Wal-Mart de México, S.A.B. de C.V. — Ethics Grade D+

Wal-Mart de México, S.A.B. de C.V. receives an overall ethics grade of D+ (38/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 35
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 45
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 40

Documented incidents (3)

• Massive bribery scandal (high, 2012) — An investigative report revealed Walmex orchestrated a massive bribery campaign to fast-track building permits across Mexico. This led to a multi-year DOJ investigation and hundreds of millions in fines.
• Teenage bagger controversy (medium, 2020) — The company faced criticism for ending its volunteer program for elderly baggers during the pandemic without adequate compensation or alternatives, leading to protests regarding age discrimination and labor precarity.
• Cofece antitrust probe (medium, 2023) — Mexico's antitrust regulator (Cofece) launched a crackdown on Walmex for allegedly utilizing its market power to pressure suppliers and disadvantage smaller competitors in the retail sector.

Documented good deeds

• Renewable energy adoption — Walmex has transitioned over 50% of its Mexican operations to wind and solar power, making it one of the largest corporate renewable energy users in Latin America.

Ethical alternatives

• Soriana — Lower incidence of systemic international bribery investigations.