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Walmart launches a first-of-its kind opioid disposal solution — DisposeRx

Walmart launches a first-of-its kind opioid disposal solution — DisposeRx

Retailer first national pharmacy chain to offer free opioid disposal solution at all pharmacy locations

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2018-Jan-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — In an effort to help curb abuse and misuse, Walmart is launching a first-of-its kind opioid disposal solution – available at no cost – in all company pharmacies.* Known as DisposeRx, the small packet contains ingredients that, according to the manufacturer, when emptied into a pill bottle with warm water, ultimately enable patients to responsibly dispose of leftover medications in their trash.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than 65 percent of people misusing prescription opioids are getting them from family and friends, and personal prescriptions are one of the main sources of nonmedical opioid abuse. DisposeRx provides a virtually effortless way for patients to destroy leftover opioids and a way to do so without ever leaving home.

The innovative disposal solution will now be provided in addition to ongoing counseling available to Walmart patients on proper opioid use when filling an opioid prescription at any one of its 4,700 pharmacies nationwide. Now, pharmacists can also counsel patients on how to use DisposeRx and distribute an opioid awareness brochure outlining risks and helpful resources.

“The health and safety of our patients is a critical priority; that’s why we’re taking an active role in fighting our nation’s opioid issue – an issue that has affected so many families and communities across America,” said Marybeth Hays, executive vice president of Consumables and Health and Wellness at Walmart U.S. “While this issue requires many resources to solve, we are confident this unique, easy-to-use disposal solution, DisposeRx, will make a meaningful impact on the lives of many. Walmart is incredibly proud to fund this initiative that provides our patients with an opioid disposal solution they can access nationwide, at no cost.”

According to DisposeRx, packets contain a crosslinking polymer blend that, when added to the pill bottle with warm water, sequester any form of prescription drugs – including powders, pills, tablets, capsules, liquids or patches – into a non-divertible and biodegradable gel. The chemicals in the packet are listed as safe by the FDA.

Beginning immediately, patients filling any new Class II opioid prescription at Walmart pharmacies will receive a free DisposeRx packet and opioid safety information brochure when picking up their prescription. Patients with chronic Class II opioid prescriptions will be offered a free DisposeRx packet every six months. Existing pharmacy patients can also request a free DisposeRx packet at any time, including at the upcoming Walmart Wellness Day event on January 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time at all Walmart locations nationwide. Additionally, Sam’s Club patients can access Dispose Rx at their pharmacies.

“About one-third of medications sold go unused. Too often, these dangerous narcotics remain unsecured where children, teens or visitors may have access. I commend Walmart for taking this innovative approach to help keep unused prescription drugs out of the wrong hands,” said Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.

The launch of DisposeRx in Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies is one of several ways the retailers are helping to address the prescription drug abuse problem. The company urges lawmakers to establish a seven-day supply limit for initial prescriptions issued for acute pain and to require all controlled substance prescriptions be issued electronically, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration. It stocks Naloxone in its pharmacies and will offer Naloxone behind its pharmacy counters for sale or for dispensing by a pharmacist by the end of this month in all states where pharmacy practice laws support its ability to do so. The company also believes education on prescription drug abuse is a key part of the solution and is helping to fund a variety of multi-state programs that teach youth about the dangers of prescription drug use and abuse.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. The company’s legal name will become Walmart Inc., effective on Feb. 1, 2018, to reflect its growing status as an omni-channel retailer. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under nearly 60 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

*Walmart patients in Rhode Island and Washington will receive an alternative free disposal solution until third-party testing of DisposeRx is complete in those states. 

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

 

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Walmart announces a suite of new financial wellness services for associates nationwide through the Even app

Walmart announces a suite of new financial wellness services for associates nationwide through the Even app

Retailer joins financial technology startups Even and PayActiv to launch industry-first tools for personal money management, financial planning and on-demand access to earned wages

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Dec-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart today announced a suite of new financial wellness services for more than 1.4 million associates nationwide. The new offering was created in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based financial technology startups Even and PayActiv. Associates will access the tools through the Even app, available for both iOS and Android devices.

The joint solution allows Walmart associates to automatically plan ahead for bills and savings goals, eliminating the work of figuring out how much money is okay to spend. When unexpected expenses occur, associates can access earned wages ahead of scheduled paychecks using an “Instapay” feature, providing greater flexibility and helping them avoid overdrafts, high-fee funding or credit options.

“Money management is something people across every income level struggle with, in large part because they don’t have access to good tools,” said Jon Schlossberg, CEO of Even. “In real life, if you want to get ahead, you’ve got to make a financial plan, and also have a way to fix the plan when it breaks. Even offers tools for both, together in one app. Working with Walmart and PayActiv gives us the opportunity to put these powerful, easy-to-use financial management tools in the hands of millions of hardworking Americans.”

Walmart will cover the entire cost of Even’s automated financial management tool for both hourly and salaried associates, and will ensure associates can use Instapay up to eight times per year for free. Should associates need to use Instapay more frequently, Walmart will subsidize the additional Even subscription required to do so. The financial management and Instapay features will be available to all Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart eCommerce associates.

“Every American worker faces unexpected and stressful between-paychecks expenses,” said Safwan Shah, founder and CEO of PayActiv. “With on-demand access to earned wages, Walmart associates will be able to save more, avoid the financial traps that reduce their take-home pay, and get a level of stability that few service sector employers provide.”

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. The company’s legal name will become Walmart Inc., effective on Feb. 1, 2018, to reflect its growing status as an omni-channel retailer. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under nearly 60 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About Even
Even is the first financial health platform to combine automatic financial planning with the ability to predict and safely solve cash flow problems. Even’s proprietary neural network technology understands and adapts to a user’s financial life, allowing the app to eliminate 90% of the work required to use traditional budgeting tools. The company was founded by former Instagram and Google engineers, and is headquartered in Oakland, California. Additional information at www.even.com.

About PayActiv
PayActiv is an award-winning holistic financial wellness platform for employees to get on-demand access to earned but unpaid wages. Businesses that partner with PayActiv see significant cost reductions through increased engagement and retention. Employees love PayActiv because it eliminates the between-paycheck financing fees of payday loans, bank overdrafts and title loans. PayActiv also offers a suite of services that include better banking products, savings and budgeting tools, bill payment and financial health measurement. PayActiv is backed by SoftBank Capital and won best in class awards in both FinTech and HRTech categories in 2016. Visit www.payactiv.com to learn more.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart reinforced its commitment to be part of the solution to the nation’s prescription drug abuse crisis

Company pledges to continue measures in addressing the nation’s prescription drug abuse crisis

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart, including its 5,300 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies, expressed support for the administration’s declaration of a public health emergency on opioids and reinforced the company’s commitment to be part of the solution to the epidemic.

“At Walmart, the health and safety of our patients is a critical priority, and we welcome the administration’s actions to bring attention and resources to the nation’s opioid issue – one that has devastated so many families and communities across America,” said Greg Foran, president and chief executive officer, Walmart U.S. “We stand ready to work with our nation’s leaders on a solution to combat prescription drug addiction and misuse.”

As a company, Walmart has taken steps to help address the prescription drug abuse problem, including:

  • The company has comprehensive policies and training to help support its pharmacists in filling prescriptions only for legitimate medical purposes.
  • The company supports the development and implementation of an industry-led nationwide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP); in the meantime, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists have access to and are able to utilize their state’s PDMP system to help curb abuse.
  • The company supports federal legislation on two key issues: to establish a seven-day supply limit for initial prescriptions issued for acute pain; to require all controlled substance prescriptions be issued electronically, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
  • The company offers solutions for sale that allow its patients to properly dispose of prescription medication.

Additional measures will be implemented by the end of 2017, including:

  • The company will have Naloxone behind its pharmacy counters for sale or for dispensing by a pharmacist in all states where pharmacy practice laws support its ability to do so.
  • The company believes education on prescription drug abuse is a key part of the solution; as early as next week, Walmart will announce it has committed to help fund a multi-state program created by a leading education technology company that teaches youth about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency launch new line of authentic Italian cuisine, Sam’s Choice Italia

Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency launch new line of authentic Italian cuisine, Sam’s Choice Italia

Straight from Italy, retailer’s new line of pastas, sauces and other authentic items will have you saying ‘bravo’

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency have come together to cook up a line of authentic Italian cuisine for customers across the U.S. The new Private Brand line, Sam’s Choice Italia, serves up the rich, savory tastes of Italy at the retailer’s everyday low prices. As the largest private brand player in the U.S., Walmart is focused on continually innovating products while still staying true to quality and everyday low prices.

Sam’s Choice Italia features 40 products and is available now in 3,600 stores and on Walmart.com. The assortment is crafted with amore: items include boxed dinners, bagged pastas, pesto and pasta sauces, canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and frozen pizzas. Walmart is working with multiple large suppliers on the new line – all based in Italy.

The Sam’s Choice Italia line is now available at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com and additional items will continue to roll out under the Sam’s Choice Italia line.

“Teaming up with the Italian Trade Agency is one of the many ways our Sam’s Choice brand brings authentic gourmet foods to families across America at everyday low prices. We are fanatical about quality – it’s the first ingredient in everything we do,” said Jack Pestello, senior vice president, Private Brands, Walmart U.S. “Sam’s Choice Italia is just the latest example of how Walmart is continuing to improve and innovate our Private Brand offerings while staying true to quality and everyday low prices.”

The Sam’s Choice Italia products were put through extensive testing conducted at Walmart’s Culinary and Innovation Center to ensure the flavors in each product stayed true to their Italian roots. This is the first time the Italian Trade Agency has worked with a U.S. retailer on a full line of private brand products.

“We are committed to bringing authentic Italian offerings to American households, so when Walmart approached us with this idea, we were immediately interested,” said Michele Scannavini, president of the Italian Trade Agency. “The Sam’s Choice Italia recipes have high-quality ingredients from right here in Italy, so we can guarantee an authentic Italian experience for customers.”

For more information, please visit Walmart.com.

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About the Italian Trade Agency – www.ice.gov.it – www.italtrade.com
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is the governmental organization that promotes the internationalization of Italian companies, in line with the strategies of the Ministry for Economic Development. The ITA provides information, training, customized advice and promotional events organization in support of Italian and foreign businesses. In addition to its Rome headquarters, ITA operates worldwide from a network of 65 offices linked to Italian embassies and consulates. The Agency has five offices in the United States. Among other sectors, ITA’s office in Chicago is in charge of promoting food and non-food items in large retail store chains. The office is always available for inquiries and support and can be reached by writing to chicago@ice.it or calling +1 312 670 4360.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart and the Walmart Foundation commits at least $1 million to support Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts

Donations and needed supplies to assist organizations leading Gulf Coast relief efforts

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Aug-28 — /EPR Retail News/ — In anticipation of Hurricane Harvey, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have made a commitment to provide support for relief efforts through cash and product donations of at least $1 million to organizations helping in response to the severe weather impacting Texas and Louisiana. As a part of this commitment, Walmart is working closely with organizations like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Convoy of Hope while coordinating efforts with elected officials and governmental entities to help meet the needs of those affected. We are supporting these organizations in addressing immediate needs in the community and will continue to monitor in the coming days to provide additional assistance.

