Walmart

===2005–2010: Initiatives===
[[File: Solar Panels on Caguas, Puerto Rico Walmart.jpg|thumb|Solar modules mounted on a Walmart Supercenter in [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]] (Store #2449) |alt=Aerial view of dozens of solar panels distributed around the roof of a Walmart store ]]

====Environmental initiatives====
In November 2005, Wal-Mart announced several environmental measures to increase [[efficient energy use|energy efficiency]] and improve its overall environmental record, which had previously been lacking.<ref name="GuntherMark">{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/07/25/news/companies/wal-mart-short.fortune/|title=Wal-Mart sees green|author=Gunther, Mark|date=July 27, 2006|access-date=November 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822072035/http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/25/news/companies/wal-mart-short.fortune/|archive-date=August 22, 2006|work=CNN}}</ref> The company's primary goals included spending $500&nbsp;million a year to increase fuel efficiency in Wal-Mart's truck fleet by 25 percent over three years and double it within ten; reduce [[greenhouse gas emissions]] by 20 percent in seven years; reduce energy use at stores by 30 percent; and cut solid waste from U.S. stores and Sam's Clubs by 25 percent in three years. CEO Lee Scott said that Wal-Mart's goal was to be a "good steward of the environment" and ultimately use only [[renewable energy]] sources and produce [[zero waste]].<ref name="going_green">{{cite news |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/9815727 |title = Is Wal-Mart Going Green? |publisher = [[NBC News]] |date = October 25, 2005 |access-date = November 8, 2007 |archive-date = September 21, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130921180227/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9815727/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The company also designed three new experimental stores with [[wind turbine]]s, [[photovoltaic]] solar panels, [[biofuel]]-capable boilers, water-cooled refrigerators, and [[xeriscaping|xeriscape]] gardens.<ref>{{cite news |author = Berner, Robert |url = http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf20050922_6448_db016.htm |title = Can Wal-Mart Wear a White Hat? |work = Bloomberg BusinessWeek |date = September 22, 2005 |access-date = July 24, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060503192520/http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf20050922_6448_db016.htm |archive-date = May 3, 2006 }}</ref> In this time, Wal-Mart also became the biggest seller of organic milk and the biggest buyer of organic cotton in the world, while reducing packaging and energy costs.<ref name="GuntherMark"/> In 2007, the company worked with outside consultants to discover its total environmental impact and find areas for improvement. Wal-Mart created its own [[electric power industry|electric company]] in Texas, named Texas Retail Energy, which planned to supply its stores with cheap power purchased at wholesale prices. Through this new venture, the company expected to save $15&nbsp;million annually and also to lay the groundwork and infrastructure to sell electricity to Texas consumers in the future.<ref name="redorbit_electricity">{{cite web|url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/817594/will_walmart_sell_electricity_one_day/index.html|title=Will Wal-Mart Sell Electricity One Day?|author=Souder, Elizabeth|date=January 28, 2007|publisher=RedOrbit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623203730/http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/817594/will_walmart_sell_electricity_one_day/index.html|archive-date=June 23, 2008|url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref>

====Branding and store design changes====
In 2006, Wal-Mart announced that it would remodel its U.S. stores to help it appeal to a wider variety of demographics, including more affluent shoppers. As part of the initiative, the company launched a new store in Plano, Texas, that included high-end electronics, jewelry, expensive wines and a sushi bar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/14714027/ns/business-us_business/t/wal-mart-drop-one-size-fits-all-approach/|title=Wal-Mart to drop one-size-fits-all approach|date=September 7, 2006|publisher=MSNBC|access-date=July 24, 2018|archive-date=August 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805192017/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14714027/ns/business-us_business/t/wal-mart-drop-one-size-fits-all-approach/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 12, 2007, Wal-Mart introduced new advertising with the [[slogan]], "''Save money. Live better.''", replacing the previous slogan "''Always Low Prices, Always''", which it had used since 1988. [[Global Insight]], which conducted the research that supported the ads, found that Wal-Mart's [[price level]] reduction resulted in savings for consumers of $287&nbsp;billion in 2006, which equated to $957 per person or $2,500 per household (up 7.3 percent from the 2004 savings estimate of $2,329).<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-advertising-idUSWEN091820070912 |title = Wal-Mart rolling out new company slogan |work = Reuters |date = September 12, 2007 |access-date = December 7, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130210111723/http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/12/us-walmart-advertising-idUSWEN091820070912 |url-status=live |archive-date = February 10, 2013 }}</ref>

