The Grady Group

Walmart Furthers Commitment to Supply-Chain Sustainability

Justin Armintrout — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 18:02:15 +0000

BENTONVILLE, Ark.-Walmart has launched a series of initiatives geared toward making its supply chain in the United States and China more sustainable.

At an event in Beijing that included government officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academics, suppliers and company associates, Walmart said it will use the Sustainability Index to design more sustainable products, make its supply chain more environmentally and socially accountable and responsible, and urge merchants to make sustainability a larger part of their day-to-day operations. The Sustainability Index was developed for Walmart by The Sustainability Consortium, and includes measures of product sustainability using metrics developed by the organization, which Walmart employs on more than 100 product categories.

Among the initiatives announced at the event:

By the end of 2017, Walmart will buy 70 percent of the goods it sells in U.S. stores and U.S. Sam’s Clubs only from suppliers in the United States, China and throughout the world that use the Sustainability Index to evaluate the sustainability of their products.

Beginning in 2013, Walmart will use the Sustainability Index to influence the design of U.S. private-brand products.

Also beginning in 2013, buyers from Walmart’s global sourcing merchants will join its key buyers for Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club in using specific sustainability objectives in their annual evaluations of vendors.

The Walmart Foundation will grant $2 million to fund The Sustainability Consortium and assist in its efforts in launching the organization in China.

Mike Duke, Walmart’s president and CEO, said, “The impact of these commitments will be global and will make a difference with products sold around the globe.”

Gary Locke, U.S. ambassador to China, said, “Walmart and the Chinese government, along with local NGOs and suppliers, have worked together and independently to find new solutions and models for sustainable growth. Today’s announcement will help accelerate the good work under way to make affordable and sustainable consumer goods more accessible here in China and around the world.”

Williams-Sonoma Holiday Sales Up 4.2%

Justin Armintrout — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:11:03 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO–Net revenues for Williams-Sonoma’s eight-week holiday season ending on Dec. 25 totaled $901 million, up 4.2 percent from last year’s season, according to a preliminary statement from the multichannel retail company.

This rise included a comparable-brand increase of 4.9 percent. Laura Alber, president and CEO, noted that this pickup came on top of an 11.3 percent comparable-brand jump in last year’s holiday season. Alber cited the “strong performance” of Williams-Sonoma’s home furnishings brands, in particular West Elm and Pottery Barn.

Most of the increase came from the company’s direct-to-customer segment, which enjoyed an 11.6 percent gain in revenues. Retail net revenues were down 0.6 percent.

Sealy’s Stickler Named V.P. of Product Merchandising

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:33:56 +0000

22981 Tue, 10/25/2011 – 10:33am

TRINITY, N.C.–Stephen Stickler has been promoted to vice president of product merchandising for Sealy.
In his new post, Stickler oversees product-development activities for all of Sealy’s brands, including Sealy Posturepedic, Stearns & Foster, Embody by Sealy, Bassett and private-label lines. He has been with the mattress manufacturer for 12 years, most recently as director of national accounts.
Prior to joining Sealy, Stickler served in various management positions with Milliken and Co.

Mohawk Makes Newsweek’s “Greenest” List for Third Year in a Row

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:26:01 +0000

22980 Tue, 10/25/2011 – 10:26am

DALTON, Ga.–For the third straight year, Newsweek magazine has placed Mohawk Industries in its annual ranking of the 500 “greenest” U.S. companies.
Mohawk ranked 292nd in this year’s list, up from 350th in last year’s list. The company finished ninth among U.S. consumer-products companies. Mohawk released its second annual sustainability report in July, which detailed the company’s progress in implementing and achieving its aggressive environmental initiatives. The report helped earn high marks from Newsweek for disclosure, a new calculation to the magazine’s scoring system.
A company statement said Mohawk diverts more than 3 billion pounds of material from landfills each year, and is “a leading provider” of renewable flooring

Lowe’s to Close 20 Underperforming Stores

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:33:22 +0000

22979 Mon, 10/24/2011 – 10:33am

MOORESVILLE, N.C.—Lowe’s said it is shutting down 20 underperforming stores in 15 states.
Ten locations closed last week. The remaining 10 stores will close within about one month, following the sell-through of their inventory. The closings are taking place in California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York State, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin.

The home-improvement retailer added that it is scaling back on planned store openings down the road. It said it now expects to open 10 to 15 new stores a year in North America from 2012 forward, compared to its prior projection of about 30 new stores a year. Lowe’s still expects to open 25 new stores by the end of this year, the company said.
Robert Niblock, chairman, president and CEO, said Lowe’s has “an obligation to make tough decisions when necessary to improve profitability and strengthen our financial position. Lowe’s remains committed to making strategic investments and focusing resources in a manner that will generate the greatest shareholder value, enhance the customer shopping experience and create sustained customer loyalty over the long term.”
For the first half of this fiscal year, Lowe’s posted a 2.2 percent drop in net income, to $1.3 billion, and flat net sales of $26.7 billion.