After discussing sustainable marketing principles and ethics today in class, the textbook article about Walmart got me thinking. When I first read the article, my hatred towards the company lessened as I read all of the initiatives they were taking on. However, after reading some blogs against Walmart, I began to see both sides. Is Walmart really an eco-nanny as the textbook article suggests?

I have to say that Walmart has had great innovative marketing, customer-value marketing, and consumer-oriented marketing. It continually finds new ways to make sure it can find news ways of becoming sustainable, creates value for the customers with low cost items for customers, as well as it satisfies the needs of consumers wanting a cheap and convenient place to buy groceries and errands. However, Walmart fails to make marketing decisions considering the societal long-run interests.  It is solely focusing on immediate satisfaction, but does not take into consideration the disadvantages the consumers and society will face in the long run.

With Walmart aimed at expanding into “food deserts”, in other words, neighbourhoods that have less income, this could take away jobs for all the workers and lower wages, most likely causing poverty to get worse in these areas. As well, data from Ohio states that “$943 is the average annual cost to taxpayers of providing Medicaid, food stamps, and cash assistance for each Walmart employee,” since Walmart does not provide any benefits.

Americans are viewing Walmart more favourable for its sustainable endeavours, however, the company expects 30 million metric tons of cumulative growth in emissions by 2015.” With Walmart expanding square feet of store space worldwide from 36-39 million by the end of 2012, this creates growing concern for the future needs of our environment. This brings light to my next question- is this ethical of Walmart to entice consumers in with environmentally friendly endeavors, yet create problems for the future of its customers?

http://www.globalexchange.org/sweatfree/walmart/racetobottom

http://grist.org/business-technology/2011-11-17-walmarts-progress-on-renewables-has-been-very-slow/