Walmart CEO Confirms Rollback of DEI Programs

DOKOUPIL Walmart is a ░░░░░░░░ American company and the ░░░░░░░░ s largest retailer More ░░░░░░░░ 1 6 million American ░░░░░░░░ alone and annual global ░░░░░░░░ of nearly 650 billion ░░░░░░░░ I m happy to ░░░░░░░░ we re joined now ░░░░░░░░ exclusive interview with John ░░░░░░░░ the president and CEO ░░░░░░░░ Walmart US John thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for joining ░░░░░░░░ I want to get ░░░░░░░░ holiday shopping I want ░░░░░░░░ get into grocery prices ░░░░░░░░ I gotta ask you ░░░░░░░░ the top to talk ░░░░░░░░ this report I m ░░░░░░░░ in today s Wall ░░░░░░░░ Journal about how Walmart ░░░░░░░░ pulling back on diversity ░░░░░░░░ and inclusion programs under ░░░░░░░░ from conservative activists So ░░░░░░░░ few of the changes ░░░░░░░░ phasing out the term ░░░░░░░░ winding down the center ░░░░░░░░ racial equity no longer ░░░░░░░░ priority treatment to suppliers ░░░░░░░░ on race or gender ░░░░░░░░ and preventing sellers from ░░░░░░░░ some transgender related or ░░░░░░░░ items on the website ░░░░░░░░ is that accurate from ░░░░░░░░ you re hearing and ░░░░░░░░ why the changes FURNER ░░░░░░░░ first of all good ░░░░░░░░ and thanks for having ░░░░░░░░ it s great to ░░░░░░░░ here I m in ░░░░░░░░ Texas in our principal ░░░░░░░░ so it s exciting ░░░░░░░░ be in the store ░░░░░░░░ time of year First ░░░░░░░░ me say like many ░░░░░░░░ all across the United ░░░░░░░░ we ve been on ░░░░░░░░ journey and we continue ░░░░░░░░ be on a journey ░░░░░░░░ what we re trying ░░░░░░░░ do is to ensure ░░░░░░░░ every customer every associate ░░░░░░░░ welcome here to shop ░░░░░░░░ to feel like they ░░░░░░░░ And that term belong ░░░░░░░░ ve been talking about ░░░░░░░░ now for almost two ░░░░░░░░ early 2023 we started ░░░░░░░░ about belonging and we ░░░░░░░░ going to continue to ░░░░░░░░ the best decisions we ░░░░░░░░ that makes everyone our ░░░░░░░░ our associates feel like ░░░░░░░░ is an environment they ░░░░░░░░ shop in and thrive ░░░░░░░░ KING Is diversity among ░░░░░░░░ suppliers still important to ░░░░░░░░ at Walmart John FURNER ░░░░░░░░ starting with our our ░░░░░░░░ back in 1962 we ░░░░░░░░ a small business a ░░░░░░░░ store that operated out ░░░░░░░░ Rogers Arkansas and so ░░░░░░░░ ll continue to do ░░░░░░░░ things that we can ░░░░░░░░ to ensure that small ░░░░░░░░ have a path to ░░░░░░░░ successful not only at ░░░░░░░░ but in their business ░░░░░░░░ And you know every ░░░░░░░░ we really focus on ░░░░░░░░ in the USA about ░░░░░░░░ thirds of what we ░░░░░░░░ is either made grown ░░░░░░░░ assembled right here in ░░░░░░░░ United States We have ░░░░░░░░ program every summer called ░░░░░░░░ call where we welcome ░░░░░░░░ small suppliers and we ░░░░░░░░ in people that have ░░░░░░░░ idea that are an ░░░░░░░░ and they want to ░░░░░░░░ So we re going ░░░░░░░░ continue to lean into ░░░░░░░░ that we provide the ░░░░░░░░ best pathways for small ░░░░░░░░ our suppliers to be ░░░░░░░░ here in the store ░░░░░░░░ I had more time ░░░░░░░░ could take you round ░░░░░░░░ store and show you ░░░░░░░░ few of those examples ░░░░░░░░ there are a lot ░░░░░░░░ them and there ll ░░░░░░░░ to be more BURLESON ░░░░░░░░ right John you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ two thirds of what ░░░░░░░░ have is made in ░░░░░░░░ U S Let s ░░░░░░░░ about that other third ░░░░░░░░ Elect Trump announced last ░░░░░░░░ that on his first ░░░░░░░░ in office he will ░░░░░░░░ a 25 tariff on ░░░░░░░░ products imported from Canada ░░░░░░░░ Mexico So how will ░░░░░░░░ impact Walmart What have ░░░░░░░░ all done to actually ░░░░░░░░ for that Have you ░░░░░░░░ guy been stockpiling in ░░░░░░░░ of these tariffs FURNER ░░░░░░░░ first I ll just ░░░░░░░░ again about two thirds ░░░░░░░░ what we sell is ░░░░░░░░ grown or assembled here ░░░░░░░░ the United States and ░░░░░░░░ ve been very