Walmart plans to open 150 new stores in the next five years
Walmart plans to expand its footprint in the US over the next five years with the first two coming this spring at the same time upgrading existing stores.
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has announced plans for news stores in the United States and creating more jobs. Currently the Arkansas-based company has over 4,600 locations nationwide and directly employs around 1.6 million people.
President and CEO of Walmart US, John Furner, recently laid out the retailer’s ‘Investing in America’ initiative which includes 150 more stores over the next five years. “I’m proud to announce our support for even more jobs by expanding and modernizing the facilities most core to our business: our stores,” he said in a press release.
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Walmart plans to open 150 new stores in the next five years
The first new stores under the initiative are coming later this spring and there will be one in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and another in Atlanta, Georgia. Both of the new locations will be Neighborhood Markets.
Construction will begin on 12 new projects this year as well as converting a smaller location into a Walmart Supercenter. In total, Walmart will build or convert more than 150 stores in the next five years.
At the same time, the retailer will continue to remodel existing stores. In October, Walmart announced the largest single-day rollout of re-grand openings in the company’s history with 117 remodeled locations across 30 states. Over the next 12 months, 650 more across 47 states and Puerto Rico will get upgrades with the concept called ‘Store of the Future’.
The concept features “improved layouts, expanded product selections and innovative technology” that will help associates better support customers with the aim making the shopping experience “more convenient and enjoyable.”
“Customers love this concept in the places we’ve already rolled it out, and we’re excited to transition more and more of our fleet,” Furner said.
New Walmart stores “designed with sustainability in mind”
Walmart’s ‘Store of the Future’ concept also has sustainability in mind. The new facilities will have “more energy-efficient equipment and lighting, lower impact refrigerants and more.” The retailer hopes that it can help make electric vehicle ownership more accessible and convenient for its customers and associates. Walmart has plans to develop a network from coast-to-coast of affordable EV fast-charging stations.
“What a win it is to invest in America, grow our business and move toward a more sustainable future – all at the same time,” Furner said.
New Walmart stores and upgrades will bring more jobs with “amazing perks”
Each new Walmart store that opens also brings “hundreds of jobs” to a community says the company. Walmart now proudly cites its average hourly rate of $17.50 per hour for frontline associates, which is more than twice the federal minimum wage. On top of that though, Furner explains that “those jobs come with amazing perks, like tuition-free college starting on day one, or flexible scheduling and competitive paid time off.”
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