Workforce Management

Walmart hit the century mark in terms of training academies.   The retailer on Monday celebrated the grand opening of its 100th U.S. training academy, in Frontage, Edmond. The academies were first introduced in 2016 and have expanded to 40 states.  

Amazon continues its hiring spree.    The company announced Thursday that it plans to add more than 30,000 part-time positions in the United States over the next year.  The new positions are on top of the previously announced 100,000 full-time U.S. jobs Amazon will add during the next 18 months.   Some 5,000 of the new part-time hires will be in Amazon’s  Virtual Customer Service program, which offers employees the flexibility to work from home as a customer service agent. 

The retail giant is reorganizing its U.S. technology division — a move that will impact about 10% of its workforce.

Sources familiar with the situation said that Walmart will eliminate 300 jobs across its information systems division (ISD). The layoffs at ISD in the chain's Bentonville headquarters began this week and are expected to continue through the month, according to Talk Business & Politics.

Having reached a 15-year peak on February, consumer confidence reached a new peak in March, now standing at its highest level in 16 years.   The index's current reading is 125.6, up from 116.1 in February.   “Consumer confidence increased sharply in March to its highest level since December 2000 (Index, 128.6),” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.   

The increasingly digital customer is impacting the evolution of new, distinct store formats.   As stores transition to new concepts by 2020 and beyond, so will the roles of store associates, according to new research from Avanade and EKN Research. Avanade surveyed 161 global retail executives across various retail segments to understand the driving factors of digital and workforce transformation in the industry.  

Could “paper or plastic?” become a question of the past? In early December, Amazon opened its checkout-free store concept, Amazon Go, in Seattle. Initially open only to employees, the store is expected to open to the public early this year. With the e-commerce giant’s “just walk out” technology, customers are able to swipe their app when they enter, pick up items they want off the shelves, and exit without cash registers or lines.  

The bonuses, along with annual pay raises, were included in employees’ March 9 paycheck.   Over the past two years, Walmart has invested billions of dollars in training, education and higher wages. These programs offer associates skills, knowledge and tools to help them grow with the company and provide great customer service during a time of rapid change in shopping habits.  

Asda is making its workforce an enticing offer.   The British supermarket owned by Walmart is offering staff in its stores a 14% increase in their hourly pay if they sign a contract requiring more flexible working, according to Reuters.   The deal requires Asda staff to work in different parts of stores and dif-ferent days or hours, including public holidays. All breaks will be un-paid.