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<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>David McNew/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Walmart is paying employees more.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Walmart is becoming a better place to shop because it started paying employees more.</p><p>For many years, the company was plagued by widespread complaints about poor customer service at its stores.</p><p>That was until last year when Walmart, under pressure from investors following several quarters of same-store sales declines, decided to invest billions of dollars in wage increases and training for workers.</p><p>Specifically, Walmart committed to investing $2.7 billion over two years in higher wages, scheduling improvements, and employee training, following in the footsteps of companies like Costco.</p><p>Walmart's efforts so far have translated into a pay raise of about 16% to $13.69 per hour for non-managerial full-time employees, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/upshot/how-did-walmart-get-cleaner-stores-and-higher-sales-it-paid-its-people-more.html?_r=0">T</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/upshot/how-did-walmart-get-cleaner-stores-and-higher-sales-it-paid-its-people-more.html?_r=0">he New York Times reports</a>.</p><p>In the meantime, widespread issues in Walmart stores such as empty shelves and cleanliness have significantly improved.</p><p>Three out of four Walmart stores now meet the company's own customer service standards, according to the Times. A couple years ago, just 16% of its stores met those goals.</p><p>It turns out that paying people more may have made them better employees.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Shoppers look at merchandise at a Walmart store in Secaucus, New Jersey</p></div><p></p></div></div>"Associates are feeling a little bit more engaged," Walmart US President Greg Foran told reporters earlier this year.</p><p>The company is even seeing sales and traffic improvements.</p><p>Walmart recently reported its eighth consecutive quarter of same-store sales increases in the US. In the most recent quarter, Walmart's US same-store sales rose 1.6%, driven by a 1.2% increase in traffic.</p><p>The changes aren't going unnoticed by customers.</p><p>"Our customer satisfaction scores continue to improve," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on an earnings call in August.</p><p>Walmart has said it's raising wages because "<a href="http://blog.walmart.com/opportunity/20151102/why-investing-in-people-makes-sense-for-our-business">it's the right thing to do</a>," however one recent pay hike appears to be the result of <span>President </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-new-overtime-law-means-for-everyone-2016-5">Obama's new overtime rule</a><span>, which takes effect December 1.</span></p><p>The rule <span>requires</span><span> employers to pay overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,500 a year. Last week, </span>Walmart announced that it would raise starting salaries from $45,000 to $48,500 annually for full-time employees.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The strategy of investing more in training and career development has proven to be massively successful for companies like Costco, which <a href="http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2015/12/15/best-places-to-work-in-retail-in-2016-in-n-out-costco-rei-and-more/&amp;refURL=https://www.google.com/&amp;referrer=https://www.google.com/">gets high ratings from both employees</a> and customers.</p><p>Costco's minimum wage is no less than $13 an hour, which is among the highest starting salaries in the <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> industry. By comparison, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.</p><p>Walmart's investments have brought its starting wages to $10 an hour, according to the company.</p><p>At Costco employees also get to advance quickly. It takes about four years for employees to reach the top of Costco's hourly pay scale, according to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-03/costco-raising-minimum-wage-as-competition-for-workers-grows">Bloomberg</a>.</p><p>Labor groups argue however that Walmart and others still have a long way to go in improving pay and working conditions for their employees.</p><p>The union-backed group Making Change At Walmart has been pushing Walmart to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour.</p><p>The group claims that not all Walmart's workers are making a minimum of $10, as the company claims.</p><p>"We continue to hear from Walmart workers who have been making less than $10 for months," Making Change At Walmart spokeswoman Jess Levin said last month.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/taste-test-best-fast-food-burgers-mcdonalds-wendys-burger-king-2016-9">We did a blind taste test of fast-food burgers</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="w3OGY0NjE64GwtrFdqeFGa5dcg67WMg3" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Walmart is copying one of Costco's winning strategies

