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REUTERS/Siddharth Cavale/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - Walmart (WMT.N) said on Friday it is not advertising on social media platform X, one of the latest brands to say it has dropped the Elon Musk-owned site. "We aren't advertising on X as we've found other platforms to better reach our customers," a Walmart spokesperson said. X, formerly known as Twitter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, Musk agreed with an X user who falsely claimed members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against white people, saying the user was speaking "the actual truth." Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Sheila Dang in Dallas; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Siddharth Cavale, Musk, Walt Disney, Sheila Dang, Chizu Nomiyama, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Elon Musk, Twitter, New York Times, Apple, Warner Bros Discovery, Media, Thomson Locations: Teterboro , New Jersey, U.S, New York, Dallas

This year, 59% retailers offer so-called "returnless" or "keep it" policies for unwanted products whose returns costs exceed their value, according to returns services firm goTRG, which surveyed 500 executives at 21 major retailers, including Walmart (WMT.N) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O). That information is "not something that retailers want out there" due to worries the policies could be abused by shoppers, he said. The firm helps retailers manage returns, which typically rise after pre-Christmas sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday and continue beyond Christmas. The typical return costs retailers about $30. "You just can't afford to ignore it," she said of returns costs.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Sender Shamiss, Shamiss, Amena Ali, Ali, Gabrielle Richards, Pamela Peters, Peters, Lisa Baertlein, Arriana McLymore, Siddharth Cavale, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, ANGELES, Black, Walmart, Super Bowl, Reuters, eBay, Appriss Retail, National Retail Federation, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: Macy’s, Roosevelt, Garden City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

To be sure, China is still Walmart's biggest country for importing goods. "We want the best prices," Andrea Albright, Walmart's executive vice president of sourcing said in an interview. Walmart has been accelerating growth in India since 2018, when it bought a 77% stake in Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart. Its rapidly growing workforce and technological advancement were a draw for Walmart, Albright said. The rising cost of shipping goods from China has also contributed to the switch to India, supply chain experts say.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Andrea Albright, we're, Albright, Doug McMillon, Narendra Modi, Modi, McMillon, Rajesh Kharabanda, Chris Rogers, Shekhar Gupta, Devgiri, Richa Naidu, Siddharth Cavale, Casey Hall, Manoj Kumar, Matthew Scuffham, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Companies Walmart, Reuters, Flipkart, Walmart Global Tech India, Indian, Amazon, Freewill, P, Thomson Locations: Teterboro , New Jersey, U.S, India, China, United States, Washington, Beijing, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangalore, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mundra Port, Gujarat

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to exceed $12 billion, a record, as bargain hunters snap up deals on items including Barbie dolls, Lego sets, headphones and smart watches, according to preliminary estimates from Adobe Digital Insights. The estimate projects U.S. shoppers will spend $12 billion-$12.4 billion on Cyber Monday, the biggest U.S. online shopping day. At the top end, this would represent an 9.7% increase compared to the $11.3 billion spent on Cyber Monday last year. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days. On Monday, Walmart stepped up discounts on some clothing to 60%, up from the 50% it offered on Black Friday.

Persons: Barbie, Nancy Tengler, Eduardo Munoz, Matthew Katz, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis, Lincoln Organizations: Adobe Digital, Retailers, Adobe Analytics, Investments, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, SSA & Company, Walmart, Sizemore Capital Management, Target, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to reach as much as $12.4 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks data through Adobe's Experience Cloud service for e-commerce platforms. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST alone, it said. Other firms use different measurements to gauge purchases on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Salesforce, which tracks data flowing through its Commerce Cloud e-commerce service, said online sales on Cyber Monday were up by 4% by 4 p.m. EST, hitting $7 billion by late afternoon. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Salesforce, Eduardo Munoz, Brian Yacktman, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Adobe Digital, Adobe, Commerce, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, YCG Investments, Nike, Black, Sizemore Capital Management, Walmart, Amazon, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Toys, games and hobby gear are on track to be less expensive this holiday season for the first time since 2020, while sporting goods prices are down this holiday for the first time since 2018, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)showed. To be sure, prices overall are higher in 2023 despite slowed price growth, with October's consumer price index climbing to 3.2% year-over-year. The figure remained flat on a month-over-month basis, signaling some holiday item prices may be slow to come down. Despite a dip in sporting goods prices, they continue to pace above 2019 levels. Walmart WMT.N said prices of general merchandise - clothing, electronics, furniture - had declined by low to mid-single-digit percentages versus last year, enabling the retailer to cut prices this holiday season.

