Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has taken the unprecedented next step of hosting a gathering of more than 1,000 leading suppliers, Chinese officials and NGOs in Beijing where they outlined a series of aggressive goals and expectations to build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain. “I firmly believe that a company that cheats on overtime and on the age of its labour, that dumps its scraps and chemicals in our rivers, that does not pay its taxes or honour its contracts —... ...Read more »
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the world’s largest retailer, has joined the growing list of retailers pledging to lower their plastic bag use. The US-based company has committed to reducing its global plastic shopping bag waste by an average of 33 per cent per store by 2013. This is expected to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic waste globally. To reach this goal, Wal-Mart will reduce the number of bags given out by its stores, encourage the use of reusable bags and give customers the... ...Read more »
Planet Retail has announced the world’s top 30 grocery retailers (by sales), with Wal-Mart at the top of the heap for the tenth straight year. Sales of US$395.31* billion (A$419.45 billion) last year enabled US retailer Wal-Mart to eclipse the French-based Carrefour in second place, which had approximately A$145 billion in sales. Tesco, the leading UK retailer, climbed from fourth to third thanks to sales of A$105 billion. Australia’s two market leaders, Woolworths and Coles Group, ... ...Read more »
Woolworths are rumoured to be considering an entry into the Indian marketplace, according to a report by Fairfax newspapers. Citi analyst Craig Woolford advised Fairfax that India had always been considered by Woolworths as a possible market for expansion, but the New Zealand market had proven to be more suitable. With increased ACCC focus on the concentrated grocery sector in Australia coupled with the lacklustre demand in New Zealand their focus may, however, shift to India. Australia’s... ...Read more »
Wal-Mart has announced that they will source more local produce in their endeavour to keep prices down. The announcement comes at a time when America is readying itself for its’ annual Independence Day celebration and is part of Wal-Mart’s strategy to evoke greater connection to their customers on patriotic grounds. Wal-Mart use hundreds of growers across the United States and already are America’s largest purchaser of local produce. In the summer months about one fifth of produce... ...Read more »
A new milk container is being sold in the US, which reportedly does not require crates or racks for shipping and storage, and reduces costs. Sam’s Club, the second largest wholesaler in the US, have already shifted to the new milk containers. The new containers are a square shaped gallon, which represent a packaging change consistent with the transformation of milk from pitchers to glass bottles in the late 1800’s and then cardboard cartons to plastic gallons in the early 1950’s. According... ...Read more »