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Ray Stubblebine</span></p><p class="caption">Walmart CEO Doug McMillon</p></div><p></p></div></div>Walmart is preparing for a new era of <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> with major new partnerships and investments in technology. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We have the opportunity to reimagine retail again," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a keynote speech at Walmart's annual shareholders meeting on Friday. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walmart may </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-falling-behind-in-the-e-commerce-race-2016-5"><span style="font-weight: 400;">have fallen behind in the e-commerce race</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but, at the shareholders meeting McMillion and other executives have been eager to forecast a new, digitally-focused future for Walmart. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Top on the list in reimagined retail is<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-partnering-with-uber-and-lyft-2016-6"> Walmart's partnership with Lyft and Uber.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Within two weeks, the retailer is launching a pilot program with Uber in Denver, and with Lyft in Phoenix. Customers buying groceries online will have the option to have their order delivered, for the existing delivery fee of $7 to $10.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Walmart</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lyft and Uber partnerships are far from the only examples of new technology that Walmart is eager to promote. By the end of June, Walmart plans to offer Walmart Pay in every store in the US. Additionally, the company has recently announced unlimited two-day shipping from Walmart.com, as the retailer expands its online inventory. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company is growing its online grocery business, expanding</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> services to 14 additional markets by the end of June. Online grocery is currently available in 40 markets, or roughly 200 stores. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walmart is even </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-developing-a-drone-2016-6"><span style="font-weight: 400;">developing a drone, </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">intended to replace the jobs of inventory quality assurance employees at massive distribution centers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Rick Wilking</span></p><p class="caption">People talk outside a Wal-Mart Pickup-Grocery test store in Bentonville, Arkansas, June 4, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We're connecting all the parts of Walmart into one seamless shopping experience with great stores, easy pickup, fast delivery, and apps and websites that are simple to use," said McMillion. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, even as Walmart increases its sometimes futuristic investments in tech, the company is also doubling down on employees. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In his speech, McMillion outlined three steps for Walmart's reinvention: supporting Walmart employees, serving customers, and serving communities. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"As the world becomes more digital, it will be the humanity of Walmart that differentiates us and wins with customers," McMillon said. "Our investments in education and training, store structure, wages, hours and sales floor technology are to support you and enable you to serve your customers and members."</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Joe Raedle/Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walmart committed last year to investing $2.7 billion over two years in wage increases, scheduling improvements, and employee training, the retailer's customer-service scores have increased for<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-fixing-customer-service-2016-6"> 79 weeks straight.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keeping up with the competition in terms of tech and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-wage-increases-are-paying-off-2016-5?pundits_only=0&amp;get_all_comments=1&amp;no_reply_filter=1">customers service</a> have been two of Walmart's biggest hurdles. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walmart may be investing big in tech, but it is also now seeing results in investing in employees. Right now, it looks like Walmart's chance to "reimagine retail" will require both. </span></p><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Feloni contributed to this story. </span></em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-will-sell-only-cage-free-eggs-by-2025-2016-4">Walmart is making a major change that will impact more than 5,000 stores</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tnM2ZtMjE6OLUdMK-32uHFFgxGc8lgn1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Walmart plans to change the future of retail - and fix some of its biggest mistakes

