Walmart To Cut 1,500 Corporate Jobs In Cost-cutting Efforts

(RTTNews) - Amid a challenging retail environment, due to fierce competition along with ongoing tariff issues, retail behemoth Walmart Inc. is planning to cut around 1,500 corporate jobs in the United States as part of its restructuring, media reported citing a memo.

The multinational chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores' efforts to simplify its operations would impact teams in its global technology operations, e-commerce fulfillment in U.S. stores and its advertising business Walmart Connect.

The largest U.S. private employer with about 1.6 million workers also plans to eliminate certain roles and open some new ones in the proposed reorganization aimed at cutting its costs and speeding up decision-making.

"To accelerate our progress delivering the experiences that will define the future of retail, we must sharpen our focus," the memo said.

In February, citing an internal memo, media had reported about Walmart's decision to cut several hundred jobs and shut its office in North Carolina.

In recent times, the sharply higher competition and shifting consumer choices, as well as the cost of tariffs had forced Walmart to cut costs, shift production to other countries and increase prices of products.

Last week, while reporting a weak first-quarter earnings but higher sales, Walmart had stated that it would raise some prices on products because of tariffs.

In its earnings call, CEO Douglas McMillon said, "We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren't able to absorb all the pressure..."

Meanwhile, responding to the company's decision, President Donald Trump, in a critical social media post, told the retailer to "EAT THE TARIFFS."

To this, Walmart reportedly confirmed that it has always worked to keep prices as low as possible, and that it will continue doing so for as long as it can given the reality of small retail margins.