Introduction
Walmart is making a bold move to remove a controversial product from some of its stores. The product in question is Eat This Not That, a book series that provides advice on healthy eating. The books have been criticized for promoting unhealthy eating habits and for providing inaccurate nutrition information. Walmart’s decision to remove the books from some of its stores is a step in the right direction for promoting healthier eating habits. This move is sure to be welcomed by many health advocates and nutritionists who have long been critical of the books.
Walmart Is Removing This Controversial Product From Some Stores
Walmart is taking a stand against a controversial product that has been linked to health risks. The retail giant is removing a product from some of its stores that has been linked to potential health risks.
The product in question is a type of processed meat called “pink slime,” which is made from beef trimmings that have been treated with ammonia hydroxide. The product has been controversial for years, with some health experts warning that it could contain harmful bacteria and other contaminants.
Walmart has now decided to remove the product from some of its stores, citing customer feedback. The company said in a statement that it had “listened to customer feedback and decided to discontinue the sale of ground beef containing ‘pink slime’ in our stores.”
The move is a victory for health advocates who have long argued that the product is unsafe. The product has been banned in some countries, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has also taken steps to limit its use in school lunches.
Walmart’s decision is a sign that the company is taking customer feedback seriously. It’s also a reminder that consumers have the power to influence the products that are sold in stores.
There are almost 5,000 Walmart locations around the country, but some will not be selling a specific product anymore. Years after a debate started over whether or not America’s largest retail chain should sell these at all, people familiar with the matter recently told the Wall Street Journal that cigarettes won’t be available in select stores.
Shoppers in some Walmart locations in California, Florida, Arkansas, and New Mexico are already seeing newly designed layouts with more self-checkout stations that feature grab-and-go foods like candy where employee-led checkouts used to be. The updates, plus the fact that the FDA requires an employee of the business to sell cigarettes and Walmart further requires the employee to be trained in tobacco sales, “tobacco became really problematic,” one person familiar with the situation told WSJ.
“We are always looking at ways to meet our customers’ needs while still operating an efficient business,” a spokesperson also told the news organization without naming which stores will still have cigarettes from brands like Marlboro, Newport, and others.
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The decision comes about two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, although some company leaders, including CEO Doug McMillion, reportedly argued for the end of tobacco sales in stores long before that.
WSJ says the move is part of Walmart’s continued push to be a health resource for shoppers. Some top executives argue that the company shouldn’t be “morally policing its shoppers” by removing cigarettes. Yet, Walmart recently increased efforts to sell fewer firearms—raising the minimum purchasing age to 21— and discontinued the sale of ammunition for some types of firearms.
Most of the cigarettes and tobacco purchased every day in the U.S. are sold at gas stations and convenience stores. A little less than 15% of the total number of purchases took place at Walmart in 2020, WSJ says. Sam’s Club, Walmart’s big-box retailer, has gradually reduced the number of stores selling tobacco products to around 40 since 2018. Since then the company has been in a debate about Walmart selling them, with a few Democratic U.S. senators urging the company to stop selling all tobacco products, according to Reuters. There is no word about a specific date cigarettes won’t be available at these select locations.
Meanwhile, the company is also facing a legal battle after suing another grocery chain for stealing new technology used by shoppers in stores.
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