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>While many shipping companies have had difficulty retaining a workforce of drivers, <a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/walmart">Walmart</a> has invested heavily in its own shipping infrastructure, avoiding a trucker shortage.</li><li>Unlike many major retailers, <a href="https://businessinsider.com/category/walmart">Walmart</a> maintains its own private fleet of 9,000 truck drivers, and the median salary for Walmart truckers is double that of the national median.</li><li>Walmart's VP for Transportation Ken Braunbach discussed the retailer's supply chain at Business Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ignition-transportation">IGNITION: Transportation</a> event in San Francisco.</li><li><a href="https://businessinsider.com">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>Walmart's investment in its own trucking and supply chain operations goes further than many of its competitors - and as a result, the retailer doesn't have a problem retaining truck drivers, according to Walmart VP for Transportation Ken Braunbach.</p><p>For years, trucking companies have warned about an ostensible truck-driver shortage in the US, with the American Trucking Association claiming that the US is short 50,000 truck <a href="https://atri-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ATRI-Top-Industry-Issues-2018.pdf">drivers</a>.</p><p>However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and truck drivers themselves have said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/truck-driver-shortage-not-real-bls-2019-3">no such shortage exists</a> - rather, there's a lack of truckers willing to work 70-hour weeks for the low wages offered by most shipping companies.</p><p>Walmart's model seems to prove this theory. The company's median salary for its fleet of 9,000 truckers is nearly $90,000 per year, according to Braunbach, compared to a national median of roughly $42,000 per year.&#xa0;</p><p>"You pay a little bit more, but you get a more safe and loyal workforce," Braunbach said.</p><p>Braunbach spoke about Walmart's supply chain practices during a conversation with transportation reporter Rachel Premack during Business Insider's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ignition-transportation">IGNITION: Transportation</a> event in San Francisco Tuesday.</p><p>During the event, Braunbach also weighed in on the impact of advancements in driver technology. Self-driving vehicles are still on the distant horizon for trucking, he argued, stating that advancements in technology have largely helped make truck drivers' jobs easier so far.</p><p>He also reflected on how much Walmart has changed since he joined the company in 2002. Its biggest adaptation, Braunbach said, has been its shift in focus from expanding brick-and-mortar locations to investing in e-commerce. Shoppers have rapidly moved online for retail purchases, he said, noting that "that speed in the last 3 to 5 years has been remarkable."</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/future-of-retail?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=transportation&amp;itm_campaign=future-of-retail"></a></p><div></div>

A Walmart VP explains why the company pays its truck drivers twice the national median salary

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty/Joe Raedle</span></p><p class="caption">Walmart takes cost savings seriously.</p></div><p></p></div></div><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/wmt-quote">Walmart</a> is so large, even small changes can have an enormous impact.</p><p>To illustrate that the chain is paying attention to cost, during a presentation to investors in its 2017 Investment Community Meeting, Walmart CFO Brett Biggs used two concrete examples of how the chain has made small tweaks to save money. </p><p>The first is what Biggs described as a "small" change to the plastic bags used by Walmart US. That change saved the company $20 million year over year.</p><p>The second is even simpler. Walmart shortened the length of receipts given to customers in stores and saw $7 million in savings over the last year, according to Biggs.</p><p>As Walmart invests heavily in technology, beefs up its e-commerce offering, remodels stores, improves the store experience, raises employee pay, and lowers prices, the company is now making it clear to investors that it cares about controlling costs, too.</p><p>Executives placed an emphasis on cost reduction during Tuesday's meeting, and the word "discipline" showed up in many forms during the event.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-colicchio-reveals-okay-complain-restaurants-crafted-hospitality-food-meal-top-chef-2017-9">Why you shouldn't be afraid to complain about a bad meal in a restaurant, according to Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Walmart says it saved $27 million by making 2 tiny tweaks

<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Jim Anderson/AP Photos</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><ul><li><strong><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock">Walmart</a>'s acquisition of Flipkart has investors worried.</strong></li><li><strong>E-commerce is getting increasingly competitive in the US, and Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman thinks Walmart should be investing more in the US. </strong></li><li><strong>While Flipkart isn't expected to be profitable soon, Gutman does believe there is long-term growth potential in India. </strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock">Watch Walmart trade in real time here.</a> </strong></li></ul><p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock">Walmart</a>'s decision to purchase Indian e-commerce leader Flipkart has investors worried the US retail giant is neglecting one of its core businesses: Walmart US. </p><p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/walmart-stock-price-flipkart-majority-stake-2018-5-1023879080">Walmart announced Wednesday it will pay $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart</a>. Investors did not applaud the news, as Walmart shares dropped 4% on the announcement. But Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon defended the company's move. "<span>India is one of the most attractive retail markets in the world, given its size and growth rate, and our investment is an opportunity ," he said in the press release for the acquisition. </span></p><p><span>Still, investors are worried, according to a note from Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman. "</span>Investors are questioning why Walmart is investing outside the US market (~2/3 of total revenue and ~75% of total EBIT) at a time when Amazon is stepping up its infrastructure/distribution related investments," Gutman wrote.</p><p>He added "this investment will pull management attention from the US market at a time when competition has never been tougher."</p><p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/amazon-stock-price-whole-foods-could-be-cheaper-than-most-grocery-stores-2018-5-1023168688">Amazon has been increasing its footprint in groceries</a>, and its tech-minded approach is <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/amazon-stock-price-amazon-has-created-a-tipping-point-in-online-groceries-2018-4-1022012798">forcing most grocers to adapt</a> in an increasingly competitive environment. </p><p>"Walmart is still a distant second in what we see as a two player omni-channel race in the US market," Gutman said. </p><p>Instead of allocating that cash to international ambitions, Gutman said, Walmart should have used it to optimize its third-party marketplace capabilities in order to compete with Amazon. </p><p>Still, there is an argument to be made for Walmart's Flipkart investment. While profitability isn't on the cards in the short-term, Gutman sees a long-term growth story in India for Walmart. "India represents a massive long-term opportunity," he wrote. "The Flipkart acquisition effectively prevents AMZN from gaining an insurmountable advantage in this important market."</p><p>Walmart is down 15.29% on the year. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock"></a><p class="source"><span>Markets Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-breaking-up-regulating-amazon-2018-4">Jeff Bezos on breaking up and regulating Amazon</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Walmart could be neglecting a key business by purchasing Flipkart