“We are concerned for the people in the path of this potentially devastating storm,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer at Walmart and President of the Walmart Foundation. “We are actively supporting local response efforts and will continue to be there for our customers, friends, family, fellow associates and neighbors in the Gulf Coast.”

Walmart has a long history of providing aid in times of disasters, helping communities prepare and recover by donating emergency supplies, such as food and water, home and personal products. Since 2005, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have donated more than $60 million in cash and in-kind donations in response to disaster events.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. Walmart has stores in 28 countries, employing more than 2.4 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Our philanthropy helps people live better by supporting upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where Walmart operates and inspiring our associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit http://www.foundation.walmart.com.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Making Change At Walmart: “WALMART PROPOSES MORE MANUFACTURING JOBS, EVEN AS IT DESTROYS THEM”

WASHINGTON D.C., USA, 2017-Aug-03 — /EPR Retail News/ — In response to Walmart’s release of a “Policy Roadmap to Renew U.S. Manufacturing,” Making Change At Walmart Director Randy Parraz has issued the following statement:  

“Walmart doesn’t care about creating supplier manufacturing jobs in America, it cares about getting the cheapest product made, regardless of the cost. 

The release of a ‘policy roadmap’ is a pathetic publicity stunt. Sadly, Walmart pretends to propose more U.S. manufacturing jobs, at a time when its pressure is destroying them, like in Milton, Penn., and also at a time when it is recruiting more overseas vendors in China and other countries.

If Walmart wants to create more American manufacturing – the answer is simple: buy American,” concludes Parraz. 
  
###
 

CONTACT:
Amy Ritter, (202) 251-5907

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Walmart to offer free health screenings during Walmart Wellness Day on June 17

Retailer anticipates exceeding 1M free health screenings across four events

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Jun-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — The largest health fair in America will once again be coming to communities across the country. During Walmart Wellness Day on June 17, Walmart will offer free health screenings in its more than 4,600 locations across the country, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. This year, Walmart is helping to extend the event beyond a single day by teaming up with the American Diabetes Association to offer support to people who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, one in 11 Americans has diabetes today, and 86 million more – about one in three – are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Following the June 17 Walmart Wellness Day, the American Diabetes Association will follow up via email with interested customers whose blood pressure and blood glucose tests indicated they may be at a greater risk for diabetes, providing suggested next steps and resources.

“We’re more committed than ever to serving as an open door to affordable, accessible healthcare, and our Walmart Wellness Day program is a key piece of that,” said George Riedl, senior vice president & president, Walmart Health & Wellness. “We know that many of our customers have learned about an existing health problem for the first time at one our Walmart Wellness Day events, and that can be overwhelming. Walmart is proud to be working with the American Diabetes Association to offer even more support to customers who may find themselves in this situation.”

Since its first Walmart Wellness Day event, the company has provided nearly 1.1 million free health screenings to people across the country. These events have helped countless individuals uncover existing health problems, including high blood pressure, signs of diabetes and other potential illness. Just this past January, free screenings topped 338,000.

“An estimated 8 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and when left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health complications including kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness and amputations,” says Tamara Darsow, PhD, senior vice president, research and community programs for the Association. “We are excited to work with Walmart on this initiative and encourage as many Americans as possible to participate. Knowing your risk for diabetes is the first step to being able to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.”

Future Walmart Wellness Days with the American Diabetes Association are planned for September 2017, January 2018 and spring 2018.

Screening Information
Walmart Wellness Day will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 17, in more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the country. Free screenings will include blood glucose, blood pressure, vision (select locations) and body mass index tests. Product samples will be available, and more than 10,000 of Walmart’s licensed pharmacists will offer immunizations in select stores.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,723 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart expands its military leave of absence policy offering differential pay to eligible military associates

Company announces more than 170,000 veteran hires since 2013 and grants $100,000 to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

Bentonville, Ark., 2017-May-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (May 23, 2017), Walmart announced expansions to its military leave of absence policy, offering differential pay to all eligible military associates taking on assignments lasting more than three days and through the duration of leave – including basic training. With the enhancements going into effect June 24, Walmart has offered differential pay since 2008, meaning that if an associate’s military salary is less than what they were making at their job at Walmart, the company will pay them the difference while they are on a military leave of absence. In 2016, Walmart associates took more than 4,400 military leave of absences.

Walmart is one of the first major retailers to apply differential pay to include basic training, so associates who are considering enlisting in the armed forces can make that decision without fear of losing wages. In addition, Walmart is taking steps to streamline and simplify the internal process required to obtain differential pay – with the goal of making it easier on associates and their families, so they can spend less time on paperwork and more time on their service.

“At Walmart, we’re turning jobs into fulfilling careers for veterans, active service members and their families, and we’re making it easier for them to work, live and serve,” said Retired Brigadier General Gary Profit, senior director of military programs for Walmart. “We believe that anyone who wants to serve in our Armed Forces should be able to do so without fear of losing wages or leaving their family in a lurch. The changes we’re making will remove financial barriers for all associates serving their country, including those who are starting their service journey through basic training.”

The changes build upon Walmart’s already-robust support for veterans, military members and their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, in 2016, more than 200,000 men and women serving in the military transitioned to civilian life, and many find it difficult to navigate multiple agencies offering job placement and other services. To date, Walmart hired more than 170,000 veterans since it announced its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013*. Of those veteran hires, more than 22,000 have been promoted to jobs with higher pay and greater responsibility.

On Memorial Day 2013, Walmart introduced the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, which guaranteed a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran who was within 12 months of active duty. The initial goal was to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2018. In May of 2015, Walmart announced the expansion of that original projection, with the goal of hiring 250,000 veterans by the end of 2020. Walmart has also changed the eligibility from within 12 months of active duty, to any veteran who has been honorably discharged since the announcement of the commitment in May 2013.

In addition to its commitment to hiring veterans, Walmart also ensures their family members can build long-lasting careers. Walmart’s Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or Sam’s Club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by Walmart and Sam’s Club who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the United States military. Walmart also participates in the U.S Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, recruiting tens of thousands of veterans through career fairs.

This Memorial Day, Walmart is also announcing a $100,000 grant to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the national organization that offers help, hope and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in the Armed Forces. The grant will enable TAPS to reach more survivors through their Casework and Emergency Assistance Programs.

“As a military widow, I know how isolating it can be to lose a loved one,” said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS president and founder and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. “The critically needed support provided by Walmart will enable TAPS to offer assistance to military families when they need it most, after the loss of their hero. We are grateful for our partnership with Walmart, which engages their employees across the nation and brings the strength of their brand to positively impact the lives of the families of America’s fallen heroes. On behalf of over 70,000 surviving military families who receive support from TAPS, we thank Walmart for leading the way in caring for those who have sacrificed for our nation’s freedoms.”

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have a long history of supporting veterans, service members and their families. In 2011, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed $20 million by 2015 to support veterans and their families with assistance for programs that provide job training, transition help and education. With the early completion of the commitment in May 2014, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation renewed the commitment, announcing an additional $20 million through 2019 to support job training, education and innovative public/private community-based initiatives that address challenges many veterans face when returning to civilian life.

For more information about Walmart’s commitment to veterans, service members and military families, please visit: http://www.walmartcareerswithamission.com/ or http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/veterans-military-families/ and follow on Twitter @WalmartToday.

*Editor’s Note: These projections and reported hires/promotions include veterans hired under our original and expanded Commitment as well as other veterans hired by Walmart in this time frame. While we think it is particularly important to support service members as they make the transition to civilian life, Walmart believes all veterans deserve our respect and support, no matter when they left active duty.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Walmart

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Walmart enhances its military leave of absence policy

Company announces more than 170,000 veteran hires since 2013 and grants $100,000 to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)

Bentonville, Ark., 2017-May-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today ( May 23, 2017), Walmart announced expansions to its military leave of absence policy, offering differential pay to all eligible military associates taking on assignments lasting more than three days and through the duration of leave – including basic training. With the enhancements going into effect June 24, Walmart has offered differential pay since 2008, meaning that if an associate’s military salary is less than what they were making at their job at Walmart, the company will pay them the difference while they are on a military leave of absence. In 2016, Walmart associates took more than 4,400 military leave of absences.

Walmart is one of the first major retailers to apply differential pay to include basic training, so associates who are considering enlisting in the armed forces can make that decision without fear of losing wages. In addition, Walmart is taking steps to streamline and simplify the internal process required to obtain differential pay – with the goal of making it easier on associates and their families, so they can spend less time on paperwork and more time on their service.

“At Walmart, we’re turning jobs into fulfilling careers for veterans, active service members and their families, and we’re making it easier for them to work, live and serve,” said Retired Brigadier General Gary Profit, senior director of military programs for Walmart. “We believe that anyone who wants to serve in our Armed Forces should be able to do so without fear of losing wages or leaving their family in a lurch. The changes we’re making will remove financial barriers for all associates serving their country, including those who are starting their service journey through basic training.”

The changes build upon Walmart’s already-robust support for veterans, military members and their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, in 2016, more than 200,000 men and women serving in the military transitioned to civilian life, and many find it difficult to navigate multiple agencies offering job placement and other services. To date, Walmart hired more than 170,000 veterans since it announced its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013*. Of those veteran hires, more than 22,000 have been promoted to jobs with higher pay and greater responsibility.

On Memorial Day 2013, Walmart introduced the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, which guaranteed a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran who was within 12 months of active duty. The initial goal was to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2018. In May of 2015, Walmart announced the expansion of that original projection, with the goal of hiring 250,000 veterans by the end of 2020. Walmart has also changed the eligibility from within 12 months of active duty, to any veteran who has been honorably discharged since the announcement of the commitment in May 2013.

In addition to its commitment to hiring veterans, Walmart also ensures their family members can build long-lasting careers. Walmart’s Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or Sam’s Club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by Walmart and Sam’s Club who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the United States military. Walmart also participates in the U.S Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, recruiting tens of thousands of veterans through career fairs.

This Memorial Day, Walmart is also announcing a $100,000 grant to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the national organization that offers help, hope and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in the Armed Forces. The grant will enable TAPS to reach more survivors through their Casework and Emergency Assistance Programs.

“As a military widow, I know how isolating it can be to lose a loved one,” said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS president and founder and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. “The critically needed support provided by Walmart will enable TAPS to offer assistance to military families when they need it most, after the loss of their hero. We are grateful for our partnership with Walmart, which engages their employees across the nation and brings the strength of their brand to positively impact the lives of the families of America’s fallen heroes. On behalf of over 70,000 surviving military families who receive support from TAPS, we thank Walmart for leading the way in caring for those who have sacrificed for our nation’s freedoms.”

