Oh, to dream…
As with so many retailers, no matter how big and welll-known, there’s always another prize to be won. The largest retailer on the planet, Wal-Mart, has a reputation of being, well, sometimes, you know, a little bit, well, not-so-swanky…if you know what I mean. Not to digress from the point, but this is fun. They want to begin to attract a more affluent type of customer. In an effort to attract these new customers, drum up new revenue streams, and to take advantage of the hobbled global consumer (low prices, yeah), Wal-Mart has been stepping up efforts to slang more hi-falutin goodies. Today, that often means “green” but it almost always means “tech.”
Here’s a list of 5 goodies from CBS MoneyWatch they deem “acceptable” for all you uppity types (tee hee):
1) Consumer Electonics: Pretty cheap, much wider selection, some coming in at the higher end. Don’t go looking for advise, or the most dynamic selection, but if you seek things like the random 50-inch Samsung plasma television for less than $700, then this may be the place for you.
2) Smart Phones: Bottom line is that Walmart sells phones and service plans from each of the four largest U.S. carriers: Verizon (VZ), AT&T (T), Sprint (S), and T-Mobile (DT). Play and compare all the wireless world has to offer.
3) Coffee: What? I love a good cup o’ Joe. This year, the company partnered with TransFair USA, an independent certifying agency, to offer fair trade-certified coffee in its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. The coffee is sustainably grown by farmers who receive a living wage.
4) Video Game Bundles: Low prices on video games systems and games.
5) Eco-Friendly Goods, including Laundry Detergent: The retailer now sells only concentrated laundry detergent in its U.S. stores — these products use up to 50 percent less packaging and require less fuel to transport than the earlier versions. There are also no phosphates here, and there are plans to cut phosphates considerably in laundry and dish detergent by 2011.
To read more, visit CBS MoneyWatch