Walmart has let go of about 1,500 employees after announcing a plan to increase prices due to anticipated tariffs made public last week.
“We are reorganizing certain teams within Global Technology and Walmart US to streamline operations, accelerate decision-making, and create opportunities for our associates to innovate more quickly,” they stated.
“This entails removing some positions while also creating new ones that align with our business goals and growth strategies,” they added.
“The aim of these changes is to enhance efficiency within our operational teams, making sure we can effectively serve our customers,” John Ferner, Walmart’s Global Chief Technology Officer and CEO of Walmart US, noted in a memo.
“Furthermore, we are adjusting the structure of the Walmart Connect Marketing Organization as we continue to expand this area of our business.”
The Bentonville-based retailer employs roughly 1.6 million people across around 4,600 locations nationwide.
Last week, Walmart announced it would be increasing in-store prices due to the heightened costs stemming from President Trump’s tariff policies.
“We will strive to keep prices as low as possible; however, the scale of these tariffs means that even this week’s reductions won’t fully mitigate the pressure given the tight margins in retail,” they stated.
Over the weekend, Trump criticized Walmart, encouraging retail companies to absorb the tariffs to protect consumers from rising prices.
“Walmart shouldn’t use tariffs as reasoning for hiking prices across the board. They made billions last year,” he remarked. “Consumers shouldn’t have to bear the cost between Walmart and China, as they ‘eat tariffs,'” he continued. “I’m keeping an eye on this, and so are your customers!”
