The Biggest Walmart Headlines of 2021

The country's biggest retailer (more than 4,700 stores nationwide and fiscal 2021 revenue of $559 billion) and largest private employer (with nearly 1.6 million U.S. associates) had a momentous 2021. Beyond announcing plans for new high-tech fulfillment centers to help it reach its ambition of omnichannel dominance, Walmart posted consecutive quarters of better-than-expected sales; debuted the Walmart GoLocal delivery-as-a-service business; expanded its investments in drone delivery and driverless vehicles; and moved to offer fee-free college tuition to eligible associates. 

"I can’t think of a time when I’ve been more optimistic about the company," outgoing Walmart CFO Brett Biggs said at a Morgan Stanley virtual retail conference earlier in December. "I see so many different arms of potential growth that I think it’s astounding what this company could do."

The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer saw its share of less-sunny headlines in 2021, though, as well—from lingering inventory struggles to a federal jury finding Walmart, CVS and Walgreens liable for contributing to the opioid-abuse crisis in Ohio (a decision Walmart said it will appeal).

What were the biggest Walmart stories of 2021 with WGB readers? Here are the top 10, with their original publication dates in parentheses:

1. Walmart: Cleanup on Aisle ... All of Them?
(March 31) "As you go in, you realize how much is wrong," R5 Capital CEO Mushkin told WGB in March, summarizing his recent visits to Walmart stores across the country. 

After observing out-of-stocks in grocery and general merchandise as well as in-aisle clutter at a handful of Walmart stores in fall 2020, Mushkin sought to survey the scene at a wider range of Walmart Supercenters across the country. He visited more than 50 stores from Maryland to Washington State and found, he said, a consistent theme: updated store facades—fresh paint, updated signage, well-stocked produce displays just inside store entrances—but increasing disorganization the farther into a store one went. This story and a companion slideshow ("Empty Shelves, Cluttered Aisles: Walmart Woes, in Pictures") soared to the top of the most-read list for Walmart WGB stories in 2021. 

2. Walmart Gets Smarter About Substitutions
(June 24) Walmart wanted to get smarter about its substitution process, and the AI-powered algorithms the retailer built to do so has boosted customers' acceptance of suggested substitutes to more than 95%, according to the company.

3. Walmart Has Closed More Than 20 U.S. Stores for Deep Cleaning in Past Month
(Jan. 6) Nearly two dozen Walmart stores from California to West Virginia temporarily shuttered from December 2020 to early January as the country reeled from its first winter COVID-19 surge. An outbreak that sickened a confirmed 10 employees at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Garland, Texas, last year forced the store to close for 41 hours the Friday before Christmas. This December, unfortunately, store closures are on the rise again: Walmart stores in Ashland, Ky.; York, Pa.; and Fort Gratiot, Mich., all have announced COVID-related temporary closures in the past week.

4. Walmart Gives Shoppers the (Salad)Works
(Sept. 8) A deal this fall between Walmart and Ghost Kitchen Brands will see the latter company setting up shop inside at least 30 U.S. Walmart stores in the next two years, offering Walmart shoppers a range of restaurant brands, including Saladworks, for takeout and delivery. 

5. Walmart Adds Retired AT&T CEO to Board
(March 8) Early in the year, Walmart named former AT&T Executive Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson to a new seat on its board of directors. Stephenson, who retired from his role as AT&T's chief in July 2020, became the 12th member of Walmart's board. Stephenson also served from 2014 to 2016 as chairman of the Business Roundtable—a role Walmart CEO Doug McMillon currently holds.

Rounding out the top 10 for Walmart in 2021:
6. How Walmart is Using AI to Give Customers What They Really Want: Control
7. Top Takeaways from Walmart's 2021 Annual Report
8. All In: How Walmart, Albertsons and Target Are Accelerating Change
9. With Texas in Turmoil, H-E-B, Walmart and Target Respond
10. Walmart Launches Its Own Beef Line, McClaren Farms