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/wmt-Quote">Walmart</a> is spending millions of dollars to make sure Americans know about investments that might rehab the retailer's reputation.&#xa0;<p>Walmart spent $17.6 million on an ad that aired earlier this year about the retailer's plan&#xa0;to buy $250 billion in American-made or grown products, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/business/walmart-academy-employee-training.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">the New York Times reports. </a>Additionally, the company&#xa0;has spent roughly $650,000 on emotional&#xa0;commericals&#xa0;in the past year highlighting&#xa0;a new worker training program called Walmart Academy.&#xa0;</p><p>In recent years, Walmart has been making major efforts to ditch&#xa0;its reputation as an anti-worker company that values profit above all else.</p><p>In 2015,&#xa0;Walmart committed to investing $2.7 billion over two years in higher wages, scheduling improvements, and employee training. As people increasingly shop online, improving in-store experiences is crucial to retailers' success. And, Walmart has said that higher pay has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-investing-more-in-employees-2016-10">improved customer service at stores.</a></p><p>However, there's also more reputation-centric reasons to invest in better customer service and buying American goods.</p><p>Spending millions of dollars on advertisements that highlight the retailer's recent investments shows that Walmart realizes convincing customers it is changing is just as important as making the changes.&#xa0;</p><h2>Here's one of the Walmart Academy ads:</h2><h2>And, here's the $17.6 million Made By America ad:&#xa0;</h2><p>You can read the New York Times' full story, which goes deep on the impact of Walmart Academy, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/business/walmart-academy-employee-training.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">here</a>. &#xa0;</p><div></div><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-last-kmart-supercenter-2017-8">A look inside the last standing Kmart SuperCenter</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Walmart has spent more than $18 million on tear-jerking ads to fix its infamous reputation