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have a long history of supporting veterans, service members and their families. In 2011, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed $20 million by 2015 to support veterans and their families with assistance for programs that provide job training, transition help and education. With the early completion of the commitment in May 2014, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation renewed the commitment, announcing an additional $20 million through 2019 to support job training, education and innovative public/private community-based initiatives that address challenges many veterans face when returning to civilian life.

For more information about Walmart’s commitment to veterans, service members and military families, please visit: http://www.walmartcareerswithamission.com/ or http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/veterans-military-families/ and follow on Twitter @WalmartToday.

*Editor’s Note: These projections and reported hires/promotions include veterans hired under our original and expanded Commitment as well as other veterans hired by Walmart in this time frame. While we think it is particularly important to support service members as they make the transition to civilian life, Walmart believes all veterans deserve our respect and support, no matter when they left active duty.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart asks suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one gigaton

Through release of a sustainability toolkit, Walmart asks suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one gigaton – the equivalent to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off of U.S. roads for an entire year

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Apr-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (April 19, 2017), during Walmart’s annual Milestone Summit, the company launched a sustainability platform inviting suppliers to join Walmart in committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their operations and supply chains. Dubbed Project Gigaton, this initiative will provide an emissions reduction toolkit to a broad network of suppliers seeking to eliminate one gigaton of emissions, focusing on areas such as manufacturing, materials and use of products by 2030. That’s the equivalent to taking more than 211 million passenger vehicles off of U.S. roads and highways for a year.

Walmart is the first retailer with a verified science-based target emissions-reduction plan. The company aims to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 18 percent by 2025. The retailer will also work to reduce CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, emissions from upstream and downstream Scope 3 sources by one billion tons (a gigaton) between 2015 and 2030.

Project Gigaton is part of a series of Walmart sustainability initiatives, focused on addressing social and environmental issues in ways that help communities while also strengthening business. For example, by investing in solar energy, Walmart has helped to support jobs for American solar companies. Walmart is now one of America’s leading commercial solar and on-site renewable energy users and gets about 25 percent of its global energy from renewable sources. To give another example, by doubling the efficiency of our U.S. fleet from 2005 to 2015, Walmart saved nearly $1 billion compared to a 2005 baseline.

“We are proud of the improvements we’ve made in reducing our own emissions, but we aim to do more. That’s why we’re working with our suppliers and others on Project Gigaton,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart.

Walmart has identified energy, agriculture, waste, packaging, deforestation, and product use and design as the goal areas in which to focus their Scope 3 climate efforts. Participating suppliers are encouraged to focus their commitment in one or more of these goal areas.

To help suppliers make commitments to emission reduction, or to establish emission reduction projects, Walmart collaborated with NGOs, like World Wildlife Fund and Environmental Defense Fund, and additional like-minded organizations to create an emissions reduction toolkit. In this toolkit, Walmart highlights the business case for why suppliers should consider signing on to Project Gigaton.

“Supply chains are the new frontier of sustainability. The journey products take from source to shelf will collectively shape our planet’s future,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO, World Wildlife Fund. “Project Gigaton is a testament to the transformative impact that leaders of industry can have on our greatest common challenges. As more companies follow in the footsteps of Walmart and their suppliers, we can achieve the critical mass needed to address climate change. Today’s commitment represents an important step toward a safer and more prosperous future.”

“A challenge like Project Gigaton will catalyze leadership and innovative solutions around the globe,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “Forward-looking companies like Walmart, and the suppliers that will join them, know that our economy and our planet can—and must—thrive together. Consumers deserve both, and these businesses are leading the way. EDF looks forward to helping them along this journey.”

“Through the years, we’ve seen that integrating sustainable practices into our operations improves business performance, spurs technological innovation, inspires brand loyalty, and boosts employee engagement,” said Laura Phillips, senior vice president, Sustainability for Walmart. “Our suppliers recognize the opportunity to realize those same benefits in their businesses. By working together on such an ambitious goal, we can accelerate progress within our respective companies and deep in our shared supply chains.”

Walmart is proud that several suppliers have committed to Project Gigaton with new or existing emissions-reduction projects.

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About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart opens training academy in Oklahoma — its 100th in the U.S.

Walmart opens training academy in Oklahoma — its 100th in the U.S.

 

Academies provide better training for associates, create better shopping experience for customers

Edmond, Okla, 2017-Apr-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart is celebrating the grand opening of its 100th training academy in the U.S. at 1225 West I-35 Frontage, Edmond, Oklahoma, today ( April 17, 2017). Walmart training academies were introduced in 2016 and have expanded to 40 states. A replay of the graduation and grand opening is available on the Walmart Today Facebook page.

“Everything we do begins with our associates,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “That’s why we have invested in training academies for associates to further develop the skills they need to better serve customers and succeed in today’s retail environment. Walmart is a place where anyone can fulfill their potential.”

Walmart training academies are dedicated facilities where associates receive instruction on retail fundamentals and area specific skills. Since the program launched, the curriculum has expanded training to cover more than 65 positions, including customer service manager, online grocery pickup, and assistant store manager. Associates are trained through a combination of classroom and sales floor exercises, utilizing technology including tablet computers and cloud storage for training materials.

“These investments are paying off for our customers through cleaner stores, friendlier service and faster check-out times,” added McMillon.

Associates who go through training academy programs are able to earn while they learn new skills. Through skills training associates gain an increase in confidence and knowledge — which leads to greater job satisfaction, personal and professional growth and stability. Walmart Academies are providing additional marketable skills that help associates with the job they are in and prepare them for the next level job.

“The Walmart Academy has given me the opportunity to help associates build and grow their careers with the company, but also helped me grow as a leader and an individual,” said Alesha Odenbret, Edmond Walmart academy facilitator. “I have had an incredible experience with the company, and I wanted to be able to share that with other associates.”

Walmart plans to have a total of 200 academies opened across all 50 states by the end of summer. Since 2016, more than 52,000 associates have graduated, with more than 225,000 associates on track to complete training in 2017.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart launches its “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign

Through online acts of support, purchase of participating products and donations at the register, the campaign aims to help Feeding America secure 100 million meals on behalf of member food banks

BENTONVILLE, ARK, 2017-Apr-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (April 17, 2017), Walmart launches its “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign, a nationwide initiative that encourages the public to join the fight against hunger. Working with Discover card and five suppliers, which represent some of the nation’s leading food companies – Campbell Soup Company, General Mills, Kellogg Company, The Kraft Heinz Company and PepsiCo – Walmart is offering three easy ways to take action against hunger and help a local Feeding America food bank through social, online and in-store participation.

1. Purchase: For every participating product purchased at U.S. Walmart stores from April 17 – May 15, 2017, the supplier will donate the equivalent of one meal ($0.09) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank, up to applicable limits. For every Discover card transaction made at U.S. Walmart stores and Walmart.com during the campaign period, Discover will donate the equivalent of one meal ($0.09) to Feeding America and its network of member food banks, up to $1 million. See Walmart.com/fighthunger for further details.

2. Online Acts of Support: Generate meals for Feeding America food banks by engaging with the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign on social media:

  • Facebook – Create original content that uses #FightHunger; like, share and/or react positively to campaign content; click on Walmart provided campaign content.
  • Instagram – Create or share content using the campaign hashtag #FightHunger; like or share Walmart generated campaign content.
  • Snapchat – Use Walmart provided “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” filters nationwide on Friday, April 21.
  • Twitter – Create original content that uses #FightHunger; like, share and/or make a campaign tweet a favorite; retweet a message featuring the campaign hashtag #FightHunger; click on Walmart-provided campaign content.

For each online act of support, Walmart will donate the equivalent of 10 meals ($0.90) to Feeding America on behalf of member food banks, up to $1.5 million.

3. Donate at the Register: Donate to your local Feeding America food bank at the register during checkout.

The ‘’Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’’ campaign launches at a critical time when the USDA reports one in eight Americans currently struggle with hunger. To raise awareness for the issue of hunger in America and help generate meals for people struggling with hunger, Walmart and its suppliers are encouraging the public to take action online and in-store to support the Feeding America network of food banks and the more than 46 million Americans it serves throughout the country.

“This campaign is an important part of our ongoing commitment to helping families who struggle with hunger,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Together with suppliers, customers and friends at Feeding America, we’re dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of those who live and work in the communities we serve.”

Walmart is kicking off the campaign with a $1.5 million donation and aims to donate a total of $3 million to Feeding America based on the public’s online participation in the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. Combining Walmart’s donation with supplier donations through product purchases and customer donations at the register, the campaign has a goal of helping Feeding America secure 100 million meals on behalf of its member food banks.

“At Feeding America, we see firsthand the impact hunger has on families in communities across the country, and we understand it takes a village to help strengthen our communities and provide meals to people in need,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. “Great partnerships are essential to moving the needle, and we are grateful to Walmart, its dedicated suppliers and Discover for coming together for the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign. Movements like this give each and every one of us an opportunity to get involved and make a difference in the fight against hunger.”

With the USDA reporting that 42 million people in America, including more than 13 million children, struggle with hunger, the ‘’Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’’ campaign is part of Walmart’s larger commitment to provide meals to those in need, helping ensure every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably-grown food.

As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to positively impact the issue of hunger in the United States. In October 2014, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing four billion meals to those struggling with hunger in the U.S. by 2020.

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart and Sam’s Club partner to offer free health screenings across the country on Jan. 14

More than 5,200 locations to offer free health screenings Jan. 14

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Jan-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Losing weight is the number one New Year’s resolution for a majority of Americans, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, and by mid-January nearly 30 percent of those resolutions will be abandoned. To help customers and members get back on track, Walmart and Sam’s Club have teamed up to offer free health screenings in more than 5,200 locations across the country on Jan. 14.

This joint effort will make it easier than ever for hundreds of thousands of Americans to learn critical information that will help them keep their health-focused intentions on track.

“Knowing your numbers is critical to achieving your healthy resolutions and to maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” said George Riedl, senior vice president and president, Walmart Health & Wellness. “That’s why Walmart and Sam’s Club have joined together for the very first time to kick off 2017 with the company’s largest free health screening event to-date.”

According to the CDC, more than one-third of adults in the United States are obese, making body fat and body mass index among the important numbers to understand. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death. Sam’s Club locations will provide body fat readings, and for the first time in Walmart stores, customers can test for body fat and body mass index.

Over the course of 2016, Walmart and Sam’s Club collectively provided nearly a half million free health screenings to people across the country. At Walmart alone, nearly 250,000 were conducted in October. Sam’s Club began offering free health screenings in 2010 and has conducted more than one million screenings since the program began.

These events have helped countless individuals uncover existing health problems, including high blood pressure, signs of diabetes and other potential illness.

