Latest news with #Arkansas-based
Miami Herald
11 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Is your Walmart getting an upgrade in 2025? See list of stores in Miami area
Walmart is on a remodeling kick. The Arkansas-based retailer plans to freshen about 650 of its more than 4,600 stores nationwide. Florida should see 34 of those refurbished stores by the end of 2025, including eight in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The store on Southwest Eighth Street in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood was completed in April. The Homestead store redo should be ready by the end of the summer. The stores don't close during the remodeling. The upgrades encompass about a tenth of Walmart's footprint in Florida. There are 387 stores in the state. Sam's Club accounts for 46 of those stores with 232 considered Walmart Supercenters, according to the company's 2025 figures. Only Texas, with 509 total stores, has more Walmarts than Florida, which edges California's 273. The upgrades include more attention-grabbing signs and displays to better showcase merchandise. Also in the works: expanded departments, and wider aisles in the pharmacy with new private screening rooms and checkout areas. Because not everyone shops inside the stores, Walmart also is expanding its online pickup and delivery areas at the refurbished locations. Also, Walmart is opening two new stores in the summer in the Pensacola area of Florida, in Milton and Pace. Where are the remodeled Walmart stores? Here are the Walmart locations getting face-lifts in 2025: Miami-Dade ▪ 6991 SW Eighth St., Miami. Done. ▪ 1499 South Dixie Hwy., Homestead. ▪ 3200 NW 79th St., Miami. ▪ 9191 W. Flagler St., Miami's Fontainbleau neighborhood. Broward ▪ 5555 W. Atlantic Blvd., Margate. ▪ 1800 S. University Dr., Miramar. ▪ 301 South State Road 7, Hollywood. ▪ 6931 NW 88th Ave., Tamarac. 'Our stores often serve as the heartbeat of the communities we operate in, and these remodels are a testament to our dedication to enhancing that role,' said Nick Berkeley, Walmart senior vice president for the Southeast Business Unit, in a statement.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Walmart bets on Flipkart to tap India's $1-trillion e-commerce market
Walmart Inc. is betting on India, Mexico, and China to drive the next phase of its international expansion, with a particular focus on scaling e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities in these fast-growing markets. These regions are strategic priorities within its global portfolio, according to Kathryn McLay, President and Chief Executive of Walmart International. The division oversees the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer's operations outside the US, including its global online platforms. McLay noted that India, home to 1.4 billion people, represents a major e-commerce opportunity. The country's internet economy is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, primarily fuelled by e-commerce. Yet online penetration remains low—just 9 per cent—highlighting significant headroom for growth. To tap into this opportunity, Walmart is continuing to invest in Flipkart, expanding both its core offerings and newer retail formats. 'We see huge opportunities in that market, and we have been growing the Flipkart business,' McLay said during a fireside chat with Bernstein analyst Zhihan Ma at the Bernstein 41st Annual Strategic Decisions Conference 2025 in the US on Wednesday. Walmart entered India in February 2018 through its $16-billion acquisition of Flipkart, which operates as a pure-play online third-party (3P) marketplace. Initially focused on bringing branded items to tier-II and tier-III cities—where consumers previously had to travel to tier-I cities to access products like Levi's—Flipkart concentrated on mobile phones, electronics, and apparel. These core categories have since achieved profitability. As the business has matured, Flipkart has broadened its assortment to meet evolving customer needs. In recent years, quick commerce—defined by delivery windows of 15 minutes or less—has become a dominant trend in India. To address this, Flipkart launched its 'Minutes' business to meet accelerated delivery expectations. The company has established 250 fulfilment centres to support this model, a major shift from its earlier one-to-two-day delivery promise. Today, some Flipkart orders arrive in as little as three minutes. 'It was a one-to-two-day promise. Now we have a fifteen-minute promise—and sometimes we can deliver in as short as three minutes,' said McLay. 'Those capabilities are insane for me. They're kinda mind-blowing.' Quick commerce currently accounts for about 20 per cent of India's e-commerce market and is growing at 50 per cent annually. While Flipkart's core business moves steadily towards profitability, McLay said the company is also strategically investing in quick commerce as part of its broader growth roadmap. Walmart views this expansion as part of a longer-term trajectory rather than a linear path to profitability, supported by proof points from other international markets. Flipkart is also applying global best practices across operations. When quick commerce began gaining traction, Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy looked to Walmart's China operations—specifically Sam's Club's cloud-based fulfilment model, which delivers 1,000 SKUs in under an hour. Flipkart sent a team to study this system and adapted it to Indian needs, aiming to deliver 6,000 SKUs in under 15 minutes. 'When we saw the rise in quick commerce, our CEO of Flipkart asked me where he could learn about speed within the Walmart enterprise. I pointed him to China,' McLay recalled. 