About Wal-Mart
We are a global retailer committed to growing our company by improving the standard of living for our customers and serving communities around the world. We earn the trust of our customers every day by providing a broad assortment of quality merchandise and services at every day low prices while fostering a culture that rewards and embraces mutual respect, integrity and diversity.
Today, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the world’s largest retailer with more than 1.8 million associates worldwide and nearly 6,500 stores and wholesale clubs across 15 countries. The "most admired retailer" according to FORTUNE magazine has just completed one of the best years in its history: Wal-Mart generated more than $312.4 billion in global revenue in the fiscal year ended January 31, 2006, establishing a new record and an increase of 9.5 percent. The company earned almost $11.2 billion in net income in fiscal 2005.
Guided by founder Sam Walton’s passion for customer satisfaction and “Every Day Low Prices,” Wal-Mart’s four retail divisions offer a wide variety of quality merchandise to consumers around the world.
Wal-Mart Discount Stores -- Wal-Mart now has more than 1,470 discount stores in the United States offering a variety of quality, value-priced general merchandise and a pleasant, convenient shopping experience. The stores feature wide, clean, brightly lit aisles and shelves stocked with quality items including: family apparel, automotive products, health and beauty aids, home furnishings, electronics, hardware, toys, sporting goods, lawn and garden items, pet supplies, jewelry, and housewares.
Wal-Mart Supercenters -- Developed in 1988 to meet the growing demand for one-stop family shopping, Wal-Mart Supercenters today number more than 1,430 nationwide and most are open 24 hours a day for the ultimate in convenience. Supercenters save customers time and money by combining full grocery lines and general merchandise under one roof at Wal-Mart’s signature Every Day Low Prices. In addition to general merchandise, Supercenters feature bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, and fresh produce. Supercenters also are home to many specialty shops such as vision centers, Tire & Lube Expresses, Radio Grill restaurants, portrait studios and one-hour photo centers, hair salons, banks, and employment agencies.
Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets -- First opened in 1998, Neighborhood Markets offer a convenient shopping experience for customers who need groceries, pharmaceuticals and general merchandise. Generally, they are located in markets with Wal-Mart Supercenters, supplementing a strong food distribution network and providing added convenience while maintaining Wal-Mart’s Every Day Low Prices. The now more than 60 Neighborhood Markets feature a wide variety of products, including fresh produce, deli foods, fresh meat and dairy items, health and beauty aids, one-hour photo and traditional photo developing services, drive-through pharmacies, stationery and paper goods, pet supplies, and household chemicals.
SAM’S CLUB -- The nation’s leading members-only warehouse club offers a broad selection of general merchandise and large-volume items at value prices. Since 1983, SAM’S CLUB has been the preferred choice for small businesses, families or anyone looking for great prices on name-brand products. The more than 530 SAM’S CLUBS nationwide offer merchandise for both office and personal use, bulk paper products, furniture, computer hardware and software, groceries, televisions, camcorders, home furnishings, clothing, fine jewelry, and seasonal merchandise. A nominal membership fee helps defray operating costs and keeps prices exceptionally low.
The company serves consumers worldwide through more than 3,500 facilities in the United States and more than 1,340 units in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, South Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom. More than 138 million customers per week visit Wal-Mart stores worldwide.
Our growth comes from thinking like a small company, not like a large one.
Today Wal-Mart employs more than 1.5 million associates and we still believe that one associate can make a difference. If you are motivated by challenges, constant innovation and want to make a difference, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the place for you.
3 Basic Beliefs
Sam Walton's 3 Basic Beliefs the company was built on.
Sam Walton built Wal-Mart on the revolutionary philosophies of excellence in the workplace, customer service and always having the lowest prices. We have always stayed true to the Three Basic Beliefs Mr. Sam established in 1962:
Respect for the Individual
Service to Our Customers
Strive for Excellence
Respect the Individual
"'Our people make the difference' is not a meaningless slogan - it's a reality at Wal-Mart. We are a group of dedicated, hardworking, ordinary people who have teamed together to accomplish extraordinary things. We have very different backgrounds, different colors and different beliefs, but we do believe that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and dignity."
