Walmart news 

Walmart first announced its plans for drone delivery back in 2021. Last year, it opened its first drone delivery hub in the home of its headquarters, Bentonville, Arkansas and it announced plans to expand its delivery network to 34 sites by the end of the year. The retailer has successfully surpassed this target, closing the year with 36 delivery hubs spread across seven states: Arizona, Arkan...

It was another year of investment and innovation for Walmart. We share our pick of the best new initiatives from the retailer in its largest market, the USA, and consider what its focus will be in 2023. Testing the Metaverse The Metaverse was big news this year, with several retailers starting to dip their toes into the water. Walmart was leading the way, launching two different experienc...

Walmart has announced new leaders for its businesses in Canada and Chile. The changes are being made following the departure of Haio Barbeito earlier this year from the top seat in Canada to lead US clothing retailer, Old Navy. Gonzalo Gebara to lead Walmart Canada Taking up the president and CEO position in Canada is Gonzalo Gebara, effective January 30, 2023. He currently leads the Walmar...

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference, Walmart’s president and CEO, Doug McMillon, outlined why he remains confident on the retailer’s ability to continue delivering profit growth, and why it could be even stronger going forward. 1. Productivity enhancements driven by a greater role for automation Walmart views a key role for automated storage and retrieval sy...

Walmart delivered a strong Q3 sales performance, setting it up for the holiday trading period. We look at the factors driving its results and expectations going forward. Walmart's Q3 key numbers Walmart's total revenue in Q3 increased by 8.7% to $152.8 bn, representing an additional $12.3 bn year-on-year Sales in its US stores increased by 8.5%, with Sam’s Club up 12.8% US ecommerc...

Walmart plans to open 16 new health centres in Florida next year. We look at how the concept is evolving and what it means for Walmart’s business model. Almost 50 facilities operational by end of 2023 The new Walmart Health facilities will open next to existing Supercenters in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. The retailer first launched the concept in 2019, offering primary and urgent care,...

Flipkart, the Indian online retailer backed by Walmart, is looking for further investment to expand its operation in the country. Up to $3 billion needed to compete Reports suggest Flipkart is looking to raise between $2 billion to $3 billion to expand its product range and compete with market leaders. Its non-grocery offer makes it the second largest online retailer in India after Amazon, ...

Walmart is introducing a new programme which will enable influencers and creators monetise their audiences. We look at how it’s doing this and consider whether all retailers need an influencer network. Democratizing access The new Walmart Creator platform has been developed for creators to monetise shoppable products from the retailer by creating engaging, typically video-based, content. Th...

Walmart’s acquisition of Alert Innovation is a signal that it’s ramping up its plans for automated micro-fulfillment (MFC). It’s been a long time coming. What does this move mean for Walmart, the future of MFC, and other companies in the sector? What are the impacts of the acquisition? Walmart can move at pace in this area. The deal brings new expertise to Walmart, enabling it to acceler...

Walmart is launching two different experiences on Roblox, developed to offer unique interactive content and entertainment for users of the platform. Launching on large, fast-growing platform Roblox is an immersive, 3D online platform developed to play and create new games. Accessible through desktop and mobile browsers, its predominantly used with gaming consoles. Roblox is often considered...