Persons: Theresa Forsberg, Jill Lizzo, Barbie, Walmart WMT.N, it's, ”, Christina Hennington, Vincent Alban, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Jeffrey Roach, Macy's, Kevin Simpson, Simpson, Siddharth Cavale, Amina Niasse, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Walmart, Reuters Graphics Reuters, REUTERS, Associates, LPL, Dick's Sporting, Reuters, Wealth, Target, Home Depot, Wayback Machine, Thomson Locations: New Milford , Connecticut, New York's Harlem, Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York

[1/6] People load up their newly purchased items from Best Buy on Black Friday in Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland, U.S., November 24, 2023. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full. "It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter," said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. And the rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.

Persons: Leah Millis, Cowen, David Klink, Theresa Forsberg, Michael Brown, Kearney, Jeff Gennette, Jimmy Lee, there's, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Carlos Araejo, Ruiz, It’s, ”, Paul Aheren, Puma, Siddharth Cavale, Helen Reid, Arriana McLymore, Katherine Masters, Andrew Hay, Bianca Flowers, Danielle Broadway, James Davey, Deborah Sophia, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Shoppers, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Target, National Retail Federation, Garden, Insider Intelligence, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Wealth Consulting, Amazon, Adobe, Nordstrom, “, Saks, Puma, Israel Football Association, IFA, Thomson Locations: Wheaton, Glenmont , Maryland, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, Paramus , New Jersey, Indianapolis, Israel, Palestine, United States, Dallas, Raleigh, Crabtree, Boston

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. In France, Italy, and Spain, most shoppers planned to buy clothing on Black Friday, with electronic goods coming second, according to a PwC survey. Thanksgiving Day discounts online peaked at about 28% for toys, while electronics had discounts as steep as 27%, Adobe said.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Cowen, Theresa Forsberg, “ It’s, ”, Jill Lizzo, she’s, “, I’m, Lizzo, PwC, hasn’t, Naomi Ojomo, Jeff Gennette, Barbie, John Roberts, Apple AirPods, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Katherine Masters, Arriana McLymore, Helen Reid, Mimosa Spencer, Corina Pons, James Davey, Siddharth Cavale, Arriana, Deboarh Sophia, David Gaffen, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Shoppers, National Retail Federation, Insider Intelligence, Barclays, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Walmart, Argos, PlayStation, Apple, Thomson Locations: Westbury , New York, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, . U.S, Harlem, Manhattan, France, Italy, Spain, Zara, Canary Wharf, London, British, Paris, Madrid, New York, Raleigh , North Carolina, Bengaluru

A child looks at toys in a Target store ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and traditional Black Friday sales in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 21, 2023. Toys, games and hobby gear are on track to be less expensive this holiday season for the first time since 2020, while sporting goods prices are down this holiday for the first time since 2018, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)showed. Walmart WMT.N said prices of general merchandise - clothing, electronics, furniture - had declined by low to mid-single-digit percentages versus last year, enabling the retailer to cut prices this holiday season. Black Friday discounts are 30% to 50% at major retailers and could go deeper later in the season. "You're going to see margin compression and potentially lower sales," said Simpson, whose firm holds shares in Walmart and Home Depot.

Persons: Vincent Alban, Barbie, Walmart WMT.N, it's, ”, Christina Hennington, Jessica Ramirez, Jane Hali, Jeffrey Roach, Kevin Simpson, Simpson, Siddharth Cavale, Amina Niasse, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Walmart, Associates, LPL, Wayback Machine, Dick's Sporting, Reuters, Wealth, Target, Home Depot, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Macy's, New York

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full. "It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter," said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.

Persons: Cowen, David Klink, ”, Barbara Kahn, Theresa Forsberg, Michael Brown, Kearney, Jimmy Lee, Leah Millis, there's, Jeff Gennette, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Carlos Araejo, Ruiz, It’s, Paul Aheren, Puma, Siddharth Cavale, Helen Reid, Arriana McLymore, Katherine Masters, Andrew Hay, Bianca Flowers, Danielle Broadway, James Davey, Deborah Sophia, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry, Leslie Adler Organizations: Shoppers, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Target, Ross Stores, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, “, National Retail Federation, Garden, Insider Intelligence, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Wealth Consulting, Amazon, REUTERS, Nordstrom, Saks, Protesters, Puma, Israel Football Association, Thomson Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, U.S, New Milford , Connecticut, Paramus , New Jersey, Wheaton, Glenmont , Maryland, Indianapolis, Israel, Palestine, United States, Dallas, Raleigh, Crabtree, Boston

☆ Walmart lifts targets as shoppers pick low-priced groceries for the holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Siddharth Cavale/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Walmart (WMT.N) raised its annual sales and profit forecast on Thursday for the second straight quarter, signaling a strong start to the holiday season. The strong demand for low-priced products from groceries to clothing and gifts, coupled with better in-stock levels, has helped Walmart take more market share from other retailers - including dollar stores - in recent months. Walmart now expects fiscal 2024 earnings per share of between $6.40 and $6.48, up from its prior forecast of $6.36 to $6.46. Walmart is also doubling down on holiday merchandise across a wide range of price points to attract inflation-hit customers looking to make Christmas purchases on a budget. Walmart shares, which have gained nearly 20% this year, were down 1% in premarket trading.

