Civic50 list includes few retailers

Gap Inc., is the only retailer to appear on a flawed list called The Civic50 that presumes to recognize the nation’s most community-minded companies.



Now in its third year, the lack of retail representation on The Civic50 is highly curious considering retailers enjoy a high level of visibility within the communities where they operate and are typically quite generous in supporting local charities and national causes. The consumer packaged goods was also under-represented on The Civic50 although companies such as ConAgra, General Mills and Hershey were included.



The glaring omission of retailers and CPG companies can be explained in part by the methodology used to compile the list. Only companies with annual sales in excess of $1 billion were eligible for inclusion and then only those companies that completed a survey were considered.



Only about 100 companies participated in The Civic50 by filling out the survey so the odds of being included on the list were highly correlated to a companies’ willingness to complete a form.



For a complete look at the Civic50 and more details on the methodology click HERE.