Walmart Increases Staffing Levels for the Christmas Season

“The holidays are a special time of the year for everyone, and we are ready to help customers have a great shopping experience at Walmart—whether they are looking for the perfect gift or are stocking up for a memorable holiday meal.
“This is our busiest time of the year and we are focused even more on providing excellent service to our shoppers throughout the holiday season. One way we do that is by ensuring our stores are adequately staffed by our associates.
“This year, we will be offering more hours to our existing associates and hiring more than 50,000 seasonal associates to staff our stores. That means when a customer needs help, a Walmart associate will be there to serve them.
“We know many customers are continuing to struggle as a result of the economy and high unemployment levels, but they have shown us that they’re resilient. They’re committed to giving their families a memorable Christmas. And, we hope that every customer who shops at Walmart this Christmas will be able to add a few more gifts under the tree. By offering more hours and more jobs, we hope our associates can do the same.
“Throughout the holiday season, Walmart will be focused on helping more Americans have the Christmas they want and the Christmas they can afford.”

-      Gisel Ruiz, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Walmart U.S.

Walmart and HumanaVitality Partner for First-of-its-Kind Healthier Food Program Designed to Incentivize Wellness in America

Sept. 19, 2012 – Walmart today launched a first-of-its-kind effort to help consumers across the U.S. save money on more-nutritious foods and ultimately, live longer, healthier lives. In partnership with HumanaVitality, a subsidiary of Humana, the effort represents the first national program where a major retailer and healthcare company have come together to incentivize people to eat better through savings on healthier foods. Beginning on Oct. 15, more than 1 million HumanaVitality members who shop at Walmart will be eligible for a new program which offers a 5% savings on products that qualify for Walmart’s Great For You icon, including fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Recent research* shows the struggle consumers face with purchasing healthier foods. In fact, one in four families report skipping healthy purchases often or always due to price. By collaborating with HumanaVitality to invest in healthier, affordable food, Walmart is directly addressing this issue and working to bring down the costs of healthcare in the U.S. This program continues an effort Walmart began in 2011 when it unveiled a commitment to make healthier food affordable and accessible with First Lady Michelle Obama. It is another example of how Walmart uses its size and scale to lead on big social issues that matter to Americans. “Price is an important factor in incentivizing wellness in America. By offering affordable, healthier foods, we will help make our customers healthier and reduce costs to our healthcare system as a whole. This represents preventative care in its purest form,” said John Agwunobi, M.D., president of health and wellness, Walmart U.S. “We want to be our customers’ wellness destination – the retailer that provides them with affordable ways to fight for their health.” “We need innovative thinking and new partnerships to successfully address our country’s alarming healthcare issues,” said Ginny Ehrlich, chief executive officer of the William J. Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Initiative. “Walmart and HumanaVitality working together to help people make better decisions in the grocery aisle is a perfect example of how promoting healthier lifestyles can be a win for companies willing to explore new paths and, far more importantly, a great benefit for the health status of Americans.” Joe Woods, CEO of HumanaVitality, is equally committed to inspiring healthier behavior. “The ‘Vitality HealthyFood’ program with Walmart represents a new way we can decrease America’s healthcare bill. In a recent survey of our members, 84% said that a savings program would motivate them to purchase healthier foods. We will be aggressively communicating this program to more than 600,000 hospitals and physicians, as well as 60,000 insurance brokers to ensure as many members as possible can benefit from it.

Walmart Launches Fighting Hunger Together Fall Initiative To Deliver Up To 53 Million Meals and Give Consumers the Chance to Win a $50,000 “Golden Spark” for Their Community