'So he sent a team over to the dark-fulfilment centre, and they learned from that. Then they brought it back to India and said: 'A thousand items in under an hour? We want to do 6,000 items in under fifteen minutes.'' These adaptations are now being shared with other markets, including China, demonstrating how knowledge flows in both directions within Walmart's global network. McLay also highlighted Flipkart's approach to profitability. Unlike Walmart's China operations, which are primarily first-party and lack a digital advertising component, Flipkart includes digital advertising as both a revenue stream and a contributor to its profitability profile. The platform is continually adapting to meet evolving customer expectations in India's dynamic market. One of Flipkart's standout verticals is Myntra—its dedicated platform for beauty, apparel, and accessories. Myntra has built strong capabilities in customisation and hyper-personalisation, and is considered a leader in generative AI within Walmart International. For instance, users can input prompts like, 'I'm going to a wedding in Kerala in the summer with mostly twenty-something guests, and it will be semi-formal,' and the platform generates four outfit recommendations tailored to the query. 'One of the hidden gems, I think, in the Flipkart business is Myntra,' said McLay. Flipkart's broader strategy remains focused on strengthening its core e-commerce operations, expanding its quick-commerce offering, and enhancing personalisation through Myntra. Walmart has reiterated that while profitability is a goal, it will not come at the cost of market share or long-term growth.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gwinnett commissioners shut down plan to build gas stations in community with dozens more
Gwinnett County commissioners unanimously rejected a Murphy USA proposal to build a gas station on Jimmy Carter Boulevard last week, following passionate opposition from residents who said their community already has too many gas stations. The company wanted to replace a pawn shop at the corner of Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Rock Bridge Road with a 2,800-square-foot store with six gas pumps. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Murphy USA representatives promised high-tech security improvements, including up to 20 surveillance cameras. However, neighbors came armed with statistics that may have swayed commissioners. LoyLene Jefferson-Shaw told the board there are already 25 gas stations within a two-and-a-half-mile radius of the proposed location. Former police officer Dr. Jeff Fauntleroy raised safety concerns about gas stations in residential areas. 'These gas station food marts have become a hub for criminal activity,' Fauntleroy told commissioners. He cited 838 violent crimes reported at Georgia gas stations in 2021. TRENDING STORIES: 3 college friends killed in I-75 crash remembered as 'the most genuine people' R&B singer Jaheim charged in metro Atlanta animal cruelty case Georgia Tech student killing: Shooter snuck into apartment building, waited for victim, police say Residents are also worried about the community impact beyond crime and traffic. Murphy USA representative Stephen Oliver defended the project as a beneficial community development. 'We are proposing redevelopment of a 30-year-old, rundown pawn shop that's there now,' Oliver said. 'I think we'd be an addition to the community.' The Arkansas-based company operates 1,800 stores in 27 states. State Representative Marvin Lim (D-Norcross) supported the community opposition, submitting a petition with 130 signatures from nearby residents. The planning commission had previously recommended denial of the special use permit. Murphy USA has not indicated whether it will appeal the decision. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kids get to give their best Shark Tank-style pitches at The Jones Center
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Some local kids pitch their innovations to the experts. The Venture Center, an Arkansas-based entrepreneurial support organization, held a 'pitch 'n punch' competition at The Jones Center in Springdale, similar to the television show 'Shark Tank.' Blue Crane to develop Hotel Sundry in downtown Springdale Middle school students went before a panel of judges and a live audience, fearlessly and vigorously pitching their ideas. The goal is to foster positive change in the community. Emily Monday competed in tonight's competition. Her pitch was Nature's Bling, a recycled jewelry brand that helps reduce waste in landfills and the environment. 'I was really nervous at the start, and how I was going to do this pitch, and I was really stressed. And I overcame it,' said Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nine Arkansas semifinalists named in 2025 Presidential Scholars Program
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The U.S. Department of Education has announced nine Arkansas-based students have been selected as semifinalists for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. According to a letter to Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva, the nine students selected as semifinalists come from a field of 621 students nationwide. The Arkansas students who were selected are: Taylor Matthew Conran – Farmington High School Nideaya E. Fassler – Russellville High School Xavier Christopher Herzig – Alma High School Scarlet Moore Hudgins – Elkins High School Prerana R. Kodakandla – Bentonville High School Siddhartha R. Milkuri – Bentonville High School Aubrey Scherer – Rogers Heritage High School Sylvia Ann Smith – Fayetteville High School East Campus Yahya Younus – Little Rock Central High School Department of Education officials said that the final selection will be made in the coming months for high school seniors who will be named as the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars, and the names will be announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 8,200 of the nation's top-performing students since its 1964 inception. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
