Working together – all of us – to reimagine retail

As part of Walmart’s annual Shareholders Week, I just had an opportunity to speak about the many ways Walmart is creating clear pathways for associates, and how the Walmart Foundation is collaborating with others to help accelerate mobility within the retail and adjacent sectors. I want to take a moment to amplify that discussion here.

According to the National Retail Federation, the retail industry supports one-in-four American jobs – a total of 42 million. Because our industry employs such a large portion of the American workforce, improvements to retail career pathways can expand opportunities for many low- and moderate-income workers, with positive implications for the economy overall.

At Walmart, we’re making investments in training, education and wages. We recently announced more than 1.2 million Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates would receive a pay increase under the second phase of our two-year, $2.7 billion investment in workers. We’re also investing in on-the-job training through our Pathways and Leadership Academy programs, while working to provide flexible scheduling and improved understanding of career paths and current job benefits.

But companies like Walmart can't do it alone. It will take a broad coalition of retail employers, education providers, government agencies, thought leaders and more working together.

Lasting change requires collective action and the most viable programs are those that create shared value ­for business and society.

That’s why Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced a $100 million, five-year philanthropic investment in our Retail Opportunity Initiative. This initiative includes convening and grants to groundbreaking organizations to clarify career pathways, improve employer practices, and innovate approaches to upskilling and credentialing far beyond the walls of Walmart.  We’re committed to bringing people together – all of us – to reimagine the retail industry’s role in accelerating economic mobility for the long haul.

Join us in initiating change that matters.