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☆ Where Walmart's jilted exes are now: what happened to the e-commerce brands it gobbled up and spit out like Bonobos and Moosejaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past couple of months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Recently, Walmart's e-commerce goals have shifted. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year.

☆ Walmart is using AI to negotiate prices with suppliers, report says — and the suppliers are loving it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is using technology from Pactum AI to negotiate with suppliers, per a Bloomberg report. The retailer tells the AI chatbot its budget, and the chatbot communicates with a human vendor. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant has embraced artificial intelligence a lot recently. Walmart is using a chatbot to conduct negotiations with equipment vendors, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Walmart's shopping app also uses AI technologyThis is not the first time Walmart has embraced artificial intelligence.

☆ Walmart is giving away $98 memberships to moms — and it shows how desperate it is to boost its Amazon Prime rival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is giving away $98 Walmart+ memberships to mothers who give birth to children in May. Walmart+ vs Amazon PrimeThis is just the latest move Walmart has done to bolster Walmart+, the company's membership service that launched in 2020 in response to Amazon Prime. During the holiday season in 2022, Walmart+ members had early Black Friday shopping deals. Recently, Walmart+ members even had the chance to try a new Oreo flavor before it hit shelves nationwide. Walmart does not publicly disclose how many members Walmart+ has.

☆ Viral TikTok shows a Target San Francisco store going to extreme measures to deter shoplifters, with an entire aisle locked up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A TikTok video showing an aisle of items including toothpaste and razors under lock and key has gone viral. News outlets cited it as further evidence of "a shoplifting crisis that has crippled retailers" in San Francisco. A recent study found low-cost items in the health and beauty section are a top target for retail thieves. The new TikTok video only shows one aisle and the rear of the store, and a Target spokesperson told Fox News that other aisles were not so heavily protected. "We're taking proactive measures to keep our teams and guests safe while deterring and preventing theft," a Target spokesperson said in a statement to Insider.

Bed Bath & Beyond, founded in 1971, has long been a go-to destination for home goods. Take a look at the rise and fall of the retailer loved by many shoppers. In September 2022, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would be closing 150 stores and slashing 20% of its corporate positions in an effort to cut costs. Bed Bath & Beyond was once a leading home goods retailer, appealing to shoppers across the nation with its strategy of abundance. We took a closer look at Bed Bath & Beyond's rise from a small linen store in New Jersey to a major national retail chain filing for bankruptcy.

☆ Walmart says its CEO earned 933 times its median employee's pay last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart CEO and President Doug McMillon received total compensation of $25.3 million in the last fiscal year. In other words, McMillon got roughly 933 times the median compensation of a Walmart employee. The increase was met with mixed reactions from Walmart employees, as many said they were already making above $14 per hour. Though the pay difference between McMillon and his employees is above that average, Walmart hasn't cracked the top 20 for biggest pay gaps between CEOs and workers. Are you a Walmart worker?

☆ Walmart could expand into consulting and website design for other businesses as it continues to look beyond traditional retail, trademark filing suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The application says the business will provide consulting, website design, and more "for others." Walmart did not comment on the trademark application, saying it is "testing new ideas all the time." A Walmart spokesperson did not answer Insider's questions about the trademark filing, instead saying the company is "testing new ideas all the time." While we can't comment on this trademark filing specifically, sometimes we file trademark ideas as a routine part of the innovation process." This trademark indicates that Walmart is continuing its trend of side hustles, or businesses outside of its traditional retail, to garner profits.

☆ I tried the Krispy Kreme doughnuts at McDonald's, but they didn't compare to the freshly made ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I decided to try doughnuts from both the Krispy Kreme shop and McDonald's to see how they compared. Here's what I found testing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as sold by McDonald's, versus one from a nearby Krispy Kreme shop. Pro: The doughnut was available quickly at McDonald'sI received my Krispy Kreme doughnut upon purchasing in less than a minute. Con: The McDonald's doughnut cost more than the one sold directly by Krispy KremeThe Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut cost 53 cents less than the same item from McDonald's. Con: The Krispy Kreme doughnuts from McDonald's weren't warm like those from the doughnut shop, and they didn't seem as fresh.

