How does Wal-Mart keep getting away with convincing reporters and environmentalists that it is serious about sustainability? It took Jack Neff, who writes for Advertising Age, to point out the hypocrisy of Wal-Mart¹s environmental policy. Of course, he did it quite subtly but the point is clear.
Neff pointed out in an October 12 piece that a Cincinnati-based executive search firm is circulating a job notice for a “Director - Portfolio Strategy, Private Brands, for Wal-Mart.” Ostensibly, it appears Wal-Mart is ramping up its marketing of its own brands. The position will report to Andy Ruben, who many will remember as the former head of Wal-Mart’s sustainability program. This is where it gets interesting.
There has been much written about how Wal-Mart is encouraging other companies to make their products more sustainable and promises to promote those that do just that. Much of that was initiated under Ruben’s watch. One might think that if Wal-Mart is serious about such initiatives it would make this a key part of any private label development. Not so. As Neff points out:
the new director position appears more squarely focused on growing sales, market share, cash flow and brand awareness—all of them included in the performance metrics of the job description, while sustainability metrics aren’t.
Once again, Wal-Mart says one thing and does another. Of course, no one is suggesting that Wal-Mart should not be focused on making money, just that its executives should not lie about their motives.
In Shift, Wal-Mart Puts Focus Back on Private-Label Growth [Advertising Age]
Posted by David Nassar, Executive Director | Permalink
In case you hadn’t noticed, Wal-Mart has received some criticism for its business practices over the last few years. Condemnations of low wages, discrimination, environmental damage, damage to local economies and sweatshop sourcing have come at Wal-Mart from all angles. At some point, someone at the company realized these attacks might be bad for business.
So the company went on the offensive. Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect, explained to a conference of editorial writers this week that in recent months, Wal-Mart has made a massive effort to improve its image. Whereas the retailer once focused on lowering prices regardless of the cost, attacks on the company’s ethics made Wal-Mart realize the high price of behaving badly.
Fishman is certainly right on this point: after years of criticism, it seems Wal-Mart’s leadership finally recognized the value of a good reputation. Since its revelation, Wal-Mart has worked to highlight not only its low prices but its good deeds too, spending millions to publicize its environmental efforts and charitable giving. A new ad campaign, a new slogan and numerous public appearances by company executives drive home Wal-Mart’s new message: We’re not all bad, really.
Wal-Mart’s work to become a socially responsible company, however, is far from done. The company’s labor problems remain completely unresolved: wages and benefits for hourly workers are still paltry, allegations of union-busting remain rampant, and the company’s discriminatory practices have resulted in dozens of lawsuits in the last year alone. Labor issues are the most expensive to resolve, but a recent study (PDF) shows that shoppers take a company’s labor practices into consideration above all other social responsibility issues. The company cannot and will not succeed with its image overhaul until these issues are addressed.
Even Wal-Mart’s highly-touted environmental campaign has problems. While the company cites reduced packaging and organic cotton among its crowning achievements, Wal-Mart’s massive energy consumption, unsustainable land use, and unethical sourcing practices negate any positive impact the company might have. Poor product quality contributes to environmental problems too, and several recalls over the last year and a half reveal the high price of cutting costs. The company’s relationship with local communities continues to be a problem as well.
Like Mr. Fishman, we are also interested to know the impact of Wal-Mart’s environmental footprint - both good and bad. But any examination of Wal-Mart’s sustainability efforts should take into account the company as a whole - with all its problems, from factory to shopping cart - not just the side Wal-Mart wants us to see.
Two say Wal-Mart image on mend [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
Check Out, we hardly knew ye.
Remember Wal-Mart’s Check Out Blog? The one that the New York Times gushed over back in March? The rowdy band of nine fearless buyers Wal-Mart unleashed to conquer the blogosphere with unfiltered wit and opinion? The birth of Check Out was a time of youthful idealism: finally, a corporate blog where ideas could run free, and highly paid marketers could say what they truly felt. The future looked bright.
