Mississauga, ON, October 23, 2023 – Walmart Canada’s first Economic and Social Impact Report reveals that when there is a Walmart store added to a major metropolitan area, it leads to decrease in the price of a general basket of consumer goods [1]. In 2019, this translated to almost $1,000 in savings for Canadian families in these areas, no matter where they shopped.
Making life more affordable for Canadians is just one of the ways the company contributes to the Canadian economy. The multi-year Impact Report, prepared by Deloitte Canada, also highlights how Walmart Canada supports Canadians through creating meaningful careers, supporting home-grown suppliers, and giving back to the community.
“At Walmart Canada, our purpose is to save Canadians money so they can live better, and we’re proud to use our unique size and scale to strengthen communities and shift local economies in the process,” said Gonzalo Gebara, President and CEO, Walmart Canada. “We’ve been operating in Canada for nearly 30 years providing jobs, supporting Canadian communities and buying from Canadian suppliers.”
As one of the country’s largest employers, Walmart Canada invests heavily in its people, providing associates with extensive training and development opportunities to move up in their careers. According to the Impact Report, the company delivered over nine million hours of career-related skills training between 2019-2021. More than 200 associates or their dependents have received a $2,000 scholarship from 2019-2021, reporting greater career prospects and positive changes to self-esteem.
The report further outlines Walmart Canada’s influence at the local level, showing their investment in local suppliers to reach more customers and grow their businesses. Between 2018-2020, Walmart Canada purchased over $20 billion each year in products from suppliers based in Canada.
Through its vast supply chain, Walmart Canada’s operations and investments have helped create or sustain domestic jobs and GDP. For example, in 2018 Walmart Canada indirectly contributed to $9.3 billion in GDP across its Canadian supply chain and supported thousands of jobs in industries like food manufacturing and agriculture.
Fast Facts:
- Walmart Canada supported more than 170,000 full-time equivalent jobs in our stores directly or with indirect or induced contributions across the supply chain, and as a result of associate and supplier spending in 2021.
- Between 2019-2021, Walmart Canada gave more than $200 million directly to the community through donations and fundraising.
- Walmart Canada’s estimated direct, indirect, and induced economic contribution to Canada’s GDP grew by 4 per cent annually from 2018 to 2021, reaching more than $21 billion in 2021.
- Approximately 100 Walmart Canada stores (or 1 in every 4 stores) are located in small communities with populations of less than 30,000 people.
To view the full Economic and Social Impact Report and methodology, visit walmartcanada.ca.
[1] This is based on the addition of one Walmart store per 100,000 population in a Census Metropolitan Area, between 2001-2019.
About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada was recently recognized as a LinkedIn Top Company of 2022 and was also named one of Canada's most popular brands (based on Google searches). Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $650 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada's social media pages – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