On June 30, 2008, Wal-Mart removed the hyphen from its logo and replaced the star with a ''Spark'' symbol. The store branding became "Walmart", with the corporate name remaining with the hyphen as "Wal-Mart". The new logo received mixed reviews from design critics who questioned whether the new logo was as bold as those of competitors, such as the [[Target Corporation|Target]] bullseye, or as instantly recognizable as the previous company's logo, which was used for 18 years.<ref>{{cite web |last = Armin |title = Less Hyphen, More Burst for Walmart |url = http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/less_hyphen_more_burst_for_wal.php |work = Brand New |publisher = UnderConsideration LLC |access-date = August 9, 2010 |date = June 30, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100211143200/http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/less_hyphen_more_burst_for_wal.php |archive-date = February 11, 2010}}</ref> The new logo<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wal-Mart – Logo in EPS, PNG & JPG Formats|url=https://logoose.com/logo/Wal-Mart/36|access-date=January 25, 2022|website=logoose.com|archive-date=January 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125164246/https://logoose.com/logo/Wal-Mart/36|url-status=dead}}</ref> made its debut on the company's website on July 1, 2008, and its U.S. locations updated store logos in the fall of 2008.<ref name="new_logo">{{cite news |url = http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2008/id2008072_324653.htm |title = Wal-Mart Gets a Facelift |last = Jana |first = Reena |date = July 2, 2008 |work = Bloomberg BusinessWeek |access-date = July 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080706161254/http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2008/id2008072_324653.htm |archive-date = July 6, 2008 }}</ref> Walmart Canada started to adopt the logo for its stores in early 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Retail/20090214_walmart.html |title = Walmart Canada changes logo, slashes prices |date = February 14, 2009 |access-date = December 7, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121102005404/http://domain-b.com/industry/Retail/20090214_walmart.html |archive-date = November 2, 2012}}</ref>

====Acquisitions and employee benefits====
On March 20, 2009, Walmart announced that it was paying a combined {{US$|933.6&nbsp;million}} in bonuses to every full and part-time hourly worker.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 20, 2009|title=Wal-Mart gives $933 mn bonus to workers|newspaper=The Economic Times|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co.|location=New York City|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-03-20/news/28454766_1_wal-mart-chief-executive-mike-duke-wal-mart-stores|url-status=live|access-date=August 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218101427/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-03-20/news/28454766_1_wal-mart-chief-executive-mike-duke-wal-mart-stores|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> This was in addition to $788.8&nbsp;million in [[profit sharing]], [[401(k)]] pension contributions, hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise discounts, and contributions to the employees' stock purchase plan.<ref name="Maestri 09">{{cite news |title = Wal-Mart awards $2 billion to U.S. hourly employees |last1 = Maestri |first1 = Nicole |url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-bonus-idUSTRE52I4PS20090319 |work = [[Reuters]] |date = March 19, 2009 |access-date = February 28, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023532/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-walmart-bonus-idUSTRE52I4PS20090319 |archive-date = March 4, 2016}}</ref> While the economy at large was in an ongoing [[recession]], Walmart reported solid financial figures for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2009, with $401.2&nbsp;billion in net sales, a gain of 7.2&nbsp;percent from the prior year. Income from continuing operations increased 3&nbsp;percent to $13.3&nbsp;billion, and earnings per share rose 6&nbsp;percent to $3.35.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wal-Mart Reports Financial Results for Fiscal Year and Fourth Quarter |url=https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2009/02/17/wal-mart-reports-financial-results-for-fiscal-year-and-fourth-quarter |website=Corporate - US |date=February 17, 2009 |access-date=October 12, 2022 |archive-date=October 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012211931/https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2009/02/17/wal-mart-reports-financial-results-for-fiscal-year-and-fourth-quarter |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 22, 2010, the company confirmed it was acquiring [[streaming media|video streaming]] company [[Vudu, Inc.]] for an estimated $100&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575082010734950440.html |title = Walmart Re-Enters Digital Downloading of Movies With Purchase of Vudu |newspaper = [[The Wall Street Journal]] |date = February 22, 2010 |first = Miguel |last = Bustillo |url-status=live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130511065803/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575082010734950440.html |archive-date = May 11, 2013}}</ref>