Walmart
Industryweek 35484 Walmart Picker 1

Walmart Shuffles Leadership Team for Store-Digital Integration

July 19, 2019
Walmart Inc. is still trying to get its structure just how it wants it.

The retail giant announced its second internal restructuring in as many months as it tries to better integrate its money-losing online business in the U.S. with its physical stores.

The company will merge the teams that run the supply chain and finances for its e-commerce unit and its stores, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg News. That comes on the heels of an announcement last month that it planned to fully integrate all Jet.com employees into the larger company and shrink the unit’s management team nearly three years after buying the e-commerce site.

Merchandising -- the key cog of Walmart -- is staying separate for now. As part of the shuffle, Ashley Buchanan, who had been leading the merchandising team for its Sam’s Club warehouse unit, will now run merchandising for all of Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce business, reporting to online chief Marc Lore.

Walmart is facing renewed pressure to produce results at its online unit as the world’s largest retailer tries to make delivery profitable and simultaneously chip away at the lead built up by Amazon.com Inc. The company recently lost its e-commerce chief revenue officer in the U.S., Scott Hilton, who had been a long-time Lore lieutenant.

Walmart’s U.S. online business has grown, becoming a viable second fiddle to Amazon after the division’s revenue expanded 40% last year. But the business continues to be in the red, with losses expected this year of about $1.7 billion, up from $1.4 billion last year, according to Morgan Stanley estimates.

By Jonathan Roeder and Matthew Boyle

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

How to Build Zero-Cost On-Site Solar and Storage Projects

Nov. 25, 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act offers tax credits, incentives, and financing that enable no-cost projects. In Enel’s eBook, discover the critical role that incentives play in your...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Digitally Transforming Data and Processes With Product Lifecycle Management

Oct. 29, 2023
Manufacturers face increasing challenges in product development as they strive to consistently deliver improved results. Discover how industry leaders are improving time-to-market...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!