John Mackey, who cofounded Whole Foods in 1980, told podcast host David Senra in an episode released last week that Walmart's move into groceries in the late '80s helped the grocery chain find awider audience. In its early years, Whole Foods served a niche market of health-conscious shoppers. Its clientele was mostly "a bunch of hippies selling food to other hippies," Mackey said, describing one venture capitalist's summation of the store.
Customers reported finding the razor blades at a Walmart Supercenter and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said Lt. Candace Young, a public information officer for the Biloxi Police Department. Walmart employees told police a customer first reported finding a razor blade in a loaf purchased from the Walmart Supercenter on Dec. 5. On Dec. 8, a customer who bought a loaf at the Walmart Neighborhood Market also reported finding a razor blade.
Shoppable in-store and online for just $16.78, this scalloped woven storage tray is a total steal - I've seen similar ones for at least three times the price, if not for more. And Walmart didn't skimp on quality, either. This piece is made from natural-toned water hyacinth fibers and finished with an adorable scalloped edge that truly takes the design from basic to the next level.
Grocers have rebranded and grown their portfolio of private label brands over the past several years to cater to consumers pressed by inflation, and it's paid off as the highest-earning shoppers make up an increasingly large share of the economy. Nowhere is this more true than Walmart, the leading grocer since 2019, which launched a new private label called Bettergoods in 2024 that includes products that are plant-based, organic, or gluten-free.
Did you know that Walmart basically has its own Amazon Prime-esque membership plan? It's called Walmart+, and it's a great option for people who shop at Walmart often. It'll give you free grocery delivery, free shipping with no order minimum, savings on fuel, early access to promotions and events, and, right now, free streaming on your choice of Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential.
But Walmart isn't defying shaky consumer confidence because of the breadth of its offerings, which impressively stretches to 120,000 products at most stores. Customers aren't flocking into stores to buy made-in-America T-shirts, as I wrote about in May, thanks to a novel partnership with American Giant. Or because it is adding more high-end products (at lower prices than you'd find anywhere else), as I covered in October in this profile of its chief merchant Latriece Watkins.
These days, I only take long trips that require packing a suitcase about once a year. Because of that, I don't spend much time looking at the luggage in my house, and when the time comes once again to lug them out and pack them up, it dawns on me. Oh, right: My suitcases are all pretty old. And aside from one teal-hued hard-shell roller, they're all plain black.
Driving the news: Walmart said Friday that McMillon, CEO since 2014, would step aside early next year in favor of long-time lieutenant John Furner. The Financial Times reported late Friday night that Apple's board is accelerating plans to replace Cook, CEO since 2011, as early as next year. Disney is working toward replacing Iger as CEO (again) early next year, and he's been more vocal about the coming change in recent days, discussing his impending exit on a British podcast.
When CEO Doug McMillon and other Walmart execs visit stores, they'll collect stray shopping carts from the parking lot or pick up trash. The idea is to model servant leadership and being "willing to do what we want anybody else to do," McMillon told a business school audience at Stanford in May. McMillon, 59, announced on Friday that he plans to retire in January. He will be succeeded by John Furner, president and current CEO of Walmart US.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon will retire effective January 31, 2026, the company announced in a Friday morning surprise, concluding a decade-long tenure that reshaped the retail giant's global strategy and digital presence. John Furner, currently head of Walmart's U.S. operations, will succeed McMillon as president and chief executive officer starting February 1, 2026. Furner was also elected to the company's Board of directors, effective immediately.
