Walmart announced on Tuesday that it is cutting some jobs and shutting down its North Carolina office, asking employees to move to its main hubs in Bentonville, Arkansas, and Sunnyvale, California.
The announcement was made in a memo sent to U.S.-based office employees by Walmart's Chief People Officer Donna Morris.
"We are making these changes to put key capabilities together, encouraging speed and shared understanding. Through this review process, we have eliminated some roles as we streamline how we work and will also be exiting our office in Charlotte, North Carolina," Morris said in the memo, as per Reuters.
Walmart did not say how many employees would be affected or what severance packages they would get if they chose not to relocate. According to Fox News, the first to report the job cuts, employees will have one month to inform the company if they plan to move.
"Our values and culture are strategic differentiators for us as a company, and they are fostered by being together. We've already seen the benefits of having more teams working together in person, and today we are sharing another step that will help accelerate our momentum," Morris added.
The chief people officer added that the company will support affected employees navigating "the path forward, including providing relocation support or severance."
Earlier this year, Walmart opened a new headquarters in northwest Arkansas, just a few miles from its previous "Home Office." The large 350-acre campus is built to hold over 15,000 employees across 12 buildings, with all moves expected to be completed by fiscal year 2026.
According to the memo, Walmart is also opening new office spaces later this year in Sunnyvale, California, and Bellevue, Washington. Additionally, it is expanding and upgrading its offices in Hoboken and its Fashion office in New York City.
Walmart's decision is part of a broader relocation strategy that began last year. Many companies are also requiring employees to return to the office for three to five days a week.
In May 2024, Walmart decided to move most of its employees from Dallas, Atlanta, and its Toronto Global Tech office to Bentonville, Arkansas, San Francisco, and Hoboken. In 2023, the company closed three tech offices and asked some employees to relocate to its main corporate hubs.
Last month, the retail giant announced a "comprehensive brand refresh" for the one-stop shopping destination. The company said at the time that it continues to honor its roots but has updated its text font to a more modern, custom one to differentiate Walmart from the crowd.
Walmart said the wordmark was inspired by founder Sam Walton's classic trucker hat.
"This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow," said William White, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US.
The company stated that the updated brand identity will help Walmart build credibility and connection.
