The Huddle with John Furner

The guest for this Huddle episode needs no introduction: Kevin Costner has been part of all our lives for many years! He also personifies many of the traits we strive for at Walmart: reinventing ourselves, staying true to who we are, and delivering quality. 

It was so fun to have Kevin join us at our 2024 Walmart U.S. Holiday Meeting, in Orlando, Florida. You can imagine how thousands of our associates reacted when he walked on stage! Kevin talked to the team about his work ethic, how he celebrates the holidays, and one of his products we sell in our stores and online. He even brought his band “Modern West,” and they put on an awesome performance! 

I know you’ll love this episode, where Kevin and I talk about how and when we found our personal “yellow brick roads” … and the difference Walmart is making in America.

We’ve had an exciting week in San Francisco, California, where we just wrapped up our Let's Grow! 2024 Walmart Marketplace Seller Summit for small businesses, inventors, and other sellers interested in joining our Walmart.com Marketplace. Marketplace allows us to offer customers hundreds of millions more items than we sell in our stores! 

For this edition of the Huddle, I talked with Bill Pond, CEO of RTIC Outdoors. RTIC is a digitally-native brand that makes premium products like coolers and cups. They first partnered with Walmart by joining our Marketplace. As you’ll hear Bill explain in this episode, that led to more sales and more customers for RTIC, then eventually having their products inside our U.S. stores. Today RTIC’s products are sold both in our stores AND our Marketplace, and the two perfectly compliment each other.    

It was especially fun to record this episode inside Walmart Store 100, which is where I started my Walmart career 31 years ago. So much has changed since then – particularly the opportunities we now have to sell many more items and fulfill many more orders in many more ways. But what hasn’t changed? We’re still so proud to welcome new sellers with new products, and help them grow WITH us. 

Walmart is a community of diverse individuals, each with their unique stories. Some joined us after pursuing other careers, some started with us and then moved onto something else. Then there are people like Anjie Robertson and myself who started with Walmart and saw it turn into a rewarding career. I met Anjie a couple months ago at our Manager Academy, where she shared she couldn’t attend the Associates Week she was invited to 15 years ago, because of being promoted. Anjie politely asked if she could come this year, to one of the biggest and best family reunions and celebrations in the world!

Anjie joined me for this episode of The Huddle, just after joining me on stage at our U.S. Associates meeting! We talked about her 30-year career with Walmart, how her experiences have shaped her people-centered approach to management, the importance of meeting people where they are, and what it truly means to go "all in.” We also talked about the memorable moment where Anjie recommended we begin an annual bonus program for our store associates. (Spoiler alert: we listen!)

Anjie is an incredible associate with a magnetic personality, and her story shows what's possible when you take risks, believe in yourself, and go "all in" on your goals. I'm proud of Anjie for asking to come to Associates Week this year and I'm excited for you to hear her story in this episode. You won't want to miss it!

Yesterday, we celebrated the grand opening of Store 8861, our brand-new Walmart Neighborhood Market in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida! A grand opening is always filled with excitement, and this one was particularly special. It represents the first of the 150 new stores we're planning to build or convert in the next five years along with our ongoing efforts to remodel hundreds of our existing stores to better serve our customers. 

In this episode of The Huddle, I had the pleasure to chat with Brandon, the Store Manager, at this beautiful new location. His journey with Walmart has been truly inspiring. When we was a Support Manager, he had the opportunity to assist in opening a new store in Gulfport, Mississippi, and has dreamt of opening a store as a Store Manager ever since. Today, he is living that dream and is thrilled to serve the Santa Rosa community! We talked about the unique aspects of this new store, including its proximity to the beach and the capacity to cater to both locals and tourists with a larger square footage, extensive assortment, and standout pharmacy. We also talked about all the amazing long-term associates who have transferred from other stores to support this new location, bringing a wealth of experience to help the new team thrive. 

We're thrilled to bring nearly 100 new jobs to the area and look forward to providing outstanding service to all of our customers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Whether you're a local or visiting over the summer, we'd love to have you stop by and check out our new store! 

I started working with Walmart when I was in school. I was just hoping to earn some money for the summer — but I soon realized that working in a store taught me many things I couldn’t have learned in a classroom. Real-world work experience is crucial, and that’s why we're proud to be a partner of the NRF Foundation's RISE Up program. RISE Up has helped 40,000 learners learn about and experience the retail industry, and build foundational employability skills. 