But less than a year later, Check Out is dying.
We’ve counted three posts on the site in the last 36 days. The few posts tend to be either on video games or apologies for writing so few posts.
Blogger Susan’s last entry reads:
Just wanted to apologize for being out of touch for the past few months! Of course I have a reason...I was recently promoted to the Merchandise Manger over the Video Game and PC software categories. I have been busy learning my new role and feel terrible that I haven’t posted anything as of late.
Russell has also stopped writing, leaving the simple, homespun world of Check Out for the bright lights of more exciting things:
But, let me tell you blogging is hard work. Anyone that consistently maintains any type of online commentary is to be greatly commended. It isn’t so much finding time to post, for me. It isn’t even writer’s block. The problem is finding a compelling story to tell, one that I think other people would find interesting.
And Tifanie echoes Russell’s sentiment, sadly solidifying Check Out’s ghost town status:
I feel Russell’s pain on the blog front....if you would like to know something specific or have an interest you would like me to expound upon, feel free to make the request; otherwise, you will be subjected to my ramblings.
Most sadly though, sustainability guru Rand Waddoups has been missing in action since mid-July. Perhaps he got moved back to salty snacks and has secluded himself for months, racking his brain to invent the greatest Wal-Mart-exclusive salty snack of all time. (Rand: just let it go, it’s already been done.)
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to mourn the loss of yet another Wal-Mart social media project. We can only hope another, similarly misguided replacement will come along soon...
Posted by Media Team | Permalink
Wal-Mart markets its new “Love, Earth” jewelry line as “fashion jewelry that honors, cherishes and protects our planet.” Targeted at shoppers concerned with the environmental and human rights problems associated with gold mining, shoppers can trace their “Love, Earth” jewelry from “mine to market,” assured that it is sourced “from mines that maintain leading environmental and social standards.”
Just one day after Norway slammed Wal-Mart’s “sustainable” gold supplier for massive environmental damages, the environmental group Global Response has publicly condemned Wal-Mart for its gold greenwashing campaign. While the company makes overtures to environmentalism - using pictures of green fields and butterflies on the “Love, Earth” website - it relies on vague terminology, few enforceable standards and biased monitoring in calling the jewelry line “sustainable.” From Global Response:
Wal-Mart’s criteria look good on paper. They include “Safe disposal and management of waste and hazardous materials ...Protection of ecological functioning, ecosystem services and important biodiversity...Respect for the rights of individuals, indigenous peoples and communities [and] Contribution to the sustainable development of communities affected by operations.” But who is monitoring Newmont’s performance? Newmont and Wal-Mart.
The group goes on to criticize Wal-Mart’s mining partner, the Newmont Mining Corporation, for mining on land owned by the Western Shoshone tribe of Nevada. The Western Shoshone Defense Project has been fighting Newmont for years over the corporation’s environmentally-damaging practices.
Wal-Mart’s other partner in the “Love, Earth” line is Rio Tinto, a mining company recently blacklisted by Norway’s pension fund for its environmental damage in Indonesia. Norway has categorically refused to invest in irresponsible corporations: Wal-Mart itself was dropped from the fund in 2006.
Wal-Mart wants customers to see it as an environmentally-progressive corporation, but the company is trying to do it on the cheap. Rather than improve its sourcing practices or demand change from its suppliers, Wal-Mart has repeatedly focused on marketing instead. This not only fails to protect the environment, it actually tricks shoppers into supporting unsustainable practices.
What you can do: Join Wal-Mart Watch and Global Response in calling on Wal-Mart to stop greenwashing its gold. Click here to write a letter to the retailer, or send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising. With your help, we can spread the word about Wal-Mart’s greenwashed gold.
