With an investment of more than US $ 9 billion, US retail chain Walmart will upgrade and modernise some US stores with improved layouts, expanded product selections and new tech additions.
This initiative is expected to complete in over a two-year period.
In a statement Walmart said that 117 stores in 30 states will be re-launched showcasing the enhancements, representing investments of more than US $ 500 million.
In total, it plans to modernise more than 1,400 of its 4,717 Walmart stores across the country. The remodels do not apply to its warehouse club chain, Sam’s Club.
John Furner, CEO, Walmart’s US business said, “These construction investments allow us to create more local jobs and make it easier for our associates to get customers what they want, when they want it.”
In 2022, the company’s sales surpassed US $ 600 billion, a record.
The retailer wants to change its image from merely a steep discounter to a destination where customers can also purchase fashionable home goods and clothing.
As part of those efforts, the company tested some remodeled concept stores called ‘Stores of the Future’ at a few Walmart Supercenters.
The enhanced stores will have refreshed interiors and exteriors, with new paint, updated flooring, modernised restrooms, LED-lighting and new signage for brighter and easier navigation through the stores.
