Walmart plans to open more than 2,000 new stores next year in the U.S., bringing the number of U.K.-based retailers to almost 5,000, with 3,200 new jobs to be created, according to a new company report.
Walmart announced the hiring in a statement on Wednesday.
The company said that the increase in hiring comes from its efforts to align its operations to the fast-paced economy and the need for its employees to be more productive.
The hiring of 3,600 people will be based on a companywide hiring strategy that will be developed by the end of 2018, according the report.
The new hires come as Walmart prepares to open its first new U. S. store in a decade, the first in a major city since the chain began its expansion in the country in 1984.
The expansion, which is expected to create more than 8,500 full-time jobs, is expected help Walmart’s U. K. business expand to $17 billion in 2018, the company said.
In addition to Walmart, the expansion includes an expanded Costco Wholesale Club, the largest grocery store chain in the United States, and the introduction of new grocery and convenience store locations.
The company also plans to hire about 3,400 employees in the second half of this year.
Walmart said it is investing $7.5 billion in its U.k. operations to bolster its competitiveness, and that its investments will continue through 2019.
Walmart has been expanding in recent years, adding hundreds of stores and increasing its size.
In the first quarter of 2017, Walmart said its U
