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Tag: WalMart

  • Walmart Teams Up With Salesforce to Sell Its Retail Software

    Walmart Teams Up With Salesforce to Sell Its Retail Software

    Walmart is making a major move into retail software and services, teaming up with Salesforce to sell its solutions to other retailers.

    Walmart revolutionized the retail market thanks to its focus on logistics, fulfillment, and delivery. The retail giant is looking to make money off of its innovative solutions by selling fulfillment and delivery solutions to other retailers and teaming up with Salesforce to make it happen.

    “Through this partnership, retailers can leverage the same innovative and scalable technologies that power Walmart’s pickup and delivery experiences,” said Anshu Bhardwaj, senior vice president, technology strategy and commercialization, Walmart Global Technology. “The same technology that powers Store Assist has enabled Walmart to fulfill over 830 million orders across over 4,700 Walmart stores. Together with Salesforce, retailers can scale their business and deliver the personalized, convenient experiences shoppers expect.”

    “Salesforce is thrilled to partner with Walmart as it transforms its business and further expands into the digital technology market,” said Tyler Prince, Executive Vice President, Alliances & Channels, Salesforce. “Through this partnership with Salesforce, Walmart can grow its business in new ways by productizing its proven retail processes – empowering other retailers to create new and personalized experiences for their customers.” 

    Walmart says retailers will be able to take advantage of three major features, including Buy Online and Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS), use Walmart GoLocal to manage local deliveries, and take advantage of Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Order Management to manage the entire omnichannel shopping experience.

    “Shoppers continue to expect brands to deliver highly connected and frictionless experiences across physical and digital touchpoints. In fact, 1 in 5 online orders placed the weekend before Christmas were picked up in store,” said Rob Garf, vice president and general manager of retail, Salesforce. “With the combined power of Walmart and Salesforce, retailers can drive success with best-in-class technology to advance their omnichannel capabilities, drive efficiency and ensure that every purchase quickly gets into the hands of the shopper – no matter where they are.”

  • Walmart Is Permanently Closing Its Last Portland Stores

    Walmart Is Permanently Closing Its Last Portland Stores

    Walmart is permanently closing its last Portland, OR stores, citing a failure to meet financial expectations.

    According to KPTV, Walmart plans to close its remaining two Portland locations in late March.

    “The decision to close these stores was made after a careful review of their overall performance. We consider many factors, including current and projected financial performance, location, population, customer needs, and the proximity of other nearby stores when making these difficult decisions. After we decide to move forward, our focus is on our associates and their transition, which is the case here,” a Walmart spokesperson said.

    While the company officially blamed “financial performance,” Walmart has been struggling with record-breaking theft. Walmart CEO Doug McMillion warned months ago that the company’s financial performance was being negatively impacted as a result.

    It’s unclear if crime was a factor in the company’s decision.

  • Walmart Selling Moosejaw to Dick’s Sporting Goods

    Walmart Selling Moosejaw to Dick’s Sporting Goods

    Walmart is selling outdoor retailer Moosejaw, with DIck’s Sporting Goods buying it for an undisclosed amount.

    Walmart purchased Moosejaw in 2017 for $51 million as it was ramping up its online offerings. The purchase seemed like a good fit, given Moosejaw’s successful e-commerce presence.

    Just a few years later, Walmart is now offloading the company, selling it to Dick’s — which is arguably an even better fit, given both companies’ focus on outdoor apparel and gear.

    “We admire what Moosejaw has accomplished over the past 30 years as leaders in the outdoor industry and look forward to the opportunity to share insights and learn from one another,” said Todd Spaletto, President, Public Lands and Senior Vice President, DICK’S Sporting Goods. “We believe there’s potential to grow the Moosejaw business and provide compelling experiences and an expanded product assortment to its millions of loyal customers.”

    The deal is expected to close March 2023. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

  • Walmart Bucks Economy, Raises Wages

    Walmart Bucks Economy, Raises Wages

    Walmart has announced a major initiative aimed to invest in its workers, including raising wages across the company.

