 |
|
|
|||||
Walmart Inc. is laying off approximately 1,500 employees in the United States in a bid to restructure as it works to keep up with fast-moving technological changes. The job cuts will impact corporate staff at the companys headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and other offices. Some workers losing their jobs include members of the global technology team, e-commerce fulfillment managers, and members of Walmart Connect, the companys advertising business. Reached for comment, a Walmart representative shared with Fast Company a copy of the memo that was sent to staff on Wednesday afternoon. We are reshaping some teams in our Global Tech and Walmart U.S. organizations where we have identified opportunities to remove layers and complexity, speed up decision-making, and help associates innovate rapidly. the memo said. This isnt the first report of layoffs for the big-box store this year. In February, Walmart laid off hundreds of workers and closed its North Carolina office. Some employers were asked to relocate to the retailers headquarters. Technology, not tariffs, cited for reason Many retailers are looking for ways to trim expenses to combat the rising cost of doing business due to tariffs. One way retailers are reacting is by passing on added costs to the consumer with price increases. Some companies are also reducing labor costs with layoffs, although Walmart told the Wall Street Journal that the current job cuts are not connected to tariffs. Rather, Walmarts memo says, The world of technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and reshaping our structure allows us to accelerate how we deliver and adapt to the changing environment around us.” At the same time, during Walmarts first-quarter earnings call for fiscal 2026, CEO Doug McMillon shared that some products would be impacted by price increases due to tariffs. Given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we arent able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins, McMillon warned. Over the weekend, President Trump retaliated by lashing out on social media, suggesting that the company should absorb the costs instead of passing them onto consumers. Walmart employs approximately 1.6 million workers in the United States, making it the largest private employer in the country. The Wall Street Journal first reported the retailers plans to cut jobs on Wednesday. Walmart stock (NYSE: WMT) was mostly flat in late-morning trading on Thursday. Shares have increased roughly 6.77% year to date.
Category:
E-Commerce
The LA Art Book Fair returned this weekend with a new venue and a renewed sense of intention. Now in its eighth edition, the fair took over ArtCenter College of Designs South Campus in Pasadena, California, transforming classrooms, courtyards, and even the rooftop of a Subaru Outback into vibrant hubs of independent publishing. Produced remotely by Printed Matters New York team, the fair was made possible through deep collaboration with LAs creative community. Still reeling from Januarys wildfires, the citys small press scene showed up with resilience and purpose, supported by mutual aid efforts and fee waivers for affected publishers. At a time when book bans, cultural conservatism, and generative AI are reshaping the creative landscape, LAABF 2025 was a celebration of subculture, radical publishing, and the enduring power of print. Across more than 300 exhibitors from 26 countries, LAABF offered up hand-bound zines, risograph prints, speculative fiction, surreal artist books, and design ephemera, and was a welcome counterpoint to the algorithmic flattening of culture we currently view through our screens. Heres a roundup of our favorite finds from LAABF. [Cover Image: Hat & Beard Press] In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: A Jonathan Rosenbaum Reader, published by Hat & Beard Press Spanning film, literature, and jazz, this sweeping retrospective brings together 100 of Jonathan Rosenbaums sharpest essays from nearly six decades of cultural criticism. Published by Los Angeles-based indie press Hat & Beard, the collection reveals how these three art forms intertwine in Rosenbaums singular worldview. Best known for his influential film writing at the Chicago Reader, Rosenbaum also weaves in deep reflections on music and literature, building a kind of critical manifesto. Expect essays on Stanley Kubrick, Chantal Akerman, Thomas Pynchon, Duke Ellington, and beyond, all filtered through Rosenbaums iconoclastic lens. [Cover Image: Cult Classic] Cult Classic Magazine: 06 Magnetism Cult Classic issue 06 explores the unseen threads that bind creative culture. Centered on ideas of mirroring, manifestation, and momentum, the issue reflects on what draws us together, and what keeps us moving forward. With three cover variations to choose from, readers will find conversations with artists, musicians, designers, and writers who are shaping the future of culture. From underground music to indie fashion, Cult Classic continues to document the pulse of creative communities with depth, and eclectic vision. [Photo: Secret Headquarters] THE DOME: Throat Heart Mouth Earth, by Carly Jean Andrews; published by Secret Headquarters Secret Headquarters redefines the comic book store with a sharply curated, design-forward approach to graphic storytelling. Known for its focus on comic book culture, the shop showcases an exceptional selection of graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and monthly titles. One must-see title to debut at LAABF was THE DOME: Throat Heart Mouth Earth by LA-based illustrator Carly Jean Andrews, a kaleidoscopic, spiral-bound collection of self-portraits that blends vintage maximalist aesthetics with the artists signature