Don Soderquist,
Senior Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Retired)
Service to Our Customers
We want our customers to trust in our pricing philosophy and to always be able to find the lowest prices with the best possible service. We're nothing without our customers.
"Wal-Mart's culture has always stressed the importance of Customer Service. Our Associate base across the country is as diverse as the communities in which we have Wal-Mart stores. This allows us to provide the Customer Service expected from each individual customer that walks into our stores."
Tom Coughlin,
President and chief executive officer, Wal-Mart Stores division
Strive for Excellence
New ideas and goals make us reach further than ever before. We try to find new and innovative ways to push our boundaries and constantly improve.
"Sam was never satisfied that prices were as low as they needed to be or that our product's quality was as high a they deserved -he believed in the concept of striving for excellence before it became a fashionable concept."
Lee Scott,
President and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The corporate culture of Wal-Mart is one of the biggest contributing factors that make it one of the world's most admired companies. When Sam Walton founded the company, he instilled in his people and his business a belief system that is still very much in place today.
From the three basic beliefs to the sundown rule, we respect our customers, Associates and suppliers and strive to treat them as we ourselves want to be treated. In building and nurturing these relationships, as well as serving the communities where we live, we've helped build a better business-one committed to excellence.
Sam Walton believed that each Wal-Mart store should reflect the values of its customers and support the vision they hold for their community. As a result, Wal-Mart's Community Outreach Programs are guided by local Associates who grew up in the area and understand its needs. In addition, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has launched several national efforts to help the larger, U.S. community.
Locally, Wal-Mart:
Underwrites college scholarships for high school seniors
Raises funds for nearby children's hospitals through the Children's Miracle Network Telethon
Provides money and manpower for fund raisers, school benefits and churches, Boy and Girl Scouts, park projects, police and fire charities, food banks, senior citizen centers, and more.
Educates the public about recycling and other environmental topics with the help of a "Green Coordinator," a specially trained Associate who coordinates efforts to make an environmentally responsible store.
On the national scope, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.:
Encourages American companies to bring offshore manufacturing operations "back home" and bolster the U.S. job base through our Buy American Program.
Created Environmental Demonstration Stores in Lawrence, Kansas; Moore, Oklahoma; and City of Industry, California. These stores serve as a "test tube" for environmentally-friendly building materials and experimental methods for conserving energy and water.
Look to the Future
Wal-Mart's accomplishments since 1962 will be exceeded not only by today's Associates, but through the Associates of the future. Sam Walton reflected on the past and the future as he accepted the Medal of Freedom from President George Bush in March 1992.
"We're all working together; that's the secret. And we'll lower the cost of living for everyone, not just in America, but we'll give the world an opportunity to see what it's like to save and have a better lifestyle, a better life for all. We're proud of what we've accomplished; we've just begun."
Sam Walton (1918-1992)
Exceeding Customer Expectations
At Wal-Mart, we receive letters daily from customers praising individual associates for giving exceptional service. Sometimes they write to express their appreciation for services as simple as a smile, an associate remembering their name or someone carrying out their purchases for them. Other times they write of incidents that seem almost heroic - for instance, Sheila who risked her own safety when she jumped in front of a car to prevent a little boy from being struck, Phylis who administered CPR to a customer who had suffered a heart attack in her store, Joyce who threw a plate on the floor to assure a young mother that a set of dishes was truly unbreakable and Annette who gave up the Power Ranger she had on layaway for her own son so that a customer's son could have his birthday wish.
Years ago, Sam Walton challenged all Wal-Mart associates to practice what he called "aggressive hospitality." He said "Let's be the most friendly - offer a smile of welcome and assistance to all who do us a favor by entering our stores. Give better service - over and beyond what our customers expect. Why not? You wonderful, caring associates can do it and do it better than any other retailing company in the world . . . exceed your customers' expectations. If you do, they'll come back over and over again."
