Jan 14 Reuters -- Walmart Inc. said on Friday that the chief Merchandising Officer of its U.S. unit, Scott McCall, will retire and hand over the reigns to grocery chief Charles Redfield, as it looks to capitalize on the gains it made during the Pandemic.
Redfield, who has led the U.S. grocery business for the past six years, will take over the role immediately, according to an internal memo sent to employees.
The memo sent by U.S. Chief Executive John Furner said that Redfield had held chief merchandising positions at ASDA, a UK grocer in which the U.S. retailer owns a minority stake and at its warehouse club offering Sam's Club before Walmart.
Two months after Walmart reported better third-quarter sales in the United States than market expectations, the leadership change came after it raised its annual sales and profit forecasts.
The surge in demand for groceries and home goods during the pandemic and a boost from online shopping, which grew 8% in the United States, or 87% from pre-pandemic levels, led to a surge in demand for groceries and home goods items.
McCall, who has been with Walmart for nearly 30 years, will work with U.S. operations chief Chris Nicholas to further drive inventory management before he retires, the memo said.
The company said Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside will leave the company in March to start her next chapter in New York with her family. Whiteside was the company's first chief customer officer when she was appointed in 2018.