Walmart Releases Annual Global Responsibility Report and Outlines 2017 North Carolina Investment Plans

RALEIGH, N.C., May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart has released its 10^th annual Global Responsibility Report, highlighting milestones in its global progress toward creating shared value for people, business, and society.  The report looks back at the company's progress during fiscal year 2017 in advancing the key areas of opportunity, sustainability and community.  Following are local examples illustrating Walmart's local impact in each of these three areas of the Global Responsibility Report:

Opportunity
Walmart is addressing barriers that can impede career advancement for associates. In FY2017, Walmart completed a $2.7 billion investment in U.S. associates that included increases in training, education and higher wages. North Carolina achievements include:

• Opening the first Walmart Academy in Garner in November 2016. Since February 2017, Walmart has opened four additional academies in Denver, Morganton, Morrisville and Fayetteville with plans for expansion throughout the year. These facilities have trained more than 2,400 associates to date.
• Awarding a total of more than $28 million in quarterly bonuses to North Carolina associates in FY17.
• Continuing its commitment to hire military veterans for a total of more than 7,000 veterans hired in North Carolina since launching the Walmart Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013.

In addition to investing in its own associates, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation in 2015 launched the Retail Opportunity Initiative, a five-year, $100 million sector-wide effort aimed at strengthening the transferability of skills of the U.S. retail workforce and developing ways to make it easier for front-line workers to advance their careers.  Through the end of FY2017, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation invested more than $59 million and collaborated with leading nonprofits, employers, government agencies and educational institutions such as the The League of Innovation and the Aspen Institute. 

Community
In FY2017, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation invested more than $1.4 billion in communities worldwide, including more than $52 million in cash and in-kind contributions to non-profits throughout North Carolina. 

Local non-profits awarded grants from the Walmart State Giving Program, one of several Foundation giving programs that play an essential role in the Foundation's mission to create opportunities so people can live better, include: 

• Support Military Spouses received $25,000 for the Military Community Job Fair and Employment Readiness Program
• Urban League of Central Carolinas received $100,000 for the ULCC's Continuum of Opportunity program
• Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina received $166,000 for their Restoring Hope and Health with food program
• Communities in Schools of Wake County received $25,000 for the Smart Academy

As the nation's largest grocer, Walmart is uniquely positioned to support organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against hunger.  In addition to donating more than 28 million pounds of food to local North Carolina food banks – equivalent to 23 million meals – Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $50 million toward hunger relief in FY2017, including more than $306,000 for after school and breakfast in the classroom programs in North Carolina.

Walmart also engages customers across the country in making an impact on hunger in their local communities.  In the U.S., Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations teamed up with customers and participating suppliers to support Feeding America through the "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." campaign, raising more than $17 million in funds in FY2017, including funds for the following North Carolina Feeding America affiliate food banks:

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, Charlotte, NC, $185,043
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Winston-Salem, NC $173,191
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina, Fayetteville, NC, $55, 673
• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, $189,352
• Food Bank of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NC $32,552
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh, NC, $56,334
• MANNA FoodBank, Asheville, NC, $82,367

Walmart associates are deeply engaged in their communities and in FY2017, associates overall volunteered more than 1.2 million hours generating more than $12 million in Walmart donations, including more than 17,000 hours with local non-profits and charitable causes in North Carolina, marking another way in which the company supports and impacts the local communities it serves.

In FY2017, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation supported communities after 30 disasters. A total of $6.8 million in cash donations was given specifically for disaster preparedness and relief, including $170,000 in North Carolina to assist with food supplies following Hurricane Matthew, as an example.

2017 North Carolina Innovations and Investments
Walmart's most recent earnings report shows continued positive momentum in U.S. sales, customer traffic and customer feedback, which is attributed to many of the innovations and investments the company has been making in store operations and its workforce.

Walmart is planning the following investments in North Carolina this year:

• Open three new stores/clubs across the state creating approximately 700 new jobs statewide.
• Recently opened four training academies with plans for additional academy openings across the state.
• Multi-million dollar capital investments in improving existing stores/clubs by remodeling more than 18 locations across the state.
• Walmart Supercenter, 701 Hawley Ave, Belmont
• Walmart Supercenter, 125 Bleachery Blvd, Asheville
• Walmart Supercenter, 2010 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary
• Walmart Supercenter, 150 Concord Commons Pl SW, Concord
• Walmart Supercenter, 1830 Galleria Blvd, Charlotte
• Walmart Supercenter, 1015 Lewis St, Oxford
• Walmart Supercenter, 4424 W Wendover Ave, Greensboro
• Walmart Supercenter, 200 Watauga Village Dr, Boone
• Walmart Supercenter, 9820 Callabridge Ct, Charlotte
• Walmart Supercenter, 25 Northridge Commons Pkwy, Weaverville
• Walmart Supercenter, 1226 E Dixie Dr, Asheboro
• Walmart Supercenter, 8180 S Tryon St, Charlotte
• Walmart Supercenter, 1318 Mebane Oaks Rd, Mebane
• Walmart Supercenter, 1876 Main St W, Locust
• Walmart Supercenter, 3105 Dr. M L King Jr. Blvd, New Bern
• Walmart Supercenter, 805 Town Centre Blvd, Clayton
• Walmart Supercenter, 705 Retail Way, Louisburg
• Walmart Supercenter, 3209 Pineville-Matthews Rd, Charlotte

"2017 is going to be an exciting year for Walmart in North Carolina as we continue to focus on how to better serve our customers through innovation and investments so they can save both time and money," said Kate Mora, Walmart Regional Manager in North Carolina. "We've had a sharp focus on making our store experience second to none and our customers are telling us that our plan is working. Our team is energized and we're looking forward to exceeding our customer's expectations for what a great Walmart shopping experience can be like."

Walmart's 2017 investment plans build on Walmart's growth last year in North Carolina. 2016 Highlights included:

About Walmart in North Carolina
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. In North Carolina we serve customers at 218 retail units and online through Walmart Grocery Pickup, Walmart.com and Jet.com. We are proud to employ over 59,000 associates in North Carolina.  Walmart supports local businesses, spending $11.9 billion with North Carolina suppliers in FYE17, which supported more than 67,000 supplier jobs. Learn more at the Walmart Today blog, and our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram channels.

Media Contact:
Ashley Messier
[email protected] 
804-771-5303

SOURCE Walmart

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