Walmart changes corporate name to reflect omnichannel ambitions

Walmart Stores is morphing into Walmart in a bid to boost its omnichannel credibility.

“Most of us, and I’d guess all our customers, refer to our company as Walmart and still will. Changing our corporate name is just a symbol of how customers are shopping us today and how they’ll increasingly shop us in the future,” says Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart. “Whether it’s in our stores, on our sites, with our apps, by using their voice or whatever comes next, there is just one Walmart as far as our customers are concerned. When they shop with us, they expect it to be an easy and seamless experience.”

He observes that the company began with stores and steadily expanded to include clubs and distribution centres. In 1991, it became a global retailer when it opened its first international location in Mexico City, and launched Walmart.com in 2000. “Today we operate under almost 60 different banners around the world, including eCommerce sites, and have more than 11,600 stores and clubs in 28 countries,” he adds. “Now, we are focused on strengthening stores and clubs around the world to make sure customers continue to have a great experience every time they walk through the door. At the same time, we’re also building our e-commerce and digital capabilities, and we’re putting them together in a way that makes every day easier for busy families. Sam Walton said, “To succeed in this world, you have to change all the time.” He wouldn’t have known that customers in the future would shop on their smartphones or with their voices, but he did know that retail would continue to change. He taught us that, and that for a company to succeed, it has to be agile and innovative.”