<p>Internal <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/wal-mart-executives-sweat-slow-february-start-in-e-mails.html">emails leaked to Bloomberg News</a> have shown that Wal-Mart executives are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-payroll-taxes-leaked-emails-2013-2">worried about </a><span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-payroll-taxes-leaked-emails-2013-2">a rise in payroll taxes and a delay in tax returns</a>.</span></p>
<p class="p1">But these aren't the only major issues that Wal-Mart faces. </p>
<p class="p1"><span>"The company’s problems run much deeper," </span><a href="http://www.retailgeeks.com/2013/02/15/probs-deeper-than-leaked-emails-price-invest-not-driving-improved-traffic-at-wmt/">write the analysts at Tiburon Research Group's Retail Geeks</a>.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It's still not clear if Wal-Mart's price investment, which should drive traffic into its stores, is actually working, according to Tiburon.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">See, back in Q1 2012, Wal-Mart announced a new initiative. It would </span><a href="http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-02-21/industries/31081656_1_chief-executive-mike-duke-wal-mart-stores-massmart">invest in price at both Walmart and Sam's Club in order to drive traffic</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> into its stores. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It promised to pump $2 billion into <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> <keyword id="73603" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pricing">pricing</keyword>, then later in 2012, Wal-Mart </span><a href="http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/wal-mart-invest-6-billion-price">upped that number to $6 billion</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">.</span></p>
<p>And yet, <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> store traffic slowed down in Q2 and Q3 relative to Q1.</p>
<p><span>So there's a big question that needs to be answered: Is Wal-Mart's price investment actually effective?</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.retailgeeks.com/2013/02/15/probs-deeper-than-leaked-emails-price-invest-not-driving-improved-traffic-at-wmt/">From Tiburon</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Here’s the problem, following 4 consecutive quarters of improved traffic (Q4 2011 through Q3 2012), the core chain lapped an increased level of traffic in Q4 2012.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Coinciding with the anniversary of an increased level of traffic at the core chain, the company planned for a much larger marketing spend in Q4 2012 (radio/TV). Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the core chain’s traffic improved in Q4 2012 versus LY.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">If not, FY 2013 is setting up to be an ugly year for WMT.</p>
<div id="area-article-first-block" class="area">
<div id="mod-a-body-first-para" class="mod-marketwatcharticletext mod-articletext">
<p>There are some fundamental <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-struggles-with-payroll-taxes-2013-2">concerns about the health of Wal-Mart's core customers</a>. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Wal-Mart's price investment is meant to help curtail that problem and it may not be working.</span></p>
<p>One thing's for sure — Wal-Mart's Q4 earnings will be very interesting come Feb. 21.</p>
</div>
</div>

Wal-Mart's Problems Run Deeper Than Those Leaked Emails

<p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A customer shops at a Walmart Supercenter in Rogers</p>As the "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-retail-apocalypse-has-officially-descended-on-america-2017-3">Retail Apocalypse</a>" has cast a dark shadow over America's storefronts, it seems that <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/WMT-Quote">Walmart</a> is emerging as the big winner in the fight for the remaining share of America's brick-and-mortar retail market.<p>In a note to clients sent out on April 7, Telsey Advisory Group Analyst Joseph Feldman says that Walmart is reemerging as the dominant brick-and-mortar retailer because of the company's investment and execution in grocery and private brand sales. </p><p>"Walmart appears to be regaining its dominance in physical retail... The focus on food and e-commerce, price investments, and the customer experience point to a winning formula to gain market share," Feldman wrote.</p><p>He upgraded Walmart to "Outperform" and raised his price target to $82.00 from $73.00.</p><p>Over the last decade Walmart has invested millions in their grocery department, and it has paid off. Walmart is now the second largest grocery store in the country behind <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/KR-Quote">Kroger</a>. Additionally, grocery accounts for roughly 56% of sales at Walmart and 59% at Sam's Club, making grocery the company's largest business. </p><p>Feldman highlights some key grocery initiatives:</p><p><strong>Freshness: </strong>Walmart is adding more and more local farmer produce to their stores to highlight freshness. They are also rearranging food in their stores to show off the new selection.</p><p><strong>Natural and Organic:</strong> It is clear that there is heavy demand for natural and organic products. More than ever, Walmart shoppers are conscious of what they eat, and Walmart is meeting the demand with a plethora of new natural products, which have better margins.</p><p><strong>Private Brands:</strong> Walmart is vastly expanding its private brand product offerings and recently opened an innovation center to come up with new ideas and new recipes. Since these products are produced by Walmart, they also have better margins. </p>Feldman also notes that deflation, which has been an issue for grocers, has lessened. Going forward Feldman sees modest food inflation that should help grocers. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-cheaper-than-kroger-2017-4">This is key to competing with stores like Trader Joes and Kroger.</a><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/walmart-strategic-advantages-over-amazon-2017-4-1001907522">Walmart is also investing in e-commerce to compete with Amazon. </a><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/WMT-Quote">Click here for a real-time Walmart quote. </a><p class="source"><span>markets Insider</span></p>             <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/highways-driving-roads-concrete-walls-alongside-noise-barrier-sound-science-2017-3">Here's the surprising reason highways have those concrete walls alongside them</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Walmart's groceries make it the king of brick-and-mortar retail

