WALMART'S head honcho has admitted he isn't a fan of one of the company's most popular international snacks.
Doug McMillon, chief executive officer of the big box store, discussed a trip he took to Canada during Walmart's latest earnings call.
He was visiting a store in Calgary when someone offered him ketchup-flavored potato chips, which is a popular snack there.
“When I was in Canada, they made me eat ‘Great Value' tomato-ketchup potato chips,” he said.
“I'm out on that. I'm sure Canadians love it, but that's one private-brand item that I'm not a fan of.”
Chief financial officer John David Rainey said that McMillion “made some of us eat that.”
After he got his own taste, McMillion said Rainey liked it better than he did.
The origin of ketchup chips is unclear, but it is widely believed they were developed by Hostess Potato Chips in the early 1970s and sold exclusively to Canada, according to Food Network.
They have been referred to as a “quintessential Canadian snack,” and McMillion emphasized the importance of having local-favorite foods in stores.
“It’s important for us to have a wide range of assortment for a broad section of customers,” he said.
“Situations are different for different customers, and whatever the situation is for any particular customer, then that’s what we want to be there for,” he said.
Walmart has 402 locations in Canada, versus the 4,616 stores in the US.
MORE TO COME
Walmart also announced it is focused on rapidly expanding its online third-party business, Walmart Marketplace.
The company has invited 1,500 independent sellers who use the marketplace to attend the Walmart Marketplace Summit in Las Vegas.
Over the two-day summit, there will be discussions about the future of third-party selling.
The event is meant to convince sellers that Walmart Marketplace is the best place to sell online, said Manish Joneja, Senior Vice President of Walmart Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services.
The expanded marketplace will offer more brand and product-specific targeting on the website to make easier connections between buyers and sellers.
“We’re continuing rolling out Brand Shops, dedicated digital storefronts that allow brands to create their own curated pages with ease,” Joneja said.
“By design, our marketplace is a level playing field, providing customers access to what they want regardless of whether Walmart or a third-party seller owns the inventory. Put simply, we believe in growing together.”
Walmart is trying to keep up with Amazon's Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA) option.
Despite plans to expand, Walmart is closing another location after more than two dozen other stores shut down this year.
Plus, see the major change that had customers saying the store is “headed in the wrong direction.”