explorations of the female form. Each copy comes with a silkscreened thong printed with one of Andrews original drawings in a surprise color. Time, Myth and Matter, by LD Deutsch; published by Sacred Bones Blending science, speculation, and storytelling, Time, Myth and Matter is the debut essay collection from LD Deutsch, published by Brooklyn-based record label Sacred Bones. Across five expansive essays, including revised versions of her cult zines and one never-before-published piece, Deutsch explores how we use both technology and myth to make sense of reality. Deutsch moves between the cosmic and the personal, drawing unexpected connections between consciousness, physics, and narrative. Its a genre-defying read that sits comfortably between philosophy, pp culture, and futurism. [Cover Image: Draw Down Books] A Toolkit for Gathering, by Rachel Berger, with Meg Bisineer, Sara Dean, and Janette Kim; published by Draw Down Books Tired of the same old conference formats? This inventive guide, created by Rachel Berger with Meg Bisineer, Sara Dean, and Janette Kim, offers a fresh take on how artists, designers, and thinkers can gather with more purpose and creativity. Originally developed during a two-day residency at This Will Take Time and later shaped through the uncertainty of the early days of the pandemic, the book is packed with tools, prompts, and strategies to help make professional meetups more meaningful, and a lot less boring. Think poetic icebreakers, alternative structures, and replicable ideas for reimagining how we come together. Newly updated with a foreword by Draw Down Books founders, Christopher and Kathleen Sleboda, this slim, beautifully designed volume is both practical and inspirational. [Cover Image: M12 Studio] LANDLINES: San Luis Valley (Journey Into the American West), by M12 studio; published by Spector Books Spanning a four-year engagement by M12 STUDIO, LANDLINES is a 400-page volume exploring Colorados San Luis Valley, a vast alpine basin shaped by diverse landscapes and layered histories. Situated over 10,000 feet above sea level between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges, The Valley has long been a crossroads of intersecting worlds: indigenous lands, Spanish and Anglo settlements, and a surprising range of religious communities, from Catholic to Amish to Hindu. Its landscapes carry traces of adobe architecture, ancient waterways, potato and cannabis farms, volcanic remnants, and folklore swirling with cryptids, UFO sightings, and folk music. LANDLINES blends research-driven storytelling with evocative imagery, offering a rare and multifaceted portrait of the rural Southwest. [Photo: Current Editions] Organizing Power: Volume 1, by Jessalyn Aaland with Ana Fox-Hodess and Nat Naylor; published by Current Editions Organizing Power: Volume 1 is a pocket-size guide to starting a union at your workplace. Created by Jessalyn Aaland with Ana Fox-Hodess and Nat Naylor, this zine-style handbook has already helped workers organize institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Wexner Center for the Arts. Originally developed during Aalands fellowship at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the saddle-stitched booklet adapts trusted labor organizing resources with added insights from the authors. The risograph cover design gives a nod to the Whole Earth Catalog aesthetic, grounding the project in a legacy of DIY empowerment. [Cover Image: Caboose] BUGUE – Issue No. 1, by Liana Jegers; published by Caboose Part field guide, part personal zine, Bugue is a tender love letter to the overlooked wonders of backyard nature. Created by Liana Jegers, this debut issue zooms in on the flora and fauna just outside her door, and offers meditations on the hidden world beneath our feet. Printed on soft newsprint and filled with lush photography and hand-drawn illustrations, Bugue brings a slow, observational approach to nature writing, grounded in the hyperlocal and the everyday.
Category:
E-Commerce
Chinese automaker BYD sold more electric vehicles in Europe than Tesla for the first time, according to a report by JATO Dynamics, as an aging model lineup and CEO Elon Musk’s politics hurt demand for the U.S. EV maker’s cars. BYD, which also makes plug-in hybrid vehicles, registered 7,231 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) in Europe in April, while Tesla registered 7,165 units, the market research firm said. “This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022,” JATO Dynamics’ global analyst Felipe Munoz said. Demand for electric vehicles in Europe remains steady. BEV registrations surged 28% in April from last year, largely driven by Chinese car brands. Despite the EU’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, registrations of such cars increased 59% in the month from a year earlier, while carmakers from Europe, Japan, South Korea and the United States recorded 26% growth. WEAK TESLA DEMAND The company reported its first drop in annual deliveries last year, and analysts expect another fall this year after a 13% decline in the first quarter. Musk said earlier this week that Tesla had already turned around sales, and demand was strong in regions apart from Europe. His political views have triggered waves of protests against Tesla in the U.S. and Europe, leading to a slump in sales. Additionally, production halts to retool factories to make the redesigned Model Y crossover globally caused a drop in manufacturing and sales in the first quarter. Analysts have also attributed lower sales to customers waiting for less-expensive versions of the new Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, to become more widely available. Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||