Walmart Takes On Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods With New Premium Brand at WSJ. “…introducing a line of premium food called Bettergoods this year, aiming to attract new, often higher income shoppers more frequently…The new brand took years to develop and will include foods such as cardamom rose raspberry jam for $5.24 and curry chicken empanadas. Walmart plans to add more than 300 Bettergoods items to shelves this year—many of which will cost $5 or less.” WSJ subs.

 

…products will fit within one of three major areas…items with more of a culinary flair…items that are plant-based…or items that exclude certain ingredients, such as gluten- and antibiotic-free chicken nuggets at CNBC | Press release

 

Walmart closing all 51 of its health clinics at CNBC. “…said it would also shutter its telehealth provider, which it acquired for an undisclosed amount in 2021…won’t affect the company’s 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers…The clinic will close over the next 45 to 90 days, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC.” Read more

 

America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 (Costco, Target, Walmart, Schnucks & many more) at Newsweek

 

CANADA – Documents reveal feds’ efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code at Toronto Sun

 

A new Walmart in-store AI is giving employees advice on how to sell products before it’s too late at CNBC. “The internally developed AI technology allows Walmart employees to scan produce like bananas to see how ripe the product is. Then, using generative AI, a digital dashboard will make a suggestion on what to do with the product, eliminating the need for human decision making in the absence of informed advice.” Read more

 

FTC Accuses Amazon’s Jeff Bezos of Using Signal’s Disappearing Messages to Discuss Competitors at Inc.

 

CANADA – Grocery shoppers plan Loblaw boycott in May at Financial Post. “Johnson and others started organizing the boycott after a Reddit group she created gained thousands of followers looking for a place to complain about Loblaw and other grocers. The page, r/loblawsisoutofcontrol, now has about 56,000 members.” Read more

 

Dollar Tree DC in Oklahoma hit by tornado “…none of the 456 associates…were injured…pivoted its network to deliver product to the approximately 600 Marietta-serviced Dollar Tree stores…expects that these efforts will limit disruption to the Dollar Tree shopping experience.” Press release

 

London Drugs closes its 80 stores until further notice due to cyberattack at CBC

 

Walmart opens childcare center on new home office campus “Generously supported by the Walton family, this 73,000-square-foot facility will provide a safe and enriching environment for infants through pre-K…capacity to accommodate more than 500 children…will be the largest childcare offering in the Northwest Arkansas region.” Press release

 

…There is also a parent courtyard, allowing parents working on campus to check their children out and have a meal or time together at NWA Online

 

An $850 million retail giant is giving candidates their questions before a job interview because ‘nerves can seriously impact performance’ at Fortune/Yahoo Finance. “Those applying for a job at John Lewis Partnership, the U.K.’s largest employee-owned business, now won’t have to panic about which dreaded questions could arise during the interview because the $850 million retail giant has just published them all online.” Read more