Walmart Screening Information
Walmart Wellness Day will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, Jan. 14, in more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the country. Free screenings will include blood glucose, blood pressure, vision, and for the first time body fat and body mass index. Product samples and health insurance information will be available. More than 10,000 of Walmart’s licensed pharmacists will offer immunizations in select stores. Walmart continues to break company records at screening events. In October alone, nearly 52,000 immunizations were administered and more than 2 million free samples were distributed in a single event.

Sam’s Club Screening Information
Free screenings at Sam’s Club locations are open to members and the public and will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time in approximately 618 clubs across the country. Screenings*, which are valued at up to $150, will include free blood glucose, blood pressure, vision / hearing (where applicable), body fat, total cholesterol and HDL (good cholesterol). Sam’s Club licensed pharmacists will be on-hand to offer immunizations as well.

“Sam’s Club and Walmart are committed to helping the communities we serve lead healthier lives,” said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president of Sam’s Club, Consumables and Health and Wellness. “We invite you to our locations this weekend to experience our health screenings to start or restart your healthy choices for the year.”

Sam’s Club offers free health screenings the second Saturday of every month from January to October. Check your local pharmacy for other dates and times.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 250 million customers and members visit our 11,462 stores under 71 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 sales of nearly $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com

About Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club®, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in 655 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. To learn more about Sam’s Club, visit the Sam’s Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam’s Club on Twitter and Facebook.

* Limited quantities available. Screening types and quantities may vary by state and club. All tests are performed by licensed professionals.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart unveils top products purchased on Black Friday

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2016-Nov-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart shared the following statement on how the company delivered on its Black Friday plans for customers. The retailer also unveiled top products purchased on Black Friday and how customers shopped that day in stores and online.

“This Black Friday, we promised customers great deals, more availability of those items, an integrated offering with Walmart.com and the simple shopping experience our customers have come to expect from Walmart. I am proud to say that we’ve delivered on all fronts,” said Steve Bratspies, Chief Merchandising Officer, Walmart U.S. “Our customers were particularly excited about the new technologies we offered this year. In addition to picking up Black Friday favorites like televisions and toys, they flocked to our stores for drones, virtual reality products and hoverboards.”

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fun Facts and Stats:

  • The week kicked off with customers visiting stores in the days leading up to Thanksgiving to grocery shop. This Thanksgiving, Walmart sold 150 million pounds of turkey and ham. Throughout the month of November, the retailer also sold more than six pies per second with the most popular pies being pumpkin and the Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pie.
  • Black Friday is about offering great deals in stores and online. At midnight ET on Thanksgiving Day, customers started shopping on Walmart.com and the Walmart app.Thanksgiving Day was once again one of the top online shopping days of the year.
  • Then, at 6 p.m. the retailer kicked off the company’s Black Friday event in stores across the country. Millions of customers went home with the items they wanted. Top sellers included televisions, cookware, video games and systems, drones, toys and pajamas for the whole family.
  • More than 70 percent of traffic to Walmart.com during the retailer’s Black Friday event was driven by mobile.

It is not over. Walmart’s Cyber Week began at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 25, and will continue with thousands of online specials every day throughout the week.

“We will continue to focus on offering great prices on great products across the whole store and on Walmart.com for the rest of the holiday season,” Bratspies added.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,593 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.4 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart to invest $50 million China’s largest local on-demand logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform New Dada

Walmart to invest $50 million China's largest local on-demand logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform New Dada
Walmart to invest $50 million China’s largest local on-demand logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform New Dada

 

Beijing/Shanghai, China and Bentonville, Arkansas, 2016-Oct-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart (NYSE:WMT) today (Oct. 21, 2016) announced a $50 million strategic investment in New Dada, China’s largest local on-demand logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform. The investment is an extension of Walmart’s broader agreement with JD.com and cooperation with New Dada, which includes using New Dada’s network to offer customers two-hour delivery on groceries ordered from Walmart stores through the JD Daojia Dada app.

The two-hour delivery service is available to customers within a 3 km radius of more than 20 Walmart stores that are currently part of the program. The number of Walmart stores offering two hour delivery is expected to double by the end of the year.

New Dada an independent joint venture of JD.com and Dada, boasts more than 25 million registered customers and provides local on-demand delivery capabilities with 2.5 M crowd-sourced deliverers across more than 300 cities in China. Walmart has 426 stores in nearly 170 cities.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon commented, “All around the world, we’re creating seamless shopping experiences that bring together our stores, sites and apps to make shopping faster and easier. Our alliance with JD and cooperation with New Dada will enable seamless shopping to millions of customers across China.”

“Today’s exciting announcement brings together the global retail leader and China’s largest grocery delivery network to create a unique new shopping experience,” said Philip Kuai, CEO of New Dada. “Combining New Dada’s unparalleled delivery network with Walmart stores means consumers will enjoy convenient access to a wide range of high-quality goods delivered to their homes and offices in record time. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Walmart as China’s O2O retail industry continues to evolve and grow.”

News of the investment comes a day after Walmart and JD.com announced their collaboration on three new services — exclusive Sam’s Club and Global Imports stores on JD.com, and two-hour grocery delivery through New Dada.

About New Dada:
New Dada (www.imdada.cn) is China’s largest local on-demand logistics and grocery O2O e-commerce platform. “Dada,” the local on-demand logistics platform of New Dada, covers more than 300 major cities across China, with more than 2.5 million crowd-sourced deliverers serving more than 500,000 merchants, reaching a peak daily orders of more than 2 million. “JD Daojia”, New Dada’s grocery O2O ecommerce platform, partners with over 30,000 local merchants and provides on-demand grocery and pharmacy shopping and delivery services in 18 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with more than 25 million registered customers.

About Walmart:
Walmart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,539 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Contact: 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278)

Source: Walmart

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Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to support Hurricane Matthew relief efforts with $2 million donation

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2016-Oct-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have made a commitment to provide support through cash and product donations of $2 million to organizations helping with relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Matthew. As a part of this commitment, the Walmart Foundation is allocating $500,000 specifically toward CARE and Team Rubicon Global for relief efforts in Haiti. In the United States, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been working closely with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Team Rubicon and Feeding America, coordination efforts are being made with elected officials and governmental entities to meet the needs of those affected.

With widespread wind damage and flooding, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have coordinated efforts as part of the $2 million donation to send bottles of water, food and sheltering supplies to affected areas.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by this disaster,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, President of the Walmart Foundation. “Both Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are working closely with non-profit partners, first responders, elected officials and governmental organizations to see how each can use its strengths to help.”

Walmart has a long history of providing aid in times of disasters, helping communities prepare and recover by donating emergency supplies, such as food and water, home and personal products. In the last 10 years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have donated more than $56 million in cash and in-kind donations in response to disaster events.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,528 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. We have stores in 28 countries, employing more than 2.3 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. We are helping people live better by accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where we operate and inspiring our associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

Contact: 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278)

Source: Walmart

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Walmart awarded more than $200 million second quarter cash bonuses to more than 900,000 hourly associates nationwide

Bentonville, Ark., 2016-Sep-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — As part of Walmart’s continued focus on improving and enhancing the store experience for customers, the company recently awarded more than $200 million in second quarter cash bonuses to more than 900,000 hourly associates across the United States.

The bonuses, which were based on stores’ performances from May through July of this year, are part of an overall incentive plan designed to reward associates whose stores have met their performance and customer service goals. Eligible associates can earn these bonuses four times a year.

“Whether it’s buying something for their kids, treating themselves or saving for something great, bonus time at Walmart is always a special time for our associates,” said Mike Moore, executive vice president of Supercenters for Walmart U.S.

“Our people have always been the most important part of our business and they continue to do amazing things for our customers,” said Julie Murphy, executive vice president of Neighborhood Markets for Walmart U.S. “Sam Walton built this business on the idea of sharing profits with our associates and treating them as partners.”

Walmart’s Investment in our Associates

  • In 2015, Walmart announced a two-year, $2.7 billion investment in our associates. The commitment includes investments in education, training and higher wages. As a result, more than 1.2 million Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates received pay increases on the same day earlier this year. The second quarter bonuses are not part of the $2.7 billion.
  • Associate training is a key component of Walmart’s associate investment strategy. This year Walmart announced plans to open 200 Academies across the U.S. designed to teach advanced retail skills to department managers and hourly supervisors. More than 140,000 associates are expected to go through the training program each year.
  • Walmart is investing in training at all levels of its stores. In February the company rolled out its Pathways training program for all entry-level workers, providing training, education and opportunities for associates, offering them a clearer career path from entry level positions to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Contact: 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278)

Source: Walmart

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Walmart highlight grants awarded to nonprofit organizations to fund nutrition education and meal programs for youth and families

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2016-Sep-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — With the new school year officially underway, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are highlighting 11 grants awarded to national nonprofits over the past year to fund nutrition education and meal programs for youth and families. Totaling more than $33 million, the grants also increase access to fruits and vegetables through state and federal nutrition assistance programs, underscoring our commitment to helping ensure that every family has access to affordable, nutritious and sustainably grown food.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are funding the following programs:

  • Chef Ann Foundation: $350,000 grant being distributed as101 grants to help schools increase fresh fruit and vegetable procurement, increase participation in the Department of Defense’s Fruit and Vegetable program at 50 schools and provide at least six hours of nutrition education and fruit and vegetable tastings to 35,000 children. www.chefannfoundation.org
  • National League of Cities: $2 million grant to fund year-long meal programs that will provide 2.5 million meals to 32,000 school-aged children across the U.S. by leveraging the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program. www.nlc.org
  • National Recreation & Park Association: $2.5 million grant to provide 18 million meals to 600,000 children and nutrition education to 150,000 children through its local park and recreation agencies. www.nrpa.org
  • Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom: $7.5 million grant providing funding to support 10.8 million federally reimbursed school breakfast meals through an expansion of the consortium’s state-based universal breakfast strategy. www.breakfastintheclassroom.org
  • Share Our Strength: $5.75 million grant to provide eight-week cooking courses and Cooking Matters at the Store shopping tours to 153,000 participants and to create and pilot a self-guided nutrition education application that aims to serve 25,000 people. www.nokidhungry.org

An additional $17.5 million in funding was also provided through grants to the following organizations, using the funds to provide meal programs for students and increase families’ access to healthy food, like fruits and vegetables, through state and federal nutrition assistance programs.

· Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: www.cbpp.org
· Children’s Hunger Alliance: www.childrenshungeralliance.org
· Food Research and Action Center: www.frac.org
· Single Stop USA: www.singlestopusa.org
· Y-USA: www.ymca.net
· Boys & Girls Clubs of America: www.bgca.org

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to providing four billion meals between 2015 and 2020 to those who need them. We’re aiming to reach this goal through a combination of grants to charitable organizations and hunger relief programs, as well as through food donations from our Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers. To learn more about the Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s commitments to fighting hunger and providing nutrition education, visit giving.walmart.com.