As Wal-Mart associates we know it is not good enough to simply be grateful to our customers for shopping our stores - we want to demonstrate our gratitude in every way we can! We believe that doing so is what keeps our customers coming back to Wal-Mart again and again.
Retail Divisions
Wal-Mart Stores
Supercenters
SAM'S CLUBS
Neighborhood Market
International
walmart.com
Specialty Divisions
Tire & Lube Express
Wal-Mart Optical
Wal-Mart Pharmacy
Wal-Mart Vacations
Wal-Mart Used Fixture Auctions
Our benefits are designed to help associates meet their unique personal, family, and financial needs, and the program is divided into four areas:
Career Benefits
Career benefits are designed to give each Associate every opportunity to grow, prosper, and advance in his or her career. Regardless of gender, color, religion, age, national origin, or sexual orientation, an Associate with the desire and the ability to get the job done will find many career paths and opportunities to explore.
We also provide classroom training, computer-based training, in-store and on-the-job training, mentoring, and a host of other opportunities to give associates the knowledge and skills for a successful career.
Financial Benefits
Financial benefits offer associates several ways to save and invest for their financial security. Our Profit-Sharing and 401(k) Plan help associates save for long-term financial needs, such as retirement.
Another financial benefit is the Associate Stock -Purchase Plan, which allows associates to buy stock through payroll deductions.
Health Care Benefits
The foundation of our health benefits is to provide a choice of medical coverage options designed to protect associates from catastrophic medical costs.
Health care benefits also include Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance, and a dental plan that covers a range of general and major care.
Personal Benefits
Our personal benefits include such extras as discounts on child care, education, and travel.
Personal benefits also include medical and personal leaves of absence, long-term service benefits, and even a professional and personal associate counseling service.
Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott Announces "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zones" Initiative
April 5, 2006
50+ Stores to Be Built in Neighborhoods That Need Wal-Mart the Most; Chicago's West Side Store to Anchor First of Ten Zones
Chicago — In a speech this afternoon at the Newspaper Association of America's annual convention, Wal-Mart Stores CEO Lee Scott will announce the new, nationwide "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zones" initiative. Scott also will announce that, over the next two years, Wal-Mart will build more than 50 stores in neighborhoods with high crime or unemployment rates, on sites that are environmentally contaminated, or in vacant buildings or malls in need of revitalization. These new stores are expected to create between 15,000 and 25,000 jobs, many of which will be in minority communities, and generate more than $100 million in state and local tax revenue for these communities.
"Wal-Mart has never been afraid to invest in communities that are overlooked by other retailers. Where those businesses see difficulty, we see opportunity. That is who Wal-Mart has always been, and that is who we remain today," Scott says in prepared remarks. "This is a commitment to reach beyond our stores, to further engage the community, and to offer an even greater economic boost to people and neighborhoods that need Wal-Mart the most."
Before his speech, Scott will visit the construction site of a new Wal-Mart store on the West Side of Chicago and announce that this store will anchor the first "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone." At the store, Scott will be joined by several community and business leaders, including Ward 37 Alderwoman Emma Mitts; Lance Pressl, with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce; Pastor Dwight Gunn, with the 37th Ward Pastor's Alliance; Camille Lilly, Executive Director, Austin Chamber of Commerce; and Margaret Garner, whose business, Broadway Consolidated Companies, Inc., is building the West Side store.
Each of the ten "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zones" will be anchored by a store and engage a host of local businesses and organizations with which the company will work to increase job creation and economic opportunity in surrounding neighborhoods. The locations of the remaining nine zones will be announced in the coming months.
The "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone" initiative will create more opportunities for small businesses to capitalize on the benefits of having a Wal-Mart store in their community, like customer flow and rising incomes.
- Wal-Mart will work with store managers to identify up to five local businesses per quarter as "Small Business Spotlights."
