Walmart will in time rid itself of the majority of their entire work force.
How?
With robotics.
Walmart will embrace the self service approach to all aspects of their store plans.
To some it will appear that a Walmart has turned into a giant walk through vending machine.
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All of the robotic networks will be hidden behind walls and shelving. The robotic systems will move product from the ceiling area and downward. The systems used by delivery services will be adapted to and for Walmart. Touch panel displays will be handy for automated services and Q and A. Which should be minimal because Walmart has already trained their customers to not ask questions about product availability. If it is not on the shelf then they are (OOS) Out of Stock.
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Business will be booming and so to their profits. There is supposed to be another big dive in the world wide stock markets. Probably deeper than that of 2008. Does the world survive it? Of course. After the event. All stocks will plummet. Including Walmart. The weeks after the fall. Walmart will be a wonderful investment. It is now for long term. As Walmart rolls in the new automated freight delivery and stocking systems. The employees also known as associates will be let go. The new employees to be hired will be those with robotics technology, hydraulics, pneumatic's, mechanics and electronics backgrounds.
This new system will be used in all of the retail stores, Sam's Clubs, distribution centers and the newly created ship container receiving/ distribution centers.
The Walmart corporate entity has left the Sam Walton philosophies far behind. No longer will their people matter. Only the profits.
When Walmart rolls out this new automated robotic system. Virtually every retail store in the world will not be able to compete. The cost and problems of employees will end for Walmart.
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2016 begins a new era in Transportation within the USA. With the new savings from transportation services which will begin when the Panama Canal is completed. These new funds can be diverted into other avenues of creation or just to pay off the investors. Those corporation who just pay off the investors will lose as Walmart may decide to invest in robotics technology. Especially if there is an employee event which will cause the corporate persons to rethink the importance of employees. I think there will be a negative employee event and Walmart Corporate will begin their Robotic replacements for each employee. No, there won't be 2.2 million robots all over the world. There will just be a robotic system. That whole system will replace the associates.
The negative employee event will probably include world wide media coverage as well as political involvement at all levels of Government. Sales will drop for a period of time. Stock prices will fall for a while. Then the people will go back to shopping at Walmart. Then the changes will begin.
The testing process has already begun with the new self check out lines. 1 employee with their cash register and 10 automated cash registers. Look at the savings and productivity. The customers have chosen the machine over the employee. The same thing has happened with Banking.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ports-shipbuilders-retool-ahead-of-panama-canal-expansion-2014-02-17
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http://stock.walmart.com/stock-information/
http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-business/locations/
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/index.html
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Added on 08 Dec 2019:
Walmart Corporation is just a few violent acts away from denying access into vastness of each of their stores. The recent shootings at Duncan Oklahoma, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida and El Paso, Texas as well as other Walmart's is a steady trend. One of which will force the Walmart Corporate Officers to covert each Walmart into a merged warehouse, pick up center, drone delivery service and giant AI vending machine.
The visions that I've seen at a Local Walmart Super Center in Port Richey Florida at the corner of Little Road and Hwy 54. I can easily see the evolution of what may be in this one store. The layout of what is to come seems to be used in the future. Including the giant red cylinder which is just odd to look at. But, I can see all of the potential plans put into place at this one store. All Walmart's will become giant AI controlled vending machines. With additional services like delivery to your vehicle by AI robot. Drone delivery services from each Walmart store and distribution center.
If you do not have a specific purpose, low credit rating or near zero balance at your bank, criminal record. You will be denied access inside of the store. There will be no more shopping around as 80%-90% of the entire square footage will be warehouse and other functions.
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The savings that Walmart Corporation generate by eliminating 80-90% of their entire store front work force will not be passed along to the consumer. Prices will in fact continue to rise. Walmart Corporation will only be a discount store by name only and this is true as of today. No longer does Walmart Stores have the best deals. The exodus by the American consumer is easily seen as product quality has diminished to such a degree that purchasing anything from Walmart is simply a waste of money. The next Walmart Exodus will be the realization that the American consumer will no longer support China or Chinese slave like practices. This action may in fact occur when the American population realize that China is not a friend but is actively engaged in building their war machines for a future war with America.
