Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
By Melanie Franner
Walmart Canada’s appointment of Venessa Yates to the role of President and CEO takes place at a monumental time in the retailer’s history. That’s because the appointment coincides with the company’s recent announcement of a “landmark” $6.5 billion investment over the next five years.
“I’m very excited to be with Walmart Canada at this inflection point,” says Yates. “This $6.5 billion investment will allow us to build dozens of new stores across the country, to invest in automation and supply chain improvements, and to continue to invest in our associates.”
The substantial financial investment, according to Yates, will help the company achieve its long-term ambition of becoming the preferred choice for Canadians.
“We’re very much focused on helping Canadians save money and live better,” says Yates. “We’re seeking to be Canada’s most trusted, omni-channel retailer – sooner rather than later.”
Experience matters
Yates has held several key roles within Walmart since she joined the company in 2016. Most recently, she was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Walmart+, the company’s membership program in the United States.
Yates has also led strategic initiatives for the Walmart U.S. Merchandising division, where she implemented competitive category strategies within Snacks and transformed Walmart’s Private Brands portfolio in both Food and Consumables.
Prior to her time with Walmart, Yates held various leadership positions at notable global retailers, including Woolworths and ALDI Stores. She is originally from Australia and is an alumna of the University of New England, where she earned her Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Marketing and Human Resource Management.
In her new role, Yates leads more than 100,000 associates across 400+ retail stores and supply chain sites across the county.
Yates unique experience makes her well suited for her new role.
“I loved learning about the role of price and value when I first started with ALDI many years ago,” she says. “That love has remained steadfast throughout the years. It’s all about understanding the customer and looking for unique ways to meet their needs.”
Yates draws on her own experience as one of three children growing up in a single-income household.
“It was tough for my parents to make ends meet at times,” she says. “Affordability was always an issue.”
The grocery connection
Although Walmart Canada is an omni-channel retailer, Yates admits that grocery represents a significant portion of the basket of goods. She describes the company as being “uniquely placed” to provide a one-stop destination to Canadians.
“Groceries play a really big part of our offering,” says Yates. “We want to make sure that all of our customers have access to quality product. Our team is going to evolve the grocery category while we continue to focus on lowering prices.”
Strategies have been developed for both online and in-store grocery shoppers. For example, according to Yates, the in-store experience will focus on freshness, quality control and quick re-stocking to prioritize availability while online shoppers will be greeted with high-quality images and detailed information to enable a fast and efficient shop. .
“We’ll also be expanding our range of groceries from around the globe,” says Yates, adding that the Canadian demographic looks very different from a mere 15 years ago. “We have done a ton of research on which demographics would benefit from a more curated offering.”
At the same time, Walmart will ensure that it continues to bundle its offer with an element of fun.
“Summer is a great time in Canada,” says Yates. “We’re going to take advantage of that by celebrating special events with our customers – like Canada Day or backyard barbecues. We’re going to drive the customer experience by providing a friction-free, more pleasurable shopping experience.”
Winning hearts and minds
Yates is the first to admit that Canada is a highly competitive retail environment. But she remains firm in her belief that Walmart can succeed in its mission to play an integral role with Canadian shoppers.
“We believe that we can create stability in the market by being consistent on offering lower prices rather than engaging in periodic sales,” she says, adding that the company is very much focused on helping Canadians save money and live better. “Price, assortment and experience – if we can do these three things well, then we can build trust with our customers. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional shopping experience and, by doing so, build habits with our customers.”
Primed for growth
Walmart Canada’s recent $6.5 billion investment will go a long way toward helping position the company as the leading retailer for Canadians all across the country. Of the dozens of new stores expected, five new Supercentres have already been announced in Ontario and Alberta by 2027. These include: a Port Credit Supercentre which opened in the spring; an Oakville Supercentre slated to open this fall; three new Supercentres in Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray opening by 2027; and a Vaughan Distribution Centre which will open this summer.
The company has committed to investing in modernizing its distribution centres “as part of its mission to expand, revolutionize and transform our best-in-class supply chain to better serve our associates and Canadian consumers”.
The company also recently signed an agreement with Canada Cartage – the country’s largest provider of fleet services – to buy Walmart Canada’s fleet business. The move is expected to improve service and provide increased flexibility for Canadian shoppers.
Walmart Canada is described as being on an ambitious growth journey to serve even more Canadians – better and differently than ever before. The recent $6.5 billion investment is the largest the company has made in Canada towards expanding its footprint since its initial entry into the market more than 30 years ago.
This significant financial investment may result in changing the status quo for Canadians all across the country.
“I believe that this situation creates a great opportunity for Canadians to take advantage of a highly competitive marketplace,” concludes Yates. “The Canadian customer is well placed. The challenge I see is not just for us to be able to deliver on our promise to our customers but to do so in a way that is faster than anyone else.”
