At Wal-Mart, we know that being a successful business means being a responsible member of the community. That is why we take the lead on corporate social responsibility – giving back to the communities around us, every day. When Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962, he set out three basic beliefs – Respect for the Individual, Service to the Customer, and Strive for Excellence – which are the core of Wal-Mart culture providing a solid foundation of Wal-Mart’s corporate social responsibility programs.

As an outstanding corporate citizen, Wal-Mart actively participates in community service and charity events. In recognition for our commitment to giving back to those around us – be it through the careers we provide, the partnerships we have with our suppliers, the international best practices we bring for food and product safety, or the efforts we make to improve sustainability – we have been fortunate to receive many awards, including “Best Employer”, “Most Admired Company”, “Most Valuable Brand”, “Best Retailer”, “Best Community Involvement” and others.

Wal-Mart has organized corporate social responsibility efforts into five categories: environmental protection, community involvement, children welfare, education support, and disaster relief. We are proud to say that we have donated funds and in-kind support worth more than RMB28 million to local charity and welfare organizations over the past 11 years. Moreover, Wal-Mart China associates have shown tremendous generosity themselves, dedicating more than 140,000 man hours to these activities.

• Environmental Protection – Wal-Mart has set three goals in environmental protection: to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our resources and the environment. Wal-Mart has been actively committed to green energy utilization, energy saving, noise control, tree planting and forestation.
• Community Involvement – Wal-Mart is committed to being a good neighbor wherever it operates. Wal-Mart associates actively participated in community activities throughout China including visiting the elderly in local welfare centers, supporting the handicapped, and helping needy families, etc. These types of activities are carried out at all of our stores in China throughout the year, especially during local festivals and holidays.
• Children Welfare – China’s children are its future and we continue to reach out to children, one community at a time. Wal-Mart holds a series of community activities that focus on the welfare of our children, including organizing painting and calligraphy competitions, making donation to local children welfare centers and supporting schools for needy and handicapped children.
• Education Support – Realizing the importance of education, Wal-Mart supports everything from university research projects at institutions like Tsinghua, to grassroots programs like Project Hope and the “Spread your Wings” Program in Shenzhen. We hope to be a partner for the development of China’s educational system and we are especially committed to providing education for those in need.
• Disaster Relief – Being a responsible member of the community means helping in any way you can when people are in need. Our quick response to Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. brought out our company’s best and we bring that same dedication throughout the world. Wal-Mart China has made great efforts to assist the victims of floods, earthquakes, fires, and disease–rebuilding their communities in partnership with related organizations.

Taking care of people in the communities we serve is not something that Wal-Mart engages in as a way to market the company, but something that just comes naturally, embedded in the caring ethos of Sam Walton’s core principals. It is these three basic beliefs that govern how Wal-Mart treats both its associates and its customers, and why no matter where we establish a new supercenter or supply chain, Wal-Mart makes efforts to take an active part in the community.  

Key Community Involvement Activities by Wal-Mart China

Updated: Oct 26, 2007