The American consumer has already spoken with their dollars as they have already left shopping at Walmart as their primary stop to other places like Publix stores. Publix stores can charge in excess of 30% more than anything from Walmart. Yet, the American consumer choose to shop at Publix than Walmart. This can also be seen at Dollar General stores. Where the American consumer prefer to shop at Dollar General and Dollar General markets over Walmart. These and other Walmart exodus trends will continue. Except for the very poor who do not have other financial options. So the customer base of Walmart will be filled by people who are hood, criminal and have mental illness issues. Which is what is what I've seen at other Walmart stores nationwide. I've been to a lot of Walmart stores.
Stores like Sprouts will also fail as their corporate culture of zero customer service will be known as distinct apathy for the customer base.
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I have recently bought a pair of shoes from Walmart and they did not even last one month. Yes, I paid less than $20. The poor even want value in shoes. The poor expect what they buy to last longer than a few weeks. Yes, I'm poor and it was an emergency purchase. I still wear the alligator shoes as I cannot afford to buy anything else right now.
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Reasonably think about what Walmart Corporate has been doing. How can you have so many managers at any level of Walmart and not have the employees? Walmart will also let you managers go and even low level corporate people. Managers manage people. When you have no people why do you need managers?
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Added on 25 Jan 2020:
Beginning in 2019, Walmart went from 2.3 million employees to 2.2 million employees. This downward trend will continue through 2030 and beyond.
As Walmart begins to add more and more self check out lines for customers. Those human cashiers will disappear and they already have disappeared from Walmart stores. While Walmart trust in every customer is non existent. With the advent of security cameras everywhere.
As Walmart begins to have more and more polished concrete floors. The need for large numbers of human cleaning, stripping, waxing and polishing of the floors nightly will disappear and they already have disappeared where the stores now have polished concrete floors.
As Walmart adopts more and more robotic floor cleaning machines. The need for human cleaning employees will disappear and they already have begun to disappear.
As Walmart begins to fully automate inventory and ordering controls to in store robots. Those department managers will disappear. The disappearance of Walmart department managers will begin in a few years.
As Walmart continues to invest in more and more automation. Expect the human warehouse worker and truck driver to be replaced by robots as has already occurred with Anheuser Busch beer, Pepsi Cola, DHL, Uber, Tesla, Best-buy, Amazon, Target, Lowe's and many many more.
As Walmart dips to below the 1 million employee level by around 2030. Human managers at every level will have already lost their jobs. Even at the corporate level. Because, why do you need human managers at every level when you no longer have humans to manage?
Walmart will become a giant vending machine as customers will no longer need to walk through the store. The Walmart orange vending machine footprint is only now being placed at the front of every Walmart store. This will expand over time. Until, such a point that customers will be denied access into the vast majority of the store.
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You the customer need to know. That Walmart stores is no longer a discount store. All aspects of Walmart is only a competitive corporate entity. Which will only do things which only benefits the self. So before you actually go to Walmart to shop. You must first collect all of the lower price data online for every product you will purchase. This is the only way that you can get the lower prices for yourself and any real cost savings. The word "Discount" has been effectively completely removed from Walmart.
This can even be seen at Sam's Clubs where similar products sold at Dollar General, Save A Lot, Dollar Tree often times sells their goods at much lower prices every day and if you do not know. Then Walmart will smile when they take your dollars from you in your own ignorance. Think about that the next time you pay for your yearly Sams Club membership card.
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The morale of Walmart employees will continue in a downward trend as they all know their jobs will soon be gone. Even the Walmart managers know this as well. While Walmart corporate continue to lie to them all to their faces daily.
Walmart employees and managers will continue their apathetic attitudes to their jobs and to the customers. Think about it, It was Sam Walton who invented the five foot rule. Walmart employees and the entire management staff won't even acknowledge the presence of a customer.
The customers seem to all know this as well. Thus, the customer base which has wealth are already departing from Walmart to shop elsewhere. Especially when they feel welcomed and cared about from employees like those at Dollar General Market stores. These wealthy customers will even shop at Publix, Whole Foods and local vendors knowing full well that they will spend 30% or more on the exact same products.
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Added on 26 Feb 2020: Here is deceptive and pro Walmart news from Forbes. Apparently The writer Kevin Murnane, Has not done his research and is not aware that the employee count went from 2.3 million employees in 2018 to 2.2 million employees today. This downward trend will continue until Walmart can pay for internet scrubbing of this data tracking.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2020/01/23/why-automation-doesnt-lead-to-lost-jobs-at-walmart/#267cb05f7df9
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Added on 22 June 2020: Walmart "Cashiers-B-Gone". How many employees in each Walmart store are cashiers. Walmart has about 4756 stores and about 100 cashiers per store. That means about 475,600 employees will lose their jobs. Custodial jobs at Walmart is going down as Walmart continues to remove the flooring which requires nightly, weekly and monthly striping and waxing of floors. As Walmart goes to polished concrete floors. Those employees are no longer required. Think about it as Walmart and all of the major corporations rid themselves of their biggest liabilities. What happens when human no longer have jobs in which to buy their goods? Walmart and the other major corporations are shooting themselves in the feet. Because, if I no longer have feet then I don't need to always buy shoes and socks.