Posted by Enviro. Team | Permalink
MEXICAN SUPREME COURT SLAMS WAL-MART’S LABOR PRACTICES
Mexico’s Supreme Court rules against Wal-Mart’s labor practices [AlterDestiny]
Mexico’s Supreme Court has been making some really interesting decisions lately. Last week they upheld Mexico City’s law to provide access to abortion. Yesterday, they ruled in favor of a Wal-Mart employee in Mexico who brought a case against the corporation for its practice of providing store coupons in place of a portion of one’s salary. (English story here, Spanish here). The court likened Wal-Mart’s practice to the old company stores that operated under the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1910), that were subsequently outlawed with the 1917 constitution.
Walmart Slammed by Mexican Court [Politics and Hypocrisy]
Now to be fair, I am far from knowledgeable on the working conditions in Mexico. I do know that they must be bad enough to cause 1000’s of Mexicans to cross our borders yearly in search of a better life.
So knowing that, how bad must Walmart be in Mexico if their Supreme Court is criticizing their labor practices? I’ll give you a hint, an 1890’s dictator and store only salary vouchers are mentioned.
I wonder if they tell their employees how to vote down there as well?
After the jump, Wal-Mart’s new in-store TV network, the company’s outreach to mommy bloggers and why you should love the REALLY free market.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
Several stories were published this week regarding Wal-Mart’s newest way to annoy the already frazzled American shopper - the “Smart-Network.” Set to launch in close to 300 stores by the holiday season and chain-wide by 2010, the in-store TV marketing network will include 27,000 screens and feature everything from time-specific advertisements to a series of ‘welcome screens’ to be displayed at store entrances. Stephen Quinn, chief marketing officer of Wal-Mart stores, discussed the new system in a story from Adweek:
“We’ve built a network tailored to the way consumers shop our stores, delivering helpful, custom content closest to the point of decision that helps them shop smarter”
“Smarter” is right: now customers won’t have to make shopping lists, decisions about what products are for them, or even have to open their eyes upon entering a Wal-Mart. All they have to do is listen for the comforting sound of a television screen beckoning them closer and closer to whatever Wal-Mart feels like selling them at that time. The company sank $10 million into R&D for this project, coming off slightly better-than-expected sales numbers for the month of August, and seems to show the company’s faith in the system.
Wal-Mart Smart Net Pushes Point-of-Sale Ads
Trying to reach additional shoppers, Wal-Mart has launched the Wal-Mart Smart Network, which supplies information via in-store TV. The company invested $10 million in the project billed as “shopper-intelligent network at retail.” Powered by Internet Protocol Television, the new net will appear in more than 2,700 stores nationwide.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Luke West | Permalink
Wal-Mart has previously tried to win over college students, Facebook users, “working families,” and RVers in its social media misadventures. Now the company has a new target demographic: mommybloggers.
Maybe it was the toy recalls that made Wal-Mart decide to target mothers. Maybe it was the massive gender discrimination lawsuit filed in 2006. Or maybe it was the retailer’s problems adhering to WIC rules, or harsh treatment of pregnant employees that made the company think, “Huh. Women might not like us a whole lot.”
The newest project entails giving free video cameras to mommybloggers across the country and asking them to discuss how they like to save money. We imagine the conversation will pretty quickly turn to Wal-Mart. And Wal-Mart’s marketing execs undoubtedly hope those free video cameras are enough to keep the bloggers from mentioning Wal-Mart’s abysmal record for discriminating against women...but where would the fun be in that?
Retailer, moms who blog form new coalition [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is venturing further into the social media waters with a coalition of busy moms who blog about how to save money on everyday necessities, vacations, even big-ticket items that may fall outside most shoppers’ budgets. Soon, the company intends to invite customers to share their own money-saving tips in exchange for a chance at winning a year’s worth of groceries. Blogs, or Web logs, are journals that are available on the Web. Some of the 12 moms selected for the project already have begun posting video clips on their Web sites, suggesting ways to trim spending.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
A story out today from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette helps to clear up some of the questions about Wal-Mart’s recent logo change. The article explains that Wal-Mart The Company will continue to use the current, hyphenated form of the logo but that Walmart The Store will use the fancy new non-hyphenated version. As if that weren’t confusing enough, the article explains that the ever popular “squiggly” will remain in the Wal-Mart cheer. Yes, questions of how to spell Wal-Mart’s name will now involve a lengthy existentialist examination.
