Free Magazine! The Associate’s Guide to Living Better OCTOBER 2015 Go Meet This associate has an infectious passion for team-building. Read her story, and those of other amazing associates, inside. PAGE 24 1015_Cover2.indd 6 9/10/15 1:59 PM Now at Walmartworld.com! Strength, Hope, and Survival It’s Haunting Time Each weekday this month, we’re featuring a Discover creative and delicious ways quote from an associate personally affected by to treat ghosts and goblins—including breast cancer. Read their stories and more at seasonal recipes and fun DIY crafts—at walmartworld.com/BreastCancerAwareness. walmartworld.com/Halloween2015. Achoo! Top Walmart World Content Help customers protect against cough, cold, and Sign up for our email program to be the first flu (and get fast relief) with our special section associates to get our top articles and company beginning on Page 7 and additional expert news delivered to your inbox once a month. advice at walmartworld.com/ColdSeason. Register at walmartworld.com/SignUp. Join the Conversation! We want to hear from you! Share your comments— including story ideas—at Walmartworld.com. 1015_JoinTheConversation (Working Copy).indd 1 9/9/15 11:53 AM October 2015 10 Contents Help Customers Rest Well 60 Apples Bring Fall 18 Flavor to the Table Winning the Holidays Big Bets, new tech, helpful tips —it’s Holiday Meeting 2015. 24 Yes, These Associates Are Amazing Voices 2 The Guide 7 Inside Walmart 13 We Are Walmart 30 Milestones 32 Checkout 55 My Sam Story 64 1015_TOC (Working Copy).indd 1 9/11/15 12:37 PM Our entire company is dedicated to the fullest utilization and the development of future opportunity for our capable women associates, as well as the men. Sam Walton, April 1975 2 The Associate’s Guide to Living Better 1015_Voices (Working Copy).indd 2 9/9/15 11:58 AM Voices / Welcome FROM THE EDITORS Women Who Lead Walmart is a leading supporter of women in business on a global scale (for example, nearly 1 million women may benefit from the company’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative). On a local scale, that support means more amazing women in our company who are mentors, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and more. They’re shaping our company, and we share their stories in this issue. THE EDITORS Read more on Walmart and Katrina at walmartworld. Strength in the Stormcom/Katrina. Remembering Little did I know when I walked out the Katrina Lee Scott, former Courtesy of Courtesy of president and CEO of Crystal Leslie Crystal Leslie Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., doors of my Walmart, Store 5079, on Ten years after shares how Hurricane Katrina shaped the Hurricane Katrina future of Walmart. After Hurricane Katrina made landfall on hit, our associates took action. the Mississippi These associates Crystal Leslie, showed that Walmart’s Aug. 26, 2005, it would be the last coast, size could allow us to make a difference. customer service manager Their actions caused management to ask: at Store 1195 in Waveland, “How can we be the Miss., recalls the aftermath The storm The aftermath As a store, our purpose was to help our Walmart we were during As a resident of the Gulf Coast, you become One of our co-managers drove a bulldozer community rebuild. I’ve learned more about Katrina all of the time?” in her own words—as well accustomed to preparing for hurricanes every into the store to get supplies. She also broke myself and why my role at Walmart matters. That question time. [Hurricane Katrina destroyed the into the locked pharmacy and got medica- I watched Walmart do whatever it took to led to our efforts in year. When news broke that Hurricane Katrina as how the recovery has was headed our way, Store 1195 on the coast of tions for our local hospital. Nineteen days help, and it sparked something in me. It sustainability. Our size Mississippi started battening down the hatches. after the storm, Ray Cox, our store manager, changed my attitude and made me a better was an advantage. Our shaped her community, her On Aug. 27, 2005, many townspeople were had a 16,000-square-foot industrial-strength associate. I wouldn’t be who I am today relationships with our suppliers an unmatched getting their supplies and getting ready to leave. tent erected in the parking lot. Townspeople without Walmart and Hurricane Katrina. asset. We could make store, and her personal life. As a store, we boarded up the windows and doors could buy milk, food, blankets, air beds, our products and our and sandbagged every door. We attended to and tents. Soon after that, we also carried Life today stores more sustainable store.] Days later, I learned Walmart was customers with smiles on our faces; no one was merchandise that other Walmarts