The Walmart heirs' combined worth is roughly $234 billion, according to Bloomberg. The family grants money and resources to support education, environmental efforts, and their home community through the Walton Family Foundation. In public, the Waltons live pretty modest lifestyles despite their wealth. Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died. He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now.

☆ Why retail crime rings target cheap goods at Walmart and CVS and skip luxury stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Only 11% of organized retail crime groups target luxury goods, per a recent NRF report. Items most targeted for organized retail crime include apparel and health and beauty products. In fact, luxury goods like jewelry and watches are rarely targeted by criminals. This is due to luxury items being sold in stores with enhanced security measures, the report said. Organized retail crime instead often targets more of the everyday goods available at stores like Walmart, CVS, and Target with less security protecting it.

☆ Walmart unveiled its 7th logo last week. See the retailer's logos through the years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Finally, in 2008, Walmart dropped the hyphen and arrived at the blue logo it touts today. The logo includes a yellow "spark," which represents the spark of inspiration that led Sam Walton to create the first store, and each part of the spark is associated with one of the company's values and principles, according to the company. WalmartSource: Walmart Museum

☆ Walmart's plan to abruptly close 4 Chicago stores slammed as 'unethical' and 'unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart announced this week that it is closing four stores in Chicago in a matter of days. Elected officials said that the decision to close the stores "worsens food deserts" in the area. In a rare press release on April 11 announcing store closures, Walmart said bluntly that these stores "have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago." "Walmart's decision to close four stores in predominantly Black and Brown communities not only worsens food deserts, but will also increase grocery costs for families." The four Walmart stores closing in Chicago

☆ Walmart stops selling shirt after shoppers point out it spells an offensive word
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart momentarily sold a pro-environment shirt encouraging people to recycle, among other things. Eagle-eyed shoppers posted on social media that the shirt spelled out an offensive word. The shirt was sold at Walmart Canada stores and has been discontinued, a company spokesman said. 😏 😅"—ƒℓαѕкѕ вєƒσяє тαѕкѕ (@whosurdaddienow) April 3, 2023Walmart spokesman Robert Arietta told Insider the shirt "was only sold at Walmart Canada locations and has been removed from stores." Arietta did not answer follow-up questions on how long the shirt was sold and why Walmart decided to remove the shirt.

☆ Walmart recalls shirt after shoppers point out it spells an offensive word
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Even Walmart needs a side hustle. Here are 4 other ways the store chain makes its money – besides selling merchandise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

WalmartLike Walmart Connect, Walmart Luminate — a data monetization platform — has grown in spades since its launch in October 2021. Walmart has been working hard to increase its number of sellers on Walmart Marketplace. Walmart GoLocal launched in 2021. By the end of 2022, Walmart GoLocal delivered from more than 5,000 business and retail locations. "Through Walmart GoLocal, any merchant from national retailers to small town shops can use Walmart's growing delivery platform to power their local delivery efforts.

☆ Walmart's US CEO tells workers not to worry about their jobs despite announcing a major push into store automation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

More specifically, one area where Walmart is seeking to increase investment is in market fulfillment centers (MFCs), which are automated fulfillment centers built within, or added to, a store. Walmart piloted this concept at a store in Salem, New Jersey, in 2019, using automated robot technology from Alert Innovation — a robotics company Walmart acquired in October 2022. Those include "manual MFCs," where associates pick items for online orders but in a separate area from the sales floor. Walmart will still need at least the same level of workers to help in stores even as automation picks up, company leaders say. Still, Walmart is laying off workers at fulfillment centers nationwide.

☆ Walmart customers and employees can now play pickleball for free at dozens of courts across the US. Here's how to sign up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is partnering with a racket-sports booking platform to create access to pickleball courts. Walmart did not respond directly when asked who is paying for use of the pickleball courts, only reiterating that it is "offering 125,000 court reservations." And on the website link to book courts, Walmart advertises its "favorite" pickleball supplies. How to reserve a free pickleball courtTo book a pickleball court through the partnership, Walmart employees and customers can go to www.breakthelove.com/x/walmart and select a court and time in their area. Walmart employees can access the comped reservations by entering a code on the booking platform.