Contact: 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278)

Source: Walmart

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Walmart unveiled its annual top toy list, Chosen By Kids

Walmart unveiled its annual top toy list, Chosen By Kids
Walmart unveiled its annual top toy list, Chosen By Kids

 

BENTONVILLE, AR., 2016-Sep-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — From the smallest to the tallest, Walmart polled hundreds of kids to find out just what they will be including in their letters to Santa this year. Today (Sept. 1, 2016), Walmart unveiled its annual top toy list, Chosen By Kids, including six exclusives such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Remote Control Skateboarding Mikey and Disney® Princess Carriage. The retailer also announced today the return of its popular layaway program, which opens on Sept. 2. Between Walmart’s layaway program, and their efforts to make shopping easier for customers no matter when and how they want to shop – in store, online, on a mobile device or a combination – the retailer is helping everyone up their “elf skills” this holiday.

“Santa may know who is naughty and nice, but we know what’s on their list,” said Anne Marie Kehoe, vice president of toys at Walmart U.S. “Santa’s workshop is hard to compete with, but we are confident our assortment hits the mark with kids of all ages – we have playsets, ridealongs, licensed merchandise even toys that fly. Our customers can count on us to bring the coolest toys at everyday low prices, online and in stores, and enough of them for even the last shopper of the season to take home something that is going to put a smile on a child’s face.”

Walmart will have more than 400 exclusive toys in addition to the six toys that are exclusives on the Chosen By Kids list. Some of these exclusives include Star Wars 3-3/4” Black Series collector figures, the Barbie Camping Collection and a FlipaZoo plush.

Chosen By Kids Top Toy List
It’s become a tradition at Walmart to have the real experts – kids – choose the top toys for the holidays. Hundreds of kids, ages 18 months to 12 years, were given the chance to play with some of the year’s hottest toys and pick their favorites. This one-of-a-kind playdate lead to this year’s Chosen By Kids list – the top 25 toys of the season, nearly a quarter of which are exclusive to Walmart. The nation’s largest toy store, thanks to their trusted focus group of kids, is sure to have plenty of these most coveted items at prices that will thrill even Jolly ole’ St. Nick, no matter if he is shopping in store or online.

Based on the Chosen by Kids list, Walmart has an idea of just who is asking for what …

The Boss: Your child can’t wait to start their own business? These toys are perfect for the little entrepreneur in your life. Top entrepreneurial toys include:

  • My Life As Food Truck – Walmart exclusive (coming soon)
  • Num Noms Lipgloss Truck
  • Pom Pom Wow Decoration Station
  • The Humanitarian: Kids love to take care of others and with these toys they can put their skills to the test. Toys that make this list include:
    • Doc McStuffins Hospital Care Cart
    • FurReal Friends® Torch, My Blazin’ Dragon
    • Hatchimals (coming soon)
    • Little Live Pets Puppy

    The Dreamer: Playsets and toys that give kids the opportunity to create their own story and put their imagination to work. Frontrunners for imagination are:

    • Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Batcave – Walmart exclusive (coming soon)
    • Barbie Rainbow Cove Princess Castle Playset
    • Fisher Price® Imaginext® Bat Flight City
    • Fisher Price® Little People® Sit ‘n Stand Skyway
    • My Little Pony Explore Equestria Crystal Empire Castle
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mega Lair Playset

    The Thrill-Seeker: For the thrill seeker, these toys allow kids to take an adventure right in their own homes. Topping the list of adventurous toys are:

    • Pie Face Showdown! Game – Exclusive to Walmart for a limited time
    • Razor PowerCore E100 Electric Scooter – Walmart exclusive
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Remote Control Skateboarding Mikey – Walmart exclusive
    • Fisher Price® Imaginext® Ultra T-Rex
    • Hot Wheels® AI Racing Playset (coming soon)
    • Nerf® N-Strike Elite® HyperFire® Blaster
    • Tyco® Terra Climber Remote Control Vehicle
    • Vtech® Go! Go! Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure

    Mr./Ms. Independent: Sibling not home to play? These toys are a perfect way to keep kids entertained for hours by themselves. Top independent toys include:

    • Disney® Princess Carriage – Walmart exclusive
    • Paw Patrol Zooming Marshall
    • Sky Viper Streaming Drone (coming soon)
    • Star Wars™ Electronic R2D2 (coming soon)

    The Chosen By Kids list is just the beginning of Walmart’s season-long celebration of toys. Beyond the top 25 toys, Walmart will have thousands of toys to choose from available both in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com.

    Layaway Arrives in Time to Stock Up on the Season’s Hottest Toys
    Walmart’s layaway program begins Sept. 2 allowing customers to get a head start on holiday shopping. This popular service offers customers the opportunity to stay on budget, keep gifts hidden until the holidays or pay over time. Customers can find all of the top toys available to reserve through the layaway program, along with thousands of other items in Walmart stores.

    There is no opening fee for customers to start a layaway account and they only need to put down 10% (or $10, whichever is greater). Walmart has kept its minimum threshold again this year. Customers can put items as low as $10 on layaway with a $50 minimum basket. Customers have until Dec. 12 to pay off their account.

    Toys are Just the Beginning
    In addition to working with kids to test and review the top toys, Walmart engaged adults to test and review other popular categories like home, apparel and electronics. This year, video games and consoles are also expected to be hot items for the holiday. One of the most coveted gifts of the season for teens and children at heart – the Sony PlayStation Virtual Reality Bundle.

    Throughout the holiday season, Walmart is committed to making shopping easier for their customers creating ways for them to shop anytime and anywhere online, through mobile devices, and in stores. Customers can take advantage of Walmart’s convenient pickup service on hundreds of holiday items where they can buy online and pick their items up as soon as the same day in Walmart store for free.

    For more information on Walmart’s Chosen By Kids list, visit www.walmart.com/chosenbykids.

    About Walmart
    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,539 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Investor Relations contact:
Steve Schmitt
(479) 258-7172

Media Relations contact:
Randy Hargrove
(800) 331-0085

Source: WalMart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart and the Walmart Foundation commit to $1.5 million in donations to support organizations in their relief efforts across Louisiana

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation commit to $1.5 million in donations to support organizations in their relief efforts across Louisiana
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation commit to $1.5 million in donations to support organizations in their relief efforts across Louisiana

 

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2016-Aug-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (August 19, 2016 ), Walmart Foundation President Kathleen McLaughlin announced via Twitter that Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committing an additional $1 million to Team Rubicon, Convoy of Hope, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and other organizations making a difference on the ground in Baton Rouge and across the state of Louisiana.

Earlier this week Walmart and the Walmart Foundation made a $500,000 commitment to provide support through cash and in-kind donation to organizations helping with flood relief efforts. The total commitment of $1.5 million will be used to provide additional food, water, cleaning supplies and other essential items to those in critical need. Funds will also be used towards longer term recovery efforts.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this disaster,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, President of the Walmart Foundation. “We have been working closely with non-profit partners, first responders, elected officials and governmental organizations to learn how we can use our strengths to help. We will continue to be there for our friends, family, fellow associates, customers and neighbors in Louisiana.”

Walmart has a long history of providing aid in times of disaster in Louisiana, working hand in hand with the people of the Gulf Region during and after Hurricane Katrina. Walmart continues to help communities prepare and recover by donating emergency supplies, such as food and water, home and personal products, and by creating ways for associates and community members to locate and help one another. In the last 10 years, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have donated more than $56 million in cash and in-kind donations in response to disaster events.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,528 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482.1 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. We have stores in 28 countries, employing more than 2.3 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. We are helping people live better by accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where we operate and inspiring our associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, we are also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.

Contact: Call 1-800-WALMART (925-6278)

Source: Walmart

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Walmart to acquire Jet.com for approximately $3 billion

BENTONVILLE, Ark. and HOBOKEN, N.J., 2016-Aug-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Jet.com, Inc. today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Walmart to acquire Jet for approximately $3 billion in cash, a portion of which will be paid over time. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction.

The acquisition will build on and complement the significant foundation already in place to serve customers across the Walmart app, site and stores and position the company for even faster e-commerce growth in the future by expanding customer reach and adding new capabilities. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, has been approved by the Boards of Directors for both companies and is expected to close this calendar year.

“We’re looking for ways to lower prices, broaden our assortment and offer the simplest, easiest shopping experience because that’s what our customers want,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We believe the acquisition of Jet accelerates our progress across these priorities. Walmart.com will grow faster, the seamless shopping experience we’re pursuing will happen quicker, and we’ll enable the Jet brand to be even more successful in a shorter period of time. Our customers will win. It’s another jolt of entrepreneurial spirit being injected into Walmart.”

Jet is among the fastest growing and most innovative e-commerce companies in the U.S., with an experienced leadership team led by co-founder and CEO Marc Lore, together with fellow co-founders Mike Hanrahan and Nate Faust. Among other things, Lore previously co-founded and led Quidsi, the parent company of e-commerce sites Diapers.com, Soap.com and Wag.com. With the help of Faust and Hanrahan, Lore grew Quidsi into a prominent and successful business that was ultimately sold. The acquisition of Jet will infuse Walmart with fresh ideas and expertise, as well as an attractive brand with proven appeal, especially with Millennials, the first generation of true digital natives. Among other things, Jet has:

  • Demonstrated ability to scale with speed, reaching $1 billion in run-rate Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and offering 12 million SKUs in its first year.
  • A growing customer base of urban and millennial customers with more than 400,000 new shoppers added monthly and an average of 25,000 daily processed orders.
  • Best-in-class technology that rewards customers in real time with savings on items that are bought and shipped together, thereby reducing the supply-chain and logistics costs often buried in the price of goods.
  • A select group of more than 2,400 retailer and brand partners tailored to create an attractive and distinctive assortment for consumers.

“We started Jet with the vision of creating a new shopping experience,” Lore said. “Today, I couldn’t be more excited that we will be joining with Walmart to help fuel the realization of that vision. The combination of Walmart’s retail expertise, purchasing scale, sourcing capabilities, distribution footprint, and digital assets – together with the team, technology and business we have built here at Jet – will allow us to deliver more value to customers.”

Walmart and Jet will maintain distinct brands, with Walmart.com focusing on delivering the company’s Everyday Low Price strategy, while Jet will continue to provide a unique and differentiated customer experience with curated assortment. Walmart and Jet will leverage innovative technology solutions from both companies to develop new offerings to help customers save time and money.

Walmart believes it will obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to complete the transaction and both companies intend to make all necessary filings in the near future.

As a reminder, Walmart will release its second quarter earnings on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016.

Financial advisors to Walmart on this transaction were Allen & Company and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,527 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release regarding the impact of this acquisition and the anticipated closing date are believed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended (the “Act”), that are intended to enjoy the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Act. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors.

Investor Relations contact:
Steve Schmitt
(479) 258-7172

Media Relations contact:
Randy Hargrove
(800) 331-0085

Source: WalMart Stores, Inc.

