The leafy lettuce seemed fresh. Mary Ann Schmieder of Bethel Park checked it over carefully because she has been disappointed before. "I've bought them in grocery stores and they were already pink and green," she said.
Walmart, which operates the West Mifflin store where she was shopping, wants to take no chances that customers will be disappointed in its produce.
The Bentonville, Ark., retailer earlier this year announced it was putting 70,000 associates through a produce training program, including giving them quality guides to help identify the important characteristics. Walmart also has instituted independent weekly checks in more than 3,400 stores and hired produce experts to work with its suppliers.
Last month, Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., told analysts on a quarterly earnings conference call the bet was paying off. "Our produce business also continued to gain momentum," he said, noting a sales gain over the same period last year in stores open at least a year.
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