Exactly why Wal-Mart feels the need to make this distinction - between “the company” and its stores - remains unclear. The company wanted a new look for its stores, but changing every instance of its logo might have proven too complicated. Wal-Mart is, after all, the world’s largest company. But the distinction also plays in to an issue we raised yesterday - Wal-Mart The Company is beginning to distance itself from its stores. The company’s new Marketside shops bear no mention of their Bentonville parent, and perhaps the hypen/no-hypen distinction plays in to that. Does Wal-Mart The Company exist separate from its stores? Can it ever?
‘Walmart’ new, but store’s familiar [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]
Wal-Mart or Walmart ? That depends, the company says. With the June 30 announcement of its new, nonhyphenated store logo, “Walmart” started showing up in some of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ’s news releases and other statements and has been appearing in its printed advertising and in-store signs since then.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
The Financial Times brings news that the Building Dept. of the City of Mesa, AZ. has posted on its website some of the first photos of Wal-Mart’s new “Marketside” stores. The stores signal a departure for Wal-Mart, as they are significantly smaller than the retailer’s traditional format and designed to compete head-to-head with UK retailer Tesco’s “Fresh and Easy” markets.
Marketside’s small format isn’t the only thing that distinguishes the pilot program from other Wal-Mart stores. Marketsides have completely independent design elements and don’t mention the word “Wal-Mart.” From the Financial Times:
The design includes a natural wood finish around the entrance, and deep-purple awnings - the same colour that will be used on the aprons of the staff, and on its website, http://www.marketplace.com. The Marketside name appears in lower case green lettering, with no reference to its parent company.
As Wal-Mart nears the U.S. saturation point for its traditional stores, the company has been forced to evolve into alternate formats. But Marketside’s distinct branding implies the company is worried customers have had enough not only of Supercenters, but of Wal-Mart itself.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
A few weeks ago - Wal-Mart Watch had an inside source in a Wal-Mart focus group who clued us in to some new ads the company was planning to release. Several stories over the weekend tell us how Wal-Mart is ready to roll out the new series of ads - just in time for the the Democratic and Republican Conventions.
It’s been clear that Wal-Mart is trying to take advantage of the political atmosphere and cast itself as a fixer of America’s economic problems and combat its reputational woes. The company has been pushing the “Wal-Mart as government” theme for a while, and these latest ads are the most direct effort yet. (Of course, Wal-Mart’s ad team probably didn’t intend to roll out the new campaign just a week after the store’s low wages led to the first North American union contract, and while embroiled in a massive electioneering scandal.)
We asked readers on our blog to vote on which one of the new ad themes were the most deceptive. The results were as following:
42% (319 votes) “Some believe that fixing the economy starts in DC, we believe it starts closer to home.”
32% (242 votes) “We started $4 prescription plan; now others are following our lead. We believe a healthier America is a better America”
24% (181 votes) “Most people live pay to paycheck, we help your paycheck go further.”
2% (16 votes) “Wal-Mart saves you money—that’s our economic stimulus plan.”
Wal-Mart to air economy-focused ads [NW Arkansas Morning News]:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Friday it is launching a series of economy-focused TV ads during the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
The 15-second ads highlight some of the company’s top initiatives, including its $4 prescription drug program, and communicate how supercenter shopping saves on gas.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Eric Bull | Permalink
Because there’s definitely not enough college football on the Wal-Mart Watch blog. And it’s Friday.
This, from Gamecocks fan: Wal-Mart sends out a bunch of LSU promotional fliers...in South Carolina.
