The Huddle with John Furner

We wouldn’t be able to do what we do every day without our truck drivers. They keep our stores, Fulfillment Centers and Distribution Centers in stock, and have a pulse on the whole business. Sam Walton used to go and sit with drivers early in the morning for a couple of hours to listen and learn about what’s really going on, because they see it all. Steve Harper has a great story of how he became a Road Team member - from owning a flower shop to now training our drivers. Listen to this new episode of The Huddle to hear John talk with him about the culture of truck driving at Walmart, how we hire the best of the best, and the friendships he’s made through the years.

Respect for the Individual is one of our core values. As we continue taking steps to be an even more inclusive company, it’s important to constantly listen and educate ourselves about race and racism in our country. On this new episode of The Huddle with John Furner, he talks with Deena Hayes-Greene, Co-Founder of the Racial Equity Institute. She has a fantastic story and is so passionate about her work. Listen to this new episode to better understand how you can become an ally.

We are so excited to announce the launch of our membership program, Walmart+! It gives customers access to services like unlimited free home deliveries from our stores, Scan & Go for fast checkout, and a 5-cent per gallon discount on fuel. Janey Whiteside is our Chief Customer Officer, and her team worked hard to get Walmart+ off the ground. Listen to this new episode of The Huddle with John Furner to hear about this “life hack” and how it’ll save our customers money and time.

Steve Schmitt is the CFO for Walmart U.S. eCommerce and had great news to share this week. Walmart U.S. eComm sales grew by 97% in the second quarter! There are a lot of people behind that number – it doesn’t just happen. We’re evolving for our customers and making a difference. Listen to this newest episode of The Huddle with John Furner to hear Steve talk about Earnings, his love for Louisville, KY, and that one time he met Rob Gronkowski.

John Furner met with Fiona Tan back in January. She wears many hats as the SVP of U.S. Technology, but a big part of her team’s job is building experiences that save our customers time and money. While we couldn’t have predicted the impact of the pandemic, we’ve always worked to serve our customers. Listen to this newest episode of The Huddle to hear how we’ve gathered feedback, adjusted, been challenged, and met every challenge.

From bottles of bourbon to more than 5 million bottles of hand sanitizer, Sazerac switched up production at the start of the pandemic. The Louisville-based company has helped keep American spirits up for 150 years, and has been one of our most important spirit suppliers since 1985. Listen to this new episode of The Huddle to hear from Sazerac CEO Mark Brown and COO Matt Maimone on how their teams coordinated the large-scale shift in nine days.

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot has a fascinating story. She’s a Walmart alum, practiced law, tax law, corporate law, is a cancer survivor, mother, one of 108 kids, and is now the CEO of Feeding America. We’ve partnered with the nonprofit for decades and Walmart has provided 4.5 billion meals over the years. Listen to this new episode of The Huddle to hear how you can take part in the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign and help bring food to people in need.

Kathleen McLaughlin has two big jobs at Walmart. She’s our Chief Sustainability Officer and President of the Walmart Foundation. A company can do good in several ways – everything from reducing emissions to developing a sustainable Supply Chain, creating opportunities for associates and advancing work on racial equity. Listen to this newest episode of The Huddle to hear the steps we’re taking to make a difference in our communities around the world.

Today was George Floyd’s memorial. There is anguish, trauma and heartache across America. We need to stand up against racism and discrimination. Store Manager NaToya Champion shared a really powerful message about what each of us can do. Be empathetic. Initiate conversations. Ask, “Are you okay?” And now more than ever, listen. We're so grateful to have leaders like NaToya serving our communities and setting a positive example.

While we can prepare for a lot, the needs of our customers quickly changed due to COVID-19. In this last quarter, Walmart U.S. comp sales increased 10%, excluding fuel, and Walmart U.S. eCommerce sales grew 74%. Our merchants choose what we sell, how much we sell it for and whether it’ll be in our stores or online. Listen to this new episode of The Huddle to hear from Latriece Watkins, Charles Redfield and Anthony Soohoo on some of the more interesting items customers started buying and how our teams responded.