We are a retailer - we are a merchant. That is our business. But

Hear the words of Doug McMillon, who speaks as the leader of one of the world’s largest marketplaces: “We are a retailer—we are a merchant. That is our business. But we look for places to make a positive difference. There is such a thing as a double bottom line, whether it is the wage increase or what we do with environmental sustainability to limit waste.” These words, though born in the world of commerce, carry a message far greater than profit and trade. They remind us that in the age of vast corporations and endless consumption, business is not only a matter of selling goods, but also of shaping society and stewarding the earth.

When McMillon declares, “We are a retailer—we are a merchant,” he acknowledges the truth of his company’s identity. Its purpose is trade, the moving of goods from producer to consumer. Yet he does not stop there, for he knows that mere commerce, if pursued without conscience, becomes empty and destructive. Thus, he speaks of seeking “places to make a positive difference,” showing that even merchants bear responsibility not only to their shareholders, but also to their workers, their communities, and the environment that sustains them.

The heart of his teaching lies in the phrase “double bottom line.” In the old way, a company measured success only by profit—whether the numbers rose or fell, whether gold filled the coffers. But in the new way, there are two measures: one of financial gain, and another of social and environmental good. To pay workers fairly, to protect the earth, to reduce waste—these too become part of the reckoning. Profit alone is no longer enough; true success is found in balance between wealth and well-being.

History offers us a tale that illustrates this wisdom. In the early 20th century, Henry Ford stunned the business world when he doubled the wages of his workers to five dollars a day. His peers called him foolish, for he cut into profits. Yet Ford saw further: he understood that well-paid workers would be loyal, productive, and able to buy the very cars they built. In time, his company prospered beyond its rivals. Ford had, in his own way, embraced the spirit of a double bottom line, and his success proved that profit and human dignity can walk hand in hand.

So too with environmental sustainability. Merchants of old often wasted the resources of the land, stripping forests, polluting rivers, leaving desolation in their wake. Yet in our time, the signs of overuse and neglect are everywhere—plastic in the seas, smoke in the skies, landfills rising like mountains. McMillon’s words call us to another way: to limit waste, to build systems that restore rather than deplete, to remember that the earth is not endless in its gifts. For if business consumes without care, the world itself will be the price.

The deeper meaning of this quote is both practical and moral. Practical, because companies that treat workers well and respect the environment often thrive in the long run, earning the trust of their customers and the loyalty of their people. Moral, because wealth without responsibility is corruption, and commerce without conscience is ruin. To embrace a double bottom line is to recognize that business is not only about what is gained, but also about what is given back.

Children of tomorrow, take this lesson to heart: in your labor, in your communities, and in your dealings, seek not only profit, but also justice and sustainability. If you are a leader, care for those who work under you. If you are a consumer, support those who honor both people and planet. And in your daily life, let not waste or greed guide you, but balance, fairness, and stewardship. For every choice is part of the great economy of the earth, and each decision shapes the world for good or ill.

Thus the wisdom of McMillon’s words endures: that the merchant is not only a trader of goods, but a builder of society; that the measure of success is not only what fills the purse, but also what strengthens the people and sustains the earth. This is the path of the double bottom line, a path of responsibility and hope. Walk it with courage, and you will leave behind not only wealth, but a legacy of goodness for generations yet unborn.