Wal-Mart Turns on the Green Light

Wal-Mart is again touting sustainable practices and encouraging shoppers to follow its lead.The company's "Sustainability 360" initiative aims to reduce the chain's environmental footprint and promote sustainable practices among suppliers, consumers and communities. Key goals include working with suppliers to reduce packaging by 5% by 2013, increasing fuel efficiency in trucks, and running more sustainable factories. In September 2006, the chain enacted its pledge to sell 100 million compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs in one year. It paired with General Electric Co. to launch the "Change a Light. Change the World" campaign, promoting the use of energy-efficient CFLs through merchandising and education.Stores merchandise CFLs on permanent endcap displays with a glass-encased shelf containing educational content. In-line gondolas also carry CFL bulbs and tubes from GE, Philips, Osram Sylvania and Lights of America.Wal-Mart recently added to the effort with an interactive pallet in Action Alley that contains informational brochures and a CFL Light Bulb Calculator powered by GE, with which shoppers can estimate how much energy they save by using CFL bulbs. Individual states also host Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling Days throughout the summer, when shoppers can recycle used CFL products at kiosks outside stores. Meanwhile, new stores across all Wal-Mart chains incorporate energy-saving elements, such as skylights to conserve lighting costs and motion-activated, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in freezer and cooler cases.Earlier this year, Wal-Mart began promoting its efforts more directly to shoppers with recyclable or recycled displays, packaging and product. (See Related Articles.)Brand marketers have been following suit. A floorstand for 3M's Post-it Notes in stores last month declared that the products are made from "30% recycled paper (post-consumer)." The display also communicated the brand's current sweepstakes, which awards two Ford Escape hybrid trucks. (See image at right.)In other news, the chain partnered with GE Money and Green Dot Corp. to offer co-branded, pre-paid Visa debit cards in all stores. The Wal-Mart MoneyCard is available without a credit check to customers who lack bank accounts. Users reload the card, which can be used at all Visa locations, in Wal-Mart stores. Floorstands near checkout aisles support. In a related move, Wal-Mart announced plans to expand the number of in-store financial centers from 225 to 1,000 by 2008. The centers offer such services as check cashing and money transfers.Wal-Mart, Bentonville, AR, operates 2,256 supercenters, 1,075 discount stores, 579 Sam's Club stores and 113 Neighborhood Markets nationwide (as of March 2007). The company reported sales of $55.4 billion in first-quarter 2007 (ended April 30), an increase of 5.6% from the previous year. Same-store sales fell 0.1%. First-quarter sales at Sam's Club rose 5.6% to $10.3 billion, as same-store sales rose 4.1% at stores with fueling centers and 4.7% at stores without.

Wal-Mart Turns on the Green Light

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