Corporate Responsibility

CINCINNATI — Kroger has become a member of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Million Dollar Club. The USHCC Million Dollar Club recognizes corporations that are leaders in supplier diversity and integrating Hispanic business enterprises into their strategic sourcing and procurement process. Corporations qualify by spending between $25 million to more than $500 million with Hispanic suppliers in the previous year.

This is Kroger's third consecutive year of qualifying for membership.

CINCINNATI — Kroger was honored by the Alliance to Save Energy this week. The company received the group's top award, the "Galaxy" Star of Energy Efficiency.

"We are honored to receive this recognition from the Alliance to Save Energy," said David Dillon, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer. "This is a real tribute to Kroger's 339,000 associates who bring our energy saving programs to life every day. We will continue to work tirelessly in all areas of our business to reduce energy consumption."

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Family Dollar has inked a partnership with a national leader in health-and-wellness solutions to further drive the retailer's commitment to proactively engage in activities that encourage healthy living.

The Budweiser brand raised $2.5 million for military families during Major League Baseball’s recently ended regular season as part of a program called, "Walk-off a Hero."

WALL, N.J. — Wakefern Food Corp. has partnered with NJR Clean Energy Ventures, a subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, to install a rooftop solar system at a Wakefern Food Corp. distribution center in Keasbey, N.J. The 2.4 megawatt solar system will supply power to a refrigerated warehouse, helping lower Wakefern’s long-term electricity costs and its greenhouse gas emissions.

New York -- Three female employees of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court in South Florida claiming the company discriminates against women in areas such as wages and promotion opportunities, the Associated Press reported.

The potential class-action lawsuit follows similar lawsuits recently filed in Tennessee, Texas and California. It also follows a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision that tossed out a national gender bias lawsuit seeking to represent some 1.6 million female Wal-Mart workers.

Houston -- Starbucks Coffee Co. founder and CEO Howard Schultz said his company plans to add 1,000 stores in the U.S. in the next five years, according to a Bloomberg report.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Membership-based retailer Sam's Club is offering free health screenings for women, the company said.

Sam's Club said it would offer screenings worth $150, including those for thyroid-stimulating hormone, prostate-specific antigen, blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood sugar and vision. In addition, the chain will give away more than 25,000 free breast self-exam tests with the screenings. The events will take place at every Sam's Club with a pharmacy on Oct. 13.