Walmart

In 1984, at the impressionable age of 17, Doug McMillon’s journey with Walmart began in a way that hardly foretold he would one day become CEO. On the way to a Walmart warehouse for his first day of unloading trucks, McMillon rear-ended his supervisor’s car with his father’s Honda Civic, he recalled in the February issue of Walmart World.

Although McMillon’s early exposure to Walmart came inside a sweltering distribution center, he said the camaraderie, enthusiasm and passion he witnessed let him know something special was going on.

What’s next for Walmart under the leadership of new CEO Doug McMillon is the focus of the Spring edition of Walmart Supplier News.

Change is in the air at Walmart as the Doug McMillon era begins. No company makes a change at the top out of a desire to maintain the status quo, and McMillon has already indicated there are changes to come.

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has announced its newest community center development, Parkway Plaza, a 134,100-sq.-ft. project in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Construction will begin in June, with the grand opening scheduled for spring 2015. Once complete, the 16+-acre site will offer several national retailers new to the area including anchor stores Hobby Lobby, Marshalls and Petco.

Walmart deepened its commitment to domestic sourcing and supply chain efficiency on Thursday when Walmart U.S. president and CEO Bill Simon unveiled a first-of-its-kind RFP process and a new Innovation Fund.

Both revelations came at an event Walmart holds each spring in Orlando known as the Year Beginning Meeting, or simply YBM. While much of the several day event is focused on Walmart store managers, a portion is devoted to trading partners who are given the opportunity to hear from top executives.

The buzz and hype surrounding 3D printing can make it hard to separate fact from fiction, but one thing is for sure: 3D printing has the potential to transform shopper expectations and retail supply chains.

Walmart didn’t mention competitive issues as a source of sales weakness during its fourth quarter, but reports this week from Kroger and Costco indicate they were at least a contributing factor.

Walmart’s tepid sales performance in the fourth quarter is water under the bridge, so when Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon spoke this week at an investor conference he quickly focused on the growth potential of smaller stores, which are being expanded at a more rapid pace.