Wal-Mart seeks to polish public image
Negative publicty threatens growth
Wal-Mart plans a concerted campaign to improve its standing with the US public, in the face of an increasingly negative press for the world’s biggest retailer.
Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott has acknowledged that the retailer has failed in its efforts to restore its reputation with the US public. The company has faced a series of legal actions and press reports alleging discrimination against its employees, often blaming local managers.
Some US investment analysts believe the bad publicity is one of the biggest obstacles to Wal-Mart’s expansion plans. As it moves into new areas, the retailer has been met with increasingly vocal and well-organised protest campaigns from protesters.
Scott told an analysts conference: “Our message has not gotten out to the extent that it should. I think that’s management’s failure. We thought we could sit in Bentonville, take care of customers, take care of associates, and the world would leave us alone.”
Scott said the company has started to implement a culture change which will hold employees to a higher standard of accountability for transgressions.
