Honestly, if you walked into a Walmart today, you probably expected the usual Saturday chaos—dodging carts in the grocery aisle or hunting for those "New Year, New You" wellness rollbacks they’ve been pushing since Jan 8. But behind the scenes, and in one specific Pennsylvania town, things got weird. Very weird.
It’s January 17, 2026. While most of us are just trying to figure out if we actually need a VIZIO TV now that Walmart owns them, the company’s leadership is playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs that just changed the face of the world's largest retailer. Plus, there was a literal bomb threat.
The Uniontown Evacuation: What Happened at Walmart Today on the Ground
If you were trying to grab milk at the Walmart at Fayette Crossing in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, around 10:00 a.m. this morning, you were met with flashing lights and yellow tape instead of a greeter.
✨ Don't miss: Ernst & Young in the News: What Most People Get Wrong About the Big Four Giant
State police had to clear the whole building. A bomb threat.
In 2026, you’d hope we’re past this kind of stuff, but the store was shuttered for an "extended period" while troopers swept the aisles. It wasn't just a quick "fire drill" situation either; all entrances were blocked, and the parking lot looked like a movie set. As of this afternoon, the store is still trying to get back to normal. It’s a jarring reminder that for all the talk about "agentic AI" and "seamless commerce," the physical safety of 2.1 million employees still depends on old-school police work.
The John Furner Era Begins (Early)
While Uniontown was dealing with a threat, Bentonville was dealing with a transformation. We already knew Doug McMillon was stepping down as CEO on January 31, but today the ripples of the "Furner Takeover" turned into a tidal wave.
John Furner doesn't officially take the helm of Walmart Inc. until February 1, but he basically just rebuilt the entire C-suite in his own image. This isn't just a few promotions. It’s a total overhaul of how the company functions.
The big news? Kathryn McLay is out.
McLay, who has been running Walmart International (a $100 billion beast of a division), is leaving the company. She’s staying through the first quarter to help with the handoff, but the "growth agenda" she championed is now in the hands of Chris Nicholas, the current Sam’s Club CEO.
Wait, it gets more complicated. Since Nicholas is moving to International, someone has to run Sam’s Club. That’s going to be Latriece Watkins. She’s been the chief merchant for Walmart U.S., and now she’s the boss of the warehouse division.
And the cherry on top? David Guggina is taking over Furner’s old job as CEO of Walmart U.S.
Guggina is a "tech guy" at heart—he was the chief e-commerce officer. By putting him in charge of the entire U.S. business, Walmart is sending a massive signal to Amazon: We aren't just a grocery store anymore. We are a logistics and tech company that happens to sell bananas.
Why the "Agentic AI" Talk Matters to Your Grocery Bill
You might have seen the headlines earlier this week about Walmart and Google’s Gemini partnership. It sounds like corporate fluff. It isn't.
💡 You might also like: High-Rise Climb Crypto News: Why Everyone is Watching These Vertical Gains
Today’s leadership changes are a direct result of the "Big Show" presentation Furner gave with Sundar Pichai in New York just a few days ago. They are betting the house on something called Agentic Commerce.
Basically, instead of you searching for "detergent," an AI agent—Walmart calls theirs "Sparky"—will just know you’re low and ask if you want it delivered in the next 30 minutes.
- Automation: They want 60% of stores serviced by automated distribution centers by the end of the year.
- Predictive Shopping: They are moving away from "search" and toward "fulfillment."
- High Margins: The VIZIO acquisition (which cost them $2.3 billion) is finally being integrated into their advertising suite. They want to show you ads on your TV that you can buy with one click.
It’s a bit creepy, sure. But it’s why the stock hit an all-time high of $118.52 earlier this week. Investors aren't buying the retail side; they're buying the data side.
The Reality Check: Amazon is Still Faster
Even with today's big moves, the "Retail Fortress" has some cracks.
✨ Don't miss: Blue collar definition: Why we still get the label so wrong in 2026
While Walmart is growing its online ad business by 53% year-over-year, that revenue is still a drop in the bucket compared to their $681 billion total revenue. Amazon’s online store sales are still growing faster (10% vs Walmart’s 5.8%).
The big challenge for the new "Guggina-Watkins-Nicholas" trio is maintaining that 39x P/E ratio. If they can’t prove that the VIZIO deal and the AI "Sparky" agent actually make people spend more money, that stock price is going to take a haircut.
What You Should Do Now
If you're a shopper, a worker, or an investor, what happened at Walmart today actually changes your strategy for the rest of 2026.
- Check your Walmart+ App: Look for the new Gemini integration. If you’ve linked your account, the AI is now actively learning your "splurge" vs "value" habits. You might want to toggle those privacy settings if that feels too "Big Brother."
- Watch the Uniontown updates: If you live in Western PA, check the local state police bulletins before heading to Fayette Crossing; that "extended period" of closure is still fluid.
- Investor Alert: Keep an eye on the Feb 19 earnings release. That will be the first time we see the full financial impact of the VIZIO integration and whether the "wellness rollbacks" actually drove foot traffic during the January slump.
- Career Moves: With a massive reshuffle at the top, expect "centralization" to be the buzzword in Bentonville. If you work in corporate or supply chain, your reporting lines likely just shifted.
The era of "just being a store" is officially dead. Walmart is now a tech company with a massive parking lot.