New Delhi, Dec 11 () US retail giant Walmart and Flipkart on Wednesday said they will jointly invest in Bengaluru-based business-to-business (B2B) supply chain company, Ninjacart.
<p>The three partners aim to help ensure better access to high-quality fresh produce for retailers and consumers across India while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, a statement said. 
</p><p> The company however did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.
</p><p> "Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India's Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart's online grocery business Supermart," it added. 
</p><p>The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem, the statement added.
</p><p> Ninjacart was founded by Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Kartheeswaran K K, Ashutosh Vikram, Sharath Loganathan and Vasudevan Chinnathambi in 2015.
</p><p>In the past, Ninjacart has raised money from funds such as Tiger global, Accel partners, Steadview Capital, Syngenta Ventures, Qualcomm ventures and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. 
</p><p> Ninjacart connects farmers to retailers via a network of more than 200 collection centres and 1,200 warehouses across India. It moves over 1,400 tonnes of fresh produce per day.
</p><p>It has over 44,000 farmer suppliers and a customer base of 60,000 kirana stores and restaurants across seven cities. 
</p><p>"Developing Flipkart Supermart over the past year, we have focused on creating the right infrastructure, supporting local farmers, producers and food processors, and building sustainability into the ecosystem," Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said. 
</p><p> Thirukumaran Nagarajan, CEO and Co-founder of Ninjacart, said with the support of Flipkart and Walmart, the company sees new possibilities to improve the lives of its farmers, retailers and restaurant partners.
</p><p>The transaction is expected to close by the end of the month. 
</p><p> "Ninjacart's focus on direct-from-farm sourcing resonates well with Walmart's commitment to supporting farmers in India. We are working towards our commitment of sourcing 25 per cent of produce in our Best Price cash-and-carry stores directly from farmers by 2023," Walmart India President and CEO Krish Iyer said.
</p>The investment, he said, will help accelerate market access for farmers and reduce transportation costs.  SR  DRR

Walmart, Flipkart invest in Bengaluru-based Ninjacart

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> says its investment could create up to 750,000 new jobs over the next decade.</li><li>Walmart will focus on certain products including plastics, textiles, and medical supplies.</li><li>The retailer will also launch the American Lighthouses initiative to help overcome barriers to US manufacturing.</li></ul><p>Walmart plans to invest $350 billion over the next decade in products made, grown, or assembled in the US to strengthen domestic manufacturing. </p><p>"More businesses are choosing to establish their manufacturing operations in the United States, and the result is more jobs for Americans - a lot more jobs," Walmart's President and CEO John Furner said<a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/03/03/investing-in-the-future-of-u-s-manufacturing-our-commitment-to-american-jobs"> on Wednesday</a>. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-reportedly-lures-goldman-sachs-bankers-to-lead-fintech-venture-2021-2">The company</a> estimates that this investment will create 750,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. It will also avoid an estimated 100 million metric tons of CO2 emissions by sourcing products closer to customers, according to Walmart.</p><p>The investment will also support small businesses, diverse suppliers, and sellers who are based in the US, Furner said.</p><p>Walmart will focus on six product categories: plastics, textiles, small electrical appliances, food processing, pharmaceutical, and medical supplies, according to Furner.</p><p>US manufacturing, which has contracted over the past two decades, swiftly bounced back after COVID-19 froze the economy early last year. Manufacturing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ism-manufacturing-pmi-february-factory-activity-hiring-coronavirus-economic-recovery-2021-3">grew at the fastest pace</a> in three years with the industry showing improvement in February despite supply shortage and increased material costs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Institute for Supply Management's purchasing manager's index for the manufacturing sector.</p><p>Over 85% of Walmart's customers said that it's important for them that the retailer offers products made or assembled in the US, according to a survey conducted by Walmart's Global Customer Insights &amp; Analytics team, Furner said.</p><p>The retailer is also launching American Lighthouses, a collaborative effort that will gather key stakeholders including suppliers and manufacturers to identify and overcome obstacles to US production. </p><p>Walmart's efforts to support US manufacturing dates back to 2013 when the retailer said would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-walmart-suppliers-grapple-with-challenge-of-made-in-usa-labels-2015-7">invest $250 billion in American-made products</a> by 2023.</p><p>Separately, the giant retailer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-pay-minimum-wage-associate-digital-stocking-workers-retail-staff-2021-3">told Reuters on Tuesday </a>that it will raise hourly wages to at least $15 per hour for Walmart workers located at the East and West coasts. Last week, the company said that on March 13 it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-to-raise-pay-for-425000-frontline-workers-2021-2">will start paying 425,000 frontline workers</a> an hourly wage ranging between $13 and $19 an hour.</p>