Persons: Siddharth Cavale, Doug McMillon, Deborah Sophia, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Target, Walmart U.S, Walmart's, Thomson Locations: Teterboro , New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

The big-box retailer's stock has lost a quarter of its value in a turbulent year marked by elevated inflation. Shoppers have focused on food and essentials purchases while spending less on home goods, electronics, toys and apparel. Target sales declined by an average 7% in August and September alongside declines in transaction count and value, TD Cowen said in a note ahead of its earnings. On Wednesday, Target forecast adjusted earnings to land between $1.90 and $2.60 per share in the fourth quarter. It also expects holiday-quarter comparable sales to decline in the mid-single-digit percentage range, compared with expectations of a 3.97% drop.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Cornell, TD Cowen, Kendra Scott, Lucy Nicholson, Brian Mulberry, Price, Dave Wagner, Siddharth Cavale, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Matthew Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Target, Shoppers, Schwarz, Azusa , California U.S, REUTERS, Zacks Investment Management, Walmart, Consumer, Retail's, . Commerce Department, Aptus Capital Advisors, Thomson Locations: Azusa , California, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Bengaluru

Target, like other U.S. retailers, has been struggling with slowing sales as consumers show more caution in the face of steep inflation. This profit performance benefited from ... efficiency and disciplined inventory management," Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a statement. In August, the retailer cut its full-year sales and profit expectations to reflect the impact of slowing consumer demand. Target said on Wednesday it expects holiday-quarter comparable sales to decline in the mid-single-digit percentage range, compared with expectations of a 3.97% drop. Target shares have lost 25.7% of their value this year, in contrast to rival Walmart's (WMT.N) 18.2% rise.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Brian Cornell, Cornell, Walmart's, Siddharth Cavale, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Azusa , California U.S, REUTERS, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Azusa , California, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Bengaluru

LSEG Workspace, a financial news and data platform, calculated inventory turnover ratios of 30 major U.S. retailers for Reuters. "I am relatively pessimistic about the holiday season," said Gerald Storch, retail consultant and former Target vice chairman and ex-CEO of Hudson's Bay. Department stores' holiday season is "likely not going to be that strong," said David Swartz, a Morningstar analyst. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsTo be sure, inventory turnover is not the only metric Wall Street investors use to judge retailers' inventory levels. Some are already slashing prices and dangling discounts to clear excess inventory before Black Friday, the start of holiday shopping season.

Persons: King, King of Prussia, Sarah Silbiger, Gerald Storch, Jeff Bornino, David Swartz, Ulta, pare, Jason Benowitz, Joseph Feldman, Jane Hali, Nordstrom, Brian Mulberry, Savyata Mishra, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Richa Naidu, Siddharth Cavale, Aishwarya Venugopal, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Dollar, Walmart, Reuters, North America, Kroger, Department, Morningstar, TJX Companies, Dick's Sporting, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Roosevelt, Telsey Advisory, Research, Associates, Nordstrom, Zacks Investment Management, Thomson Locations: King of, King, King of Prussia , Pennsylvania, U.S, Hudson's, North

☆ Walmart, Target earnings to offer clues on crucial holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But rising credit card debt, depleted pandemic-era savings, and higher interest rates are giving investors pause, betting that retail bellwethers like Walmart and Target will have too much merchandise and be forced to discount during the holiday season. Walmart's decision so far to not hire seasonal holiday workers is a telling sign, Walmart investor Sizemore Capital Management told Reuters. The National Retail Federation predicts U.S. holiday sales in 2023 to rise at the slowest pace in five years. But Walmart and Target began offering some holiday discounts as early as October. "I don't see" food price inflation crowding out sales of more discretionary goods as "as big of an issue this holiday season as last holiday season," D.A.

