Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is the world's largest retail operation, with over $400 billion in annual sales, 4,100 stores in the United States, and 3,500 stores overseas. In 2009, Wal-Mart was the highest-volume grocer in the United States, with approximately $100 billion in sales and a 21 percent share of the grocery market. When H. Lee Scott was named president and chief executive officer in 2000, the company suffered from a maligned public image, defending itself against allegations of underpaid and underinsured workers, Clean Water Act violations, and a reputation for destroying the viability of local businesses in many localities. Over the past eight years, the company has pledged a commitment to sustainable principles, adopted new food safety standards, and entered the organic marketplace. Although detractors dismiss Wal-Mart's efforts to clean up its practices, an argument can be made for the positive effects of shifting such a large-scale supply chain to environmentally conscious principles.

Wal-Mart first introduced grocery products into its Supercenters in 1988, using its powerful supply management tactics to compete at the lowest price point. Such tactics forced other supermarket chains including Grand Union, Bruno's, and Homeland Stores into bankruptcy. Workers at competitors like Kroger, Safeway, and Albertsons worried that their wages would be reduced as a result of the lower wages paid to Wal-Mart employees. Critics questioned the safety of food sold by a company that imports massive amounts of goods from China and used pressure tactics to gain cooperation from suppliers.

In October 2004, the United States sued Wal-Mart for violating the Clean Water Act in nine states, calling for changes in store building codes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Wal-Mart $1 million to settle charges of violations incurred while building stores in Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company's carbon footprint is still questionable because of its vast trucking network and the number of car trips to its stores daily. Various localities also complain about the tax breaks and government assistance that Wal-Mart negotiates for new building sites.