy and sell sustainable products. Wal-Mart buyers will be able to use the scorecard as a tool when making purchasing decisions. First unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006, and put through a trial phase for the past year, the scorecard is Wal-Mart’s next step in moving toward its goal to achieve a 5 percent packaging reduction by 2013.“The packaging scorecard helps everyone make better decisions that are good for business, our customers and the environment,” said Matt Kistler, senior vice president of sustainability at Wal-Mart. “It’s important to us that our suppliers see the intrinsic value behind sustainability, both for their business and the environment. We’ve made significant progress throughout the first year of the scorecard and it is a key responsibility of our suppliers to input new products and update packaging changes on an ongoing basis.”
As of January 30, 2008, more than 97,000 products have been entered into the scorecard by 6,371 distinct vendors. Last year, suppliers were given the opportunity to input and track data, learn about the scorecard and work with buyers to start thinking about sustainable packaging solutions. The scorecard evaluates the sustainability of product packaging based on several key metrics, including greenhouse gas emissions, product-to-package ratio, space utilization, innovation, the amount of renewable energy used in packaging production and emissions related to the distance packaging materials are transported. Suppliers receive a score in each category and can view how they rate overall compared to their competitors in each product category. Throughout 2008, Wal-Mart will continue to work with its Packaging Sustainable Value Network comprised of suppliers, government agencies, academics, trade associations and non-governmental organizations to verify the methodology behind the calculations in the scorecard. While the questions asked of the product suppliers in the scorecard will remain the same, the calculations made behind the scenes in the scorecard could be refined. “When we launched the scorecard for supplier input in 2007, we knew that we were going to work on the metrics behind the scenes, and we will continue to work with the members of our Packaging Sustainable Value Network to refine those metrics,” said Amy Zettlemoyer-Lazar, director of packaging at Sam’s Club. “We are in a unique position to drive positive change in the area of packaging by working with our suppliers.” The packaging scorecard announcement comes on the heels of Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott’s “Company of the Future” speech to Wal-Mart store managers in Kansas City on January 23, 2008. In the speech, Scott laid out the company’s vision for addressing major issues that are important to the company and the world. He announced high-level goals and commitments in three areas – health care, energy efficiency and ethical sourcing. For more information and a transcript of the speech, visit www.walmartfacts.com. About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.
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