The management teams as well as the lower tiered Corporate Officers need to re-educate themselves for other employment opportunities. Because, Why will you be required to be employed if you no longer have employees to manage, or payroll accounts, or offices to clean. Then when Walmart downsizes to such an extreme in Bentonville, Arkansas. Why does Walmart have to pay for all of their real estate? Both Commercial and residential. What will happen to every other business in Bentonville when Walmart downsizes to such an extreme? Major financial downfalls are coming to Bentonville. Think about 2029-2036-ish.
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https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/walmart-tests-a-cashier-free-store-in-arkansas-2020-06-18
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/020916/walmarts-biggest-liability-labor-costs-wmt.asp
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Added on May 2022: Walmart Robots. Out of sight and out of mind from the general population.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/walmart-is-bringing-robots-to-all-42-regional-distribution-centers
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Racism like, even though it is socially disgusting. But, think about it. The poor can no longer afford to buy in any Walmart store. Walmart used to be a discount store, but, now Walmart is a full retail priced store. Not what Sam Walton wanted. How many million dollar employees are there now, compared to when Sam Walton was alive? Walmart is a self interest Corporate entity and that is all. Walmart no longer consider being an interest to anyone other than itself.
The burden of thefts for the corporate and customer base is staggeringly high. So what is the Walmart Corporation to do? Close down the high theft stores?? While investing only in those stores which profit you the most. This is a reasonable plan. But, as Walmart moves out of those poor areas.
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So between Sept of 2021 and now. What will happen to all of those new employees assuming Walmart actually did hire them? The bulk majority of all Walmart warehouse employees will also lose their jobs.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-will-add-20-000-workers-to-supply-chain-operations-this-year-11630468860
There are or were post Christmas season in Jan 2022, about 2.3 million Walmart employees.
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Walmart Closing stores:
https://www.eatthis.com/news-walmart-closing-some-locations-march-2022/
https://www.yahoo.com/video/walmart-closing-stores-permanently-may-214835172.html
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The evolution of the retail industry will see more and more retailers disappear. Especially those who cannot evolve to the degree that Walmart has and has a very long history of doing and achieving. But, Walmart will have the end of their own road as Montgomery Ward, Sears, Service Merchandise and many other have failed in the past all failing to evolve and to properly see changing mindsets.
One such mindset will be this. The idea of personal clothing and gear. The idea of personalized everything. So why would I want or need to go to any big retailer if I can order directly from the manufacturer? So why would I want to give my hard earned money to any big corporate retailer when there is no benefit to my community or to my family? So why would I want to risk safety and security when I can make my own personalized products via advanced computer 3D printer machines?
This will also mean delivery services will expand greatly and then have their own downturns as 3D Printing evolves.
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The evolving safety and security trend. Walmart Straight talk Cell Phone service will become the forefront in thefts of all kinds (banking, crypto). Walmart will lead the trend of bad people robbing Walmart customers in front of their Walmart stores with Walmart doing nothing and remaining silent. Even to the point of denying law enforcement agencies any security camera footage. Even to the point of actually downgrading exterior security cameras so as they cannot be used in courts of law. Walmart knows of dozens of people entering their stores and then robbing and leaving. This practice will also evolve into gangs of bad people robbing everyone who leaves Walmart with a lot of items. This may even become a new Christmas related event. In which many people will die.
The costs of having any kind of Corporate Walmart store, warehouse will become prohibitive as the bulk of small town emergency services will be at Walmart properties. The small towns cannot affords them.
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The end of Walmart comes when those who owns Walmart in it's entirety begin to sell off all assets and then Walmart becomes listed along with Montgomery Wards, Sears, Service Merchandise and others. There may even be a comparison to KMart/Sears as the corporate officers and investors get all they can in legal theft of all assets. Even to the point of loaning their friends, corporate contractual monies in which they do not have to pay back. Walmart dies a dishonorable death even though Walmart began as an honorable entity which saw to take care of people in a wholesome sense.
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