Walmart Has An Incredibly Generous View Of What "Locally Grown" Means

Back in Oct. 2010, Walmart vowed to double the amount of locally grown produce it sells at its stores by 2015. But judging by these bags of “Locally Grown” apples, the retail behemoth appears to be embracing a very global view of the term “local.”

Consumerist reader Bob was shopping at his nearby Walmart in Washington state and decided to have a look-see at the apple selection as it’s about time for the tasty fruits to be harvested. That’s when some Fuji apples caught his eye.

“I noticed the ‘Locally Grown’ sign and was curious how ‘local’ they really were,” he writes. “That’s when I discovered they were imported from Chile. Not so local, not so fresh.”

Walmart HQ has previously defined local as meaning produce that is grown and sold within the same state, so we’re assuming this an employee error and not an attempt by Big W to redefine its terms.

But at the very least, it’s a reminder to shoppers who want to buy locally grown produce that the tag on the shelf is not always an accurate indicator of what you’re buying.

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