Inside the Wal-Mart headquarters, a digital clock has ticked for days into the so-called "line in the sand," as quoted from Wal-Mart U.S. President and CEO Greg Foran for the transformation of the stores into a cleaner, easier and friendlier one. The clock stopped ticking Thursday, October 1.
Greg Foran is the brain behind the transformation of the giant retailing company by visiting stores around the country and working closely with each of them. Although a number of Wal-Mart stores already have achieved the transformation, some are still on the rocks.
The surprise visits of Foran which aims to spot problems in the 4600 stores are still continuous. In light of this, Wal-Mart already have taken a leap at a few progress such as the shorter checkout lines, but the plight for lower costs and improved efficiency is still being pushed.
Wal-Mart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon stated in his memo, "Our customers are changing, retail is changing, and we must change. We need to become a more agile company that can easily adapt to shifting customer demand."
On the other hand, due to these changes, the company headquarters is cutting about 450 employees.
In the Arkansas branch, new display cases, checkout stations, updated graphics, lowered shelves to increase visibility and a fresh paint are among the first major renovations to the Rogers location.
"We want a much cleaner look that's easier for our customer to shop. We've lowered the profile of counters, taken all the clutter off them. We've used icons on signs to help with customer navigation. We've tried to freshen it all up," said Jay Mitchael, VP for enterprise strategy at Wal-Mart U.S.
Displays are used to direct shoppers online for additional merchandise are seen in the Rogers branch, as well. The scan and go system has also been introduced at the store.
Foran's battle in bettering Wal-Mart has given him extra visiting work to various branches of the retailing stores countrywide. During those visits, studies have been conducted for easier, cleaner, and friendlier shopping experience. Managers also are on alert mode because the top executives may drop at any branch any moment.
With the loss in stock price in 2015, it is only fitting that Wal-Mart oversees its operation and conduct fixes needed for customer satisfaction, better reputation and management growth.
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