Walmart is once again betting on physical stores with 150 new establishments in the US. economy

Walmart, the world’s leading distribution company, is once again betting on physical stores in the era of rapidly growing e-commerce. The company announced this Wednesday that it plans to build or convert more than 150 facilities in the United States over the next five years, while continuing its program of renovation and remodeling of existing facilities.

The group, based in Bentonville (Arkansas), is completely dependent on the development of the United States economy. The company has 1.6 million direct employees in the country and more than 3,900 stores in all 50 states, Washington and Puerto Rico. Walmart US has net sales of $420.6 billion in fiscal year 2022-2023, accounting for 69% of the group’s total sales. It is not only the business unit with the highest turnover but also the most profitable.

The expansion plan for physical stores comes after a gap of nearly three years in this regard, decided partly due to the pandemic and partly due to changes in consumer habits. Walmart had already announced in 2016 that it was pausing new openings to invest in its efforts in online sales, technology and remodeling of existing stores.

However, the company has observed that when it comes to shopping, especially when it comes to food, most consumers continue to visit stores. Walmart has attracted high-income customers even in an inflationary environment in which shoppers are very careful about their spending. The company continues to have problems with e-commerce, where Amazon is leading, but it is also moving forward with greater integration of virtual stores and physical stores, which it uses to fulfill online orders and as collection points.

The new opening was announced by John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart US. In addition to the openings, they have announced renovations to a large portion of existing stores: “Over the next 12 months, we plan to remodel 650 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, which will mean thousands in these projects. Creating jobs. This is in addition to the hundreds of jobs we’ll bring to the community every time we open a new store. And those jobs come with incredible benefits, like free college tuition from day one, flexible schedules, and competitive paid time off ,” he said in a statement.

The first two stores of the 150-opening plan will open their doors this spring in Santa Rosa Beach (Florida) and Atlanta (Georgia). Walmart is also finalizing construction plans for the conversion of one of its smaller stores into a Walmart Supercenter, a hypermarket, as well as 12 new projects to begin this year.

According to Ferner, its new and renovated stores will reflect Walmart’s new “Store of the Future” concept, featuring improved layout and design, a broader product selection and innovative technology that will allow employees to better serve customers and make shopping more convenient for them. Will help in making you comfortable.

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