Wal-Mart Is Confused [FITSnews]:
Unfortunately, somebody forgot to tell the “Every Day Low Prices” crew that SEC rivalries run deep, and it’s probably not a good idea to send a friggin’ Louisiana State promotional mail piece to a bunch of South Carolina mailboxes - particularly after the a**-whooping the Bayou Bengals administered to our beloved Gamecocks in Baton Rouge last year.
Posted by Eric Bull | Permalink
It’d be nice of the Wal-Mart Managers to take a break on the PR team and maybe wait a few weeks before distributing fake back-to-school lists. But by then school would have already started, and the opportunity’s out the window…
Kelby Carr, via Consumerist and Boing Boing:
My daughter is about to start kindergarten, so naturally we did some back to school shopping. Our state sales tax break weekend happened recently. When we noticed the local Wal-Mart had shopping lists not only specific to school and grade level, but to teacher, we were thrilled. We started tossing items in the cart to spend, spend, spend.
Weren’t we a little surprised to learn afterwards that Wal-Mart invented those lists. Not only were we a bit surprised to learn they did not, in fact, base the lists on anything remotely suggested by the school. Wal-Mart, in fact, put items on the list that are BANNED from being brought to school.
Our daughter’s school said Wal-Mart makes up those lists on their own, and a number of items (such as crayons) are on a list from the school. A list of items parents are specifically told not to have their child bring to school. Seriously?
(No scanned copies of the actual lists have yet been posted, but we’ll keep an eye out for them. )
Posted by Eric Bull | Permalink
More to come from the Wall Street Journal later this week.
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
In the wake of Wal-Mart’s massive anti-union political scandal that broke late last week, we decided to release a new Wal-Mart All Star Collectible card: Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations.
As Jeffrey Goldberg points out, Dach was hired by Wal-Mart to convince Democrats to like the company. Wal-Mart, the born-and-raised red state company, has traditionally had a hard time with liberals, and Dach was brought in to win them over.
Leslie came to Wal-Mart from Edelman Public Relations, the company still responsible for most of Wal-Mart’s PR work. While there, “he led the Washington D.C. office, the company’s research, advertising, and corporate social responsibility consulting divisions and its global public affairs, crisis, technology, and healthcare practices.” He can spin with the best of them, but more important than his ability to doublespeak, Leslie Dach has serious Democrat cred. From Wal-Mart’s website:
Leslie has been active as a strategist in Democratic politics and worked in senior positions in a number of presidential campaigns, including as a senior advisor for communications for the Democratic National Committee in 2004 and managing the program at the 2000 Democratic Convention. He served the Clinton administration in a variety of project capacities, including special advisor to the National Security Advisor during the Kosovo conflict. Leslie was also a lobbyist for the National Audubon Society and Environmental Defense, and the special assistant to the chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.
If Wal-Mart really wants to win over Democratic consumers, maybe the company should stop badmouthing Democratic candidates to its entire workforce. What does Wal-Mart’s recent Obama-bashing mean for Mr. Dach? Will his work appealing to sentimental liberals get flushed down the drain by the retailer’s political bullying? How can a self-proclaimed Democrat work for a company so blatantly un-Democratic? And what will it take for Democrats to look past the hype?
Wal-Mart All Star Collectible Trading Cards: Collect them all!
Mike Duke, Vice Chairman, International Division
Tom Schoewe, CFO
Susan Chambers, Executive Vice President, People Division
Posted by Media Team | Permalink
The results of our Unofficial Wal-Mart Logo Redesign Contest are in, and Chris C.’s winning design “Walmart: Cut Costs, Harm Others” is now available on a union-made, union-printed red t-shirt. The top 10 finalists will be receiving a free shirt for their efforts, and the shirts are for sale to everyone else for $15. Tell the world what you think of Wal-Mart - click here to order yours. Numbers are limited! Order today!
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
In Portland, Oregon this week, U. S. District Judge Anna Brown held Wal-Mart must face claims by Adidas that footwear manufactured for Wal-Mart bearing two-stripe patterns violates the shoemaker’s three-stripe trademark.
