BENTONVILLE, ARK. – In the 52 years since its founding by Sam Walton in this still-sleepy town, Walmart has gone on to become the world’s largest public company by sales, and the biggest retailer on the planet hands-down.
Now, as it enters middle age, it finds itself faced with a slew of new challenges, most notably what to do with its 11,000 retail stores as shopping shifts online.
More immediately, the company is working to recharge its massive Walmart and Sam’s Club CE businesses in advance of the holidays and ahead of prime competitors Best Buy and Amazon.com.
Walmart provided TWICE with a rare look behind the scenes, and a deep-dive into its strategic planning, during a series of executive briefings and store tours last month in conjunction with its annual shareholders meeting. Here’s what we learned …
