2008 Waste Age 100 Rank: 1
Previous Rank: 1
Headquarters: Houston, TX
CEO: David Steiner
Public or Private: Public
Stock Symbol: WM
Founded: 1974
Employees: 45,900
Web site: www.wm.com
Customers: Commercial/Industrial, Residential
Services: Collection, Transfer Stations, Recycling Services, Hazardous Waste, Landfills, Incineration/WTE
2008 Revenue: $13.39 bil.
Projected 2009 Revenue: $14.0 bil.
1-3 paragraphs, 100 words maximum. A facelift and even lower prices kept the world's largest retailer afloat in a troubled economy.
Staring down the barrel of brutal fourth-quarter retail forecasts, CEO Lee Scott dramatically cut prices on 15,000 items - including popular toys and electronics - by 20% more than usual to lure holiday shoppers. That rocked the industry, pressuring other retailers to squeeze already tight margins.
The tactic worked: Wal-Mart grossed $100 billion, breaking its fourth-quarter sales record, and soundly beat Target in same-store holiday sales for the first time in nearly a decade.
Related Information
- Learn about government resources from the U.S. Green Building Council
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- View the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
- Visit the USCM's Mayors Climate Protection Center