- The company will feature these small businesses in local newspaper advertising and will also offer to produce free radio ads and broadcast them on its in-store radio network.
- Wal-Mart will establish a Wal-Mart Business Development Team, which will hold seminars for small businesses on best practices for how to thrive with a Wal-Mart in their community.
- The company will also produce an annual "Wal-Mart Trends Report" that it will share exclusively with the small business community.
Second, the "Jobs and Opportunity Zones" program reinforces Wal-Mart's strong commitment to diversity by placing a special emphasis on supporting minority and women-owned businesses.
- Wal-Mart will donate a total of $500,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation to local chambers of commerce, including many minority chambers.
- The company will work with these chambers to create and identity effective programs for this funding. These resources could be used in a variety of ways, including to develop web sites, sponsor community events or host business improvement sessions.
- Wal-Mart will also hold "Working with Wal-Mart" sessions, which help local, minority and women-owned businesses learn first hand how to do business with Wal-Mart.
"Wal-Mart has long been an integral part of local communities," said Camille Lilly, CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. "Its stores serve as the type of neighbor a community can embrace to help develop economic vitality, and a place where working families can save money. The Austin community looks forward to the opportunities Wal-Mart brings: job creation, investments in local businesses and economic opportunity and savings for Chicagoans. It's a win-win-win situation."
For the full text of Scott's remarks, and more information about the "Jobs and Opportunity Zones" program, please visit www.walmartfacts.com.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas
72716-8611
The philosophy that drives diversity at Wal-Mart is a natural extension of our company's core beliefs. Diversity is a key dimension of our commitment to our customers and associates: Treat them with fairness and respect, be their advocates, be sensitive to their concerns, value their differences, and serve and support them the best we can.
Our commitment to diversity is fundamental to our success, and we don't take our success for granted. Being a leading employer means that we have to set a good example and always strive to improve our efforts. That's why we created the Office of Diversity. The office fosters diversity throughout the company and ensures that diversity is interwoven with all of our associate programs, recruitment efforts, supplier relations, philanthropic initiatives, and community efforts.
We affirm our commitment and pledge our full support to equal employment opportunities for all qualified people, regardless of race, color, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status.
Our expectation is that all associates demonstrate sensitivity to and respect for our customers, suppliers, and other associates. It is also our expectation that all associates are committed to our diversity initiatives.
We take pride in our diverse, mosaic family of associates, and we will continue to celebrate that diversity.
Recent Awards and Recognition-2005:
- Asian Enterprise Magazine list top 10 Companies for Asian Americans.
- Latinos Hispanic Magazine list top 50 Vendor Programs for Supplier Diversity.
- Black Enterprise Magazine list Top 30 Companies for African Americans.
- Hispanic Magazine list 2005 Corporate 100 - The 100 Companies Providing the Most Opportunities for Hispanics.
- Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility (HACR) Corporate Index Top 10.
- DiversityInc's list of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity.
We're committed to diversifying our workforce, which begins with the associate-selection process.
Recruiting new talent is key to meeting the demands of our continuous growth. Our company population must represent our customers, and we recognize that everyone benefits when we attract people from diverse backgrounds.
We engage in job fairs, college recruiting, and internships to increase the diversity of our candidate pool for open positions throughout the company. We have increased the company's diversity considerably through our external recruiting efforts.
If you have any questions about our college recruiting program, please send correspondence to:
Campus Relations
508 SW 8th. St.
Bentonville, AR 72716-0690
OR E-mail: eresume@wal-mart.com
Corporate Internship Program:
We offer summer internships to eligible college juniors and seniors who are interested in a career with us. During a 10-week program, students learn how a successful multimillion-dollar business operates.
We established the Corporate Intern Program in 1987 to develop outstanding students who are interested in positions throughout our home office in Bentonville, Arkansas. The program gives students an understanding of our unique culture and business philosophies.
Interns solve real-life issues and manage projects. They gain world-class training and development and interact with leaders of the company.
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