Walmart news 

Our global analysts share some of the latest headlines across the globe. Here's what you need to know. Europe: Salling Group have ended its Basalt format, after trailing the hard discount concept the retailer has decided to not continue  In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn’s home delivery and store supply services in the centre of Rotterdam are powered by 100% electric energy. W...

Walmart delivered a solid first quarter, with US comp sales (ex-fuel) up 7.4%, driven by strong sales in food and health and wellness, but partially offset by a softening in GM sales. Whilst the retailer is recognised globally for its price leadership, in recent quarters it has addressed the increasing importance of becoming widely renowned for offering convenience. Here we explore this further, ...

Walmart has appointed Latriece Watkins as its new chief merchandising officer, following Charles Redfield’s decision to leave the business. Experienced Walmart executive Watkins has risen through the ranks at Walmart following a 24 year career with the retailer. Most recently she held the position of executive vice president or consumables. First joining the company as an intern in real estat...

Building on their strategic partnership, Walmart US and SES-imagotag are set to deploy the tech company’s VUSION platform, with 60m digital shelf edge labels (ESLs) to be installed. We consider the implications on this and how the technology will evolve over the next few years. Roll-out to 500 stores over the next 12-18 months This deal spans several years, with over 500 Walmart stores to b...

Walmart's recent analyst update highlighted three clear priorities; to grow sales, improve margin and strengthen return on investment. Here we explore how it plans to achieve this. 65% of stores to be serviced by automation by 2026 One of the key headlines from the event was Walmart’s aim to have roughly 65% of its stores serviced by automation by the end of fiscal ‘26. It estimates that ap...

Walmart International's President and CEO, Judith McKenna took a deep dive into global retail at the Shoptalk event in Las Vegas. We look at the shifts it’s seeing in consumer priorities and how it’s responding. Shifting priorities Walmart International, with a presence in six major markets serving nearly 40% of the world's population, holds a distinctive perspective on global retail. The c...

Earlier this month, Walmart's CFO John Rainey spoke at the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference in Orlando, sharing insights into the retailer's future. We explore some of the key points from the interview. Plans to continue growing its marketplace Walmart will continue to add more third-party sellers to its marketplace, therefore broadening its online offer. It currently has ov...

As Walmart’s revenue crosses $600 bn for the first time in its history, we look at what’s driving its performance and consider its priorities for the year ahead. Walmart's key numbers Walmart's total revenue in Q4 increased by 7.3% to $164 bn Sales in its US stores grew by 8%, with Sam’s Club up 11.3% US ecommerce sales increased 17%, up 18% on a two-year stacked basis US comp s...

Walmart plans to open around 30 new Sam’s Club warehouses across the US over the coming five years. The decision, which represents its most aggressive expansion in years, was made following record same-store sales growth and an all-time high in memberships. Most aggressive expansion in years Walmart operates close to 600 Sam’s Club stores across the US. Its most recent opening was in Hanove...

Following a succesful soft launch in September, Walmart has launched Walmart Business, a standalone B2B ecommerce platform tailored to the needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs), as well as non-profit organisations.  What is it? Walmart Business is a new online delivery service targeted at SMBs. The platform offers a curated assortment consisting of more than 100,000 products, which ar...