Walmart plans to slash corporate jobs as it merges its businesses in the US. The company has not disclosed yet the number of employees that would lose their jobs.
Bloomberg reported the potential layoffs. Sources familiar with the move said that Walmart has cut hundreds of corporate jobs from logistics, store planning, and real estate units.
“We are continuing on our journey to create an omnichannel organization within our Walmart U.S. business and we’re making some additional changes this week,” Walmart spokeswoman Jami Lamontagne said during an interview with CNBC.
She mentioned that Walmart will reveal more details after notifying employees.
Walmart is reportedly attempting to thrive in its e-commerce business. It has implemented a series of organizational changes.
The company merged its buyer teams on the store and online sector in February to minimized conflicts over the pricing of products in both fields.
Moreover, Walmat signed deals with ThredUp in May and with Shopify in June to increase the assortment of goods and put new brands to its website.
Online sales
Walmart has been able to continue operating throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Its sales soared as Americans purchase more groceries and household essentials as they remain in lockdown. Same-store sales rose by 10% and the company’s average ticket had a 16% surge in the first quarter.
New Walmart stores
Walmart announced that it will open six new Walmart Health clinics in Atlanta before the year ends. This would bring its total number of clinics to 13 by 2021.
The announcement comes after stating it will enter the Florida market with Walmart Health in 2021. Walmart will begin in the Jacksonville area. The company also announced in June that it will open two clinics in the Chicago area by the end of the year.
Walmart remains the biggest private-sector employer and the largest grocer in the US, but is predicted to surface as a major health-care player.
Walmart Health clinics provide expansive services, such as primary care, X-rays, dental exams, hearing services, and mental health counseling. The clinics started opening last fall. Walmart stores already have pharmacies and optical centers.
Walmart Health clinics, ranging from 5,200 square feet to 8,800 square feet, include exam rooms, a waiting area and bigger rooms, such as nutrition seminars and yoga sessions. The clinics are manned by doctors, counselors, dentists, nurse practitioners, and optometrists.
Patients pay a flat fee for a doctor’s visit or other services: an annual checkup for an adult is $30 while a strep test or mono test is $20. A dentist exam is $25, including X-rays. A 45-minute counseling session costs $45.
Walmart is looking at related perks to be different from its e-commerce competitor Amazon.
The retailer is creating a subscription-based service called Walmart+. However, details about this service, such as date of the launch, costs, and benefits, are not yet available.