    Companies in various industries have been laying off workers left and right, but Walmart is going in the exact opposite direction, paying the workers it has even more. Instead of ranging from $12.00 to $18.00 per hour, the new pay scale will range from $14.00 to $19.00 per hour.

    “First, starting next month, we’ll begin investing in higher wages for associates,” writes John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US. “This includes a mixture of associates’ regular annual increases and targeted investments in starting rates for thousands of stores, to ensure we have attractive pay in the markets we operate. We expect these raises will bring our U.S. average hourly wage to more than $17.50. They’ll be reflected in March 2 paychecks.”

    In addition to raising wages, the company is also adding higher-paid positions in its Auto Care Centers (ACC).

    “Second, we’re continuing to invest in associates who run our Auto Care Centers (ACC),” Furner continues. “Last fall we created a higher-paying ACC coach role. Now we’re introducing a higher-paying ACC team lead position and elevating the ACC tech position to a higher pay-band that reflects the special skills needed for the role and its importance to our business.”

    The company is also adding additional college degrees and certificates to its Live Better U (LBU) program, and the company will pay 100% of tuition and fees.

    Finally, the company is also expanding its Associate-Driver Program, which pays supply chain associates to earn their commercial driver’s licenses. Once they become a Walmart truck driver, associates can earn up to $100,000 in their first year.

    It’s refreshing to see a company investing more in their employees, including paying them more, rather than laying them off.

  • Walmart’s ‘Be Your Own Model’ Expands Virtual Fitting

    Walmart’s ‘Be Your Own Model’ Expands Virtual Fitting

    Walmart is expanding its virtual fitting service, letting users upload their own photo in addition to using existing models.

    Walmart purchased Zeekit in 2021 and used its tech to unveil virtual fitting rooms. Customers could choose from a selection of models to see how clothing items look would look. The company is now expanding the service to let customers upload their own photo, giving a more accurate representation of how the clothes will look on them.

    Called Be Your Own Model, the service uses technology originally designed for topographic maps. This allows the software to accurately and realistically approximate how an item of clothing will look, right down to the shadows and fabric draping.

    Credit: Walmart

    Walmart is already delivering the new feature at scale, with some 270,000 items supported for a variety of brands, including Athletic Works, Avia, ELOQUII Elements, Free Assembly, Love & Sports, No Boundaries, Scoop, Sofia Jeans and Sofia Active by Sofia Vergara, Terra & Sky, Time & Tru, and The Pioneer Woman.

    It’s also incredibly easy to use. If an item is enabled for virtual try-on, customers will see the “Try It On” button on the item page and have the option to view clothing on themselves (Be Your Own Model) or another model (Choose My Model). To use the Be Your Own Model feature, the customer will be prompted to take a picture of themselves within the Walmart iOS app. Once an image is saved, the customer will be able to view themselves as the model each time they use the virtual try-on experience.

    Be Your Own Model is rolling out to the iOS Walmart app, but the company says an Android version will be available in the coming weeks.

  • Walmart’s Inventory Woes Are the Latest Economic Warning Sign

    Walmart’s Inventory Woes Are the Latest Economic Warning Sign

    Walmart has an inventory problem as a result of an impending economic downturn and its impact on consumer spending.

    According to Forbes, executives outlined the issues the company is facing, including $1.5 billion in unwanted inventory.

    “If we could just wave a magic wand, we’d make it go away today,” said chief financial officer John David Rainey. “We’ve also cancelled billions of dollars in orders to help align inventory levels with expected demand.”

    Executives believe it may take a couple of quarters to clear the additional inventory, much of which falls in the sporting goods, electronics, home, and apparel categories. In addition, changing buying habits as a result of the economy are also making it difficult to predict how customers will spend their money.

    “We’ve seen more pronounced consumer shifts and trade-down activity” Rainey explained. “As an example, instead of deli meats at higher price points, customers are increasing purchases of hotdogs as well as canned tuna or chicken.”

    Rainey indicates the company is struggling with a far sharper return to pre-pandemic norms than many companies expected, as well as a massive increase in inflation.

