Giganto-retailer Wal-Mart announced today it will roll out its own brand of compact fluorescent light bulbs in nearly 75 percent of its U.S. stores by the end of the month. The company plans to price the energy-saving bulbs cheaper than the brand-name CFLs they carry, offering a four-pack for about $7.58, comparable in price to a typical brand-name three-pack. Wal-Mart hopes the rollout will help meet its goal of hawking 100 million CFLs by the end of 2007. At last tally, they’d sold some 80 million and counting, making up about 15 percent of their overall light-bulb sales. Wal-Mart General Merchandise Manager Andy Barron said, “The introduction of our Great Value bulbs make CFLs a more accessible option for our shoppers.”
