Corporate Responsibility

The Walmart Visitor Center in downtown Bentonville is set to reopen on May 21 after undergoing extensive renovations, which means the new facility will be able to accommodate the thousands of Walmart employees who will descend on the town for the company’s annual meeting on June 3.

Sam's Club this week is promoting itself as a small business leader and has announced several initiatives in honor of National Small Business Week May 16 to 20. The company said it would donate up to $200,000 to organizations supporting entrepreneurs. In addition the company is offering a limited-time, lower-cost membership deal for small business owners.

Columbia, S.C. -- Walmart plans to open dozens of new stores throughout South Carolina during the next five years, adding more than 4,000 jobs. Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., announced plans for the new stores at an event at the new South Carolina Farmers Market, in Columbia, S.C.

The new stores will include energy-efficient technology and sustainable features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Kroger and Procter & Gamble have teamed up to support the USO in its efforts to help American troops and their families.

New York City -- Retailers from around the world have until May 20 to enter the annual global competition, the Oracle World Retail Awards. Online entry is open at worldretailcongress.com.

The awards, designed to recognize the outstanding innovation and creativity delivered by l retailers worldwide, are presented each year at a gala event during the World Retail Congress. This year’s presentation will be held Sept. 27 in Berlin.

The winners in 2010 were as follows:

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. announced that three of its supermarkets have received the Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill Award.

The regional chain said that the stores, all located in Southern California, earned the Gold Award from the EPA, the second-highest award offered by the agency to businesses that use refrigerants that do not harm the earth's ozone layer.

Bernardino, Calif.  -- Three new Stater Bros. a that three supermarkets have earned the prestigious EPA GreenChill Gold Certification for meeting tough standards and using refrigerants that do not harm the earth's ozone layer.

Stater Bros. is the only Southern California grocer to have three stores that are certified at the Gold Level, which is the second highest award from GreenChill.

EPA's GreenChill Partnership works with supermarkets to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

Target is the newest member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill organization. The decision to join the group comes as Target has been expanding the frozen and refrigerated capacity in its stores at a breakneck pace as part of the PFresh remodeling program. Greenchill is an EPA partnership with food retailers to help them reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.