BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has elected John Furner, 51, to succeed Doug McMillon, 59, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart Inc., effective February 1, 2026. Furner was also elected to the company’s Board of directors, effective immediately. McMillon will retire on January 31, 2026, but remain on the Board of Directors until the next annual shareholders’ meeting and help ensure a smooth transition.

“John Furner is the right leader to guide Walmart into our next chapter of growth and transformation,” said Greg Penner, Chairman of Walmart Inc., in the recent release. “After starting as an hourly associate and being with us for over 30 years in a variety of leadership roles across all three of our operating segments, John understands every dimension of our business – from the sales floor to global strategy. He has proven that he can deliver results while living our values. John’s six-year leadership of our Walmart U.S. business during a time of rapid change, marked by digital acceleration and strong associate engagement, has positioned us for continued success.

On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Doug McMillon for his extraordinary leadership and incredible impact he has had on our company. Our family and Board have stated many times that Doug was uniquely qualified to be CEO at the necessary time for Walmart. Over more than a decade as CEO, Doug led a comprehensive transformation by investing in our associates, advancing our digital and eCommerce capabilities, and modernizing our supply chain, resulting in sustained, robust financial performance. He leaves Walmart stronger, more innovative, and better aligned with our purpose to help people save money and live better.”

McMillon said, “Serving as Walmart’s CEO has been a great honor and I’m thankful to our Board and the Walton family for the opportunity. I’m incredibly proud of what our associates accomplished and deeply grateful for their commitment to our customers, to each other and to the communities we serve. Thank you, everyone! I’ve worked with John for more than 20 years. His love for our associates and this company runs deep. His curiosity and digital acumen combined with a deep commitment to our people and culture will enable him to take us to the next level. He’s uniquely capable of leading the company through this next AI-driven transformation. He’s a merchant, an operator, an innovator, and a builder. I know that our future is bright with his leadership.”

Furner said, “I am deeply honored by the trust the Board and family have placed in me to lead Walmart, a company that has shaped my life and so many others. I’m grateful to Doug for his leadership and mentorship and the foundation that is built for our future. As we enter a new retail era fueled by innovation and AI, our purpose and our people will continue to guide us. Together, we’ll find new ways to serve customers, support our associates, and strengthen the communities we call home.”

Furner has served as President and CEO of Walmart U.S. since 2019, overseeing the company’s largest operating segment and its more than 4,600 stores. He began his Walmart career as an hourly associate in 1993 and has held leadership roles across merchandising, operations and sourcing. He has lived and worked in multiple countries and served as President and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S. Known for his collaborative leadership style, Furner has championed associate development, digital innovation, and operational excellence throughout his tenure.

As the company has done with previous CEO transitions, McMillon will stay on the Board until June, in addition to staying on as an advisor to Furner through FY2027. The company plans to make an announcement on Furner’s successor as CEO of Walmart U.S. before the end of FY2026.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA & SALT LAKE CITY, OH - Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, announced that Associated Food Stores (AFS), a retail co-op, is bringing Instacart’s white-label e-commerce solutions, Storefront and Storefront Pro, across five owned and operated banners and over 40 member-owned banners. Through this partnership, AFS will bring e-commerce and retail media capabilities to its owned and operated banners, including Fresh Market, Lin’s, and Macey’s, and independent member stores, including Broulim’s, Davis Food & Drug, Kent’s, and Lee’s, providing them with a simple and fast way to expand into online grocery.

“We’re excited to partner with AFS to bring our white-label e-commerce solutions and retail media monetization to their owned and operated stores and independent retail banners,” said Nick Nickitas, General Manager of Independent Grocery and Mid-Market Retail Partnerships at Instacart, in the recent release. “AFS has always championed innovation for local grocers, and together we’re scaling their digital transformation. With Instacart, AFS retailers are providing a seamless, connected shopping experience for their guests in-store and online, while maximizing retail media contribution to enhance profitable growth.”

“Partnering with Instacart gives our local, independent retailers the ability to offer their shoppers a world-class online shopping platform – one that meets or exceeds what other regional or national grocers are doing today,” said Jason Sokol, Vice President of Marketing at AFS. “With Storefront Pro, retailers have access to Carrot Ads, which fuels new opportunities for retail media growth while providing guests with a simple, reliable way to shop their favorite local stores online.”

“Instacart’s Storefront Pro has allowed us to go online quickly and confidently with a best-in-class e-commerce solution that delivers strong growth and revenue opportunities,” said CJ Davis, President of Davis Food & Drug. “With Instacart’s premium white-label e-commerce solution, we saw a 24% increase in sales and our monthly retail media revenue grew by 2-3x with Instacart’s retail media solution Carrot Ads1.”

As a Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) member, AFS is also leveraging Carrot Ads as their retail media network, providing in-store and online retail media revenue opportunities for owned and operated and member retailers using Storefront Pro and Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI-powered smart cart.

This AFS partnership builds on their member retailers’ existing partnership with Instacart to bring the company’s enterprise-grade suite of technology to deliver a unified, seamless, and personalized experience to their customers in-store and online:

• Davis Food & Drug introduced Caper Carts to all stores in 2024 in addition to Carrot Tags, Instacart’s electronic shelf label software.
• Stewart’s Marketplace debuted Caper Carts in 2024, along with Carrot Tags, earlier this year.
• Soelberg’s Market launched Caper Carts in 2024. This year, Soelberg’s has expanded its e-commerce presence, joining the Instacart App and powering their owned and operated website with Instacart’s premium white-label e-commerce solution, Storefront Pro.

Storefront and Storefront Pro provide AFS’ grocery banners and independent members with a solution to expand e-commerce capabilities. Retailers enabling Storefront Pro will also unlock new retail media capabilities by giving them access to Instacart Carrot Ads, allowing them to monetize their digital and physical footprints through a unified retail media network. AFS member retailers join over 350 Storefront and Storefront Pro customers, along with hundreds of catering storefronts too, powered by Foodstorm.

To learn more about Instacart Storefront and Storefront Pro, visit: https://www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/storefronts.