Walmart reportedly tests upping pay for some store associates

Walmart is testing out higher wages for some of its in-store associates as it overhauls duties for its employees, according to a report from Bloomberg. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer is said to be raising hourly pay for workers in the fresh, front-end and replenishment sections from $11 an hour to $12 an hour at roughly 500 stores using the company’s new “Great Workplace” operating model. 

Among the roles that will see their pay increase are stockers, cashiers and workers in the company’s deli, according to the report. A Walmart spokesperson told Bloomberg that the pay hike is a test and that it currently is not planning to implement a wage increase across its store base. 

Walmart last increased its starting wage in January 2018, starting hourly associates at $11 per hour, following suit of competitors, among them Target, who had raised its minimum wage to $11 an hour in 2017. The Bloomberg report notes that in June, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon called on Congress to increase the federal minimum wage, which currently sits at $7.25 an hour. 

To read the full Bloomberg report, click here.