The nation’s largest grocer is looking to address food desserts. These are places, often in cities or very rural areas, where it’s hard to find a grocery store. Andrea Thomas, Walmart Senior Vice President for Sustainability, says they are working on getting stores in those places.
“We want to build different formats and put our stores in places where they can have access to affordable, healthy food,” says Thomas.
The retail giant has been blocked in some communities due to concerns of massive land use or putting mom-and-pops out of business. Thomas tells WRN working with community leaders and addressing those local concerns is a way they overcome such barriers.
Walmart is taking the lead from Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity and launching a new initiative involving selling more nutritious products and convincing food manufacturers to make healthier goods.
The company employs about 30,000 people in Wisconsin and has 84 stores in the state, 65 of which are supercenters.