Walmart says it will invest $350 billion in US manufacturing over the next decade

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> is selling a majority stake in its Japanese supermarket chain <keyword id="487313" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Seiyu">Seiyu</keyword>, <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/11/15/kkr-and-rakuten-to-acquire-stakes-in-seiyu-from-walmart-focus-on-accelerating-digital-transformation-of-japanese-retail">it announced Sunday</a>.</li><li>The deal values Seiyu at 172.5 billion yen ($1.6 billion), far lower than Walmart reportedly sought in 2018.</li><li>Walmart is selling a 65% stake to KKR and a minority stake to Rakuten, retaining 15% stake.</li><li>Seiyu has 331 stores across <keyword id="6355311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="japan">Japan</keyword>, but the three investors want to focus on expanding its e-commerce.</li></ul><p>Walmart is selling a majority stake in 300-store Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu, <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/11/15/kkr-and-rakuten-to-acquire-stakes-in-seiyu-from-walmart-focus-on-accelerating-digital-transformation-of-japanese-retail">it announced Sunday</a>.</p><p>The deal valued Seiyu at 172.5 billion yen ($1.6 billion) including debt.</p><p>This valuation is far less than what Walmart reportedly sought in 2018, when <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/12/business/corporate-business/16-year-struggle-seiyu-walmart-looks-next-retailer-exit-japan/">Japanese media reported</a> it wanted to sell Seiyu.</p><p>The deal also takes Walmart a step closer to exiting the country: Seiyu is the biggest part of Walmart Japan's business.</p><p>The retailer is selling a 65% stake to global investment firm KKR and 20% stake to Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, which has already worked with Seiyu for its <keyword id="6372044" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="grocery">grocery</keyword> delivery service.</p><p>Walmart will retain a 15% stake. </p><p>Walmart first invested in Seiyu in 2002 when it bought a 6% stake, marking its first venture into the Japanese <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> market. Walmart gradually increased its stake, before taking over the chain in 2008.</p><p>Walmart will now work alongside KKR and Rakuten to accelerate Seiyu's digital growth, Walmart said. This includes introducing more options for cashless payment and investing in shopping apps.</p><p>During the transition period, Seiyu CEO Lionel Desclee will continue to lead the business, before taking on a new role within Walmart.</p><p>Representatives from KKR, Rakuten, and Walmart will form a new board of directors, which will appoint a new CEO for once the transaction is closed. This is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2021.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-wants-to-rival-amazon-advertising-but-pushes-out-agencies-2020-10?r=gd-sub">Walmart is building a big ad business to rival Amazon, but it's causing friction with some agencies that control a big chunk of the $17 billion market</a></em></p><p>In 2018, <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/12/business/corporate-business/16-year-struggle-seiyu-walmart-looks-next-retailer-exit-japan/">Japanese media reported</a> Walmart was looking to sell Seiyu for around 300 billion to 500 billion yen ($2.86 billion to $4.77 billion), which potential buyers reportedly deemed too expensive.</p><p>In October, Walmart <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-sells-asda-for-8-8-billion-2020-10">sold </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-sells-asda-for-8-8-billion-2020-10">UK grocery chain Asda for $8.8 billion</a> after 21 years of ownership, marking a near-exit from the UK.</p><p>But Walmart is scaling up its operations in other countries such as India, where the e-commerce market in booming. In July, Walmart <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-e-commerce-305-million-indian-investment-invests-injection-2020-7">injected $1.2 billion⁠ into Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart</a>, two years after it bought a 77% stake for $16 billion.</p>

Walmart is selling the bulk of its stake in Seiyu, the Japanese supermarket chain. The deal values Seiyu at $1.6 billion.

