Early in the morning, Nichole Hart stepped into the Walmart store she was in charge of, in Bellmead, Texas, just a few miles north of Waco on the highway.
Welcoming her at the entrance was the night manager, Seana Speck, and a new day began.
“How was the night?” Hart asked, as she listened to Speck’s report, walked through the store to check every department, and cheerfully greeted passing employees, “Good morning!”
Hart is one of the 4,700 store managers of Walmart in the United States. The retail giant is changing the way its stores operate, relying on managers to utilize staff to fulfill online orders and automate certain tasks with technology. In addition, managers are responsible for overseeing hundreds of employees, maintaining shelf inventory, ensuring customer satisfaction, and increasing sales and profits.
Although the demand for hourly workers in the retail industry has cooled since the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a manager capable of running a big-box store remains a challenge. Walmart is offering higher salaries, bonuses, and more stock options this year to retain and attract more talent. Some managers’ salaries can now exceed $400,000.
Kieran Shanahan, Chief Operating Officer of Walmart US, said: “They decide the success or failure.” He noted that as Walmart shifts towards automation, managing stores has become increasingly complex.
Hart has witnessed this change firsthand. About 20 years ago, at the age of 19, she started part-time at the same Walmart she now manages. Her first job was to cook live lobsters taken from the deli department.
Fresh out of high school, she needed a stable job – one that didn’t require a college degree. She has worked as a photo lab department manager, apparel area manager, and in 2021, she took over the Bellmead store. At 40 years old, Hart earned a salary of $119,000 last year and received about $120,000 in bonuses.
“I found that I’m really good at this,” she said. “It’s achievable for me.”
At 6:55 in the morning, Hart began her first round of inspections in the store. Night manager Speck reported the latest inventory and personnel status to her boss.
Bellmead is a blue-collar community in the outskirts of Waco. According to government data, the median household income in the county is around $64,000. Therefore, Hart and her employees often select Walmart’s “opening price” items in the display areas they control.
A table near the produce section was empty but labeled at $4.98. Hart instructed a nearby employee to fill it to prevent confusion for customers. Behind the deli counter, things were in disarray, and Hart took a photo and sent it to the employees to clean up.
Speck is one of the 10 “coaches” (mid-level managers) that Hart relies on for daily operations. Every day, Hart has to make three rounds of inspections in the store, which is bigger than three football fields.
During the second round of inspections, she brought along daytime manager Alicia Wright. With 13 years of experience at Walmart, Wright is a promising employee who can quickly run her own store, “so she often goes out with me.”
She said that walking around the store helps managers “understand the needs of customers” and maintain good communication with employees.
“I’m picking things up while also building a rapport with all the employees and checking on their work,” she said. This guidance helps her manage 305 employees, “making them willing to work for you.”
At the same time, Hart also has to focus on the store’s online ordering center. There, she sees orders constantly being delivered, either to shoppers at the curb or handed over to delivery drivers for the area.
During the 9:35 a.m. staff meeting, Hart highlighted significant sales growth from the previous day compared to the same period last year. The store is currently meeting the monthly sales target set by the headquarters.
“Congratulations!” Hart said as the employees sitting around the breakroom table cheered. She also introduced the store’s plan for a solar eclipse viewing event that could attract thousands to the area.
They quickly shifted to lighter topics. Hart reported that it was the birthday of some employees today. One employee mentioned they were collecting donations for a colleague to help him move into a new apartment without furniture.
At 1:45 p.m., Hart also meets with the HR manager to determine where there are enough staff based on the internal data calculated by headquarters, and where more staff are needed. Before recruiting new employees in the store, Hart tries to fill vacancies with existing staff.
At 10:00 a.m., Hart conducted the third round of inspections with her boss, the market manager of the store, Lesia Cobbs, who was the former store manager of Bellmead and also Hart’s mentor.
After the third round of inspections, Hart told Wright that Cobbs did not like displaying allergy medications at the entrance.
During lunch, Hart ate while checking the store’s statistics, preparing for the upcoming meeting with the coaches in the afternoon.
During the 1:00 p.m. coaching meeting, Hart and the coaches reviewed some remaining tasks for the day, such as price changes. She also reminded everyone that her boss is strictly enforcing dress code violations and they need to ensure compliance. Vests need to be clean and zipped up, and wearing sweatpants or tight pants is not allowed.
Hart also works on cultivating a culture of ownership among the 10 coaches, ensuring that everyone can balance work and life.
“I’ve worked at some stores where we had to work seven days a week or 14 hours a day,” she said, “We don’t do that here.”
“At the beginning with the company, I missed some birthdays,” said Hart, now a grandmother of two, “Now I can go to my son’s soccer games and spend time with my family.”
Around 5:00 p.m., Hart headed home. She had walked 8 to 10 miles in the store that day, approximately 20,000 steps.
“I love my job,” Hart said, but “It doesn’t stop, and that’s one of the challenges.”
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