Case Name :      Seventh Generation: The Marketside Offer

Authors :           Emmanuel ER Raufflet, Mihaela MS Stefanov

Source :             North American Case Research Association (NACRA)

Case ID :            NA0115

Discipline :        Social Enterprise

Case Length :    14 pages

Solution sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Seventh Generation is a leader in the niche market for “green” household cleaning products in the U.S. It enjoys a unique reputation, strong branding, and fast growth. In 2008, while Seventh Generation is looking for ways to expand its customer base, its executive management is approached by Marketside, a subsidiary of Walmart set up to tap into the “green” market. The potential market that Seventh Generation could access through this partnership is enormous. But so is the risk of being associated with a retailer that has been heavily condemned in the past for its poor environmental and social record, and which Jeffrey Hollander, cofounder and chairman of Seventh Generation, has been publicly criticizing for many years. He must weigh the pros and cons of this opportunity, evaluate the risks, and make a decision on whether to accept Marketside’s offer.