Walmart Launches National Advertising Campaign to Show "The Real Walmart"

BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart today announced the launch of a national television and digital advertising campaign and accompanying website (www.therealwalmart.com). The campaign demonstrates how people across America count on Walmart to save money on the products they want and need, how the company provides tremendous career opportunities for its associates and how it creates efficiencies and works directly with manufacturers to help deliver low prices.

"We have wanted to do this for a long time because we know that people trust Walmart even more when they understand the opportunities we provide our associates, who the customers are that shop with us and how we deliver low prices," said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. "Every month more than 60 percent of Americans shop at Walmart and we are proud to help them save money on what they want and need to build better lives for themselves and their families."

"The Real Walmart" ad campaign focuses on three key areas:

• Helping Walmart customers succeed   
• Helping Walmart associates succeed   
• How Walmart's efficiencies and direct-from-manufacturer approach help deliver low prices

Customers

In this ad, real Walmart customers describe how they are able to invest in themselves and their families in real and meaningful ways with the money they save by shopping at Walmart. Customers describe being able to build their child's education fund or invest in their family business or pay for braces for their kids.

As the ad demonstrates, there is not one single type of Walmart customer. Every week more than 60 percent of Americans shop at Walmart, and these customers represent the full and vibrant diversity of America. They are economically and ethnically diverse, come from every walk of life and have every occupation and interest imaginable. They include teachers, mechanical engineers, firefighters, accountants and many more, and Walmart welcomes them all to shop its stores.

Customers have more shopping choices than ever before, but many count on Walmart to help them save money and balance their budgets. For example, Walmart has helped save customers $4.8 billion through its $4 generic prescription drug program and saved shoppers $2.3 billion in the last two years on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Associates

The associate ad features 19-year-old Nathaniel, an hourly associate from Chicago. He's been with the company for a year and is looking forward to starting college in the fall, where he wants to study law or computer science. He plans to continue his career with Walmart, and eventually sees himself managing his own store.

Nathaniel, like other associates, understands that working at Walmart means opportunity. Walmart is dedicated to the growth and development of its associates. They are the reason for the company's success. For example, 300,000 associates have been with the company for 10 years or more, 75 percent of store management started as hourly associates and every year the company promotes about 160,000 people. Last year, full- and part-time hourly associates earned more than $770 million in quarterly bonuses, and associates saved more than $500 million through the company-provided 10 percent discount on general merchandise and select grocery items.

No matter where a person is in her or his life, Walmart has a job that could be right for them. For some, it is a first job where they learn the fundamentals of a business and how to work within a team. It can be a seasonal or part-time job for people who have other responsibilities but who still want to earn some extra money. Many others see Walmart as a long-term career with more advancement opportunities than other businesses in the country.

"I know first-hand the career opportunities that Walmart offers. I started as a cashier during college and today I run my own store," said Tonya Pullen, Walmart store manager in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. "I see associates earn promotions every week to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay. In fact, more than three-fourths of the management team in my store started as hourly associates."

Walmart provides education assistance, skill training and most of all, an opportunity to succeed and build a career. The company's 1.3 million U.S. associates achieve incredible things every day – for their customers and in their own lives.

Business Approach

Walmart's mission is to save people money so they can live better. The company is able to deliver low prices by always looking for ways to increase efficiency and cut waste out of the system and pass savings on to its customers.

The business approach ad explains how Walmart delivers low prices for its customers. The company's low prices start with one of the world's most advanced supply networks, including an incredibly efficient trucking fleet. Since 2005, Walmart has increased its fleet efficiency by 80 percent. In fact, in 2012 alone, the Walmart fleet delivered 297 million more cases while driving almost 11 million fewer miles. The fleet also includes some of the best and safest drivers on the road.

In addition, Walmart has a long-term approach of working directly with manufacturers to eliminate markups and bringing affordable, high quality merchandise and groceries to the communities it serves, in part by partnering with small, local famers in every region of the country.

Earlier this year, Walmart also committed to source an additional $50 billion in U.S. products over the next 10 years. This builds on where the company is today, which according to suppliers, items that are made, assembled, sourced or grown in the U.S. account for about two-thirds of what we spend to buy products at Walmart U.S.

"We are able to deliver low prices to our customers by operating efficiently and working closely with suppliers to obtain the best cost for the merchandise customers want," continued Simon. "The more we introduce people to what we do and how we do it, the more they understand the positive difference we can make for customers, associates and communities."

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit our more than 10,800 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE Walmart