CEO Lee Scott talks about going green, aiming for the affluent, battling opponents, and what it's like to be a major issue in the 2008 Presidential campaignYou would think from reading the headlines that being chief executive of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) would be a pretty tough job these days. Workers grumble about pay and benefits. Union groups wage ongoing campaigns against your company. Cities and towns try to stop you from putting up new stores. And the Democratic candidates for the 2008 presidential nomination have decided that hammering your company for the next year and a half could be a pretty good way to get votes (see BusinessWeek.com, 11/16/06, "Can Barack Wake Up Wal-Mart?").
But Lee Scott, Wal-Mart's CEO, isn't distracted by headlines. During a lunch with BusinessWeek editors and reporters, he made it clear that he's too focused on the retailing business to be bothered much by bad press. He's outspoken about the criticism of Wal-Mart, attributing it mostly to union groups that are worried about their own futures. But he said the evidence is clear that Wal-Mart has a huge number of supporters: the country's largest retailer pulled in $345 billion in revenues last year.
In a wide-ranging interview, he covered many of the company's challenges and successes. He acknowledged that the company's pursuit of more affluent shoppers, particularly in apparel, was "too far, too fast." And he said opposition in some cities was preventing the company from opening up certain stores. Yet he sees plenty of promise ahead for the company in international markets and green products.
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