 

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Walmart released its ninth annual Global Responsibility Report “Using Our Strengths to Help Others”

Report Outlines Walmart’s Focus on Using its Strengths to Enhance Economic Opportunity, Sustainability and Local Communities

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2016-Apr-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart today released its ninth annual Global Responsibility Report, entitled “Using Our Strengths to Help Others,” highlighting the company’s progress and milestones during fiscal year 2016 in social and environmental responsibility. The report also outlines Walmart’s “whole systems” approach to continue to advance global responsibility in the key areas of opportunity, sustainability, and local communities.

In addition to discussing progress, key metrics, challenges, and stories, Walmart’s 2016 Global Responsibility Report outlines the company’s approach to using its strengths to support and improve social and environmental systems beyond the company:

  • Aspiring to strengthen whole systems. In collaboration with others, Walmart aspires to reshape and strengthen whole systems to achieve significant and lasting improvement in social, environmental and economic outcomes. For example, enhancing environmental sustainability in retail supply chains means addressing their social and economic dimensions, as well. Walmart has and will continue to place increasing emphasis on social issues such as empowering women and supporting worker safety and dignity.
  • Creating business and societal benefits. Walmart continues to believe that it will make the most impact on social and environmental issues important to the company and stakeholders when initiatives the business undertake create a shared business and social value.
  • Leading through the business. Walmart focuses on integrating its social and environmental priorities into routine business activities, including leadership practices, organizational roles and operational structures. Its work to advance environmental sustainability also shapes the incentives, tools and processes used across supply chains.
  • Using philanthropy to complement business initiatives. When Walmart uses its strengths for good beyond its day-to-day business, its impact can be extended through the philanthropic efforts of the Walmart Foundation. Through both in-kind and cash gifts, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gives over $1 billion annually to projects that create opportunity, enhance sustainability and strengthen community. In FY16, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave grants totaling $39 million in support of the retail opportunity initiative, which aims to increase upward mobility of frontline retail and adjacent sector workers in the U.S. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation also made a $25 million commitment to disaster response and preparedness in the wake of the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
  • Prioritizing actions that draw on key capabilities. Walmart focuses on issues where particular strengths as a company have a relative advantage in making a substantive difference. For Walmart, these strengths and capabilities include its 2.3 million associates globally, supplier relationships, buying power in categories like food and apparel, physical assets and capabilities in logistics, marketing, operations and merchandising.
  • Collaborating with others. Walmart recognizes that collaboration with organizations around the world with the knowledge, capabilities and expertise to address priority issues is critical for catalyzing true change across the supply chain. Through Walmart’s ongoing work with the Environmental Defense Fund, the company has successfully met and exceeded its ambitious goal of eliminating 20 million metric tons (MMT) of GHG emissions from its supply chain by eliminating a reported 35.6 MMT since the goal was set forth. Additionally, as part of its participation in the Consumer Goods Forum and effort to achieve zero net deforestation, Walmart achieved its goal to sustainably source 100 percent of its private brand palm oil by the end of 2015, in accordance with the certification standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. From making a $25 million commitment to disaster preparedness and convening members of the nonprofit, business and government sectors to discuss new ways to work together to respond to future disasters, to making a $1 million grant to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) to start a three-year pilot to identify new ways to serve veterans, Walmart is constantly striving to lead the retail sector when it comes to driving collective impact to do good.

“Our customers want to buy products that are good for the environment, for their families, and for the people who made them, and we’re pleased to show continued progress through our efforts over the past year,” said McLaughlin. “We strongly believe in using our strengths to do good and that serving our customers and society is one in the same, and we look forward to continuing our journey ahead as we unlock the full potential of our business.”

For more information, read the 2016 Global Responsibility Report and visit the Walmart Today blog for updates. 

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,530 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

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Walmart becomes the only retailer to offer its own payment solution with the launch of Walmart Pay

Pay with any iOS or Android smartphone, any major payment type and at any checkout lane – all through the Walmart app.

Bentonville, Ark., 2015-12-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart knows customers want to save not just money, but also time. Today, the retailer introduced Walmart Pay – a fast, easy and secure way for customers to pay with their smartphones in Walmart stores.

Digital Press Kit

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Built with the goal of improving how customers check out and dramatically expanding mobile payment access, Walmart Pay is like no other mobile payments solution available today. With this launch, Walmart becomes the only retailer to offer its own payment solution that works with any iOS or Android device*, at any checkout lane, and with any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card – all through the Walmart mobile app. The mobile payment feature will be introduced in select stores beginning this month, with a nationwide launch to be complete by the first half of next year.

”The Walmart app was built to make shopping faster and easier,” said Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Walmart Global eCommerce. “Walmart Pay is the latest example – and a powerful addition – of how we are transforming the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting online, mobile and stores for the 140 million customers who shop with us weekly.”

Twenty two million customers actively use the Walmart app each month and it ranks among the top three retail apps in the Google and Apple app stores. The Walmart app enhances the shopping experience in Walmart stores with features including checking in to pick up an online order at a Walmart store, refilling pharmacy prescriptions and finding an item’s store location.

Open, Scan, Done – It’s That Easy

Checkout using Walmart Pay happens in three easy steps:

  1. Open: Visit any register, open the Walmart app and choose Walmart Pay. Activate the camera.
  2. Scan: At any time during checkout, simply scan the code displayed at the register. Walmart Pay is now connected.
  3. Done: Associate scans and bags the items… and it’s done. An eReceipt will be sent to the app and can be viewed at any time.

“The simplicity and ease of Walmart Pay comes not only from how it works, but also in how it’s been built,” said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president, services, Walmart U.S.  “We made a strategic decision to design Walmart Pay to work with almost any smartphone and accept almost any payment type – even allowing for the integration of other mobile wallets in the future. The result is an innovation that will make the ease of mobile payments a reality for millions of Americans.”

To learn more about Walmart Pay, please visit news.walmart.com.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com andhttp://www.samsclub.com.

*Available on any phone that can download the Walmart mobile app.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart becomes the only retailer to offer its own payment solution with the launch of Walmart Pay

Walmart becomes the only retailer to offer its own payment solution with the launch of Walmart Pay

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Walmart kicks off Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families campaign; will donate $1 million to Fisher House Foundation

Campaign will provide up to $1.5 million to Fisher House Foundation to bring more military families together while loved ones are treated at nearby hospitals

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2015-12-2 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today, on Giving Tuesday, Walmart is asking the public to literally lend its voice to support military families this holiday season. The company is kicking off Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families, a nationwide campaign that encourages the public to sing a portion of a classic holiday song while capturing it on video, and then post the video on social media channels to show support for members of the military and their families. Through these actions, Walmart will donate up to $1 million to Fisher House Foundation, which for the past 25 years has provided a home-away-from-home for military and veterans’ families whose loved ones are in a nearby military or veterans hospital. The goal of the donation is to help Fisher House Foundation fund a full year of lodging for military families staying at Fisher Houses on U.S. military bases. Additionally, Walmart is launching the campaign with an initial $500,000 donation to Fisher House Foundation.

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In recent years, more than 250,000 military men and women have returned home from overseas annually, many of whom are seeking medical treatment and are being treated at hospitals away from their families. Walmart’s Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families campaign aims to provide opportunities for these families to spend more time together during recovery while helping to provide a platform for the general public to show its support for our military, veterans and their families during the holiday season.

“For more than 25 years, Fisher House Foundation has helped our nation’s military families be with their loved ones while they recover and receive medical treatment at local hospitals. Walmart is honored to help Fisher House Foundation continue their efforts and share the joy of the season with the families staying at the houses this holiday,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer of Walmart and president of the Walmart Foundation. “Our initiative this December is part of Walmart’s overall commitment to support veterans and their families. Working together with our partners, we are helping to strengthen ecosystems that benefit military members as they return home and transition back to civilian life.”

The initial $500,000 donation from Walmart to Fisher House Foundation will be distributed among more than 60 U.S.-based Fisher Houses. This donation will be used for home improvements and holiday festivities, including gifts for families and visits from Santa. Walmart is asking the public to join in the campaign and take action to help Walmart donate up to an additional $1 million. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 22, the public can participate by taking the following steps:

  1. Create a holiday greeting or video of one or more individuals singing a portion of a classic holiday song.
  2. Post the greeting or video on a public Instagram, Twitter or YouTube account with the hashtag #Sing2Salute. If you’re posting on YouTube, make sure the hashtag is in your video’s title and post description.
  3. In the post, tag a friend and call on them to participate.

As always, your posted content should comply with the guidelines of the social media platform you choose. For each public post on Instagram, Twitter or YouTube using the hashtag #Sing2Salute during the campaign, Walmart will donate $100, up to $1 million, to Fisher House Foundation. To learn more about Walmart’s Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families campaign, review rules for participation and see featured videos, visit www.walmart.com/sing2salute.

“I’m so pleased to be working with Walmart this holiday season to bring a little extra cheer to our military, veterans and their families,” said Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “I can’t say that I’m a great singer, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is getting our voices out there to say thank you and spread cheer. That’s what the real purpose of the campaign is all about. And it has double value in that it will help Fisher House Foundation fund lodging for military families staying at Fisher Houses on U.S. military bases. Additionally, Walmart is helping brighten the holidays for families staying at Fisher Houses this holiday. What better way to show that America really cares.”

Walmart’s support of military families and veterans this holiday season is just one way the company is demonstrating its long-standing commitment to support men and women in uniform. This October, Walmart launched the Greenlight A Vet campaign to help create visible and actionable national support for veterans nationwide. Walmart invited all Americans to show support for veterans by changing one light bulb in their home to green, raising awareness on social media, volunteering and serving with veteran groups in their community, or starting a mentor/mentee relationship with a veteran. Walmart is committed to greenlighting veterans, including hiring 250,000 veterans by 2020 through Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment. As part of this effort, Walmart recently greenlighted its 100,000th veteran hire. While a job is a vital piece of transitioning from military to civilian life for a veteran, it also takes a coordinated, multi-sector effort to create healthy transitions to civilian life. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed $20 million in grants to organizations that provide veteran job training, education and community-based collaboration.

During the holiday season, Walmart will also provide support to two more nonprofits servicing military families and honoring veterans, including:

  • Operation Homefront: Walmart is helping Operation Homefront put a holiday meal on the table of 8,500 military families in 26 locations nationwide. Walmart has supported Operation Homefront’s Holiday Meals for Military program since 2006.
  • Wreaths Across America: Walmart is providing tractor trailers, private fleet drivers and a donation of $150,000 to Wreaths Across America to help honor U.S. veterans by laying wreaths in 900 locations on National Wreaths Across America Day, Dec. 12.

