FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The recent passing of the torch between Doug McMillon and John Furner was deftly acknowledged by Walmart during the company’s annual Associates Week. Chairman Greg Penner thanked McMillon — who served as president and chief executive officer for 12 years before retiring at the end of January — at a gathering of some 17,000 associates for the week’s concluding celebration, a three-hour mix of presentations by members of the management team, recognition of outstanding employees, and big-name entertainment.
Early in the program last Friday, Penner recalled McMillon’s 35-year career: “He’s honored Walmart’s past while taking the company into the future. He’s sharpened how we support our associates. He’s transformed the company to meet the evolving shopping habits and compete in a digital world, and he’s strengthened the way we care for people, communities and the planet in the moments it was needed most.”
After McMillon, who has grown a beard since stepping down, received a rousing ovation from the crowd, Penner looked to a bright future under Furner, who, prior to becoming CEO, ran the company’s U.S. division.
“Walmart has entered a new era of retail, and John is the right leader for it,” Penner noted. “He has the vision to succeed in a chapter defined by AI innovation. I’m excited about the future that our 2.1 million associates will build under the direction of John and his leadership team. Who knows what Walmart will look like 10, 20 or even 50 years from now? But if we keep changing to fulfill our purpose and stay true to who we are, I know we’ll continue the legacy that Sam [Walton] started, and we’ll build a future that he would be proud of.”
With that and some repartee about the transition involving Jason Sudeikis, the actor and comedian who hosted the celebration, and the two executives, Furner commanded the spotlight. A self-taught musician, Furner likened the creativity involved in composing a hit song to the work that goes into building a company that can meet the needs of millions of customers every day.
“Sam Walton started writing our song in 1962,” Furner said. “And like all anthems, it didn’t start in an arena. It started with someone who never stopped believing that we could deliver on a powerful purpose — to help people save money and live better. He saw an opportunity to help people, and it resonated with us. Our customers, they felt it; our associates believed in it; and that purpose became the melody of our song, our foundation.
“And Sam also gave us our values — respect for the individual, acting with integrity, serving customers and members, and always striving for excellence. They’re the beat that keeps us in sync. And the chorus, the part we come back to time and time again, is that our people make the difference that matters.”
After nearly seven decades, Walmart now includes elements that were unimaginable at the time the retailer first opened its doors. Many of those innovations stem directly from advances in technology.
“We’re entering a new era for retail. This one is going to be faster and more complicated than ever,” explained Furner. “And we’re entering from a position of strength. We’re more of a people-led, tech-powered company than we ever have been. Technology is helping bring our Walmart song to life in new ways.
“So we’re creating AI-powered experiences that are making it easier for people to shop, making it easier for our associates to perform at their highest level. And we’re building platforms that power our global marketplace, delivering more choice to our customers and our members. We’re creating new tools and technology to help us run our business and deliver with even greater speed and precision. We’re scaling automation and our supply chain that helps us get products where they need to be faster than ever.”
Sparky, the retailer’s digital shopping assistant, symbolizes the new capabilities. Furner engaged in a dialogue with an iteration of Sparky envisioned for the future, one that is speech-enabled and can understand the intent of shoppers. The technology helped identify a new guitar for Furner and arranged to have it delivered in under 30 minutes.
Enhanced convenience is a high priority for Walmart, which last month launched delivery in half an hour or less in 33 U.S. markets. The service can save a considerable amount of time for customers shopping for more than 100,000 items, ranging from groceries and prescription medications to household staples and electronics. True to form, Furner’s new guitar was delivered while he was still onstage, and he made good use of it.
Not to be outdone by the musical performers on the program — Benson Boone, Shaboozey and Pink — Furner interspersed a few guitar riffs with his closing remarks: “Now, here’s the thing about a great song. It doesn’t just become an anthem because someone plays it or because someone listens to it. It becomes an anthem when it makes people feel something and they hold onto it. They carry it with them. They play it for others. And anthems, they don’t just live for a moment, they live on and they continue to pick up momentum, just like Walmart.”
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