Sustainability

Orange, Va. -- Walmart’s next step to open a Supercenter near Wilderness Battlefield in Orange, Va., goes to court Tuesday, as Orange County Circuit Judge Daniel R. Bouton is scheduled to hear arguments on requests for summary judgments from attorneys in the case.

If the trial moves forward, a preservation group and local residents who oppose the store will square off against Walmart and the Orange County officials who approved the Supercenter.

WASHINGTON -- Walmart joined First Lady Michelle Obama in Washington today to unveil a comprehensive effort to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food choices. 

The program will involve five key elements:

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Save-A-Lot announced that it will break ground for a new 325,000-sq.-ft. food distribution center in Lexington, N.C.  The state-of-the-art center located in Lexington’s Business Center is expected to open by December 2011 and employ more than 40 employees initially with the potential for hiring additional employees once the facility is at full capacity.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.  -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announced that it has debuted the winning design from its first-ever Design-A-Bag contest in its stores this week. The new reusable bag retails for only 79 cents and has already been a big hit with customers with thousands already sold. The bag's creative design was hand-drawn by Los Angeles resident Josephine Close, who received a year's worth of free groceries for winning the contest.

New York City -- Home furnishings retailer City Furniture has opened its first store built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The 93,680-sq.-ft. location, in Boca Raton, Fla., houses a City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStore under one roof.

The retail analysts at Standards & Poor Equity Research predict that 2011 will be a good year for retailers as consumer spending rises 3%, with sales boosted by the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and the 2% payroll tax cut for all workers for one year.

Durham, N.C. -- Denny’s Corp. has chosen LED lights from Cree as the preferred lighting standard for all its new and remodeled stores across the United States. Cree’s six-inch downlights are being specified in various applications, including dining areas and restrooms.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart's philanthropic arm announced a $2 million donation to help food banks save money on energy bills.

This funding, the Walmart Foundation said, will help 16 food banks "go green," by becoming more energy efficient through lighting, refrigeration or heating and air conditioning equipment upgrades.

This initiative is a part of Walmart's commitment to fighting hunger. In May, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced a $2 billion cash and in-kind commitment through the end of 2015, including: