Corporate Responsibility

Sam's Club has donated more than $1 million to the YMCA to expand a program designed to address health issues among residents of underserved neighborhoods, along with a diabetes-prevention program.

The retailer also announced that it will be offering diabetes screenings at its pharmacies next week.

Mom Brands will be making a donation to the Breakfast Club of Canada. For every bag of Sally’s ready-to-eat cereals purchased at Canadian Walmart stores from now until Dec. 31, Mom Brands will donate 5 cents to the Breakfast Club of Canada, up to $75,000.

Bentonville, Ark. – Three members of a group of about 20 people protesting working conditions at Walmart were reportedly arrested in Manhattan yesterday. According to the AP, the protestors, which included current and former Wal-Mart employees as well as supporters, gathered outside a New York City building where a member of Wal-Mart’s board of directors has an office.

Small businesses have long been a core customer group at Sam’s Club, so much so that at one point the retailer’s tag line was, “in business for small business.” It makes sense then that Sam’s would invest in a program that promotes entrepreneurship and for that the nation should be thankful.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway, Inc. has reached a $600,000 settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) in regard to violations of the Clean Air Act. The government alleges that Safeway neglected to repair leaks of heat-trapping gas HCFC-22 from its refrigerators in a timely manner or keep proper records of refrigerator maintenance.

Chicago -- Whole Foods Market plans to open an 18,000-sq.-ft. store on Chicago’s South Side, in the impoverished Englewood neighborhood, in 2015. The store will be built as part of a larger development at the northwest corner of South Halsted and West 63rd Streets. The retail portion of the site is being developed by DL3.

New York -- Kimco Realty and NRG eVgo, part of NRG Energy, opened the Bay Area’s first electric vehicle charging station, at Westlake Shopping Center, Daly City, Calif.

Two hundred Target stores will begin offering the EveryOne brand of organics and all nature health and beauty items from EO products.

The company bills itself as theoriginal and ultimate essential oil based personal care company and said its products are designed to meet the increasing demand for healthy body products at a great price. Target will offer EO’s EveryOne Soap in Citrus + Mint, EveryOne Soap in Coconut + Lemon, and EveryOne Lotion in Coconut + Lemon in a 32 ounce pump bottle that retails for less than $10.