Pricing Pop
Walmart is big. They have influence. Their 2009 revenues were $405 billion. They employ over two million employees. Their influence over the purchasing decisions of North Americans is large.
Consequently, their corporate announcements often make the news. The positive ones around business greening have gotten good press. One that springs to mind was when they announced an initiative to reduce the amount of packaging in the goods they sell. They created a packaging scorecard for their suppliers. By sensitizing their supply chain to the issue of packaging Walmart can make a big difference.
So when it decided to lower prices on soda pop in the United States it, in my opinion, used its clout in a negative way. Twenty-four cans of pop now cost $5 - though as low as $3.77 in some US markets. That is 15¢ per can. Not surprisingly pop flew off store shelves during the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. With this action Walmart indirectly contributed to the health issues facing Americans in general.
Yes, ultimately consumers are the decision makers. But at some point don't you think that corporations need to say "hey, you know what? You are killing yourselves and so we are going to help you make better choices." Six dollars for twenty-four cans was sufficiently cheap. There was no need to drop the price to five or $3.77.
Education is key and it is time that corporations owned up to their influence. Time that they made education part of their mandate and followed it up with positive actions. Actions that ensure the long-term health (and therefore existence of) the consumers they so desperately try to lure.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
Consequently, their corporate announcements often make the news. The positive ones around business greening have gotten good press. One that springs to mind was when they announced an initiative to reduce the amount of packaging in the goods they sell. They created a packaging scorecard for their suppliers. By sensitizing their supply chain to the issue of packaging Walmart can make a big difference.
So when it decided to lower prices on soda pop in the United States it, in my opinion, used its clout in a negative way. Twenty-four cans of pop now cost $5 - though as low as $3.77 in some US markets. That is 15¢ per can. Not surprisingly pop flew off store shelves during the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. With this action Walmart indirectly contributed to the health issues facing Americans in general.
Yes, ultimately consumers are the decision makers. But at some point don't you think that corporations need to say "hey, you know what? You are killing yourselves and so we are going to help you make better choices." Six dollars for twenty-four cans was sufficiently cheap. There was no need to drop the price to five or $3.77.
Education is key and it is time that corporations owned up to their influence. Time that they made education part of their mandate and followed it up with positive actions. Actions that ensure the long-term health (and therefore existence of) the consumers they so desperately try to lure.
Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
Comments
For example, a customer does not have to drink the pop after its purchase.
Yes, every store wants to sell more product, but a store doesn't really care when the product is consumed by the customer, if at all.
Hmmm that beer chocolate cake is $10 a piece. I am not that hungry. Oh, it is only $2. You know what then, I am kind of full but I will make an exception.
In practice therefore they are not, in my opinion, separable.