In addition, as part of the copyright infringement lawsuit, Adidas has accused Wal-Mart of false advertising, claiming Wal-Mart mislead customers by marketing a pair of Adidas imitations as “running shoes.” Apparently, the shoes will burst into flames before disintigrating if you actually try and run in them - lawyers for Adidas, in explaining how Wal-Mart’s shoes failed numerous durability tests, have said the shoes are “dangerous” and “not fit to run in.” You can find out more on the false advertising claim here.
Beyond the claim of infringement by Wal-Mart’s two-stripe pattern, Judge Brown must still decide whether Wal-Mart must defend the five remaining claims:
Brown will issue a decision later on whether to keep or reject five other claims in the case before a jury trial begins Oct. 6. They include Wal-Mart’s use of four-stripe designs and a claim by the world’s second-largest sporting-goods maker that Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart uses false advertising.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette News In Brief
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Posted by Corey Himrod | Permalink
The local food movement has energetically spread across the United States in the last few years, spurring activist consumers to support local farms, shop at farmers markets and take pride in regional produce. The movement’s popularity hasn’t escaped the eyes of public relations executives - and Wal-Mart is eager to get in on the action.
Despite the fact that only a fraction of Wal-Mart’s produce is grown locally, the mammoth retailer has been quick to take credit for the small amount of local produce it DOES sell. BloggingStocks advises that this isn’t really important. According to the column, what Wal-Mart really needs is more P.R.
This has been a recurring theme in Wal-Mart’s environmental program. What small steps the retailer does make are inevitably blown all out of proportion by the company’s marketing department, making genuine analysis difficult. Wal-Mart’s publicity around local sourcing distracts from the fact that the retailer - the largest grocer in North America - sources the vast majority of its food from industrial producers. A vital part of “Buying Local” means not only supporting small farmers, but also supporting businesses that invest in the community, which Wal-Mart certainly fails to do. Want to support local farms and farmers markets? Go directly to the source. It’s better for the environment AND your community.
Wal-Mart stages marketing appearance to promote locally-grown produce [BloggingStocks]
Not too long ago, I wrote about Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the entrance of the world’s largest retailer more heavily into locally-grown fresh produce. As a way of differentiating itself, Wal-Mart is really on the right track here. Partnering with local merchants near each community it serves could help repair the rift between small-town merchants and the retailing behemoth that has steadily grown for the last two decades.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Enviro. Team | Permalink
Just one day after this release chronicling Wal-Mart’s continuing reputation problems and the impact they have on the company’s business, a new study from the UK shows Wal-Mart’s branding is struggling overseas as well.
The Superbrands Council conducts an annual poll surveying the top UK brands. According to the group’s website, “Every year we commission an independent research process that asks a panel of experts and thousands of consumers their opinion on literally every major UK brand.” The survey included a wide range of consumer brands and ranked them according to respondents’ impressions of the company.
Wal-Mart’s wholly-owned UK subsidiary, Asda, dropped a whopping 253 places since last year’s survey, and came in a lowly #439 out of 500 companies, directly behind Kentucky Fried Chicken.
As we mentioned yesterday, the company’s continuing reputation for low wages, employee mistreatment, unethical sourcing and environmental damage undoubtedly contribute to its low scores in surveys such as this. It’s in Wal-Mart’s best interest to improve its brand quality from the bottom up, raising wages for its lowest earning employees and taking responsibility for its social impact all along its production chain.
Google ‘UK’s top consumer brand’ [BBC News]
Official Top 500 Superbrands 2008/09 (PDF) [Superbrands]
Wal-Mart’s Reputation Problems Continue [Wal-Mart Watch Press Release]
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt | Permalink
Maybe in some parallel universe - where marketers are kings and consumers buy everything that’s advertised - this strategy makes sense, but we just can’t seem to understand how holding a fashion show is supposed to send the message that Wal-Mart is no longer interested in fashion.
