Walmart invests US$4.5B to drive expansion across Canada
CANADA—Walmart has announced a CAD 6.5 billion (US$4.5 billion) investment over the next five years to accelerate its growth in Canada.
The company plans to open multiple new stores, starting with Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario, and Oakville’s Hopedale Mall, which will open in summer and late 2025.
In addition, Walmart Canada’s most advanced facility, the Vaughan Distribution Centre, will open in spring 2025 as part of the company’s efforts to modernize its distribution network.
By 2027, Walmart Canada will also open three more supercenters in Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray.
Gui Loureiro, regional CEO of Walmart Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Central America, said: “This CAD 6.5 billion (US$4.5 billion) investment is the largest we’ve made in Canada to expand our footprint since we first arrived 30 years ago.”
To support its growth, Walmart Canada partnered with Canada Cartage, the country’s largest provider of fleet services, which will acquire the supermarket’s Canadian fleet business.
Matt Kelly, Walmart Canada’s Vice President of supply chain, added, “Canada Cartage has deep expertise in providing dedicated fleet services and has been serving Canadian businesses for more than 110 years.
“Through Canada Cartage we can serve customers even better and more flexibly and provide fleet employees with exciting growth opportunities at one of Canada’s largest and most trusted supply chain service providers.”
The cumulative effort reflects Walmart Canada’s dedication to adapting to evolving consumer needs while maintaining a competitive edge in the retail landscape.
The company joins a list of other retailers, including Target, that have been trying to add new locations to gain more market share, following the increasing popularity of free and curbside delivery services.
This announcement follows Walmart Canada’s completion of its previous CAD 3.5 billion (US$2.4 billion) investment plan, which included modernizing 180 stores, opening new locations in Victoria, British Columbia, and Montreal, Québec, and investing over CAD 800 million (US$549 million) in new distribution centres.
Joe Schrauder, Walmart Canada’s chief operations officer, commented: “Across the country, we’re making strategic investments in our online and in-store offerings to be more relevant to more customers than ever before. From newcomers and urbanites to higher-income Canadians, more customers are choosing Walmart for their shopping needs.”
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