    “As a backdrop, the shifts that we’ve seen in consumer behavior through the pandemic, shifting from in-store to online, along with big swings in the purchase of goods versus services. and then the reversion back to pre-pandemic norms has been sharp and difficult to predict. These trends have been exacerbated by inflationary pressure on the consumer that many of us have not experienced in our lifetime, the effect of which has recently changed consumption patterns in certain categories for us, notably general merchandise.”

    Overall, Walmart’s situation should serve as a further warning regarding the state of the economy.

  • Walmart and Paramount Reach Agreement for Streaming Bundle

    Walmart and Paramount Reach Agreement for Streaming Bundle

    Walmart has reached an agreement to bundle Paramount+ as part of its Walmart+ membership that aims to compete with Amazon Prime.

    News broke last week that Walmart was in talks with various streaming platforms to bundle one or more with its Walmart+ membership. The company is positioning Walmart+ as a competitor to Amazon Prime, even launching Walmart+ Weekend.

    It appears the retailer has reached an agreement with Paramount to bundle its streaming service, according to The Wall Street Journal. The deal will be a 12-month exclusive, and a two-year deal overall, and builds on the long-standing relationship the two companies have had, with Walmart selling Paramount’s entertainment products.

    The deal will provide the ad-supported Paramount+ service to Walmart+ members and should be available to Walmart’s customers in September.

    The deal should also be a major boon to Paramount+, which had 43 million subscribers as of last quarter. With Walmart+ believed to have more than 16 million subscribers, the deal could bring a significant number of new subscribers to the streaming platform.

  • Walmart Explores Streaming Deals With Top Platforms

    Walmart Explores Streaming Deals With Top Platforms

    Walmart is reportedly exploring deals with top streaming platforms with a view to adding them to its Walmart+ bundle.

    Walmart has been working to take on Amazon, most recently launching Walmart+ Weekend to rival Amazon Prime. The company appears to be trying to combat Amazon Prime Video by partnering with streaming services, according to The New York Times.

    The Times’ sources say Walmart has spoken with execs from Comcast, Disney, and Paramount. At this time, there is no indication if a deal will be reached, and none of the companies involved would provide a comment.

    If Walmart is able to strike a deal, it will give the retailer a major advantage in its battle with Amazon. As the Times points out, companies across industries are increasingly looking to bundle streaming services in an effort to be more appealing to customers. T-Mobile and Verizon are two such companies, striking deals with streaming platforms to help build customer loyalty and reduce churn.

    A Walmart+ membership currently costs $12.95 per month. Should the retailer succeed in striking one or more deals, it will likely have to raise the price of its membership bundle unless it plans on maintaining the same price as a loss leader.

  • Walmart is the Roman Empire of Retail

    Walmart is the Roman Empire of Retail

    Walmart is the Roman Empire of retail, says Burt Flickinger, Managing Director of SRG. Walmart announced an impressive earnings and revenue beat that told the story investors want to hear. Walmart is winning the retail wars, especially against arch-rival Amazon. “Like Hannibal and the Carthaginians, Amazon is starting to go the wrong way.” says Flickinger. “Big win for Walmart today and they will accelerate that in the next two to seven years.”

    Burt Flickinger, Managing Director of SRG, a consumer industry business consulting firm, discussed how Walmart is winning the retail wars in an interview on Fox Business:

    Walmart is the Roman Empire of Retail

    This earnings report just reinforces its winning. Amazon is going sideways. This is a reenactment of the Punic Wars, Rome versus Carthage. Walmart is the Roman empire of retail. Like Hannibal and the Carthaginians, Amazon is starting to go the wrong way. Big win for Walmart today and they will accelerate that in the next two to seven years.

    What’s doubly impressive, we talk to a lot of vendors and shoppers around the world, what the vendors are saying is Walmart is reinvesting all the PPA (price and promotional allowances) in lower prices. Lower prices normally mean lower margins and lower revenue. But in this case, the shopper is shifting to Walmart.

    Walmart strategically saw all the land-based businesses like Payless and all the retailers from toys to sporting goods going out of business. They had great sales on land and not so good online. Walmart is winning both ways. Amazon, with all the trouble they’re having with Whole Foods, can’t capitalize. Walmart is running the table.

