Wal-Mart chief executive officer Lee Scott held a two-hour meeting with the Prince, an outspoken advocate of green causes, at Clarence House in London, where he sought advice on how to improve his company's environmental credentials.
Scott met Prince Charles at a White House banquet last year. He was impressed by a UK architect who was involved in rebuilding work after Hurricane Katrina with the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment.
Wal-Mart won rare acclaim for its role in reopening stores rapidly in the stricken New Orleans region and supplying essential goods to its beleaguered residents.
The Prince apparently decided to go ahead with the meeting because it was a rare chance to meet the head of such a large company.
Scott has devised a strategy to tackle criticism of Wal-Mart, announcing a new healthcare programme for US employees and calling for a rise in the minimum wage. He has pledged US$500 million (£279.7 million) a year to environmental technologies at Wal-Mart stores.
In the UK, Asda is applying for planning permission to install wind turbines at six of its UK warehouses as it moves towards running its distribution centres on renewable energy.
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