Bentonville, ark. – when the tariffs drive prices higher, Walmart He presented his latest efforts to meet new and younger buyers – including a fresh advertising campaign, a clothing brand designed for teenagers and Drone deliveries In more cities.
The movements that the leaders of the retail giant announced this week illustrate how the disk sees development opportunities, even when consumers sharpen their wallets and economic perspectives It seems cloudy.
Walmart, the largest private employer and retailer in the USA, hosted thousands of hour employees, shop managers, investors and reporters this week during the Associates Week event in the hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas and nearby Fayetteville. The event, rally ceremony and employees' recognition, coincides with the annual shareholder meeting and hats with surprised celebrities and musical performances. This year Jimmy Fallon Emed and Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Noah Kahan and The Killers performed.
Despite the festive atmosphere, it was difficult to overshadow the events outside of Arkansas. The holiday took place when the tariffs have He was collecting the retail industryIN Increase in price forced in various chains and asked questions about economic growth. Despite this, Walmart insisted that he had the opportunity to keep the market from the aware values of buyers in various income, including richer households, offering better items and greater comfort-hope that his new plans would increase.
Financial Director of Walmart, John David Rainey, told journalists on Friday that the tariffs did not change consumer expenditure patterns – where buyers pay more for groceries and stop other items.
“It was very consistent, and what we saw over the past year, even two years, is that consumers spend more on food, and this gives them less money on general goods,” said Rainey, referring to discretionary items such as clothing and toys.
“You can still say that wallets are stretched, that consumers still have high prices, despite the fact that the number of inflation from year to year is not headers that were 18 months ago,” he said.
Rainey warned last month that Walmart would have to raise prices due to tariffs, Attention: She drew acute criticism by the president Donald Trumpwho told the company to “eat tariffs” Post on social media.
CEO of Walmart Doug McMillon was the decision to announce a price increase.
“We try to be good sellers,” he said. “And yes, when we had the Q1 dismissal, we wanted to convey what we see. I think we have a duty to do it for shareholders and I think we did it properly.”
McMillon refused on Friday to determine the categories or goods in which Walmart raised prices, saying that the company “does everything in our power to balance” pressure on imported items. About two -thirds of what Walmart sells in the USA is grown or gathered in the country.
Grocers are the majority of Walmart sales in the USA, and the category has thin profit margins. McMillon said that the sale of more categories with higher margins, such as clothing and home decor, can help Walmart compensate for cost pressure or price increases in relation to tariffs.
When commercial tensions suppress the mood of consumers, Walmart believes that new investments can help him win new consumers who have what he considers as an outdated view of the seller.
Among the efforts he plans Expand drones up to 100 stores in three states in the coming year through the wing of the drone operator. Customers can already obtain drones in the Northwest Arkansas part and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
From the beginning of July, Walmart will wear a new private clothing brand, a weekend academy. The seller designed a new brand that will debut with 65 clothing, footwear and items for girls and boys with most products under USD 15.
Gypsy Jo Diesner, vice president of fashion for children at Walmart US, said that the brand would land on the shelves for the return to school. She said that she was intended for Alpha, a fashionable young customer who has fewer options than younger children, teenagers and adults.
Walmart's plan to come up with a new type of customer, maybe he showed the most in an early look at the advertising campaign shown to employees gathered for the celebration of Bud Walton Arena from the University of Arkansas.
Television rumors, in which actors Walton Goggins from “White Lotus” HBO and Stephanie Beatriz from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” show Walmart options and delivery options that may surprise some buyers.
He wears the slogan “Who knew?”