Friday, August 15, 2014

Walmart spin vs. Walmart fact: a guide

Walmart spends a lot of money trying to clean up its image, which right now is as soiled as the floor in a Walmart produce section. You hear a lot of corporate spin from the largest employer in the United States, but pretty much all of it is false.

Our friends at the Center for Media and Democracy just launched a new website that fact checks Walmart's claims in its advertisements and statements.

Said Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy:
Walmart likes to say it is committed to supporting families, communities, and our economy, but the facts often tell a different story.
They sure do. Here's a sample:

Walmart spin:
We've committed $2 billion to fight hunger in the U.S.
Walmart fact:
Subsidies and tax breaks for Walmart and the Walton family cost taxpayers approximately $7.8 billion per year, including about $6.2 billion in assistance to Walmart workers due to low wages and inadequate benefits, according to Americans for Tax Fairness
Walmart spin: 
"We believe we can create more American jobs by supporting more American manufacturing."
Walmart fact: 
Walmart's imports from China coast 200,000 U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2006, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Walmart spin:
"We put the needs of our customers above our own."
Walmart fact:
Walmart was ranked last among 55 supermarkets in a 2014 survey of 27,000 Consumer Reports subscribers.
Walmart spin:
"We're working toward three aspirational sustainability goals: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain people and the environment."
Walmart fact:  
Walmart’s self-reported greenhouse gas emissions have grown 14 percent since 2005 – the year the company launched its “sustainability” campaign. Each of Walmart's 3,200 supercenters uses as much energy as nearly 1,100 homes, according to the Sierra Club.