New Polling Data Reveal Dramatic, Negative Shift In Public Perceptions Of Wal-Mart

Wall Street Journal: “…progress in denting Wal-Mart’s image”

For Immediate Release
Friday, July 22, 2005

As reported in today’s Wall Street Journal, new public opinion polling conducted for Wal-Mart Watch reveals significant erosion in positive perceptions of Wal-Mart.  Since Wal-Mart Watch was launched in April 2005, the organization has been leading a successful public education campaign to reveal a more complete picture about the company’s business model.  

The Wall Street Journal reports, “The activist group Wal-Mart Watch, which calls the retailer an irresponsible corporate citizen, says its polling shows the company's favorable rating dropping to 50% from 59% in March.”  Wal-Mart’s favorable-unfavorable ratings have shifted in a meaningful way, from 59 percent favorable/31 percent unfavorable in March to 50 percent favorable/39 percent unfavorable in the recent July survey.  In sum, across four months, these data reveal a dramatic fourteen point net-negative shift in public perceptions of Wal-Mart.  

The July survey was fielded between July 7-10, 2005 from 800 respondents nationally, age 18 or older, with a margin of error of +/-3.5 percent.  It was conducted by Westhill Partners, which conducts the Westhill/Hotline poll routinely cited in major media outlets.

“Based on everything you know or have heard about Wal-Mart, is your opinion of Wal-Mart favorable or unfavorable?”

                                                   July                                              March

Favorable                                    50%                                              59%
Unfavorable                                 36%                                              31%
Neither                                          9%                                                5%
Don’t Know/Refused                       5%                                                5%

Said Andrew Grossman, Executive Director of Wal-Mart Watch, “For a company that spent $841 million on advertising in 2004 alone, these polling numbers are a reality check for Wal-Mart.  Despite their efforts at image-enhancement, more Americans are recognizing that Wal-Mart is, in fact, a meager employer, a poor neighbor, and an irresponsible corporate citizen.”