See, Wal-Mart has had a lot of problems with its apparel lines. When it sold basic (read: ugly) clothes like high-waisted jeans and shapeless t-shirts, no one bought them because they were, well, ugly. So then Wal-Mart started selling “trendy” items like spandex leggings. Unsurprisingly, the spandex leggings didn’t sell either and Wal-Mart vowed to never go upscale again.
So the retailer’s recent fashion show in San Francisco’s supertrendy Union Square doesn’t seem to make sense. Is Wal-Mart planning to roll out a line of leather mini dresses just in time for back to school? If not, what’s the value retailer doing with the likes of high end designers?
Wal-Mart’s fashion show previews back-to-school [Reuters]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc presented a colorful, casual line of youthful looks for kids and teens on Saturday at a fashion show that previewed the mass-market chain’s new low-cost offerings for back to school.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Media Team | Permalink
WAL-MART ROLLS OUT THE ECO-BLING
Wal-Mart introduced a line of jewelry this week that “can be traced from mining site to store”, drawing much applause from the MSM. Meanwhile, a couple crack reporters from the blogosphere veered away from Wal-Mart’s talking point to cover the details that just happen to matter. Like the fact that Wal-Mart only committed to making 10% of its jewelry come from sustainable sources. And the fact that the company Wal-Mart is teaming up with to make sustainability goals and set industry standards is currently accused of thousands of deaths in the South Pacific.
Wal-Mart Launches Eco-Bling Project [TakePart Blog Network]
Wal-Mart is stepping up to answer the call for more eco-friendly bling. Jewelry has always held a special place in our cultural history, but the industry doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for being environmentally friendly and conflict-free. The movie Blood Diamond comes to mind, but did you also know that a single 1/3 ounce 18-karat gold ring creates 20 tons of mine waste?
Wal-Mart greening its jewelry? [Bright Green Blog]
The raw materials for Wal-Mart’s Love, Earth line are extracted by the Anglo-Australian mining company, Rio Tinto, and a major gold producer, Newmont Mining Corp.
These companies are interesting choices, to say the least. Rio Tinto is currently fighting a suit under the federal Alien Tort Claims Act that blames the company for the deaths of thousands of Bougainville islanders in Papua New Guinea. Rio Tinto’s copper mine, the suit alleges, resulted in environmental destruction and crimes against humanity stemming from a military blockade motivated by civilian resistance to the mine.
According to Scorecard, a US pollution information site, in 2002 Newmont was operating some of America’s dirtiest mines. According to The New York Times, villagers in Buyat Bay on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island filed a $543 million lawsuit against Newmont contending that arsenic waste from their mining killed an infant and destroyed local fisheries.
WAL-MART IS PERHAPS MAYBE JUST A LITTLE GUILTY FOR NOT PAYING ITS ASSOCIATES A FAIR WAGE
Sometimes, we get this odd, guttural feeling that one of the reasons for our current economic downturn is that good, living-wage jobs (i.e., manufacturing) are being replaced with part-time Wal-Mart jobs. Imports from China certainly do not help, we suspect.
Polling the Ohio Pols [MOJO Blog]
An NPR poll conducted with the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard’s School of Public Health shows (.pdf) more than 50 percent of respondents in both states say their pocketbooks will be the most important issue guiding their votes in November. When pollsters combined respondents’ first and second most pressing concerns, the economy showed up 70 percent of the time.
This could bode well for Obama and his fellow party members, especially in Ohio, where some counties face unemployment rates of more than eight percent. “It does help the Democrats,” says Johnnie Maier, chairman of the Democratic party in Stark County, Ohio, which historically has acted as bellwether county in presidential elections. “When George W. Bush took office, we had a budget surplus. We didn’t have a housing crisis. Now we’re replacing what used to be living-wage jobs with part-time jobs at places like Wal-Mart—a major Chinese importer. It’s beyond a mess.”
After the jump, read about worker activism, Wal-Mart’s flirting with mothers, and more up-to-the-minute coverage of Wal-Mart’s new logo.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Tony Calero | Permalink
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