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takyon writes:

Walmart is boosting minimum pay across all of its stores and handing out bonuses. The CEO says that it's thanks to tax reform:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is boosting its starting hourly wage to $11 and delivering bonuses to employees, capitalizing on the U.S. tax overhaul to stay competitive in a tightening labor market.

The increase takes effect next month and will cost $300 million on top of wage hikes that were already planned, the world's largest retailer said Thursday. The one-time bonus of up to $1,000 is based on seniority and will amount to an additional $400 million. The company is also expanding its maternity and parental leave policy and adding an adoption benefit.

"Tax reform gives us the opportunity to be more competitive globally and to accelerate plans for the U.S.," Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said in the statement.

The move comes three years after Wal-Mart last announced it was raising wages, spending $1 billion in 2015 to lift starting hourly pay to $9 and then to $10 for most workers the following year. The increase cut into profit and was criticized by some longer-tenured employees as unfair to them. Since then, many states have enacted minimum wage laws, meaning that a "sizable group" of its 4,700 U.S. stores already pay $11 an hour, according to spokesman Kory Lundberg.

Walmart is expanding a "Scan & Go" program from 50 to 150 stores. "Scan & Go" would allow customers to use a smartphone app to scan items and then walk out of the store with them. Kroger is experimenting with a similar "Scan, Bag, Go" program. These are seen as a response to Amazon, which has been trialing delivery of fresh foods and same-day deliveries. Amazon revealed an "Amazon Go" concept brick-and-mortar store in 2016, with no cashiers in sight.

Maybe Walmart's big plan is to give better pay to a dwindling amount of employees.

CEO letter to employees. Also at CNBC and USA Today.

Related: Walmart Wants to Deliver Groceries Directly Into Your Fridge
Walmart to Deploy Shelf-Scanning Robots at 50 Stores
Walmart is Raising Prices Online to Increase in-Store Traffic

Original Submission

1. "takyon" - https://soylentnews.org/~takyon/
2. "boosting minimum pay" - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-11/wal-mart-raises-u-s-hourly-wage-to-11-in-wake-of-tax-overhaul
3. "expanding a "Scan & Go" program" - http://time.com/money/5096929/walmart-kroger-scan-and-go/
4. "walk out of the store with them" - http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-expands-scan-and-go-program-2018-1
5. "a response to Amazon" - http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-lets-shoppers-check-out-without-cashiers-at-more-stores-2018-1
6. ""Amazon Go"" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=16/12/05/2212245
7. "CEO letter to employees" - https://blog.walmart.com/business/20180111/ceo-doug-mcmillons-note-to-associates-on-tax-savings
8. "CNBC" - https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/11/walmart-to-boost-starting-wage-give-employees-bonus-after-tax-bill.html
9. "USA Today" - https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/01/11/walmart-boosts-minimum-wage-11-hands-out-bonuses-up-1-000-hourly-workers/1023606001/
10. "Walmart Wants to Deliver Groceries Directly Into Your Fridge" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/09/23/0126223
11. "Walmart to Deploy Shelf-Scanning Robots at 50 Stores" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/10/30/110255
12. "Walmart is Raising Prices Online to Increase in-Store Traffic" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/11/16/1753217
13. "Original Submission" - https://soylentnews.org/submit.pl?op=viewsub&subid=24264

printed from SoylentNews, Walmart Raises Minimum Hourly Wage to $11, Expands "Scan & Go" Program on 2024-04-25 16:27:16