Wal-Mart to cut 700-800 jobs at HQ

US retailer Wal-Mart is cutting 700 to 800 jobs at its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club home offices as the retailer looks to realign its corporate structure and reduce costs. The retailer, which has roughly 14,000 employees at its home office in Bentonville, Arkansas, said that it is eliminating jobs in merchandising, real estate and marketing in its Wal-Mart US division, while cutting merchandising positions at its Sam's Club warehouse division. "We will continue to take appropriate steps to further align our support structure with our business plans," said Wal-Mart Chief Executive Mike Duke in a memo obtained by Reuters. "We must also challenge costs in every corner of the company in order to keep our business strong today and well into the future," he said. Wal-Mart, which has 2.2 million employees worldwide, still expects to hire thousands of workers for its stores this year, said spokesman David Tovar. The retailer will also add new positions in operations that are taking on greater importance, he said. For instance, given Wal-Mart's increased focus on renovating and relocating stores, the company will add jobs in that area.

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