Persons: they're, Charles Sizemore, Brian Cornell, " Sizemore, TD Cowen, D.A, Davidson, Rubbermaid, Helen of Troy, Target, Scott, Michael Baker, Siddharth Cavale, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Walmart, Target, U.S, Capital Management, Reuters, National Retail Federation, Newell Brands, Hydro, Thomson Locations: New York

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) punished its own sellers to limit Walmart's reach as Walmart got into e-commerce, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Like Amazon, Walmart operates a third-party online marketplace, with merchandise from thousands of independent sellers. This, Amazon realized, could result in sellers passing on those savings to customers, the FTC said. To hamstring Jet.com, Amazon removed some third-party sellers' offers from its Buy Box. Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said the FTC "grossly mischaracterizes" the pricing tool and the company stopped using it several years ago.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, it's, Burt Flickinger, Jet.com, Tim Doyle, Siddharth Cavale, Vanessa O'Connell, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Amazon.com Inc, Walmart, Federal Trade Commission, Jet.com, Amazon, FTC, Jet, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, New York

☆ Walmart pledges $1 million aid for Israel victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Walmart Foundation, the philanthropy arm of the U.S. retailer, has pledged $1 million to an Israeli disaster relief and emergency medical service organization. UBS , Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Jefferies are among companies to have pledged aid to Israel. As the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies, others, including billionaire Elon Musk, are providing aid in the Middle East in other ways. Walmart does not operate stores in Israel, but employs 171 people in the country who work for its tech arm Walmart Global Tech, its Walmart U.S. operations and its Flipkart business in India. Walmart said its donation follows a $1 million grant the Walmart Foundation pledged to the U.S.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Magen David Adom, Ofer Saban, Elon Musk, SpaceX's, Saban, Siddharth Cavale Organizations: Walmart Foundation, UBS, Walmart, Walmart Global Tech, Walmart U.S, . Holocaust Museum, Thomson Locations: U.S, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, India, New York

☆ Walmart to upgrade 1,400 stores with $9 billion investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Friday, 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than $500 million, Walmart said in a statement. In total, it plans to modernize more than 1,400 of its 4,717 Walmart stores across the country. As part of those efforts, the company tested some remodeled concept stores called "Stores of the Future" at a few Walmart Supercenters, including Teterboro in New Jersey, earlier this year. Monday's investments mark the national rollout of that concept, a Walmart spokesperson said. The enhanced stores will have refreshed interiors and exteriors, with new paint, updated flooring, modernized restrooms, LED-lighting and new signage for brighter and easier navigation through the stores, the company said.

Persons: John Furner, Siddharth Cavale, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Investment, Walmart, Sam's, Thomson Locations: Bentonville , Arkansas, New Jersey, New York

He said creating different ads for various audiences can be expensive and expects Amazon's AI tools to save money for advertisers. Brendan Witcher, a principal analyst at Forrester, said that Amazon's generative AI ad tool will be "good for attracting and keeping a segment of third-party sellers and brands advertising on Amazon." Other companies including Ascendly Marketing are using generative AI imaging tools that combine pictures of public figures with products. His clients are seeing a bump in sales and Google click-through rates, a trend that Amazon wants to see for its own generative AI ad tools during the holiday season. Analysts expect Amazon's advertising business to earn $14.2 billion during the holiday quarter, up from $11.56 billion a year earlier, according to LSEG estimates.

Persons: Soren Larson, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Andy Friedland, Brendan Witcher, Forrester, Elvis Presley, Marshal Davis, Friedland, Witcher, Ascendly's Davis, Davis, Arriana McLymore, Siddharth Cavale, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Black, Amazon, Ascendly, Google, Amazon's, Thomson Locations: Melville , New York, U.S, New York City

☆ Walmart staffed up for holidays; US retailers cautious about economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We're staffed and ready to serve the customers this holiday season," Maren Dollwet Wagonner, senior vice-president of people, said in a LinkedIn postlast week. Walmart, like other retail chains, has been cautious in its holiday season outlook, saying customers are stressed by high food prices, depleted savings and higher interest rates. The statement from America's largest private employer with 1.7 million employees offered analysts insight into possible holiday shopping results. Except for Amazon, which plans to hire 250,000 holiday season workers, several other U.S. chains including Macy's have issued muted hiring plans for the period. While U.S. retail job applications are up 46%, job openings are down 25% and actual retail hiring is down by 12% in the year through September, according to talent acquisition company iCIMS.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, sprees, We're, Maren Dollwet Wagonner, Andrew Challenger, Neil Costa, Walmart's, Spencer, Siddharth Cavale, Mark Porter, Richard Chang Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Challenger, U.S, Walmart's LinkedIn, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Britain, New York

