Walmart

Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and Lionel Richie kept the mood light and celebratory at Walmart’s annual meeting. See what The New York Times had to say about the event.


 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart held its annual shareholders’ meeting Friday morning against the backdrop of the company’s 50th anniversary and allegations of corruption in Mexico.

The seemingly diametrically opposed situations presented senior executives with the opportunity to underscore how the company’s unique culture and such enduring values as integrity would power future growth.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke on Friday called integrity the company’s “bedrock” value during a presentation at the chain’s annual shareholders meeting in Fayetteville, Ark. The meeting was held against the backdrop of allegations of illegal payments made to facilitate growth in Mexico, which Duke addressed directly in the following remarks: “We're working to continually strengthen our compliance efforts around the world,” he said.

New York -- Wal-Mart Stores is expected to face scrutiny from shareholders at its annual meeting on Friday in the wake of allegations of bribery  in Mexico.

The allegations are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and government agencies in Mexico. Wal-Mart is also conducting an internal probe.
 

Paris -- The world’s second largest retailer behind Wal-Mart said Thursday that its leadership will change hands earlier than planned. France's Carrefour said that current CEO Lars Olofsson had retired at a board meeting on Wednesday, and that incoming chief Georges Plassat will take over as chief executive immediately.

Plassat joined Carrefour last month as COO. He was supposed to make his CEO transition effective June 18. He will take charge of an aggressive turnaround effort intended to reverse years of underperformance.
 

The Walmart Visitor Center, Downtown Bentonville, and Bentonville public schools, today, will unveil the Wal-Art Student Mural on the Bentonville Square.

Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon delivered an optimistic message about Walmart U.S.’s performance during the first quarter and its potential for the coming year during a presentation at a Morgan Stanley conference in Boston Wednesday. Ahead of the Walmart’s upcoming shareholders’ meeting, Simon talked about leveraging a more efficient supply chain to drive costs down, lower prices and improve traffic and shared insights on the company’s plans for growth in the second quarter and beyond.

Walmart and the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation have teamed up to donate $1 million to fund the renovation and expansion of the current Sam M. Walton College of Business display, honoring Walmart’s founder, Sam Walton. Each organization donated $500,000 to update the display in the Business Administration Building on the University of Arkansas campus.