Additionally, celebrating the Red Kettle Campaign’s 125th anniversary this year, Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations nationwide will host red kettles and bell ringers throughout December to help The Salvation Army provide food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance and other services to those in need. Walmart also is working to brighten the holidays for local kids in need by sponsoring Fill The Truck events at participating stores. During the weekends of Nov. 27-29, Dec. 4-6 and Dec.11-13, Walmart is inviting customers to visit their local participating stores and donate a new toy, coat or other gift to a local charity for a child in need.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,554 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $485.7 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart 2015 Cyber Monday: Mobile firmly established itself as the dominant shopping trend

SAN BRUNO, Calif., 2015-12-2 — /EPR Retail News/ — Statement attributable to Fernando Madeira, President and CEO, Walmart.com.

“Mobile firmly established itself as the dominant shopping trend, for both traffic and sales. Mobile is making up more than 70 percent of traffic to Walmart.com, and now, nearly half of our orders since Thanksgiving have been placed on a mobile device – that’s double compared to last year. Our customers went from previously mostly searching and browsing on mobile, to making purchases at a much higher rate.

“But what was really fun to see were the products that grew the most in popularity from last year. Star Wars toys, 4K HDTVs 50-55”, drones, Xbox One and PS4 video game bundles, iPad Minis and 14-ft. trampolines were among the categories that gained the biggest boost in popularity, and we bought deep in these items to serve customers looking to wrap up those gifts. 2,000 of these and other Cyber Week deals are available on Walmart.com each day through Friday, Dec. 4th.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart’s CMO Steve Bratspies on 2015 Black Friday: Tens of millions of customers visited our digital and physical aisles

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2015-11-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Statement attributable to Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S.

“Thanksgiving was an exciting day. It all started at midnight when we kicked off our Black Friday deals online. All day Thursday, Walmart stores bustled with shoppers coming to pick up last minute Thanksgiving meal fixings – pies, canned vegetables and sweet potatoes were among the top items.

“Then, at 6:00 p.m., we turned on the Black Friday magic in stores. Customers were excited about the return of ‘one big Black Friday event.’ It was simple and easy to shop, and customers took advantage of offers across channels.

“We’ve said this Black Friday would be the most integrated between Walmart stores and Walmart.com – and we delivered. Tens of millions of customers visited our digital and physical aisles to pick up video games and systems, televisions, movies and toys, many of the top items sold both on Walmart.com and in stores. And, they prepped beforehand – more than 25 million customers accessed store maps and the circular through our online and mobile tools for Black Friday.

“We’ve planned this event for more than a year. Our stores were organized, well-prepared and safe, and I couldn’t be prouder of how our associates served our customers. Our registers were lit up and queue lines went smoothly. To say thank you, we are giving hourly associates who worked in stores on Thanksgiving an additional 15 percent discount on a shopping trip this holiday season.

“And it’s not over. We’re ready to help our customers get their trees and lights ready for Christmas. Our Cyber Monday events kick off on Sunday night, with the deals available beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The excitement will keep going after that, as well. Our customers can trust us for low prices and rollbacks on gifts and their everyday essentials not just on one day, but for the entire season.”

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com andhttp://www.samsclub.com.

Media and Journalists

Email Media Relations
Call 1-800-331-0085 from 8am to 5.30pm Central, Monday-Friday

International Journalists dial 1-800-123-1234

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart’s CMO Steve Bratspies on 2015 Black Friday: Tens of millions of customers visited our digital and physical aisles

Walmart’s CMO Steve Bratspies on 2015 Black Friday: Tens of millions of customers visited our digital and physical aisles

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Walmart’s Cyber Monday savings will be available to customers starting Sunday evening, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. ET.

Millions of customers can finally sleep well the night before Cyber Monday as all of Walmart’s Cyber Monday Deals Launch Early on Sunday

SAN BRUNO, Calif., 2015-11-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — For the first time ever, all of Walmart’s Cyber Monday savings will be available to customers starting Sunday evening, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. ET. The change is aimed at providing a simpler and more convenient experience for customers who are searching the Web on Sunday night and often waiting up past midnight to do their shopping. Google searches for the term “Cyber Monday” clearly surge on Monday, but there is also a significant spike on Sunday evening. And, historically, when Walmart released select Cyber Monday deals on Sunday evening, traffic increased significantly.

Cyber Monday originated as consumers waited to get back to work after Black Friday to continue their holiday shopping online where they had a high-speed connection. As faster Internet spread to more homes and smartphones, consumers began staying awake past midnight Sunday to access the best specials as they came online. Walmart’s earlier start time breaks with that “tired” tradition and reflects a commitment to make shopping easier for customers without asking them to stay up into the wee hours or checking online every few minutes on Monday.

“It can be exhausting for working parents and millenials to stay up past midnight to shop online, only to wake up early the next day to get ready for work,” said Fernando Madeira, President and CEO, Walmart.com. “By starting ‘Cyber Monday’ hours earlier on Sunday evening and quadrupling the number of Cyber Monday specials, we’re making it easier for customers to get ahead of the busiest online shopping day of the year and save on the best gifts.”

Savings All Weekend Long

On the heels of Black Friday, Walmart begins Cyber Week on Saturday, Nov. 28 with key items available for free in-store pick up. The savings continue with Walmart’s biggest Cyber Monday ever beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 29, with incredible deals on thousands of items, including:

  • LG 65” 4K Ultra HDTV – $799 ($500 savings) + free shipping
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 3 – $599 ($200 savings) + free shipping
  • Air Hogs Star Wars Remote Control X-34 Landspeeder – $19 ($15 savings) + free shipping to store
  • 14-ft. Trampoline with Enclosure – $189 (nearly $80 savings) + free shipping
  • Porter Cable 3-Tool Combo Kit – $79 (Special Buy) + free shipping
  • Air Hogs Video Drone – $75 ($34 savings) + free shipping

Deeper Inventory and the Best Deals on Items Customers Want Most

Walmart.com merchants closely watched customer search and demand trends in the months leading up to the holidays and significantly expanded the assortment for Cyber Monday in the most sought-after categories. For example, in the past week, searches for Star Wars, 4K TVs, drones, Beats by Dre headphones, Fitbit and 3D printers are all up more than 100 percent compared to the same time last year. Walmart.com has increased its assortment of these key items and will offer triple the number of Star Wars toys, three times as many 4K TVs, 15X more drones, and 350 percent more 3D printers and accessories compared to last year.

Fast, Free Shipping on Millions of Items

Last year, nearly 90 percent of the orders placed on Walmart.com between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday shipped for free. Millions of items ship for free to Walmart stores across the country, and Walmart offers free shipping to home on orders of $50 or more.

More Opportunities to Shop with the Return of Evening Edition

Walmart plans to bring back the popular “Evening Edition” which launched last year on the evening of Cyber Monday to give working moms, dads and millennials another opportunity to get the best gifts at low prices. If customers are unable to shop on Sunday evening, they have a second chance on Monday after work. Last year, Walmart saw a sharp increase in visits to Walmart.com during this time period. Cyber Week will continue through Friday, Dec. 4 with 2,000 online specials offered each day. More information on the Evening Edition will be unveiled before Cyber Monday.

More information and a sneak peek of additional Cyber Week specials are available by visiting www.walmart.com/cybermonday.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 250 million customers and members visit our 11,462 stores under 71 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 sales of nearly $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart opened new Supercenter in Sacramento; 300 jobs created

New Walmart provides about 300 jobs and seamless savings on wide selection in store and on Walmart.com

  • New store located at 8915 Gerber Road
  • Sacramento Walmart creates about 300 jobs
  • Store open 6 a.m. to midnight
  • Grand opening event Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7:30 a.m.
  • Local Facebook page: www.facebook.com/walmart3081

Sacramento, CA, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — A new Walmart Supercenter in Sacramento will open Wednesday, Nov. 18, bringing a broad assortment of fresh groceries and general merchandise at everyday low prices. Customers will also enjoy convenient on-site services such as a full pharmacy and a free store pickup service providing an easy way to shop millions of products on Walmart.com, with many items available for pickup the same day. The new store will employ up to 300 full- and part-time associates.

“Our new store is a welcome addition to the county of Sacramento, and we are eager to be of service to our new friends and neighbors, especially as the holiday season kicks into high gear,” said Silvio Garbarino, store manager.

 

Fresh, Affordable Produce, Meat and Groceries

The Sacramento Supercenter is a full grocery store with fresh produce, meat, pantry staples and more at Walmart’s everyday low prices. In addition to organics and nutritious food choices, customers will also find a full-service deli and in-store bakery offering custom cakes, and a selection of locally sourced produce.

 

Full-Service Pharmacy Offers Health and Wellness Services

The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, health monitors and more. Pharmacists can administer most commonly requested immunizations, including flu shots. Sacramento residents can easily transfer prescriptions and order refills on the go with the Walmart mobile app.

 

Millions of Items with Easy Digital and In-Store Shopping

The store is approximately 132,000 square feet and stocked with quality electronics, furniture, automotive, sporting goods, home improvement, apparel, toys and more from top brands at Walmart’s everyday low prices. Like all Walmart stores, the Sacramento store will feature Walmart Pickup, free store pickup service offering free shipping from Walmart.com on eligible items. Many items are available for pickup the same day.

The Walmart mobile app for iPhone and Android makes shopping easier than ever. Customers can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items in their store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com through the app.

(Editor’s Note: Please see attached fact sheet for more information about additional services available at this store.)

Job Opportunities at Walmart

The store will employ up to 300 associates for full- and part-time positions within the store. Applicants interested in careers at Walmart can apply at a store’s hiring kiosk or online atWalmartcareers.com. Garbarino began his Walmart career in 1993 as a cashier in Lodi, CA.

At Walmart, more than 75 percent of store management teams started as hourly associates. In 2014, 160,000 associates were promoted, and 40 percent of those promotions went to associates within the first year of their employment. Earlier this year Walmart announced it would be making more than a $1B investment in higher wages and training and other enhancements for its associates.

 

Community Giving

The grand-opening celebration includes presentations of grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups, including the Elk Grove Food Bank, Isabelle Jackson Elementary School, St. John’s Program for Real Change, and Southside Community Church. The new store will also continue a commitment by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to fight hunger in Sacramento and across the U.S. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation recently exceeded a $2 billion goal to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country.

 

Two Celebration Events: Grand Opening and A Big Family Welcome

Local associates will provide a special welcome to members of the Sacramento community at two public events. Store associates will host a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on grand opening day, November 18, at 7:30 a.m. The following Saturday, Nov. 21, local residents are invited to A Big Family Welcome, which will give customers a chance to meet Garbarino and enjoy fun family activities and free food samples while supplies last. Join the celebration from noon to 3 p.m.

 

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,532 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

 

FACT SHEET

Sacramento Walmart

 Store Facts

  • Location: 8915 Gerber Road, Sacramento, CA
  • Size: Approximately 132,000 square feet
  • Store manager: Silvio Garbarino
  • Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight
  • Grand opening: Wednesday, Nov. 18, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m.