"I just want to say how deeply saddened that we all are about the recent horrific attacks on Israel ... He warned that the war in Ukraine, compounded by the attacks on Israel, could have "far-reaching impacts on energy and food markets, global trade, and geopolitical relationships." On Friday, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser included Israel in her opening remarks on the bank's earnings call. "Once someone ventures into the space of, 'who is the perpetrator and who is the victim,' you enter into the exposure of social media disinformation and risk," Kotok said. Some large companies including Apple (AAPL.O) and Walmart (WMT.N) had yet to issue statements, while some prominent personalities including NBA star LeBron James have spoken out.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Albert Bourla, Jefferies, Michael Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs, Jane Fraser, Israel, Fraser, Larry Fink, David Kotok, Cumberland, Kotok, Antonio Neri, Andy Jassy, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, LeBron James, Gigi Hadid, Lananh Nguyen, Aditya Soni, Stephen Nellis, Siddharth Cavale, David Gaffen, Arriana, Sayantani Ghosh, David Gregorio Our Organizations: JPMorgan, Pfizer, UBS, New York City, Bloomberg, Delta Air Lines, Citigroup, BlackRock, Cumberland Advisors, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Amazon, Meta, Union, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Walmart, NBA, Thomson Locations: Israel, Ukraine, New York, Florida, Bengaluru

☆ Walmart expands online healthcare benefits for US employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Siddharth Cavale/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - Walmart (WMT.N) said on Tuesday it will expand online primary care benefits as part of its employee health insurance plan to its workers in 28 U.S. states. Walmart said it has partnered with virtual healthcare services provider Included Health to expand its online primary care services, which are already available in 21 states. The expansion comes months after Walmart announced plans to open new healthcare centres in the U.S. next year, as the company looks to expand its footing in the industry. Walmart said in a blog post it had observed an 11% reduction in the total costs of care for its employees and their families from a pilot run for its virtual primary care service. The company added that most of its online health services offered as part of the plan were available at no additional cost.

Persons: Siddharth Cavale, Juveria Tabassum, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Health, Thomson Locations: Teterboro , New Jersey, U.S, United States

☆ US retailers' financial losses jump as retail crime escalates - NRF
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In 2022, inventory "shrink" as a percentage of total retail sales accounted for $112.1 billion in losses, up from $93.9 billion in 2021, according to the NRF report on Tuesday. Retailers are either being forced to close a specific store location, reduce operating hours or alter in-store product selection to deal with the spike in retail crime, the report added. Dollar Tree (DLTR.O) has said it plans to remove goods like men's underwear, an item most prone to retail theft, from its stores. Retailers are ramping up prevention methods with 34% of respondents increasing internal payroll to support risks related to retail crime and 46% increasing the use of third-party security personnel among other methods, according to NRF. The NRF survey was conducted online among senior loss prevention and security executives in the retail industry with insights from 177 retail brands.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, David Johnston, John Rainey, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Savyata Mishra, Siddharth Cavale, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Black, REUTERS, National Retail Federation, U.S, Kroger, Asset Protection, Retail, Retailers, Walmart, Telsey, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York, U.S, New York, San Francisco , Los Angeles, Houston, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ US retailer holiday hiring to drop to levels last seen in 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A "Now Hiring" sign hangs on the door to the Urban Outfitters store at Quincy Market in Boston, Massachusetts September 5, 2014. That is just slightly above the 324,900 workers they added during the last quarter of the financial recession of 2008. "Seasonal employers have a few issues to grapple with in the coming months. Another is one that has been fairly constant since the pandemic: can they attract workers?," Challenger said. Signs are already emerging that the labor market is starting to cool and employers are hiring at a slower clip.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Andrew Challenger, Siddharth Cavale, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Urban Outfitters, Quincy Market, REUTERS, Labor, Challenger, Reuters . Retailers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Department, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, New York

Walmart's logo is seen outside one of the stores ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2019. The merchandise mix Walmart (WMT.N) will carry rests not purely on retail executives' judgment but rather on software it developed around 2019. Its machine-learning algorithm relies on weather patterns and each store's past sales data to predict inventory needs of its more than 4,700 U.S. locations, a Walmart tech executive told Reuters. Walmart executives say it is aided by its large tech team in India, spanning three cities and employing 11,500. Software directs Walmart workers to use the quickest route while assembling online orders for pickup and delivery, Vasudev said.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, D.A, Davidson, Michael Baker, Doug McMillon, Thomas Hayes, Hari Vasudev, Vasudev, David Klink, Huntington, Nandan Mandayam, Siddharth Cavale, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Walmart, Reuters, Target, Shoppers, Amazon, New, Great, U.S, Walmart's India, Software, Workers, Hunting Private Bank, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, United States, Bentonville , Arkansas, New York, India, Bengaluru, Target's, Walmart's

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