沃爾瑪的綠色降價藍圖
|
????沃爾瑪（Wal-Mart）啟動了一個規模龐大的綠色項目。公司CEO邁克?杜克在2009年就曾經表示，這家零售商將設計一種可持續性指數，來跟蹤它銷售的每一款產品整個生命周期的環境影響。出于許多原因，這將是一個充滿挑戰的過程。 ????但在加州拉古納尼古爾召開的《財富》雜志（Fortune）頭腦風暴綠色大會（Brainstorm Green Conference）上，沃爾瑪山姆會員商店（Sam's Club）部門CEO羅莎琳德?布魯爾表示，消費者們很快就能夠看到這個項目所帶來的回報。沃爾瑪將在未來12個月內，啟動一個試點系統，為消費者提供產品詳細的可持續性信息。 ????這個舉措很好，但它能不能改變消費者的行為呢？布魯爾稱，現在已經有證據表明，消費者、尤其是山姆會員商店會員的行為會因此而發生改變，因為他們的生活比沃爾瑪普通消費者相對更加富足。山姆會員商店的顧客一直以來都樂于購買高端產品，如希臘酸奶、草飼牛肉和有機奶等。考慮到目前的經濟環境，這樣的消費趨勢有些出人意料。 ????但即便如此，消費者依然希望沃爾瑪和山姆會員商店降低商品價格。沃爾瑪2月21日召開收益報告會時，布魯爾在會上說：“我們會員企業近期的流量模式顯示，由于當前的宏觀經濟因素，消費者對于花錢消費更加慎重。”換言之，當前的經濟仍然不景氣。 ????可持續性指數會對沃爾瑪的銷量產生什么樣的影響？準確評估這個問題仍然需要一段時間。不過，有意思的是，這個零售業的巨無霸怎么把它的可持續性指數應用到食品之外的產品。例如，公司期望截至2020年，提高能源效率，節省10億美元開支。布魯爾稱公司計劃利用所節省的成本，讓沃爾瑪和山姆會員商店的顧客們獲得實惠。 ? ??“我們知道年收入4萬美元的家庭對我們來說有多重要，”她說。“他們本就應該花更少的錢買到更好的商品。”（財富中文網） ????譯者：劉進龍/汪皓 |
????Wal-Mart has taken on a massive green project. CEO Mike Duke said, in 2009, that the retailer would build a sustainability index to track the environmental impact for the entire life cycle of every single product it sells. For many reasons, this has been a challenging process ????But soon, consumers will be able to see the payoff, said Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Wal-Mart's Sam's Club division at Fortune's Brainstorm Green Conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Wal-Mart (WMT) is looking to launch a pilot system that will offer detailed product sustainability information to consumers within the next 12 months. ????That's fine, but will it change consumer behavior? There's evidence that it will, Brewer said, especially for Sam's Club members, who are, in general, more affluent than the average Wal-Mart consumer. Sam's Club customers are willing to spend on premium products such as Greek yogurt, grass-fed beef, and organic milk on a consistent basis, a surprising trend considering the current economic environment. ????Granted, consumers still want Wal-Mart and Sam's Club to keep prices down. During Wal-Mart's February 21 earnings report, Brewer said, "Recent traffic patterns of our business members indicate that they are more deliberate in their spending due to macroeconomic factors." Or, in other words, times are still tight. ????It will be a while before Wal-Mart can evaluate how its sustainability index will affect sales. But one of the interesting parts of the mega-company's index is how it will apply to projects beyond food. For example, the company wants to increase its energy efficiency in an effort to save $1 billion in costs by 2020, Brewer said, claiming that the company plans to pass on those savings to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club customers. ????"We know how important that $40,000-a-year household is," she said. "They should not have to pay more for things that are better for them." |
