How Stakeholder Values Transformed Walmart into a Trillion Dollar Company

 Corporate Challenge: Boost  company performance by enhancing employee satisfaction 
 
Ironbound Strategy: In fiercely price competitive markets, powerful brands understand the importance of creating holistic value across employees, customers, and society.  By prioritizing employee welfare and treatment, employee satisfaction improves thereby reducing turnover and creating an overall uplifting customer experience. 
 
Ironbound Action:  Walmart, founded in 1962, was once synonymous with low wages and labor dissatisfaction. In 2015, it embarked on a transformative journey that turned it into a Harvard Business School case study for effective workforce management.  The multi-faceted strategy included significant wage increases, which raised the starting pay to $15 per hour, effectively positioned Walmart as a leader in retail wages.  Walmart's experience illustrates that when companies genuinely invest in their workforce, they not only bolster the morale of their employees but also drive bottom-line results.  The results confirmed that employee contentment directly correlates with customer experience. 
 
*Walmart is the 1st traditional retailer to reach the $1 Trillion milestone

†Walmart’s 2025 Sales, Profits, and EPS were $713B, $21B, and $2.74 respectively
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‡Walmart’s 5-year CAGR for Sales, Profits, and EPS was 4%, 8%, and 9% respectively.