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Wal-Mart's Image Campaign Paying Off

Not too long ago, Wal-Mart was making headlines almost weekly as critics lambasted the retailer for its pay practices, pollution and rapaciousness. But the image of the nation's self-professed price leader and its largest employer outside the government is no longer under siege -- at least for the time being.

Thanks to a multimillion-dollar public relations and marketing campaign, aggressive environmental initiatives and price rollbacks billed as the retailer's very own "economic stimulus package," the company has been recasting itself as a champion of the environment and a benevolent big business.

But its critics claim the retailer still has a long way to go. Its environmental program seems impressive, says David Nassar, executive director of Wal-Mart Watch, but he wonders: "Is it substantive or is it p.r.," deflecting attention from thornier issues such as workers' pay and health benefits? Does it really matter as long as the company is working toward greater sustainability?

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