In this episode of The Huddle, I'm joined by John Marschhausen and Lori Messi from Dublin City Schools in Ohio, who were recognized by the Foundation for the amazing work they're doing immersing students from their district into local retailers. They have great advice for how organizations and institutions can take smart risks, engage with their communities, and build partnerships to change young people’s lives. The work happening in Dublin showcases what's possible when we invest in the future leaders of tomorrow. I'm excited to see the next generation “RISE Up”!

When I think of people who share our mission of fostering holistic health, Ally Love immediately comes to mind. She’s an on-air contributor for NBC’s "Today” show, the CEO and founder of Love Squad, and a very popular Peloton instructor. I've had the opportunity to take many of Ally’s classes and see how her dedication to fitness, wellness, and community is so inspiring to others.

I was thrilled to have Ally join me on The Huddle, sharing her personal journey and passion for health – including how a life-changing accident at age nine shaped her perspective. We also talked about how she’s used her platform of influence to motivate others and build “Love Squad,” which provides women of all backgrounds with community and career development resources.

Ally is full of energy and positivity, and I know you'll feel inspired by her story and her advice for thriving both personally and professionally. No matter your age, your schedule, or the shape you’re in, you can make whole health a priority every day!

We just wrapped up an amazing Year Beginning Meeting in Houston, and yesterday, our CEO Doug McMillon closed out YBM by splitting Walmart’s stock for the first time since 1999! Doug joined me on The Huddle to discuss this exciting news – what it means, and how it will allow even more people to become shareholders in our company. 

Of course, we also talked about our favorite group of Walmart shareholders: the 400,000 associates who own Walmart stock – many who buy it through our Associate Stock Purchase benefit program. I joined that program my very first day in 1993. Sam Walton once called it “the single best thing we ever did.” 

Our associates act like owners every day, and we’re delighted at how many truly ARE owners of the company because they own stock. And we’re so excited to think of what’s ahead for all of us as we keep serving more customers and growing our company. 

Erica Cole’s life changed forever in college, when she lost her leg in a car crash. So many things became different, even getting dressed – Erica’s clothes would not fit over her prosthetic leg. 

Many would have given up in this situation, but Erica chose to create new clothes, and start an adaptive clothing company she now runs: No Limbits. No Limbits is creating accessible solutions for others with disabilities and sensory challenges, and Walmart is so proud to have them as a #WalmartSeller on Walmart Marketplace, where we sell more than 400 million items.

Erica joined me for this season finale of The Huddle, sharing her inspiring story and the valuable lessons and experiences she's gained along the way – including securing a deal on Shark Tank! She also talks about being part of Walmart's adaptive shopping experience and the growing recognition of adaptive clothing as a vital category within the apparel market. At Walmart, we're dedicated to creating an inclusive shopping experience, from launching our Adaptive at Walmart page online to implementing sensory-friendly hours in all our U.S. stores.

I know you'll be inspired by Erica’s story of turning a problem into an opportunity! You can find products from No Limbits, along with whatever else you need on Walmart.com. Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season! 

As #VeteransDay approaches, I urge everyone to pause and appreciate the men and women who have served so bravely and selflessly to protect our country and freedoms. At Walmart, our commitment to supporting America’s Veterans and their familiesruns deep. We’re proud to have hired over 550,000 members of the military community over the last decade.

Some of our newest Veteran associates have come though our Corporate Fellowship Program (CFP), which provides an innovative, 12-week experience that equips transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on learning to prepare for meaningful civilian careers. For this episode of The Huddle, I had the pleasure of talking with two current fellows – Juli and Quintin Plank. We talked about their experiences in the military, their journey to becoming part of the Walmart CFP, and their advice to other Veterans navigating to civilian life.

Best of all? I was thrilled to surprise both Juli and Quintin with official offer letters to become Walmart associates! We can’t wait for them to be part of our #WalmartFamily for many years to come. Happy #VeteransDay, to Juli, Quintin and all who have served. We can’t thank you enough!  

As National Manufacturing Day approaches this Friday, we're proud to recognize the manufacturers behind Walmart products, who play a pivotal role in creating opportunities for our communities and workforce. Kent International Inc. is a great example of this. They've assembled millions of bikes at their South Carolina factory, including Walmart's Ozark Trail mountain bike line, and have been instrumental in revitalizing bicycle manufacturing in the U.S.

In this episode of The Huddle, I join Arnold Kamler, CEO of Kent International Inc., at their Manning, SC factory to talk about his journey working with Walmart and how they've evolved our Ozark Trail line. Arnold also shares valuable advice for anyone considering establishing manufacturing assembly in the U.S.

When I was a kid, my first bike was from Walmart – and I know many of our customers got their start cycling the same way. As you shop for the holidays, consider checking out Ozark Trail bikes, knowing the significant impact each one has on people right here in the United States.