Wal-Mart's Sustainability Initiatives

Organic Products in the Stores
Apart from conserving energy and reducing pollution through its sustainability initiatives, Wal-Mart also started selling more and more organic food at prices that were lower than those offered by the competition. The organic food items offered by Wal-Mart included oranges, tomatoes, lettuce, apples, fresh herbs, packaged salads, pasta, olive oil, coffee, tea, peanut butter, bread, baby foods, milk, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, sauces, and seafood. The assortment of organic foods in any of its stores was tailored according to the customer base of that store. The organic offerings were labeled separately for the convenience of the customers and were priced not more than 10 percent higher than normal products...

Analysts said that Wal-Mart's sustainability initiatives had taken many by surprise as the company was often accused of environmental abuse. By Scott's own admission, the idea which had been initiated to defend the company's practices and correct its image, later became a business strategy of prime importance for the company. “In truth, it began out of risk management. We knew the world was changing rapidly and expectations of businesses were changing, and quite frankly we wanted to be able to defend ourselves if we were attacked on an environmental issue...