Wal-Mart has announced plans to re-open 12 of its stores in Japan which were affected by the earthquake. An additional 12 stores were impacted but they will be opened as soon as possible, according to Wal-Mart officials.
The affected stores, except for two, which were severely hit, were able to operate out of parking lots and give away bottled water and some items such as noodles. Wal-Mart said it gave away about $650,000 of products in the first four days.
“I hope it’s safe, but I think bringing a sense of normalcy back will help people with the disaster that just occurred,” said junior finance and marketing major Cori Rosen. Goldman Sachs estimates that seven to nine percent of Japan’s convenience stores are in the earthquake-hit region.
Wal-Mart is no stranger to disasters. The retail giant has had stores affected in the Katrina disaster, as well as by the earthquakes in China and Chile.
“I’m glad Wal-Mart is focused on getting their stores open and helping the people. I heard that there’s radiation in the food and water, but hopefully they’re taking the proper precautions. I hope other big businesses do what they can to help,” said senior kinesiology major Hilary Moser.
Wal-Mart has 371 stores and 43 smaller deli outlets in Japan. They have vowed to donate %5 million in cash on top of donations they have collected through a fundraising campaign.