Wal-Mart Offers a Selection of Organic Items Appropriate for a Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with a Truly “Green” Twist

BENTONVILLE, Ark., – With latest figures showing that more than 34 million Americans claim Irish ancestry*, it’s no surprise that celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 is a widespread custom across the United States. And this year individuals from all walks and heritages have an opportunity to truly go “green” in observance of this time-honored Irish holiday.

With an expansion of organic product selections last year, Wal-Mart offers a variety of grocery and non-perishable items to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day in a truly “green” manner without losing sight of this holiday’s well-established traditions. Options to give your holiday festivities a “green” boost – pot of gold not required – include:

• Smell the aroma: Start your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with a cup of certified organic fair trade coffee. (Add a dash of Irish Cream to give this “green” beverage a sweet flavor.) Fair trade coffee is available in a variety of brands at Wal-Mart Supercenters across the country. Not a coffee drinker? Kick off your morning with a cup of Uncle Lee’s organic green tea – don’t forget the splash of Irish Cream – available in many local Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets.
• Ward off the pinchers: For many school-age children, a favorite annual observance of St. Patrick’s Day is to seek out and pinch those individuals not wearing a clothing item featuring the color green on March 17. But tell those pinchers to back off because this year it’s not necessary to wear the color green when you can wear truly “green” clothing. Wal-Mart is offering juniors organic cotton screen tees for $6.87 each as well as shirts featuring a bamboo blend for $7.87. GEORGE Baby Organic tops and bottoms are also available in most stores with a price range of $7.92 to $10.92.
• Exercise your green thumb: It’s spring and what better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than to plant your own shamrocks – or any other green plant! Wal-Mart offers Miracle Grow Organic Choice Garden Soil for under $4.00 per 1-cubic foot bag for those customers with a green thumb.
• Pass your plate: Corned beef and cabbage is a popular St. Patrick’s Day dish. Wal-Mart annually experiences a high demand for cabbage during the month of March, and is offering the vegetable in green and red organic varieties in addition to conventionally-grown cabbage in most Supercenters and Neighborhood Market locations. The other half of this popular meal – the corned beef – is also expected to be a “hot” item. In the three weeks leading up to March 17, Wal-Mart anticipates customers buying enough of this St. Patrick’s Day entrée to fill 60 truck loads. It is available as corned beef flat or corned beef point to provide customers a choice for their holiday celebrations.

“It’s customary for many people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day to have a meal of corned beef and cabbage,” said Ron McCormick, Wal-Mart vice president of produce. "And whether you choose fresh, conventionally-grown cabbage or prefer organic red or green cabbage, you can have a delicious taste of Irish tradition.

Irish and non-Irish shoppers alike will be thrilled to find many “green” items at Wal-Mart as the perfect addition to any St. Patrick’s Day fete.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, more than 127 million customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Clubs across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $245 million to these local communities. To learn more, visit www.walmartfacts.com, www.walmartstores.com or www.walmartfoundation.org.