Walmart (WMT) stock has made a strong return (up about 78.7%) this year after falling behind Amazon (AMZN) . The company’s investment in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, and same-day delivery, has led to record earnings and earned it the title of Yahoo Finance's "Company of the Year" for 2024.The stock traded in a tight range of $40 to $50 from December 2019 to December 2023 and then steadily surged this year $96. Over the past five years, Walmart shares have surged mor ...

Walmart is testing out body-cams for store employees in one market in Texas.A spokesperson said the goal of the pilot is to improve worker safety and evaluate the results.Earlier this year, Axon introduced a line of cameras designed for retail and healthcare workers.Walmart shoppers in Texas may want to think twice before losing their cool with a store employee — the interaction could be captured from an up-close-and-personal camera angle.Advertisement The retail giant is testing body-cams for store employ ...

Key TakeawaysJefferies analysts boosted their price target on Planet Fitness, calling the gym operator the "Walmart of Gyms," alluding to the chain's large size and low prices.The analysts made Planet Fitness their Top Pick for 2025 in the fitness & wellness sector, and maintained a "buy" rating on the stock.Jefferies said Planet Fitness is benefiting from healthy living trends and from charging higher membership prices. Planet Fitness (PLNT) shares advanced Tuesday after Jefferies research analysts called ...

Walmart's Body Camera Pilot Program - Walmart is testing body cameras for employees in select Texas stores as part of a pilot program aimed at enhancing employee safety [1] - The program is currently limited to stores in Denton, Texas, located about 40 miles north of Dallas [1] - Walmart plans to evaluate the results of the pilot before making any long-term decisions [3] - The body camera initiative is part of a broader safety and security program, not specifically designed as an anti-theft measure [3] Industry Context and Trends - TJX Companies, parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, has also equipped employees with body cameras to deter theft [4] - TJX began using body cameras in certain U S stores over the past year to de-escalate incidents and demonstrate a commitment to safety [5] - The cameras are worn by loss prevention associates, and footage is shared only with law enforcement or in response to a subpoena [6] Retail Theft and Safety Concerns - Retail theft cost businesses $112 1 billion in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation's 2023 survey [6] - 91% of surveyed retailers report increased violence and aggression from shoplifters compared to 2019 [6] - Retailers are actively exploring new technologies, including body cameras, to enhance safety and security [7] - The use of body cameras in retail is still a relatively new technology, and companies are experimenting to determine its effectiveness [7]

In a case of a giant company getting even more massive, Walmart (WMT 0.66%) has been on quite a tear lately -- both in terms of its fundamentals and its share price. The latter has improved by more than 85% this year, trouncing the 28% growth of the S&P 500 index.Some market-watchers think there's still room for the high-profile retailer to run. One analyst tracking Walmart stock recently boosted his price target by a beefy 34%. What's behind this latest burst of optimism and, more importantly, is it justif ...

Walmart has teamed with China’s Meituan to fortify its eCommerce business in that country.The partnership will see Meituan provide delivery service for Walmart products and begin featuring the retail giant on its popular app, Reuters reported Tuesday (Dec. 17), citing a WeChat post by Walmart’s China unit.That post added that the collaboration will help Walmart bolster its eCommerce service in China, which makes up close to half its sales in that country.The Reuters report notes that Meituan is China’s larg ...

About this content About Josh Lamb After graduating from the University of Kent in the summer of 2022 with a degree in History, Josh joined Proactive later that year as a journalist in the UK editorial team. Josh has reported on a range of areas whilst at Proactive, including energy companies during a time of global crisis, aviation and airlines as the sector recovers from the pandemic, as well as covering economic, social and governance issues. Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and ...

Walmart's Body Camera Pilot Program - Walmart has initiated a pilot program to equip store-level associates with body cameras at select U.S. locations [1] - The program is currently being tested in one market, with no specific details on the number of stores involved [3] - The company aims to evaluate the results before making long-term decisions regarding the use of body cameras [3] Purpose and Implementation - Walmart intends to use body cameras primarily for worker safety, not as a loss prevention tool [3] - Employees are instructed to record interactions with customers if the situation escalates and to avoid wearing cameras in break areas and bathrooms [4] - After an incident, employees are required to log the event in the "ethics and compliance app" with the help of another team member [4] Industry Context and Challenges - The pilot program coincides with the holiday shopping season, a period when retail employees face increased stress and hostile interactions with customers [5] - Smaller retailers have already experimented with body cameras as a theft deterrent, but Walmart's focus remains on employee safety [3] - Existing surveillance systems in stores are already in place, raising questions about the added value of body cameras [8] Worker and Union Perspectives - The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) expresses concerns that body cameras may be more about surveillance and theft deterrence than employee safety [6] - Workers need training on de-escalation and handling hostile situations, which body cameras alone cannot provide [7] - United for Respect, a workers' organization, emphasizes that body cameras are not a substitute for proper training and safe staffing [7] Potential Impact and Concerns - There is skepticism about whether body cameras can organically promote de-escalation, with concerns that they might provoke customers or fail to address underlying issues [8] - The program's effectiveness in improving worker safety remains unclear, as body cameras do not intervene in conflicts or provide training [7]

Walmart’s Mexican business unit, Walmart de México y Centroamérica (Walmex), said a decision by Mexico’s antitrust authority will not affect its business.The company also said in a Friday (Dec. 13) press release that it will challenge the Comisíon Federal de Competencia Económica’s (COFECE) Thursday (Dec. 12) decision that Walmex engaged in a monopolistic practice in its dealing with supplier contributions.COFECE fined the company over $93 million pesos (about $5 million), according to the release.The compe ...

It looks like Amazon wants to heat up competition in the delivery space against rival Walmart.Amazon is testing 15-minute grocery delivery in India as part of its push into the “quick commerce” sector, which is expected to surpass $6 billion in annual sales this year. The eCommerce giant seeks to offer fast, wide-ranging selections to customers across the country, challenging rivals like Walmart-backed Flipkart and Reliance, both of which have launched similar services.While quick commerce is gaining moment ...