supportive ░░░░░░░░ the way back to ░░░░░░░░ founder of products that ░░░░░░░░ made in the United ░░░░░░░░ Just a couple days ░░░░░░░░ someone sent me a ░░░░░░░░ of Mr Walt actually ░░░░░░░░ father who worked at ░░░░░░░░ company with the president ░░░░░░░░ Lodge one of our ░░░░░░░░ here in the store ░░░░░░░░ camping cookware So we ░░░░░░░░ be ready to be ░░░░░░░░ we ll adjust to ░░░░░░░░ environment We ve been ░░░░░░░░ an environment with tariffs ░░░░░░░░ for the last seven ░░░░░░░░ and we have a ░░░░░░░░ of people that are ░░░░░░░░ experienced in managing changes ░░░░░░░░ the environment Now our ░░░░░░░░ our purpose is to ░░░░░░░░ to keep prices low ░░░░░░░░ help people save money ░░░░░░░░ enable them to live ░░░░░░░░ Now certainly there ll ░░░░░░░░ some occasions where you ░░░░░░░░ see some impact on ░░░░░░░░ but we ll do ░░░░░░░░ we can between our ░░░░░░░░ our supply chain and ░░░░░░░░ everything we can to ░░░░░░░░ ensure that we are ░░░░░░░░ efficient as possible to ░░░░░░░░ prices as low as ░░░░░░░░ can And that s ░░░░░░░░ what we do each ░░░░░░░░ every day including right ░░░░░░░░ in the holidays KING ░░░░░░░░ you worried about the ░░░░░░░░ though FURNER Well we ░░░░░░░░ to do everything we ░░░░░░░░ as I mentioned to ░░░░░░░░ prices as low as ░░░░░░░░ Right now we just ░░░░░░░░ just know what we ░░░░░░░░ heard and what we ░░░░░░░░ read about in the ░░░░░░░░ 24 hours And those ░░░░░░░░ they they may happen ░░░░░░░░ may not that ll ░░░░░░░░ up to the administration ░░░░░░░░ we ll be evaluating ░░░░░░░░ and we want to ░░░░░░░░ that we have great ░░░░░░░░ for our customers You ░░░░░░░░ this week we have ░░░░░░░░ Thanksgiving Basket where you ░░░░░░░░ feed your family for ░░░░░░░░ 7 and it s ░░░░░░░░ quality meal this is ░░░░░░░░ ingredients all proportioned appropriately ░░░░░░░░ will be great deals ░░░░░░░░ Friday like Lyon television ░░░░░░░░ 220 65 so we ░░░░░░░░ going to focus on ░░░░░░░░ and values And as ░░░░░░░░ said before we have ░░░░░░░░ team that has managed ░░░░░░░░ types of situations before ░░░░░░░░ You know John I ░░░░░░░░ always interested in trends ░░░░░░░░ what people are buying ░░░░░░░░ now You see what ░░░░░░░░ are buying You got ░░░░░░░░ quarterly report just our ░░░░░░░░ couple of days ago ░░░░░░░░ are the big items ░░░░░░░░ are the people flocking ░░░░░░░░ Walmart to get these ░░░░░░░░ FURNER Yeah it s ░░░░░░░░ s a great question ░░░░░░░░ I m excited about ░░░░░░░░ holiday It s late ░░░░░░░░ the month It took ░░░░░░░░ all the way to ░░░░░░░░ 28th of the month ░░░░░░░░ get to Thanksgiving so ░░░░░░░░ s a lot of ░░░░░░░░ for this You can ░░░░░░░░ behind me a store ░░░░░░░░ s really well merchandise ░░░░░░░░ only in fresh food ░░░░░░░░ we re getting to ░░░░░░░░ a look at this ░░░░░░░░ but throughout the box ░░░░░░░░ the last couple quarters ░░░░░░░░ ve seen improvements in ░░░░░░░░ apparel business our home ░░░░░░░░ our toy business has ░░░░░░░░ strong And so what ░░░░░░░░ really means and what ░░░░░░░░ sounds like to me ░░░░░░░░ people are anticipating a ░░░░░░░░ holiday season This is ░░░░░░░░ time of year where ░░░░░░░░ many Americans have families ░░░░░░░░ together to be thankful ░░░░░░░░ all that they have ░░░░░░░░ everything that s great ░░░░░░░░ their life and then ░░░░░░░░ re going to us ░░░░░░░░ shorter window compared to ░░░░░░░░ year so it s ░░░░░░░░ to be a pretty ░░░░░░░░ time between Thanksgiving and ░░░░░░░░ We have a week ░░░░░░░░ so for the shoppers ░░░░░░░░ there it s going ░░░░░░░░ be a really busy ░░░░░░░░ of year this year ░░░░░░░░ based on the way ░░░░░░░░ calendar s falling BURLESON ░░░░░░░░ I gotta tell you ░░░░░░░░ s a great shot ░░░░░░░░ you with all that ░░░░░░░░ produce and consumers are ░░░░░░░░ that you guys produce ░░░░░░░░ great prices for black ░░░░░░░░ all right J FURNER ░░░░░░░░ we ll be ready ░░░░░░░░ t wait to see ░░░░░░░░ there.”