AS Americans see the prices of basic necessities skyrocket, the nation’s largest retailer aims to soften the blow by expanding a discount.
The move puts it more in line with its competitors like Target and Amazon.
A major retailer’s new discount extends to nearly all groceries (stock)[/caption]
And the change is effective immediately.
Walmart is now extending its 10% employee discount to include nearly all groceries in store and online.
The move is part of the company’s ongoing campaign to recruit and retain workers.
The discount previously applied to fresh produce and general items.
However, it excluded goods like meat, milk, pasta and frozen pizza – except during the holiday shopping season.
But not anymore.
UNDER THE RADAR
Walmart U.S. Chief Executive John Furner and a Miami-area store manager announced the added perk on Wednesday during a Houston gathering of managers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But according to social media, some employees were surprised to see a 10% discount as early as Sunday.
One person posted on Reddit, “I received a 10% discount on the subtotal. My discount is usually less than a dollar for groceries.”
“As others have said, I noticed I got 10% off all my food today at lunch, so it’s not just one register glitching or something,” one person responded.
A third chimed in, “I got the discount on beer earlier and I was like wtf thats (sic) never happened before.”
The shift comes as America’s largest private employer aims to attract a workforce away from big names like Target, Amazon and Whole Foods.
Target provides a 20% discount on fresh and frozen produce.
Whole Foods offers a 20% discount on most in-store purchases.
Amazon extends a 10% discount up to $100 a year to warehouse and other hourly workers.
In addition to the extended discount, Walmart is rolling out other perks like higher wages for managers and potential bonuses for hourly workers.
STANDING OVATION
Company executives expect the expanded benefit to be very well received by employees.
“The associate pantry means everything to them because they don’t know how they are going to be paying their next meal, and now this is going to help,” a Miami-area store manager said in a video viewed by WSJ.
The recording took place during a meeting of store managers in Houston.
And the announcement of the expanded discount reportedly received a standing ovation from attendees.
In a letter to staff, Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris said the discount is among its “most requested benefits,” WSJ reported.
Still, some believe Walmart can do better.
“Imagine if employers were more focused on providing livable wages so people could afford groceries and other necessities instead of discounts for the products they sell?” one person wrote on a Linkedin post.
Employee Discounts at Major Retailers
- Target: 20% discount on fresh and frozen produce, 10% on most other items
- Kroger: 10% off store-brand items and electronics, 15% off home, 20% off apparel
- Whole Foods: 20% off most in-store purchases, 15% off hot bar and salad bar purchases