    This Says it All for US Retail

    This says it all for US retail. The well capitalized highly capable retailers are winning and if it’s a one man show, like Bezos running the show, you could be Alexander the Great, you could be Hannibal out of Carthage, but one general isn’t going to win a war. Recent (lower) retail sales numbers were a combination of a couple things. One is Jerome Powell scared the market, especially high to mid-end, didn’t spend as much. Also, consumers were a little bit scared toward the end of the year. Walmart, off price, low price, did very well, but full price full service struggled and that’s why the numbers were bad.

    Walmart comp sales increased 4.2 percent, just like Steve Jobs and Apple with their great campaign Think Different with Muhammad Ali, Walmart is thinking different with Doug McMillon. It’s evolved from a company of family management to professional management. Walmart had 40 percent growth online.

    Walmart Ads Are Really Connecting

    Before, Walmart looked at advertising as an expense. But as Jerry Della Femina said, most of the Super Bowl ads were pretty pathetic. Walmart was one that stood out because it advertised Walmart online and Walmart in-store. The Walmart ads are really connecting with consumers, a United Nations of consumers.

    They’re reaching everybody around the world with better prices and better service. Doug McMillon has invested in inventory and has invested in store staffing, first to raise wages with some push from the UFCW. They are hitting on all cylinders. The biggest problem now is they can’t handle all of the volume they are seeing on the weekends.


  • Battle of the AIs: Walmart Takes on Amazon

    Battle of the AIs: Walmart Takes on Amazon

    Walmart is looking to challenge Amazon using a tool the latter already relies on: artificial intelligence (AI).

    Amazon is the world’s leading e-commerce platform and has been challenging Walmart, Target, and other traditional brands in the broader retail market. A key to Amazon’s success has been its use of AI and machine learning (ML) for more than two decades. According to TheStreet, Walmart is getting in on the action, testing its own AI for the last few years.

    While Amazon made headlines for its new Proteus and Cardinal warehouse robots, its use of AI goes far beyond robots. The company uses AI and ML to handle multiple aspects of customer service and delivery, including product suggestions, re-order reminders, and more.

    Walmart is looking to roll out similar solutions in an effort to better compete with the e-commerce giant. As TheStreet points out, the pandemic put Walmart’s plans into overdrive. Between labor shortages and wage increases, AI is suddenly a critical component now, rather than being something that may be useful in the future.

    As part of its initiative, Walmart purchased just over 10% of AI firm Symbotic Inc. The company plans to use Symbotic to help run its distribution centers and relieve its employees of some of the manual, labor-intensive tasks.

    Once the realm of science fiction, the last few years have helped make AI an everyday reality that companies of all sizes depend on. Just ask Walmart.

  • Six States and 4 Million Households: Walmart’s Drone Services Undergoes Massive Expansion

    Six States and 4 Million Households: Walmart’s Drone Services Undergoes Massive Expansion

    Walmart has announced it is expanding its drone delivering program, reaching 4 million households in six states.

    Retailers have been looking for ways to improve deliveries, getting goods to customers faster and at lower costs. Numerous companies are turning to drones, including Walmart. The company partnered with DroneUp to implement a pilot program, one that is now expanding.

    Walmart says it will have drone deliveries from 34 sites by the end of the year, covering up to 4 million households in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The company expects to deliver more than 1 million packages in a year via drones.

    “We continue to expand our delivery operations to help customers get the items they need when they need them, and it’s been an exciting journey,” writes David Guggina, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Automation. “From Express delivery, where customers can have items delivered to their doorsteps in as little as two hours, to InHome, where they can get those orders placed right into their refrigerators, we’re proud to offer customers multiple options that help them save time and money.”

  • Amazon Prime Day, Meet Walmart+ Weekend

    Amazon Prime Day, Meet Walmart+ Weekend

    Walmart is taking on one of Amazon’s biggest strengths with its own take on Prime Day: Walmart+ Weekend.

    Amazon’s Prime Day is an annual event where the company’s Prime subscribers can score significant savings on a wide range of products. Walmart and Amazon are competing with each other more and more, and Walmart is now taking on Prime Day with its own savings weekend.

