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Walmart expands China presence, commits to 115 outlets

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US supermarket giant Walmart has announced plans to expand its presence and increase investment in China.Doug McMillon, Walmart’s global president and CEO, said at an event last week that 115 new stores are set to open by 2017, creating more than 30,000 jobs in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Changsha, Wuhan and other Tier 1 and 2 cities, as well as further increasing its investment in emerging cities.Walmart’s Sam’s Club is also a key part of the investment strategy with a plan to open seven new clubs in next two to three years.The supermarket has also invested 600 million RMB in upgrading more than 90 stores in China such as adopting new LED light facilities, and will invest more than 370 million RMB in the remodeling and upgrading of over 50 existing stores in 2015.“Our aim is to become an integral part of China’s economic development, serving customers the highest quality products, creating jobs and economic stimulus and working hard to build on our position as a trusted corporate citizen in China,” said McMillon.Walmart also focuses on O2O e-commerce operations. The company has launched a Hypermarket Flagship Store at Yihaodian (YHD) marketplace, the e-commerce business in which it has a 51% stake, and on YHD mobile app. YHD expanded Community Flash Delivery to additional China markets last December.The supermarket plans to launch a hypermarket app in the near future and customers can choose to pick up the products at nearby stores at a time convenient for them apart from choosing home delivery.Sean Clarke, president and CEO of Walmart, said that they have strong confidence in the Chinese market and the company will leverage their e-commerce experience to offer more convenient ways to shop for customers.The brand currently has more than 410 stores in 165 cities across China and has recorded a strong performance in the market. According to Nielson’s data as of December 31, Walmart’s hypermarket market share in China has grown for eight consecutive quarters.

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