Walmart ‘will never let us go back to a time before the internet’

Walmart will never let the online shopping of its employees go back, a senior executive said Monday.

The retailer’s decision to keep its workforce online by requiring them to pay a subscription fee in addition to paying the monthly fee for their credit cards, and the fact that it has set up its own network of resellers means it has the capability to move to a more digital world, said the senior executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The decision to do this was based on the fact it had more money in its bank account, he said.

Walmart did not specify how much it is spending to build its network, but said it expects the cost to be around $100 million a year, though it did not say how much that will increase over the next two years.

The online-only approach will not change, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Monday, although it may be “part of a broader strategy” to reduce costs.

The company has about 30,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, which has seen a surge in online sales, McMillon added.

The number of online stores in the country has more than doubled since 2009, and is expected to more than double by 2020, according to The Associated Press.

The CEO said he expects the online-store network to last for years.

He also said that Walmart will not go back for the last two years to a simpler shopping experience, which is the way customers have always shopped at the chain.

The chain will still offer many of the same services it does now, such as gift cards, cash advances, coupons, loyalty programs, and shopping bags.

It will continue to make some of the traditional items in its stores, such a fresh fruit and vegetable, but will also continue to have specialty items like pet food and dog food, he added.

Walmart said it is not considering a return to its traditional retail model.