Who Owns Better Homes & Gardens?

Better Homes & Gardens operates within Walmart's comprehensive sustainability framework, which addresses climate resilience, natural resource regeneration, circular economy practices, supply chain ethics, and animal welfare. As a licensed brand under Dotdash Meredith, Better Homes & Gardens products benefit from Walmart's global sustainability initiatives while maintaining the brand's commitment to home and garden environmental stewardship.

Climate Resilience and Energy Efficiency: Through Walmart's climate strategy, Better Homes & Gardens products are part of initiatives addressing climate change and sustainable supply chains. Walmart operates in 19 countries with a global supply chain, implementing robust energy and climate strategies that help strengthen business operations and communities. Better Homes & Gardens products increasingly feature energy-efficient designs and materials that reduce environmental impact while maintaining quality and affordability for consumers.

Circular Economy and Waste Reduction: Better Homes & Gardens participates in Walmart's transition from a "take-make-dispose" approach to a circular economy that values reuse, recycling, and material regeneration. The brand focuses on reducing waste across operations and developing innovative packaging and products that minimize environmental impact. Many Better Homes & Gardens products now incorporate recycled materials and sustainable packaging options, supporting Walmart's goal of reducing waste across global operations.

Sustainable Materials and Sourcing: Better Homes & Gardens products are manufactured through Walmart's global supply chain network, which adheres to responsible sourcing standards. Walmart's Responsible Sourcing program helps prevent forced labor, address unsafe working conditions, and promote the dignity of workers in consumer product supply chains. Better Homes & Gardens furniture and home decor items increasingly use certified sustainable materials, including FSC-certified wood for furniture products and recycled plastics for decorative accessories.

Animal Welfare Commitment: Through Walmart's animal welfare initiatives, Better Homes & Gardens garden products and outdoor living items are developed with consideration for animal welfare concerns. The company works closely with suppliers, farmers, and partners to address animal welfare throughout supply chains, particularly for garden tools, outdoor furniture, and products that may impact wildlife habitats.

Home and Garden Environmental Stewardship: As a brand focused on home and garden living, Better Homes & Gardens maintains a specific commitment to environmental stewardship in residential contexts. The brand's product development emphasizes eco-friendly gardening practices, water conservation solutions, and home products that support sustainable living. Better Homes & Gardens editorial content frequently features environmental education, sustainable gardening techniques, and eco-friendly home improvement advice, extending the brand's environmental commitment beyond products to consumer education.

Better Homes & Gardens has received significant recognition throughout its 100+ year history for editorial excellence, design innovation, and consumer trust, establishing its position as one of America's most authoritative home and lifestyle media brands.

Editorial Excellence Awards: Better Homes & Gardens magazine has received numerous awards for editorial excellence, including recognition from the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) and the Association of Magazine Media (AMC). The magazine's consistent quality in home improvement, gardening, and lifestyle content has been acknowledged through prestigious industry awards that celebrate journalistic excellence and consumer service.

Homes & Gardens Design Awards Recognition: While separate from the Better Homes & Gardens brand, the annual Homes & Gardens Design Awards represent significant recognition in the home design industry that aligns with the brand's aesthetic and quality standards. These awards celebrate innovative interior design, architecture, and garden design, with Better Homes & Gardens frequently featuring award-winning projects and designers in its editorial content, extending the brand's influence in home design excellence.

Consumer Trust and Brand Recognition: Better Homes & Gardens maintains exceptional brand recognition, with 97% brand awareness among U.S. consumers according to market research. The brand has been consistently ranked among America's most trusted media brands, receiving recognition from consumer research organizations for its reliability, accuracy, and helpfulness in home and garden guidance.

Digital Media Innovation: Better Homes & Gardens has received recognition for its digital media innovation, including awards for website design, mobile applications, and digital content delivery. The brand's successful transition from print-dominant to digital-first publishing has been acknowledged by media industry organizations for maintaining audience engagement while expanding digital reach.

Licensing Industry Recognition: Better Homes & Gardens' licensing program with Walmart has been recognized as one of the most successful brand extension partnerships in retail. The program has received awards from licensing industry organizations for its innovative approach to extending media brands into consumer products while maintaining brand integrity and quality standards.

Home Improvement Authority Recognition: Better Homes & Gardens has been acknowledged as a leading authority in home improvement and DIY projects by tool manufacturers, home improvement retailers, and industry associations. The brand's testing programs and product recommendations are frequently cited by manufacturers as validation of product quality and performance.

Better Homes & Gardens has maintained a strong operational record throughout its history, though the brand has faced some challenges related to product quality issues through its Walmart licensing partnership and broader industry dynamics affecting media brands and licensed consumer products.

Walmart Product Quality Issues: As a licensed brand sold exclusively through Walmart, Better Homes & Gardens products have occasionally been affected by Walmart-wide product recalls and quality control issues. These incidents typically involve specific product categories rather than systematic brand problems and are addressed through Walmart's standard recall procedures and customer service processes. Recent examples have included certain furniture items with structural integrity issues and kitchen products with manufacturing defects, all of which were addressed through standard retail recall processes.

Media Industry Transition Challenges: Like many traditional print media brands, Better Homes & Gardens has faced challenges related to the transition from print-dominant to digital-first publishing. The brand has successfully navigated this transition through strategic digital investments and content adaptation, though the process has involved workforce reductions and operational restructuring that have affected some long-term employees and traditional publishing workflows.

Licensed Brand Quality Control: Better Homes & Gardens faces ongoing challenges related to maintaining consistent quality standards across its extensive product line of over 5,000 items manufactured through Walmart's global supply chain. Variable product quality across different manufacturing partners and price tiers within the collection has occasionally led to customer satisfaction issues, though Dotdash Meredith maintains quality control standards and brand guidelines to address these concerns.

Brand Perception and Positioning: Better Homes & Gardens faces ongoing challenges related to brand perception stemming from its association with Walmart's mass-market positioning. Despite the brand's premium positioning within Walmart's home goods category, some consumers perceive the brand as mass-market rather than premium, creating marketing challenges for certain product categories and price points.

Editorial Independence Considerations: As both a media brand and licensed consumer products brand, Better Homes & Gardens navigates potential conflicts of interest between editorial independence and commercial interests. The brand maintains separate editorial and product development teams, though questions about editorial objectivity regarding product coverage have occasionally arisen from consumer advocates and media critics.

Supply Chain Ethics Scrutiny: Through Walmart's global supply chain, Better Homes & Gardens products are subject to scrutiny regarding manufacturing practices, labor conditions, and environmental standards. While Walmart has strengthened its Responsible Sourcing program in recent years, the brand occasionally faces questions about manufacturing ethics in different regions, particularly regarding worker safety and environmental compliance in overseas production facilities.