Sept. 18, 2012 – Today Walmart ignites another initiative in the fight against hunger with the start of its $2.5 million “Golden Spark” promotion, giving consumers a chance to win “sparks” that will help fund childhood hunger programs in their communities. The promotion is just one part of the company’s Fighting Hunger Together fall initiative which brings together customers, associates, Feeding America and five of the nation’s largest food companies — ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, and Unilever — to provide meals nationwide. The campaign launches during Hunger Action Month when leading hunger advocates urge individuals to help fight hunger in their local communities. Following are the ways consumers can participate: WIN A “GOLDEN SPARK” AND HELP FEED KIDS IN THEIR COMMUNITY: Through October 14, Walmart will randomly award 40 “Golden Sparks” valued at $50,000 each to consumers who participate in the Fighting Hunger Together Golden Spark promotion. The winners will choose a community to receive the funding to start or expand a backpack program that provides vital meals to food-insecure children during weekends when they do not have access to free- and reduced-price school meals. Participants can enter to win a “Golden Spark” for their community by visiting www.walmart.com/hunger or Walmart’s Live Better Facebook app. Also, Walmart Associates can compete together for their store to win 10 additional “Golden Sparks” totaling $500,000 for their communities by logging the most hunger relief volunteer hours during the life of the campaign. GENERATE MEAL DONATIONS IN-STORE, ONLINE OR VIA MOBILE APP: Through October 12, customers will be able to generate meal donations for Feeding America by purchasing select products from participating food suppliers at Walmart stores and following instructions on the packaging, engaging in the “Give Meal” section of www.walmart.com/hunger, or using a mobile app to generate meal donations for Feeding America.

Sam’s Club Offers New Immunizations to Communities Nationwide

Sam’s Club announced today it is joining Walmart to offer 10 vital immunizations this cold and flu season at all Sam’s Club locations with a pharmacy. The 554 Sam’s Club pharmacy locations provide the largest warehouse network offering of vaccines in the U.S.In partnership with Mollen Immunization Clinics, Sam’s Club is offering an expanded menu of immunizations from registered nurses through November 15, including shingles, chickenpox and whooping cough. All Sam’s Club pharmacy locations are open to the public.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many adults have not received one or more of their recommended vaccines. A new survey from Sam’s Club reveals that more than two thirds of Americans are unaware of the availability of CDC-recommended vaccines other than the flu shot. This lack of awareness is evidenced in the vaccinations that Americans report they have personally received. While a majority has received a flu shot (62 percent) or Tdap (59 percent), the vast majority of Americans do not report receiving any of the other CDC-recommended vaccines in their lifetimes.
“Under-vaccinated communities can face a greater risk of local outbreaks of disease, and the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule for adults is a great reference to ensure that our communities stay healthy,” said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president of Sam’s Club health and wellness. “By offering the CDC’s recommended vaccines this year, Sam’s Club pharmacies continue to help our communities live healthy at a remarkable value.”
In addition to new immunizations, Sam’s Club will continue to offer flu and pneumonia vaccines in all 554 U.S. pharmacy locations, which are open to Members and the public. The flu vaccine at Sam’s Club will be available to anyone 3 years and older based on CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Anyone can go online to schedule in advance at SamsClub.com/flushots or walk into the pharmacy when shopping for other items.
Specific immunization offerings include:

• Flu (influenza) – offered at all locations with a pharmacy
• Pneumonia (pneumococcal) – offered at all locations with a pharmacy
• Chickenpox (varicella) – new for 2012
• Shingles (herpes zoster) – new for 2012
• Tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis) (Tdap)
• HPV (human papillomavirus)
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Meningitis (meningococcal)
• Hepatitis A

Walmart Unveils Top Toy List and Gives Parents Confidence to Shop Now for the Toys Kids Want at Everyday Low Prices

Walmart announced today its Top 20 Toy List featuring FURBYS, LeapPads, Novi Stars Dolls and 17 other toys bound to be on kids’ wish lists. Walmart’s Top Toys are available now at Walmart stores in time for the retailer’s layaway program, launching this Sunday. Customers who like their local Walmart store’s Facebook page can begin using layaway today.

If a customer puts a toy on layaway and Walmart rolls back the price later in the season, Walmart will honor the rolled-back price if it is in effect at the time of final payment. Walmart will also match competitor pricing during checkout for layaway products through its ad match policy. Customers will be able to pick up their toys once they complete their layaway payments. Once completed, customers will receive a full refund of the $5 layaway open fee on a Walmart gift card.

“As the largest seller of toys in the U.S., we know what parents are looking for. Whether bikes, dolls or action figures, we’re committed to having the toys kids want on our shelves at prices their parents can afford all season long,” said Anne Marie Kehoe, vice president of toys, Walmart U.S. “We carefully crafted our Top 20 Toys List to provide the right assortment for all kids. Making the list available now gives parents the chance to get toys early and take advantage of layaway with no gimmicks.”