didn’t have, Ten years later, our store is still going strong. without making people like mattresses that could fit in FEMA trailers. There are no victims here—we’re survivors. really certain what would happen with a Category choose between the Just before Thanksgiving 2005, a portion of Our community is thriving. As an associate, 5 storm headed our way. We prepared for the environment and I am proud to have been a part of this com- worst and hoped for the best. I, like most people, our store opened as a Walmart Express. their pocketbooks. munity’s recovery. The impact Walmart had evacuated the next day. As time passed, our community began And this was all Waveland was dubbed “ground zero” for to recover. Cleanup crews were replaced by in our community then continues to exist started by associates Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. The hurricane boasted contractors and builders. On Aug. 4, 2006, we today: We try to be involved in everything, who knew that at helping associates, giving relief money 175 mph winds and a storm surge of roughly reopened as a Supercenter.Darlene Ladner, like Relay For Life and local beach cleanups. Walmart, we have both 26 feet. At the time, many of us didn’t realize what a cashier here, says, “Walmart went above Our store created Walmart Warriors, a team of the freedom and the that meant. On Aug. 30, I headed home. Along and beyond for our customers: No other associates dedicated to doing charity events. responsibility to do what Highway 90, only 2.5 miles from the beach, was store in town set up a tent for customers to We have the strength of a global corporation, is right for our customers Store 1195. The front doors and windows were shop in. They were really there for us when and we’re making a world of difference right and communities. blown out. It was flooded and destroyed inside. we needed them the most.” here in Waveland. Walmartworld.com 39 and telling us we could work at any 38 The Associate’s Guide to Living Better 6/22/15 11:31 AM 6/24/15 10:23 AM 0715_Katrina-1 (Working Copy).indd 39 Walmart. We (my best friend/co-worker 0715_Katrina-1.indd 38 and I) landed at Store 553 in Slidell, La., and were welcomed with open arms. We were there for four years, until Store 5079 was rebuilt. I’m so proud of Walmart for the way they took care of their associates! Kimberly Babin, invoice associate, Store 5079, Pass Christian, Miss. Many associates wrote in to share their stories about Hurricane Katrina. Visit walmartworld.com/Katrina to read about how the storm changed their lives. No responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs, which Publisher must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The views expressed in Alan Dranow this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Our entire company Walmart World is a proprietary publication of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and is intended Our entire company Editor in chief for use by Walmart at its discretion. The editor reserves the right to select and edit Matt Larsen letters for publication. Some stories may appear in other publications, including those [email protected] is dedicated to the intended for external audiences. All material that you submit to Walmart World shall is dedicated to the Managing editor become the property of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and submission shall be deemed a John Soldani transfer of all right, title, and interest to the materials submitted. Walmart World is not fullest utilization and responsible for verifying the accuracy of material submitted by our readers. The views fullest utilization and Content manager and opinions expressed onand third-party are not meant websites to substitute do not necessarily for professional state or advice. re ect Amanda Foster those of Walmart World the development of Market research Stores: If you’d like your subscription numbers adjusted, please email us at the development of Margaret Li [email protected]. future opportunity Distribution Printed on partially recycled paper future opportunity Annie de Vona Editorial inquiries: Walmartworld.com 3 for our capable [email protected] for our capable womenwomen associates, associates, 9/10/15 3:38 PM asas well well as as the the men. men. Sam Walton, April 1975 Sam Walton, April 1975 1015_Voices.indd 3 9/9/15 11:58 AM 2 The Associate’s Guide to Living Better 1015_Voices (Working Copy).indd 2 Voices / Walmart’s First Lady SpacingAximagnam, bar from Hed to dek. Top should be touching the bottom of corit copy of the Hed and the top box of the dek should be touching as well. Aximagnam, corit acim quas as as dolum aut atio- rem porent re prem vel ilis au If you don’t have those associates in the stores ..