Abstract

This case is about the sustainability initiatives adopted by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart), the world’s largest retailer. Wal-Mart had begun to focus on environmental sustainability issues in 2005. The company planned to review its business activities and implement changes so as to conserve energy, use more renewable sources of energy, recycle waste, and sell more organic products at its stores. Many environmentalists appreciated Wal-Mart’s intention to become a fully environmentally sustainable business entity given the influence it had on consumers, suppliers, and employees. However, some critics felt that this was an attempt at greenwashing as Wal-Mart was faced with stagnant sales in the US market and a declining image. The case discusses the likely challenges for Wal-Mart with regard to the implementation of these initiatives.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the issues and challenges faced by Wal-Mart with regard to its sustainability initiatives.: Understand the reactions of consumers, analysts, and critics to Wal-Mart’s sustainability initiatives.

Keywords

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Retail Industry, Environment Management , Corporate Social Responsibility, Greenhouse gases, Global Warming, Climate Change, sustainable value networks', experimental stores, Sustainability Technology, Customer, Supplier/ Vendor, Supply Chain, Organic Products, Employee