 

Social

Greater Convenience and More Ways to Shop:

  • Free store pickup program: Customers can shop millions of products on Walmart.com and have them shipped to the store for free
  • Walmart Mobile App: Customer can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items within the store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com.
  • Financial services
    • Bluebird: A product by American Express that provides an alternative to traditional checking and debit accounts
    • Access to starter kits for  Green Dot’s “GoBank” checking account services
    • Money Transfers, Money Orders, and Express Bill Pay offered through MoneyGram
    • Walmart Money Card offered through Green Dot
    • Bill Payment offered through CheckFreePay
    • Walmart2Walmart Money Transfers offered through RIA
  • Gift Cards for use at any Walmart store or at Walmart.com.
  • Trade-In programs:
    • Smartphone: Customers trading in eligible smartphones can receive an immediate credit of $50 to $300 towards purchase of new smartphone
    • Video games: Customers trading in eligible video games can receive an eGift Card for select video games and other electronics

 

For more information

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart celebrates 10 years of progress towards aspirational sustainability goals at Milestone Meeting

Company celebrates 10 years of progress towards aspirational sustainability goals at Milestone Meeting, announces new commitment to preserve wildlife habitat

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — In front of an audience of associates, suppliers and nonprofit organizations at its Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, Walmart today announced the completion of commitments to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain, double fleet efficiency, and expanded an existing commitment to preserve wildlife habitat. The company also highlighted major progress around a pledge to develop a sustainable food system: the completion of several food and nutrition commitments and receipt of an award from Partnership for a Healthier America for its work to open stores in food deserts.

Digital Press Kit

Download high res photos, videos, reports, and infographics

“Today we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the launch of our sustainability agenda,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We’re proud to recognize the progress we continue to make every day, and we’re excited about what we hope to accomplish in the next ten years and beyond.  Our company has made major strides since we embarked on this journey, and our focus for the next decade will remain the same: doing the right thing for our customers, our communities, people working in the supply chain and the planet. Our approach to global responsibility not only makes sense for the environment, but it’s also good for our customers, and our business.”

A decade ago, Walmart’s then-CEO Lee Scott set forth three aspirational goals outlining the company’s support for environment and people worldwide:

  1. To be supplied by 100% renewable energy;
    2. Create zero waste;
    3. Sell products that sustain people and the environment.

To ensure progress toward these goals, Walmart continually establishes ambitious commitments with definitive timelines, while collaborating with suppliers, nonprofits, industry experts and governments. Walmart today shared progress against several of these commitments:

  • Eliminated 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from its global supply chain. In 2010, Walmart announced its goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. Today, the company announced that it has exceeded this commitment early by eliminating 28.2 million metric tons to date, which is the equivalent of taking more than 5.9 million cars off the road for an entire year. Collaborating with EDF, Walmart has achieved this goal by implementing various innovative measures across both its global operations and those of suppliers, including enhanced energy efficiency, the execution of numerous renewable energy projects and collaborating with suppliers on the Sustainability Index to track progress towards reducing overall carbon footprint.
  • Doubled fleet efficiency. In 2005, Walmart committed to doubling the efficiency of its fleet by the end of 2015. Today, the company shared that it has achieved this momentous goal by working with its associates to establish innovative solutions for loading, routing and driving techniques, as well as collaborating with tractor and trailer manufacturers on new technologies. With these new efficiencies, in this fiscal year alone, the company expects to save nearly $1 billion compared to a 2005 baseline, and avoid emissions of almost 650,000 metric tons of CO2.  This contributes to a cleaner environment and lower prices for customers.
  • Permanently preserved acres of wildlife habitat. Today Walmart announced it is renewing its conservation efforts by committing $35 million over the next ten years to Acres for America.  Since 2005, Walmart, in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has helped preserve and restore more than 1 million acres of wildlife habitat through 61 projects in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through the Acres for America program. This commitment aims to permanently conserve at least one acre of priority wildlife habitat for every developed acre of the company’s current and future footprint, and has already dramatically exceeded the original commitment of 100,000 acres.
  • Advanced the sustainability the company’s biggest product category. In keeping with the goal of selling products that sustain people and the environment, Walmart hascommitted to create a more sustainable food system. This commitment focused on four key pillars: improving food affordability; increasing access to food; making healthier eating easier; and improving safety and transparency in the supply chain. Today, Walmart announced the completion of several key food commitments under these pillars:
    • Affordability: Beginning in 2011, Walmart committed to helping customers save on healthy food, including $1 billion in annual savings on fresh produce. The company has exceeded this commitment year over year, totaling over $4.69 billion in customer savings to date.
    • Accessibility: In July, 2011, Walmart committed to opening up to 300 stores serving USDA-designated food deserts. By the end of January 2015, Walmart had exceeded this goal, a year earlier than planned, by opening 375 stores.  Today Walmart is being recognized for those efforts as a recipient of the Partnership for a Healthier America Award.
    • Health and Transparency: As part of its focus on making healthy eating easier, Walmart committed in 2011 to reduce sodium by 25 percent, added sugars by 10 percent and to eliminate industrially produced transfats in private label and national brand packaged foods sold in the company’s stores. So far, Walmart has reduced sodium in these products by more than 16 percent, reduced added sugars by over 10 percent and ensured that fewer than 6 percent of contain partially hydrogenated oils. Walmart also created a Great For You front-of-pack seal, which is now on more than 30 percent of the company’s private label products, to help customers easily identify more nutritious choices.

“While our journey is far from over, it’s clear that we are on the right path. Even as Walmart grows, we are continuing to leverage our scale and enhancing our supply chain for the good of people and the planet,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart.  “The progress we have achieved would not be possible without the passion and the hard work of associates across the company, as well as the partnership of our suppliers and the NGOs who have helped us drive our work forward.”

For more details and to watch the replay of Walmart’s Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, please visit: http://news.walmart.com/events/fall-sustainability-milestone-meeting

###

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,554 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $485.7 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Media and Journalists

Email Media Relations

Call 1-800-331-0085 from 8am to 5.30pm Central, Monday-Friday

International Journalists dial 1-800-123-1234

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart announces the completion of commitments to reduce 20m metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and expanded commitment to preserve wildlife habitat

Company celebrates 10 years of progress towards aspirational sustainability goals at Milestone Meeting, announces new commitment to preserve wildlife habitat

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2015-11-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — In front of an audience of associates, suppliers and nonprofit organizations at its Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, Walmart today announced the completion of commitments to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain, double fleet efficiency, and expanded an existing commitment to preserve wildlife habitat. The company also highlighted major progress around a pledge to develop a sustainable food system: the completion of several food and nutrition commitments and receipt of an award from Partnership for a Healthier America for its work to open stores in food deserts.

Digital Press Kit

Download high res photos, videos, reports, and infographics

“Today we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the launch of our sustainability agenda,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We’re proud to recognize the progress we continue to make every day, and we’re excited about what we hope to accomplish in the next ten years and beyond.  Our company has made major strides since we embarked on this journey, and our focus for the next decade will remain the same: doing the right thing for our customers, our communities, people working in the supply chain and the planet. Our approach to global responsibility not only makes sense for the environment, but it’s also good for our customers, and our business.”

A decade ago, Walmart’s then-CEO Lee Scott set forth three aspirational goals outlining the company’s support for environment and people worldwide:

  1. To be supplied by 100% renewable energy;
    2. Create zero waste;
    3. Sell products that sustain people and the environment.

To ensure progress toward these goals, Walmart continually establishes ambitious commitments with definitive timelines, while collaborating with suppliers, nonprofits, industry experts and governments. Walmart today shared progress against several of these commitments:

  • Eliminated 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from its global supply chain. In 2010, Walmart announced its goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of GHG emissionsfrom its global supply chain by the end of 2015. Today, the company announced that it has exceeded this commitment early by eliminating 28.2 million metric tons to date, which is the equivalent of taking more than 5.9 million cars off the road for an entire year. Collaborating with EDF, Walmart has achieved this goal by implementing various innovative measures across both its global operations and those of suppliers, including enhanced energy efficiency, the execution of numerous renewable energy projects and collaborating with suppliers on the Sustainability Index to track progress towards reducing overall carbon footprint.
  • Doubled fleet efficiency. In 2005, Walmart committed to doubling the efficiency of its fleet by the end of 2015. Today, the company shared that it has achieved this momentous goal by working with its associates to establish innovative solutions for loading, routing and driving techniques, as well as collaborating with tractor and trailer manufacturers on new technologies. With these new efficiencies, in this fiscal year alone, the company expects to save nearly $1 billion compared to a 2005 baseline, and avoid emissions of almost 650,000 metric tons of CO2.  This contributes to a cleaner environment and lower prices for customers.
  • Permanently preserved acres of wildlife habitat. Today Walmart announced it is renewing its conservation efforts by committing $35 million over the next ten years to Acres for America.  Since 2005, Walmart, in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has helped preserve and restore more than 1 million acres of wildlife habitat through 61 projects in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through the Acres for America program. This commitment aims to permanently conserve at least one acre of priority wildlife habitat for every developed acre of the company’s current and future footprint, and has already dramatically exceeded the original commitment of 100,000 acres.
  • Advanced the sustainability the company’s biggest product category. In keeping with the goal of selling products that sustain people and the environment, Walmart hascommitted to create a more sustainable food system. This commitment focused on four key pillars: improving food affordability; increasing access to food; making healthier eating easier; and improving safety and transparency in the supply chain. Today, Walmart announced the completion of several key food commitments under these pillars:
    • Affordability: Beginning in 2011, Walmart committed to helping customers save on healthy food, including $1 billion in annual savings on fresh produce. The company has exceeded this commitment year over year, totaling over $4.69 billion in customer savings to date.
    • Accessibility: In July, 2011, Walmart committed to opening up to 300 stores serving USDA-designated food deserts. By the end of January 2015, Walmart had exceeded this goal, a year earlier than planned, by opening 375 stores.  Today Walmart is being recognized for those efforts as a recipient of the Partnership for a Healthier America Award.
    • Health and Transparency: As part of its focus on making healthy eating easier, Walmart committed in 2011 to reduce sodium by 25 percent, added sugars by 10 percent and to eliminate industrially produced transfats in private label and national brand packaged foods sold in the company’s stores. So far, Walmart has reduced sodium in these products by more than 16 percent, reduced added sugars by over 10 percent and ensured that fewer than 6 percent of contain partially hydrogenated oils. Walmart also created a Great For You front-of-pack seal, which is now on more than 30 percent of the company’s private label products, to help customers easily identify more nutritious choices.

“While our journey is far from over, it’s clear that we are on the right path. Even as Walmart grows, we are continuing to leverage our scale and enhancing our supply chain for the good of people and the planet,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart.  “The progress we have achieved would not be possible without the passion and the hard work of associates across the company, as well as the partnership of our suppliers and the NGOs who have helped us drive our work forward.”

For more details and to watch the replay of Walmart’s Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, please visit: http://news.walmart.com/events/fall-sustainability-milestone-meeting

###

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,554 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $485.7 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.