☆ Walmart set to reopen the Virginia store where six employees were shot and killed five months ago. It will include a memorial in their honor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart plans to reopen a store on April 19 after a mass shooting took place there in November 2022. The store will feature a memorial to honor the six workers who lost their lives in the shooting. "We are deeply touched by the community's compassion and support as we continue to heal from last year's tragedy," Alycia Mixon, the Walmart Chesapeake store manager, said in a press release. The reopened Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, will feature a memorial to honor the six victims of the shooting. Are you a Walmart employee who works at the store in Chesapeake, Virginia?

☆ Walmart's new website design might look familiar to Amazon users
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The redesign offers a "product-focused experience," according to Walmart's e-commerce lead. Walmart's new website and app represent its latest move to try to gain ground on rival Amazon. At the end of the company's second quarter in 2020, it reported e-commerce year-over-year sales growth of 97%. For comparison, Walmart's e-commerce sales grew a healthy, but not as remarkable, 17% year-over-year in the most recent quarter. What do you think of Walmart's redesign?

☆ Walmart is slapped with 2 lawsuits in a week accusing the retailer of unfairly firing workers with chronic illnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The lawsuits say Walmart didn't accommodate the former employees, one who has Crohn's disease, and other, epilepsy. Crohn's disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in individuals' digestive tract. In early November 2016, Tucker went to the emergency room due to a "medical episode" and had to miss work, according to the lawsuit. Per the lawsuit, Walmart ignored those requests as well as subsequent ones, and did not excuse absences for further medical episodes. Per the non-profit Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, Crohn's disease does count as a disability under the ADA.

☆ Walmart is rolling out a new perk to its $98 annual Walmart+ membership — early access to a new Oreo flavor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Oreo unveiled a new flavor, the Blackout Cake cookie, this week that will hit shelves on April 3. Walmart+ members will get to try the cookie starting today, per a Walmart merchandising director. Oreo unveiled Tuesday the Oreo Blackout Cake cookie, a new limited-edition flavor that will hit shelves nationwide next week. "We've teamed up with Mondelez to give you exclusive early access to the new Oreo flavor, Blackout Cake! Walmart does not publicly disclose how many members Walmart+ has.

☆ Lowe's started offering a 4-day work week after complaints of a 'chaotic' scheduling system. Employees say they love it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Many employees say they are fans of the optional four-day work week, but some have seen issues. Insider spoke with seven current and former Lowe's employees about their experiences with the four-day work week at Lowe's. What is Lowe's four-day work week like for employees? Thus, when the four-day work week rolled around, those on that team could opt to create three-day weekends or break up their work week with a day off. That employee said he tried the four-day work week in October 2022 but decided to switch back to his previous five-day work week schedule in February.

☆ Lowe's, BJ's, Ikea, and other retailers are using robots to clean up, track inventory, and police parking lots – taking the burden off human workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

BJ's Wholesale Club recently announced that it will deploy robots, named "Tally," to roam its aisles to help track inventory. BJ's Wholesale ClubThe discount warehouse chain plans to use these robots, designed by robotics company Simbe, to check store shelves multiple times per day to ensure products are in-stock and in the appropriate sections.

☆ McDonald's is selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one test market. I tried them — and they're not as good as the freshly made ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

McDonald's is selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at 160 locations in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. I decided to try doughnuts from both the Krispy Kreme shop and McDonald's to see how they compared. Here's what I found testing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as sold by McDonald's, versus one from a nearby Krispy Kreme shop. Pro: The doughnut was available quickly at McDonald'sI received my Krispy Kreme doughnut upon purchasing in less than a minute. Con: The McDonald's doughnut cost more than the one sold directly by Krispy KremeThe Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut cost 53 cents less than the same item from McDonald's.

☆ See the robots that are taking on cleaning, inventory checking, and delivery tasks at retailers like BJ's, Lowe's, and 7-Eleven
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

BJ's Wholesale Club announced this past week it will deploy robots, named "Tally," to roam its aisles to help track inventory. BJ's Wholesale ClubThe discount warehouse chain plans to use these robots, designed by robotics company Simbe, to check store shelves multiple times per day to ensure products are in-stock and in the appropriate sections.

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