Walmart sees sustained pressure from inflation; to slow hiring pace

(Reuters) – Walmart Inc said on Wednesday it was expecting inflation to add sustained pressure to its business this year, and that it was planning to slow the pace of hiring as its uses more automation amid a tight labor market.

The worlds biggest retailer said on Tuesday that about 65% of its stores were expected to employ some form of automation by the end of its fiscal year 2026.

The company, which has more than 5,000 U.S. stores, also maintained its full-year forecast.

“We‘re assuming that this year is going to be somewhat anomalous … Still feeling the effects of higher prices,” Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said at the company’s investor meeting.

Rainey expects inflation at about 3% by the end of the year.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru and Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Anil DSilva)