Wal-Mart cuts 700-800 corporate jobs

It appears that not even Wal-Mart Stores, the global retail giant based in Northwest Arkansas, is immune from the layoff bug.

Wal-Mart officials have confirmed — based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press — that the company is cutting up to 800 jobs from its corporate offices in Bentonville. Depending on which media or company report is cited, the company employs around 14,000 in Northwest Arkansas. The company employs about 2.3 million worldwide.

Layoffs are coming from the retailer’s real estate, apparel and health and wellness areas, spokesman David Tovar told the AP.

Because Wal-Mart is opening fewer stores in 2009, Tovar said the company won’t need as many people to open stores.

Also, the company is moving some of its fashion/apparel position from Bentonville to New York, and is consolidating its three health department segments (pharmacy, optical, in-store clinic) into one.

Wal-Mart reported earlier this week that its January same-store sales were up 2.1%, an impressive number considering that nationwide same-store sales fell 1.8%.

This makes the second conservative move for Mike Duke, who became CEO of Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Feb. 1. Duke recently said the company would drop its monthly sales forecasting and replace it with a quarterly forecast.

However, Wal-Mart is expanding in Britain.

Wal-Mart reported Jan. 28 it would add 7,000 jobs at its ASDA retail operation in the United Kingdom. The company said many of the new jobs would be created at nine new food stores, five new non-food retail outlets and expansions of 15 other stores.
 
ASDA, Britain’s No. 2 food seller behind Tesco, employs 160,000 at 356 stores, including its ASDA/Wal-Mart Super Centers, ASDA Superstores, ASDA Living and George clothing stores, according to company info.

(The City Wire has sought comment from Wal-Mart officials. This post will be updated when and if such comment is received.)