    The new Walmart+ Weekend will be an exclusive online event, and will cover parts of four days, beginning Thursday, June 2 at 3PM ET and ending Sunday, June 5 at 7PM ET. Customers will be able to save on thousands of products, including household items, electronics, grills, toys, apparel, and more.

    “Our Walmart+ members loved early access to our Black Friday events, so we were inspired to create an entire weekend dedicated to the best deals,” said Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager at Walmart. “Giving members more of what they want with exclusive, unprecedented Black Friday-like savings allows us to celebrate our members in a fun, new way.”

  • Walmart Brings Virtual Fitting Rooms to Customers

    Walmart Brings Virtual Fitting Rooms to Customers

    Walmart has upped the ante in its battle with Amazon, rolling out virtual fitting rooms for customers.

    Walmart purchased virtual fitting room platform Zeekit last year. The e-commerce industry has experienced major growth over the last couple of years, driven in no small part by the pandemic. Being able to virtually “try on” clothes is one of last big hurdles for customers shopping for clothes online.

    “One of the most frustrating aspects of shopping for clothes online is understanding how an item will actually look on you,” writes Denise Incandela, EVP of Apparel and Private Brands. “With Zeekit, our goal is to deliver an inclusive, immersive and personalized digital experience that will better replicate physical shopping.”

    The platform features a Choose My Model option, giving customers the ability to select the model that best matches their appearance. The models range from XS – XXXL sizes, and 5’2” – 6’0” in height. This will help customers get a reasonable idea of how an outfit would look on them.

    The platform is launching with 50 models, but Walmart plans to introduce an additional 70 in the coming weeks.

    “We have already seen a strong customer response to our Choose My Model experience,” Incandela adds. “The extraordinary, positive customer feedback out of the gate underscores our opportunity and ability to solve a common online shopping problem and build a true, personal connection between Walmart and our customers.”

  • Outage Impacting Slack, AWS, Github, Walmart, and Others

    Outage Impacting Slack, AWS, Github, Walmart, and Others

    What appears to be a major outage is impacting a number of high-profile sites, including Slack, AWS, Github, Walmart, and others.

    According to Downdetector.com, some of the internet’s largest sites and platforms are experiencing a spike in outage reports. The reports started mid-morning on Tuesday.

    At this time, it’s unclear what has caused the outage, although AWS’ inclusion in the list makes it at least possible that it is the culprit, since the platform powers so many other sites.

    Slack updated its Status page to let users know it was aware of the issue, but still not sure of the cause.

    Some customers are unable to load Slack. We’re still actively investigating this issue, but we don’t have any new information to share at this time. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have an update.

    We will update as more details become available.

  • Walmart Expanding InHome Delivery to 30 Million Homes

    Walmart Expanding InHome Delivery to 30 Million Homes

    Walmart is expanding its home delivery service to some 30 million US homes, and is hiring 3,000 drivers to accomplish its goal.

    Walmart has been aggressively building out its InHome delivery service, especially in the face of the pandemic and shoppers reluctant to be in crowded stores. The service was previously available to 6 million US homes, but the company is planning to expand that to 30 million in 2022.

    As part of its expansions, Walmart is hiring an additional 3,000 drivers, and building out a fleet of EVs to facilitate deliveries.

    “We’ve been operating InHome in select markets over the last two years and have found it is a perfect solution for customers who want to live their lives without worrying about making it to the store or being home to accept a delivery,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, last mile at Walmart U.S. “Identifying ways to help our customers save time and money is our purpose, and nothing showcases that better than InHome delivery, which is why we’re excited to bring the convenience of InHome to even more customers in 2022.”

    Unlike some other delivery services, Walmart has built InHome around the ultimate convenience. Associates will deliver a customer’s groceries, even putting them in their kitchen or garage refrigerator. Access is granted via a one-time code in the InHome app, in combination with smart home locks and technology. This allows the driver access for the delivery, and only the delivery.

    Walmart ensures these associates are highly trained and trustworthy, even using virtual reality to help round out their training.