Bengaluru, July 14 (IANS) A Walmart-led investor group on Tuesday pumped in an additional $1.2 billion into the ecommerce platform Flipkart Group to support its marketplace in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.<br /><br />With the new investment, Flipkart group is now valued at $24.9 billion. The $1.2 billion will be funded in two tranches over the remainder of the fiscal year.<br /><br />"We're grateful for the strong backing of our shareholders as we continue to build our platform and serve the growing needs of Indian consumers during these challenging times," Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said in a statement.<br /><br />Founded in 2007, the Flipkart Group includes Flipkart, digital payments platform PhonePe, fashion specialty site Myntra and eKart.<br /><br />In 2018, Walmart invested $16 billion for a majority stake in the group.<br /><br />"Since Walmart's initial investment in Flipkart, we have greatly expanded our offer through technology, partnerships and new services. We will continue innovating to bring the next 200 million Indian shoppers online," Krishnamurthy said in a statement.<br /><br />With a registered customer base of over 200 million, Flipkart recently surpassed 1.5 billion visits per month and reported 45 per cent growth in monthly active customers and 30 per cent growth in transactions per customer for FY20.<br /><br />Flipkart offers 150 million products across more than 80 categories, and has pioneered customer-centric services such as cash-on-delivery, no-cost EMI and easy returns.<br /><br />PhonePe recently reported annualised total payments value (TPV) of $180 billion on more than 500 million monthly transactions.<br /><br />"Flipkart continues to leverage its culture of innovation to accelerate growth and enable millions of customers, sellers, merchants and small businesses to prosper and be a part of India's digital transformation," said Judith McKenna, President and CEO of Walmart International.<br /><br />The Flipkart Group last week invested Rs 260 crore to purchase a significant minority stake in Arvind Youth Brands, a subsidiary of Arvind Fashions Ltd (AFL).<br /><br />Arvind Youth Brands owns the popular Flying Machine denim brand that has been retailing on Flipkart and Myntra for more than six years.<br /><br />With this investment, the Flipkart Group and Arvind Fashions will work collaboratively to identify opportunities and synergies to innovate and develop products with strong value propositions at attractive price points, the ecommerce platform said in a statement.<br /><br />--IANS<br /><br />na/vd

Walmart-led investors pump in $1.2 bn in Flipkart Group

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/AP-A-VA-USA-TAX-HOLIDAY/079047f1c723db11af9f0014c2589dfb/128/0">Steve Helber/AP</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Walmart</a> is surging after crushing earnings estimates Thursday morning, adding about $12 billion to the wealth of the Walton family.</strong></li><li><strong>An investment of $1,000 at the start of 1980 would be worth over $1.9 million today.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Watch Walmart stock trade in real time here</a>.</strong></li></ul><p><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Walmart's</a> stock price is surging after the company <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/walmart-stock-price-surging-after-q2-earnings-crush-wall-street-expectations-2018-8-1027464327?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">announced better-than-expected earnings results</a> Thursday morning. As a result, the Walton family - the descendants of the <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> mega-giant's founder - <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/walmart-stock-price-surge-walton-family-wealth-12-billion-added-2018-8-1027465344">gained about $12 billion in wealth Thursday morning</a>.</p><p>And an investor in the company decades ago would have made a very nice return on that bet.</p><p>According to <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/WMT/history?period1=315550800&amp;period2=1534392000&amp;interval=1d&amp;filter=history&amp;frequency=1d">Yahoo Finance</a>, Walmart's split- and dividend-adjusted closing stock price on January 2, 1980 was a little over $0.05. As of 1:15 PM ET Thursday, Walmart was trading just shy of $99 per share, up nearly 10% on the day.</p><p>The chart below shows the value over time of a $1,000 investment made in Walmart at the start of 1980. As of Thursday afternoon, that investment would be worth over $1.9 million:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from Yahoo Finanace" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b75b5a904f16279018b46fc-960/walmart-invest-back-in-the-day.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/WMT/history?period1=315550800&amp;period2=1534392000&amp;interval=1d&amp;filter=history&amp;frequency=1d">Business Insider/Andy Kiersz, data from Yahoo Finanace</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-issues-problems-hardware-software-ios-2018-7">Everything wrong with the iPhone</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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