Walmart Plans In-Store and Online Boosts
Walmart expressed its intention to expand its reach in Florida and Texas, where the company is spending $477 million to open 14 stores and remodel 82.
DALLAS—Walmart expects to build no more than 25 new US stores this fiscal year as its $11 billion capital budget tilts even more heavily toward renovations and e-commerce. The retailer will introduce several in-store and online innovations.
The renovations will include aesthetic changes, along with an updated pharmacy area with a new private consultation room–another sign of the retailer’s push into the healthcare sector. Walmart is also adding online grocery pickup to 1,000 stores this year to keep it competitive in the growing grocery-delivery business with rivals such as Amazon.
In a series of announcements detailing plans for spending, Walmart expressed its intention to expand its reach in Florida and Texas, where the company is spending $477 million to open 14 stores and remodel 82.
In Texas, Walmart will open four new stores. It plans to spend $277 million overhauling 45 stores, 18 of which are located in or near the Dallas-Fort Worth region–a highly competitive grocery market with a strong presence by Kroger, Albertsons and Sprouts. In the Austin market where Whole Foods and HEB have a strong presence, Walmart said it will remodel two stores.