    “This new role is yet another example of how technology is enabling us to offer new career opportunities that just didn’t exist a few years ago,” said Julie Murphy, executive vice president and chief people officer, Walmart U.S. “Expanding our number of InHome associates is a testament to the trust and confidence we have in them and their continuous commitment to delight our customers. There’s a path for everyone to build a career here at Walmart, and this position is further proof of that.”

  • California Sues Walmart Over Illegally Dumping Hazardous Waste

    California Sues Walmart Over Illegally Dumping Hazardous Waste

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Walmart, accusing the retailer of illegally disposing of hazardous waste.

    The California AG was joined by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) in filing the suit. In particular, Walmart is accused of dumping hazardous waste in landfills that are not equipped to handle it. The items include batteries, pesticides, aerosol cans, toxic cleaners, e-waste, latex paints, and LED lightbulbs. The company is also accused of dumping confidential customer information in landfills.

    “Walmart’s own audits found that the company is dumping hazardous waste at local landfills at a rate of more than one million items each year. From there, these products may seep into the state’s drinking water as toxic pollutants or into the air as dangerous gases,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “When one person throws out a battery or half-empty hairspray bottle, we may think that it’s no big deal. But when we’re talking about tens of thousands of batteries, cleaning supplies, and other hazardous waste, the impact to our environment and our communities can be huge. This lawsuit should serve as a warning to the state’s worst offenders. We will hold you accountable. As the People’s Attorney, taking on corporate polluters and protecting public health will always be among my top priorities.”

    “Despite repeated enforcements against Walmart over the past two decades, it consistently – and knowingly – fails to comply with California’s environmental protection laws,” said Dr. Meredith Williams, DTSC Director. “DTSC will vigorously pursue justice in this and all mismanagement of hazardous waste – particularly by repeat offenders, and most especially in communities forced to suffer the consequences of industrial pollution, generation after generation.”

    This isn’t the first time Walmart has been accused of this behavior. The company reached a $25 million settlement with California in 2010 over similar actions. In spite of the measures taken against the company, inspections beginning in 2015 discovered that Walmart was still violating state laws with its hazardous waste.

  • Walmart Expanding Autonomous Delivery Truck Trial in Arkansas

    Walmart Expanding Autonomous Delivery Truck Trial in Arkansas

    Walmart is taking the next step toward autonomous deliveries, expanding its pilot program involving Gatik’s autonomous trucks.

    Autonomous delivery is one of the next big steps in retail, with Amazon, Walmart and others experimenting with drones and delivery bots. Walmart appears to be teaming up with Gatik, a startup that is developing autonomous delivery trucks.

    According to Business Insider, Walmart says the Gatik pilot program has already logged 70,000 miles in “autonomous mode” with a safety driver present. The company now plans to expand its trial, testing the trucks without a safety driver.

    “This achievement marks a new milestone that signifies the first ever driverless operation carried out on the supply chain middle mile for both Gatik and Walmart,” Tom Ward, Walmart senior vice president of customer product, said in a statement.

    “We’ll be working with Gatik to monitor and gather new data to help us stay on the leading edge of driverless autonomous vehicles,” Ward continued

  • Fact Check: Walmart Is NOT Partnering With Litecoin

    Fact Check: Walmart Is NOT Partnering With Litecoin

    Walmart and Litecoin are both debunking news of a partnership, saying nothing is in the works.

    Early Monday, September 13, a notice went out on Global NewsWire claiming that Walmart was partnering with cryptocurrency Litecoin. Not surprisingly, Litecoin’s price surged on the news. The only problem — the news was fake.

    Walmart, Litecoin and Global NewWire have all denounced the initial press release as fake news.

    Walmart’s said it had no knowledge of the press release in a statement:

    Walmart was the subject of a fake news release issued on Monday, Sept. 13, that falsely stated Walmart announced a partnership with Litecoin (LTC). Walmart had no knowledge of the press release issued by GlobeNewswire, and it is incorrect. Walmart has no relationship with Litecoin. 

