Wal-Mart Going Organic
BENTONVILLE, Ark -- Wal-Mart reportedly will double its SKU count of organic products within the next two weeks, as it pursues the goal of becoming the mass market provider of organic food in the U.S.
DeDe Priest, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of dry grocery, told attendees at the Reuters Food Summit yesterday that the giant retailer does not want to become a health food store, but wants to make organic food accessible to all. Priest's comments were picked up by Planet Retail, a global Internet news service.
Wal-Mart has paid close attention to the growing organic market for several years, said Priest, and it decided to make its move now as studies show a majority of U.S. consumers buy at least some organic food. By offering organic foods at a value, Wal-Mart will "knock out the myth that it's (organic food) just for the rich," Priest reportedly said.
As previously reported by Progressive Grocer, the move follows Wal-Mart's overall merchandising and marketing shift to present more products that appeal to the large number of upscale consumers that already shop its stores but buy mainly commodity items from the retailer.
DeDe Priest, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of dry grocery, told attendees at the Reuters Food Summit yesterday that the giant retailer does not want to become a health food store, but wants to make organic food accessible to all. Priest's comments were picked up by Planet Retail, a global Internet news service.
Wal-Mart has paid close attention to the growing organic market for several years, said Priest, and it decided to make its move now as studies show a majority of U.S. consumers buy at least some organic food. By offering organic foods at a value, Wal-Mart will "knock out the myth that it's (organic food) just for the rich," Priest reportedly said.
As previously reported by Progressive Grocer, the move follows Wal-Mart's overall merchandising and marketing shift to present more products that appeal to the large number of upscale consumers that already shop its stores but buy mainly commodity items from the retailer.