Walmart today is announcing that more than 850,000 Walmart associates in the U.S., including more than 64,000 in Florida, will receive a share of more than $157 million in cash bonuses based on their stores’ performance in the fourth quarter. The bonuses, along with an annual pay raise, were included in their March 9 paycheck.
Walmart associates can earn quarterly bonuses based on the performance of their store. Workers in the Tampa Bay area will share more than $11.3 million in Florida cash bonuses. The bonuses come on the heels of Walmart U.S. recording its strongest comp sales performance of the year, a 1.8 percent increase in the fourth quarter. Customer service and inventory have also improved. For the full fiscal year, U.S. associates shared more than $700 million in bonuses.
“We’re proud of our associates’ continued commitment to serving our customers,” said Elise Vasquez-Warner, vice president and regional general manager for Walmart in Central Florida. “As the retail landscape continues to evolve, we are undergoing an exciting transformation to create a seamless shopping experience for our customers. Our associates are part of that change and critical to the company’s success.”
Over the past two years, Walmart has invested billions of dollars in training, education and higher wages. These investments offer associates skills, knowledge and tools to help them grow with the company and provide great customer service during a time of rapid change in shopping habits. During 2016, Walmart launched new training programs for entry-level associates, frontline supervisors, department managers and assistant managers, creating clearer career paths and preparing them to succeed in a new, technology-enabled age of retail.
OPPORTUNITY AND ADVANCEMENT
A job at Walmart means opportunity for associates, no matter their education or work background, and when associates are successful, the company is successful. Opportunity and advancement highlights from fiscal year 2017 include:
· Walmart U.S. promoted more than 200,000 associates, including more than 15,000 in Florida, to jobs with higher pay and more responsibility.
· More than 150,000 associates, including 11,000 in Florida were converted from part-time to full-time.
· More than 75 percent of current store management teams started as hourly workers.
· Walmart opened 40 Training Academies — physical facilities that serve as learning hubs for hourly supervisors, department managers and assistant managers from approximately 25 area stores. In Florida, Walmart recently opened five academies.
Walmart in Florida
Walmart’s recent pay raises are just one part of the company’s local investment and impact. In Florida, the company:
· Operates 375 retail units.
· Spent $5.7 billion with local suppliers, supporting 89,773 supplier jobs in FYE17.*
· Paid more than $141.8 million in taxes and collected more than $895.5 million in sales taxes in FYE16.
*Information supplied by Dunn & Bradstreet
About Walmart
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. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.