    Litecoin said the statement, as well quotes attributed to creator Charlie Lee, were false:

    A fake press release, which looked to be official, was sent out this morning across Global NewsWire. It is not our policy to release a partnership in this way. Regarding the quotes within the article itself, these too are fabricated and did not come from Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin and Managing Director of the Litecoin Foundation.

    Global NewsWire asked all journalists and readers to disregard the initial press release:

    Please be advised that journalists and other readers should disregard the news release, “Walmart Announces Major Partnership With Litecoin (LTC)” issued September 13, 2021, over GlobeNewswire.

    It is true that Walmart is working on something related to cryptocurrency, as the company recently posted a job opening for a Cryptocurrency Lead. Whatever those plans are, however, they don’t appear to involve Litecoin.

  • Walmart Launching Delivery as a Service

    Walmart Launching Delivery as a Service

    Walmart is launching Walmart GoLocal, its delivery as a service aimed at helping businesses deliver to their customers.

    Walmart already has a delivery service for its own customers, but the company sees an opportunity to help other companies do the same. The company has launched Walmart GoLocal to address the delivery needs of a variety of companies.

    “In an era where customers have come to expect speed and reliability, it’s more important than ever for businesses to work with a service provider that understands a merchant’s needs,” said John Furner, president and CEO, Walmart U.S. “Walmart has spent years building and scaling commerce capabilities that support our network of more than 4,700 stores and we look forward to helping other businesses have access to the same reliable, quality and low-cost services.”

    “We’ve worked hard to develop a reliable last mile delivery program for our customers,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, last mile, Walmart U.S. “Now, we’re pleased to be able to use these capabilities to serve another set of customers, local merchants. Be it delivering goods from a local bakery to auto supplies from a national retailer, we’ve designed Walmart GoLocal to be customizable for merchants of all sizes and categories so they can focus on doing what they do best, leaving delivery speed and efficiency to us.”

    Walmart is often accused of killing off small businesses, but this latest service will certainly help.

  • Walmart Looking for Cryptocurrency Lead

    Walmart Looking for Cryptocurrency Lead

    Walmart is looking for a cryptocurrency lead as the tech gains more widespread acceptance.

    Companies across a range of industries are increasingly adopting cryptocurrency, and looking for ways to incorporate it into their business models. Walmart is the latest company interested in doing so, if a company job posting is to be believed.

    In a job posting for a Digital Currency and Cryptocurrency Product Lead, the company outlines what it is looking for.

    As Digital Currency/ Cryptocurrency lead at Walmart you will be responsible for developing the Digital Currency strategy and product roadmap. As an expert in Digital Currencies/ Cryptocurrency and Blockchain related technologies, you will drive the vision for the product and capabilities roadmap. You will provide the leadership to identify technology and customer trends and the investments needed to build on those trends.

    Given Walmart’s position in the industry, its support for cryptocurrency could be a major boon to the tech.

  • Microsoft Will Require Vaccinations Onsite, Delays Opening to October 4

    Microsoft Will Require Vaccinations Onsite, Delays Opening to October 4

    Microsoft joins Apple, Google, Walmart, Twitter and others in either requiring vaccination onsite, pushing back reopening or both.

    As the Delta variant of COVID sweeps across the world, cases are once again surging. The surge has prompted some of the nation’s biggest companies to take additional precautions to protect employees. Apple and Google pushed back their reopening date, Twitter shuttered its offices once again, and Google and Walmart will require vaccinations of their employees.

    Microsoft is now taking similar measures, telling The Verge its offices will open “no earlier than October 4th, 2021.” In addition, the company will require all employees entering a Microsoft building to be vaccinated starting in September.

    Here’s the company’s statement:

    As we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we continue to closely track new developments and adapt our plans as this situation evolves, keeping employee health and safety top of mind. Based on our continued consultation with health and data experts, our earliest date for the full opening of our U.S. worksites will be no earlier than October 4, 2021. Starting in September, we’ll also require proof of vaccination for all employees, vendors, and any guests entering Microsoft buildings in the U.S., and will have an accommodation process in place for employees. We continue to review the situation on a local basis in each region/country/state where we work and will adjust dates and policies as needed.